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After having lived on or around Robinson Road since early 1996 (other than the 6 months in Singapore and subsequent 3 months holed up in the Conrad HK), I have finally made the move out of Western Mid-Levels.
I'm now very happily based on Happy Valley (no pun intended), on Sing Woo Road just steps from brown. I'm on a high floor with lots of windows for a bright living space (and way too much afternoon sun), and a combined master bedroom + study that is almost the same size as my living/dining space.
Unlike Robinson Road - which was filled with property agents and very few other types of retail outlets/restaurants - HV is full of neighborhood restaurants and shops. It will take me quite a while to try them all out, and I look forward to this challenge. I'll be sure to invite you all to my housewarming after I'm done settling into the place.
November 28, 2006
November 2, 2006
My dream property on Sentosa...
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...well not quite. But I did partner up with a friend and put in a bid on a large, 3-bedroom unit at this ocean front development on Sentosa Island in Singapore. We were lucky enough to secure a good unit during the pre-launch of the project, and quite pleased with the overall layout.
This is the first time I'm actually putting money to work in properties, but I'm pretty excited as I think the market sentiment is good. Given that we were allocated an attractive unit (7th floor, just below the duplex penthouse) and got in early enough at a reasonable price, we should be sitting pretty on this investment.
...well not quite. But I did partner up with a friend and put in a bid on a large, 3-bedroom unit at this ocean front development on Sentosa Island in Singapore. We were lucky enough to secure a good unit during the pre-launch of the project, and quite pleased with the overall layout.
This is the first time I'm actually putting money to work in properties, but I'm pretty excited as I think the market sentiment is good. Given that we were allocated an attractive unit (7th floor, just below the duplex penthouse) and got in early enough at a reasonable price, we should be sitting pretty on this investment.
August 28, 2006
Bitten by the property bug
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It finally happened...after years of refusing to put any money in properties and being extremely risk-averse, I've finally started looking at buying a place of my own.
I was looking around for a place in HK, an older place which I can renovate into a nice place to live in, done just the way I like it. Unfortunately we are rather high up on the property cycle, and thanks to the Fed we now have rather high interest rates. Monthly mortgage payments look a bit frightening, so maybe this is not to time to get that dream apartment done.
Lots of people have been going to Shanghai, and it still looks like a market with significant upside. But recent government measures bring uncertainty to the market, so we'll need to revisit next year.
That leaves Singapore. Lots of friends, colleagues and hedge funds have jumped into this market recently, pushing up prices on new developments. I should have got into this market 2 years ago as I was living there, but the general view is that market cycle is unlikely to dip until after 2009-10. So maybe there's still some opportunity here for leveraged exposure... Anyway, going down next week to check things out and we'll see what happens.
It finally happened...after years of refusing to put any money in properties and being extremely risk-averse, I've finally started looking at buying a place of my own.
I was looking around for a place in HK, an older place which I can renovate into a nice place to live in, done just the way I like it. Unfortunately we are rather high up on the property cycle, and thanks to the Fed we now have rather high interest rates. Monthly mortgage payments look a bit frightening, so maybe this is not to time to get that dream apartment done.
Lots of people have been going to Shanghai, and it still looks like a market with significant upside. But recent government measures bring uncertainty to the market, so we'll need to revisit next year.
That leaves Singapore. Lots of friends, colleagues and hedge funds have jumped into this market recently, pushing up prices on new developments. I should have got into this market 2 years ago as I was living there, but the general view is that market cycle is unlikely to dip until after 2009-10. So maybe there's still some opportunity here for leveraged exposure... Anyway, going down next week to check things out and we'll see what happens.
August 10, 2006
Krispy Kreme has landed!!
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OH - MY - GOD!! There is a Krispy Kreme outlet in Hong Kong!
I can't tell you how long I have waited for this... Now I no longer have to wait until my business trips to Seoul to get my fix - it's right here in Causeway Bay on Lee Garden Road, between (what else) Lee Garden and Lee Theatre Plaza. For those unfamiliar with Krispy Kreme, it is only the best doughnuts in the world, by far. Check out www.krispykreme.com.
Yesterday was the grand opening of the store, so we dropped by around 8ish to check out the lines. Fortunately the line wasn't too bad and was kept to the interior of the store. Apparently HKers haven't caught on to this, otherwise I'd be forced to line up for an hour or more (which I would never do).
We decided anyway to come back after dinner. Mistake. By the time we returned, all the other varieties have been sold and we were left with only the Original Glazed... It is still delicious, but I wanted my Chocolate Iced Custard Filled.
Apparently plans are in store to open another outlet on Elgin Street in Mid-Levels. Looks like I will be hanging out in SoHo a lot more in the future...
OH - MY - GOD!! There is a Krispy Kreme outlet in Hong Kong!
I can't tell you how long I have waited for this... Now I no longer have to wait until my business trips to Seoul to get my fix - it's right here in Causeway Bay on Lee Garden Road, between (what else) Lee Garden and Lee Theatre Plaza. For those unfamiliar with Krispy Kreme, it is only the best doughnuts in the world, by far. Check out www.krispykreme.com.
Yesterday was the grand opening of the store, so we dropped by around 8ish to check out the lines. Fortunately the line wasn't too bad and was kept to the interior of the store. Apparently HKers haven't caught on to this, otherwise I'd be forced to line up for an hour or more (which I would never do).
We decided anyway to come back after dinner. Mistake. By the time we returned, all the other varieties have been sold and we were left with only the Original Glazed... It is still delicious, but I wanted my Chocolate Iced Custard Filled.
Apparently plans are in store to open another outlet on Elgin Street in Mid-Levels. Looks like I will be hanging out in SoHo a lot more in the future...
July 17, 2006
Black Eyed Peas Rock Da House in Hong Kong
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Went to see the Black Eyed Peas in concert in Hong Kong today. I am not their biggest fan, but I do like some of their stuff. We had standing seats in front of the stage, and were probably about 20m or so from the stage.
One amazing moment that is likely to remain in my memories : towards the end of Where Is the Love?, they asked for all the lights to be turned off in the arena, then asked the audience to take out their cell phones so that the only light would be from the phones. The sight of 10,000+ cell phone lights swinging to the music in the darkened arena is pretty awesome.
The band played for a bit more than 2 hours, and closed with Let's Get Retarded which brought down the house.
Went to see the Black Eyed Peas in concert in Hong Kong today. I am not their biggest fan, but I do like some of their stuff. We had standing seats in front of the stage, and were probably about 20m or so from the stage.
One amazing moment that is likely to remain in my memories : towards the end of Where Is the Love?, they asked for all the lights to be turned off in the arena, then asked the audience to take out their cell phones so that the only light would be from the phones. The sight of 10,000+ cell phone lights swinging to the music in the darkened arena is pretty awesome.
The band played for a bit more than 2 hours, and closed with Let's Get Retarded which brought down the house.
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