Apt hunting.

Because my stay in the glorious far east service apartments is only temporary, I must search for an apt. I'd prefer a house but being an island means space is at a premium, and a condo or apt is the only thing I will be able to afford. In Singapore the housing is split into 4 groups.

The HDB (housing development board) is govt sponsored, and something like 85% of the locals live in an HDB apartment. They are very cheap (even by Canadian standards) but not without draw backs. The feel just like the govt housing in Toronto. I have visited 5 of these so far and am not very impressed. I can't quite put my finger on why... maybe it was the one missing a kitchen, or the one with an air conditioner unit in the living room. I loved the way the agent at one apt told me the view was really good because it was unobstructed. He was correct. It was unobstructed, and had a delight full view of the parking lot, and dumpsters.

The next group are called private apartments. They are owned by an individual or corporation, and rented out for a hefty price to the upper middle class of Singapore. Usually they are newer buildings, with lots of amenities like pools and gyms, and have nice western toilets (unlike the eastern holes in the ground which, interestingly enough, still flush) and bath tubs. This is the group that I will fit into if I can. The rents are about double the HDB, but I think it is worth it. The one I really like is only about 15 min walk from work, which will be great for me, but it does not have much around it so Jen and the girls might get a bit board. I will wait and see what Jen thinks before comiting myself to anything.

Above those are what is known as ex pat condos. They are gorgeous, and have everything you would want in a home. Marble counter tops, nice furniture, lots of nice trim work that is brass or silver. Basically it is where the rich executive business types stay. Kind of like a 5 star hotel only you live there. They're price ranges to about double the private apts. If you do the math to figure out it's 4 times what the locals pay. These buildings will have concierge service and door men, and probably maids too but I'm not so sure on that.

Then the last group is home owners. It's a very small group. Most condos are selling for 1.5million right on up to the extreme. Houses in the 2 million dollar range and up. I won't even consider those. Though Jen says we might be able to one day.

If i get the apt I like I might be able to upload some pictures of it. Jen is arriving today and she will have the digital camera (I hope) so this long winded text blog can get some colour again!!