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We spend 6 to 8 hours everyday in bed. While we can wear a surgical mask when we are up and about, it is more difficult to do so while sleeping. So, how do we protect ourselves from the haze while asleep?
Keep the windows closed and switch on the air conditioning, if available. Then, get ourselves a good air purifier and place it at the foot of our bed.
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| My Sharp air purifier at the foot of my bed. |
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| It is positioned with the air intake panel facing the foot of my bed. There is a HEPA filter on the inside. HEPA filters are able to filter out smaller particles compared to traditional vacuum cleaner filters. |
An entry level model like the one I bought costs a bit less than $200. I have had it for almost 2 years and I consider it money well spent since it protects my health.
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| This photo was taken while I was waiting at the traffic light earlier this evening. |
This is not an advertorial.
Related post:
Singapore air pollution reading: PSI 170!
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44 comments:
What is the cost to replace the filter?
Hi opal,
I have yet to replace the HEPA filter in mine but I would not be surprised if it were to cost more than $100.
Where do I get air purifier and how much does it cost?
Hi Anvi,
I got mine from Harvey Norman for less than $200. Make sure to buy one with a HEPA filter. :)
Had a horrible sleep last night because of the haze. Don't have an air conditioning or an air purifier. Seems like air purifiers is a worthwhile investment since it is going to be an annual affair. -_-""
Hi rusty,
This is indeed an annual affair, sadly. I think keeping a basic but reliable HEPA air purifier at home is a good idea. :)
i got a feeling soon oxigen mask and tank will soon be available for folks like us, easy to carry type.
Hi coconut,
I actually have a personal air cylinder. Hahaha.. ;)
man you are always ahead (of everybody), always prepared, thats make you a good investor.
i better start by cutting down my smoking, a long way to go @%$##...
Hi coconut,
I am just kiasi and kiasu. :(
You smoke? You have to stop. Why people voluntarily pollute their lungs, I will never know. ;)
AK need your expertse, i had always wanted to buy reits for long term holding, what scares me are the borrowing they had on their books which i consider high, and also their so call net asset value, i wonder if they had balloon it up.
what say you?
Quite right. Slashing and burning of tobacco openly in Singapore space has been practiced everyday. And these passive smoking have been proven medically to be cancerous. However as I have already said, this is a capitalism game. if you are selling it but not smoking it, you are the winner.
i say it cos when i look at the prices of these reits, they actually very volatile, very sensitive to interest rate expectation or movement.
will they survive if interest rate spike?
i don't mean to scare anyone, i'm just looking at the worst senaro, if interest rise and couple with the devaluation of their assets, will the NAV go to zero?
Hi coconut,
Investing in REITs is investing in real estate. We have to think like a real estate investor.
When we buy a piece of property, we probably gear up 70 to 80%. So, the gearing of S-REITs on average is not high. Sabana REIT's gearing is probably the highest at 38%, iirc. Is this high?
As for valuations, I will say that all real estate in Singapore are pretty highly valued now. Now, think of what would happen in a recession.
Values might retreat 20%. This would bump up gearing. In the case of Sabana REIT, it would go from 38% to 47.5%.
As the loans REITs take are rather short term in nature, the fear is always the inability to re-finance. However, I don't think this is likely with abundant liquidity.
Of course, in a recession, it is reasonable to expect some tenants to go bust. However, given the experience with the GFC and from what I can remember with AIMS AMP Capital Industrial, such cases were few. The GFC was probably the acid test.
In any case, we can factor in a 10% reduction in income from defaults due to the impact of a recession.
So, given these assumptions, we could see Sabana REIT's gearing going up to 47.5% and DPU dropping to 8.6c a year. Does this scare you?
I will say that the time to sell some S-REITs probably came and went. At the current levels, they are not expensive but they could get cheaper. ;)
Hi Tien,
You make me feel like starting a business to sell cigarettes now. ;p
Hi coconut,
Mr. Market is reacting to expectations of a tightening of liquidity and an increase in interest rates.
Fundamentally, of course, if these should transpire, REITs are in for a tougher time.
The way I see it, the Fed is just slowing down their money printing machines. They are not stopping the machines or sucking money out of the system. As for interest rates, Bernanke has said that any increase is far in the future.
However, the situation is very fluid. Who knows what will happen?
Prices are driven by expectations/sentiments and this is something you know well as a trader. However, if you are making the switch to being a long term investor, then, you have to grow less affected by price movement and focus on value instead. You need to or you will go crazy. ;)
thanks a lot AK, yes, i should just view them as commercial real estate. now i'm not that scare no more.
and with the little experience i have on real estate, i want to buy when there are "fire" sales and not when the market going up.
i must remind myself this is not trading.
Hi coconut,
You are not scaring me. Why?
