Sell 2 condomiums to buy 1 landed property?

Hi AK,

I chanced upon your blog recently while searching for landed property and found your blog very interesting.

I would like to have your opinion on my property search.

I am in my late 40s and owns 2 condos in the OCR with my wife.

One of the property is fully paid off and rented out. The other property where we live in, still have a loan of $800k for 20 years.

I am confidence of paying off the loan when I reach 55 because of the rental and we have a combine income of more than $20k per month.

We are considering selling off our 2 condos and purchasing a landed property. I did my sum and conclude that we still can have the similar loan of $800k if we purchase a landed home at $2.2 mil.

Now my Questions

1) Does it make economic sense to swap 2 condo for 1 landed if everything remain the same or similar? interest rate, loan tenure and amount etc.

2) Although with the landed, I will have no more rental income. But I will still be able to reduce the loan significant when I reach 55 with my CPF withdrawal.

3) Any pitfall that I need to consider seriously? Like is it realistic to have a $2.2mil landed?

Thanks in advance for any advice (professional or unprofessional) :-)

Best Regards

B

Hi B,

Welcome to my blog. :)

Financially, I believe that you are in a comfortable position now and buying that $2.2 million landed property doesn't seem like a demanding thing. It is affordable.

However, you did not mention how much you have in your emergency fund or what are your plans to help fund your retirement if you were to purchase the landed property.

Like you said, buying the landed property would mean giving up your rental income and it could also mean drawing upon your CPF money (which is really meant for retirement funding) to reduce the loan for the landed property at age 55.

I am just raising some pertinent questions and you don't have to tell me anything else if you don't feel comfortable to do so.

In closing, I just want to say that it is probably OK to up our consumption level if we have certainty we will avoid financial hardship later down the road.

Best wishes,
AK


Related posts:
1. Do I need a bigger home?
2. 2015 passive income all gone.

Solace says winter is coming and he is taking action.

Sharing a comment from Solace, an ASSI guest blogger. It has been a while since he wrote and this piece is a heartfelt one.

Solace says:

In trying to navigate through personal finance, I have learnt not to set conventional limitations on myself.

When I first started out, I thought I should only work from 8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. No work for me on public holidays and on weekends.

Such thinking limits options to increase our income.

I know people who monetise their free time on weekend and public holidays to give tuition. Others work as relief taxi drivers on weekends.

I have 2 friends who are passionate about sports and music, respectively. Both hold full time jobs in the corporate world. One transforms himself into a swimming instructor during weekends and evenings while the other teaches music on his off days.

My industry and skillsets have allowed me to change from working regular hours to doing shift work. 

Now, I am required to work on some weekends and public holidays. Sometimes, I am also rotated to work night shifts. I would also volunteer for overtime as long as I can make it. All this translates into higher income as a result.

Human capital is limited, make hay while the sun shines.

Try our best to make more money while we are younger and healthier.

"Winter is Coming" is a motto in Games of Thrones.

The meaning behind these words is one of warning and constant vigilance. There are always dark periods (“Winter”) in our lives even if things are good now ("summer").

In our context, winter can come in the forms of economic recessions (leading to retrenchment, pay cut, pay freeze, for examples). Of course, sickness and old age are inevitable.

I do hope that I am well prepared when “Winter” eventually comes into my life.

AK hopes that all of us are well prepared.

Do the right things because our lives can be and should be better.

Related post:
A young father says money not enough.

A young father of two says money not enough.

Hi AK,

I am 37 this year. Married with 2 boys, 6 and 2 year old 

My wife not working and take care of our children 

Recently I have been feeling very fan , keep thinking money not enough to bring up our kids , I had a job which I don't really like , I am still here because I need to bring home an income to support this family.

I need advise from u. If now 1 got 100k in FD, how to make better use of it. Thanks AK

I LIKE YOUR BLOG

Hi D,

Welcome to my blog. :)

While keeping a look out for a better paying job which you might enjoy more, think about how to reduce expenses at home and increase income in other ways. Make sure that the ways you have identified to increase income involve doing things you enjoy or at least don't dislike. Of course, if you do this, what you have will be more savings. Having more savings always makes people feel better.







Ask if that $100K in FD is your emergency fund. At age 37, you should have an emergency fund that will cover regular expenses for 12 to 24 months. The excess, if any, you could invest for income. You might want to split the excess into half, investing half now for income and the rest for in case the stock market crashes. Which stocks to invest in? I will leave that to you. :)
-------




Don't be "fan" (frustrated), to use your word. You have something precious and that is your family. :)

A well known local investor, Dr. Michael Leong, said before that family is more important than anything else (including money). Don't forget that.

We only need so much money in life. The rest is for showing off.

Know how much money we need and work towards that. 

Do what you need to do for your family.

Don't compare with others.

Unless we are the richest person in the world, there is always someone richer.





Related posts:
1. Greater financial well being is not beyond us.
2. How much should we have in emergency fund?
3. Free "e-book": Do not depend on wage increases...

Have a $327K home loan and $200K in savings.

What to do?

Hi,

I have been following your blog for last two years and would like to have your opinion on whether to pay off my mortgage or to invest the money I have in my bank.

I have a mortgage loan of S$327,000 of 12 yrs tenor at current interest of 1.625% per annum.  Following year about 1.9% to 2% per annum.  Currently, I have about S$200K idle in my bank and do not know whether to pay off the mortgage or invest it in bonds, etc.  I was advised to invest in UOB United SGD Bond, but I'm not sure about it.

Appreciate your professional opinion on the matter.  Thank you.

Best Regards,

M

Hi M,

Alamak. I am not a professional. So, if you want a professional opinion, I have nothing to offer you. -.-"

This is my unprofessional opinion:

You managed to lock in interest rates of less than 2% on your home loan for the next 2 years and you wonder if you should invest your money for higher returns which really isn't difficult. However, if your investment horizon is only for 2 years (because you managed to lock in low interest rate for the next 2 years), then, better not. Investing is best done if we are using money we won't need for anything else (and we wouldn't have to liquidate our investments at a time not of our own choosing to meet those needs).

As for buying into a bond fund, er, I won't touch a bond fund even with a 5 feet pole. ;p

Best wishes,
AK

Related posts:

1. Get income from investments to pay interest.
2. Nobody cares more about our money. (Bond funds).