Care for physical and financial health. (New AK blog?)

Reader:
Sorry didn't msg u for awhile
I broke my arm
Hope u r doin well Shi fu

AK:
Please take calcium supplement and also Vitamin C. We need especially as we age.
Best is to take with Magnesium and Vitamin D included.
Also, take Omega 3 supplement if you don't take enough fish.
I take all these.





Reader:
Ok noted will ask my Wife
Now got go therapy
Damn pain

AK:
Also, taking Vit C will help in recovery.
500mg a day.
I told a friend to give his wife who went for operation.
His wife was in pain for a long time... and the vit c helped a lot in speeding her recovery.
And even after recovery, continue with Vit C for maintenance... Daily one pill... very impt for anti ageing and also reduces chances of getting cancer

Reader:
Wah

AK:
It is many times more potent than Vit E as an anti oxidant. People don't know how powerful Vit C is.



Reader:
U can set up nutrition blog Liao
If ppl dunno tink u work in pharmacy

AK:
haha... already thinking of stopping this blog. i lazy

Reader:
Cannot stop la
U r inspiration for many
Stil alot ppl haven wake up
Stil tink big car n house means Ho seh Liao
I see a few around me buy Rolex , AP etc
Few months salary gone like tat




AK:
aiyoh... not much i can do lah
they happy can liao 😜

Reader:
Ya now I don't talk le
Waste time waste effort
Haha

AK:
See? You also like that liao. LOL

Reader:
I go sleep first Shi Fu .. later working
U take care talk to u soon





AK says:
We must try to take better care of ourselves physically as we age. 

The body is not as resilient as before. 

All we can do is to slow down the deterioration.

Unlike our physical body, our financial body can actually become stronger as we age. 

How to do this?

Alamak... I forgot to ask. What is "AP" har?

Related posts:
1. Don't be the 1 in 9.
2. Average income workers can be rich.

$1m for 30 year old HDB flat and what now?

Reader:
I wonder what you will do if you were me- can you talk to yourself?

I finally sold my maisonette for >$1mil, as it almost hit 30 years old. 

 I had paid up my HDB loan a few years ago, so have this full amount available in cash and CPF.

I have a family of 5 including 2 teenagers and a helper, so am looking for a place to buy.

Although $1mil may sound like a lot, there is hardly any property to buy if I rule out HDB options. 

 My husband and I are in our mid 40s, and our income do not qualify us for BTO nor ECs. Newer resale HDBs may not be the option due to same issue of lease decay and no certainty of SERS...






If I look in the condo space:

- newer 99-year lease condo of at least 1200 sq ft- the location will be outskirts and not within walking distance to MRT station

- older freehold/ 999-years condo of the same size- good locations walkable to MRT stations will be at least $1.8mil at the lowest...





I cannot imagine paying $2mil and above for a property- all the cash (even if I have) will be locked up in ONE property...and cannot use as war chest or emergency fund in the event of unemployment...

What will you do in my case?? I solved one problem of selling off my old HDB, but seemed to have created another one...








AK:
This is why many people say there is no point in property prices going higher if the only property they have is their home. 

They would need a replacement property and it would probably cost the same or more, especially if they are not able to get a new HDB flat (i.e. BTO) as a replacement.






If our home is an ageing HDB flat, it makes sense to consider selling it in view of the lease decay issue. 

However, the issue really becomes more of a problem when the flat has less than 60 years left to its lease. I blogged about this, if you remember. 

I feel that you might have been in too much of a hurry to sell.






For anyone selling their flat and if they need a replacement property of comparable size, they should ask if they qualify for a new HDB flat (i.e. BTO). 

My sister successfully applied for a new 5 room flat and only put up her old 4 room flat for sale after her new flat was ready, for example.





For anyone selling their flat and do not need a replacement property of comparable size, downsizing is the obvious answer. 

A reader shared her family's experience of downsizing and downsizing again, for example. They are quite happy.






Without the BTO option, like you have shared, you are probably not going to find a new similar size property nor one with a much longer remaining land lease selling at the price or lower than the price you sold your 30 year old flat for.

The only reason why I would find myself in your shoes would probably be because I want to leave the family home as a legacy to my children. 

Why sell the flat which has another 69 years left to the lease when I am already in my 40s, otherwise?





However, as I do not wish to be asset rich and cash poor (which is the impression I get when you said you cannot imagine having $2 million locked up in ONE property), I would look for the largest and newest resale HDB flat (i.e. 5 years old) $1 million (or lesser) can buy. 

It might be smaller than my old flat but it would have to do.

Related posts:
1. Downsizing our homes.
2. Problem with older flats.
3. Legacy or location?