If it should happen, I think the whole of Singapore will be in pretty bad shape. The property market will sink like the Titanic and I am not talking about a "mere" 30% retreat in value either. It must be a full blown economic depression!
as a trader what i can say is you can't control the market, this is what the central banks all over the world are doing right now, indirectly!
sooner or later it will break, you can't hold it or manupulate it for very long, even if you are the central bank.
watch closely the interest rate movement, that is all it matters.
"I'll tell you why I like the cigarette business. It costs a penny to make. Sell it for a dollar. It's addictive. And there's fantastic brand loyalty."
—Buffett, quoted in Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
I think one reason why you should not worry about REIT is this: The PAP government is very strong and will ensure that the 6.9 million population white paper follows through , and then even later 10 million etc. This will stimulate and ensure REIT will do well.
Next month 2 major companies(one of them is SPH itself) will be IPO their REITS. Everybody is not worrying because they know the PAP is strong.
Hi coconut,
Low interest rate is like a drug. People are all getting addicted. This addiction is actually "good" for the central banks. It helps to achieve their goals.
The real test comes when the drug sellers decide to withdraw into the shadows. You are right.
Hi Tien,
I like the quotation from WB. Thanks for sharing it. :D
As for the relationship between the PAP's strength and S-REITs' resilience, I think I know what you are trying to say. ;)
to be honest, as a trader, i view riets all along as some kind of a debt instrument which pay coupon. at this low rate enviroment, i went short, just like bonds.
the problem i'm facing right now is when to reverse to invest in them, just like bonds, for what coupon rate? 10%? ofcos, different instrument or reits counter carries different risk, i go for the safer one.
i'm still thinking haha.
Hi coconut:
The market right now is very choppy - ideal for traders, am I right?
Hi AK71:
I would call it the layman's guide to fundamental analysis haha.
Hi coconut,
So, REITs = Bonds in your trading dictionary? It does sound logical. I learn a new thing. :)
I think a 10% distribution yield from some S-REITs would see me buying more. The alternatives are a risk free return of some 0.28% in a 2 year SGS or an interest rate of 1% in a 13 month FD with UOB.
Would I want to put money in a 30 years SGS with a coupon of 3.08%? If I lose my mind, maybe.
hello tien,
its depends, if you are long stocks on margin, thats no good.
volatility works both ways, its good and bad, more money to be won or lost. to a trader like me, more volatility means more risk control.
that does not mean more money is made. not necessary.
some traders might choose to stay out when volatility increase, i choose to cut down my trading size, and also try to hedge my open positions.
in another words, more work la haha.
hi coconut:
definitely more work, but very different sort of work from investors , they mainly read company reports.
yes very different indeed, almost like the opposite.
traders and investors usually don't see eye to eye haha, really. what investors fear is what traders hope and vise vesa.
traders keep their capital in cash or liquid assets while investors wants to fully invested for max return.
and to be a good trader, somehow he has to learn the art of "investing" and for the investors to be successful like AK, somehow he has to act like a trader, which he did, when market call for.
Hi coconut,
Aiyoh, bu yao hai wo.
Later I get hantum by other investors. :(
Anyway, in case any fellow investor is reading, I didn't sell any of my AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT and Sabana REIT during their all time high recently lor. Don't blanket me.
Air purifiers are now sold out at most stores as hazy conditions persist with the latest Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reaching 299 at 12noon on Thursday.
Source:
http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/the-haze-singapore/story/haze-update-air-purifiers-sold-out-major-stores-20130620
haha AK, ofcos you don't sell or short your "beloves" reits.
you too are waiting to buy more isn't it? thats takes a lot of guts plus cash!
the only different is that while you might not be please with the market actions, while i'm all too excited and can't help but by pushing it a little harder.
Hi coconut,
I try to keep an open mind and not be too fixated with any one idea. So, I wouldn't say that REITs are my beloved. ;)
Anyway, I hope your fellow traders will push down the unit prices lower for me to buy cheaper. :)
there you go!
we are inline!
Yup AK, the air purifiers are sold out. Tried asking Harvey Norman today. :(
By the way, from your photo, is it the Sharp Air Purifier Model: FU-Y30E-W? I am planning to get that one.
Hi Rusty,
Yup, that is the one. I bought it almost two years ago but it is not my first air purifier. Over the years I bought 4 air purifiers and all from Sharp.
I guess it is normal that they are sold out now with the haze getting worse. :(
Bought the FU-Y30E on 19th June, at Harvey Norman. Working well to eliminate the haze. :)
Hi INVS 2.0,
Good for you! :)
We should have one for each room at home.
Maybe, we should have a nationwide HEPA filter system installed! ;p
lol! Same model!
I grab the Display shelf model durng this haze crisis at a discounted price off retail somemore!
It was a damn tense situation .. There was another buyer deciding this model or another more expensive one.
Hi WJ,
LOL! Must be fast hands, fast legs. No need to think so long in a crisis!
However, this unit is only good enough to clean the air of one standard size bedroom. So, one is not enough for the whole apartment. Must buy more. ;)
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