Worried about upgrading your home?

Reader:
I remembered you mentioned that our home is consumable. Not a asset.


AK:
Our home, if fully paid, is an asset. It is just not an income generating asset. ;)






Reader:
I'm contemplating job change after many years in same company so upgrading also a bit worried.


AK:
It would be very nice to do something you love.


Reader:
Just like you now.. be farmer at home and watch Anime😄


AK:
Alamak!

How a 30-something couple got rich and retired by not joining home ownership 'cult'. (See related post at the end of this blog.)






If we upgrade our home, we should not downgrade our mental health. 

If we have good reason to worry about upgrading our home, don't upgrade.

Most of us are not super rich but even for the super rich, peace of mind is priceless.

Is there any guarantee that we will make a capital gain when we sell our home in future? 

Can we treat money paid for our home as money in a Fixed Deposit which is, in case you don't know, almost risk free?

There are usually many perspectives on any one issue. 





Who is right? 

Who is wrong? 

I don't know. 

Maybe, you know.

Salesmen would want to sell. 

They have to. 

It is their job. 





Our job as consumers is to separate facts from opinions and then decide if we should buy.

Related posts:
1. Wife wants to sell HDB flat to buy condo.
"Our home is a consumption item. It would not be wise to overstretch our finances to stay in a more expensive home and I know a few people who overstretched."

2. Financial independence over home ownership.
"...would you rather have $1 million in income producing assets (e.g. income stocks) or a $1 million home (which doesn't generate income but instead would incur expenses)?"

Upgrading from 4 room flat to executive condominium.

Reader:
Hi AK, I have been scouring your blog and other cpf articles but need your advice.

I currently have about 67k in my cpf OA (I refunded my OA with cash for my hdb installments which I previously paid using OA, thus considered cash payment for my hdb) And 63k in my SA (due to yearly top up).

I am turning 30 this year. I started using cash to continue paying for my hdb installments which is slightly less than $1k a month-4 room hdb.

My question is this. I am thinking of doing additional transfer from OA- SA to make it 100k in my SA. 

What is holding me back is that I plan to buy a executive condo in the next 5 years. Proceeds from my flat can cover more than the downpayment.

Can you talk to yourself to see what would you do?



AK talks to himself:
Eh. If you have enough cash, don't use your CPF-OA money to pay for new place.
If no choice, then, use the CPF-OA money. Don't transfer to SA.



Reader:
I intend to keep a lump sum in OA worth at least 2 years of installments in case of emergency. I calculated if I continue paying cash for my hdb, by the time I get the condo, my OA will still be able to cover 2 years worth of installments.



The reader sounds like a prudent fellow.

Of course, we should remember that our home is a consumption item. If we could lower our cost of housing, we should probably give it some serious consideration.

Related posts:
1. Should I do CPF-OA to SA transfer?
2. Options for CPF-OA with flat on the way.
3. How to stop accrued interest from growing?