The Singaporean Overseas Crapbox 3
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
Get yourself a anal pass.
woahhhhhh!!!! -
Originally posted by vito_corleone:
what sort of asian culture is there here? walk around the live seafood section in alhambra's asian supermarkets?
eek i hate the queues in disney or magic mountain
don't bring them to some ethnic culture lah.....Yeah she walked into some asian market and they see the fish swimming Yeah that is really great impression to give on your dates the next thing she will think you eat baby........!!! -
Originally posted by lostintransition:
hahaha...ya...too late! oops...maybe that's why my rent is so low....
if the landlords don't disclose...what are the telltale signs that i shld be looking out for the next time?
There is no tell tale signs from the building. Other than the age and condition of the home.
By the time, the signs appear on your body is too late already.
You can ask from your agent because it is their fiduciary duty to protect your interest. All these are real estate disclosures.
Please read the links I provided in my previous post.
In USA, you need to keep yourself informed, advocate your own rights to protect yourself and your family.
But it's likely your agent don't see a need to provide the Lead disclosure info because you have no small children.
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
don't bring them to some ethnic culture lah.....Yeah she walked into some asian market and they see the fish swimming Yeah that is really great impression to give on your dates the next thing she will think you eat baby........!!!It all depends on that ang moh chick lah. We don't even know if she is from out of state and/or how familiar she is with LA region.
I've dated some ang moh hunks before. They like to bring me go eat sushi made by hispanic chef.. boy .. was that un-impressive, like I coulda do no better.
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
It all depends on that ang moh chick lah. We don't even know if she is from out of state and/or how familiar she is with LA region.
I've dated some ang moh hunks before. They like to bring me go eat sushi made by hispanic chef.. boy .. was that un-impressive, like I coulda do no better.
did you request for the exotic kind of sashimi? Sushi has become the main stream diet.....but it doesn't mean that they like to look at Eyes when they eat.
SMC is only a 2 yrs college most students are below drinking age.
Every up and coming freshman and sophmore would want to be cultured...but the wrong place could result in no 2nd dates...ha ha ha ha.....
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Finally broke down and bought a Sony PlayStation 3 Slim from an online retailer recently. UPS delivered it today and I got it hooked up to the HDTV.
Now to order some games and Blu-Ray discs. Any suggestions?
sorry don't do playstation......but have question on HDTV.....Plasma,CRT, blue ray.....
Whats the diff? I kinda of know the different on Plasma vs CRT. .....But blue Ray....I have no idea?
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
You can ask from your agent because it is their fiduciary duty to protect your interest. All these are real estate disclosures.
my agent did disclose...but basically he just said landlords aren't aware if there had been any lead paint being used. -
Originally posted by Arapahoe:
did you request for the exotic kind of sashimi? Sushi has become the main stream diet.....but it doesn't mean that they like to look at Eyes when they eat.
SMC is only a 2 yrs college most students are below drinking age.
Every up and coming freshman and sophmore would want to be cultured...but the wrong place could result in no 2nd dates...ha ha ha ha.....
yes come to think of it im feeling a bit chicken. it'll be uber awkward if it doesnt work out and u have to see the same person in class till semester ends
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
my agent did disclose...but basically he just said landlords aren't aware if there had been any lead paint being used.The landlords don't know ? Who's he kidding ?
Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act. Also known as Title X (ten)
If landlords rent it to family with pregnant mothers or small children and the kids get Lead injury, they are liable to pay more than 3 times the damage.
Time to trash your rookie agent.
Ignorance is not a legal excuse. They can hire Certified Lead Inspectors, if the property is lead infested, then they need to go through lead abatement process.
But like I said, right now, you don't have kids, so you don't have to worry too much.
NEXT TIME, be more vigilant.
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Originally posted by vito_corleone:
yes come to think of it im feeling a bit chicken. it'll be uber awkward if it doesnt work out and u have to see the same person in class till semester ends
ai ya....you are only first semester freshman still got plenty of girls to meet....she is not going to take you seriously lah....
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
The landlords don't know ? Who's he kidding ?
Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act. Also known as Title X (ten)
If landlords rent it to family with pregnant mothers or small children and the kids get Lead injury, they are liable to pay more than 3 times the damage.
Time to trash your rookie agent.
Ignorance is not a legal excuse. They can hire Certified Lead Inspectors, if the property is lead infested, then they need to go through lead abatement process.
But like I said, right now, you don't have kids, so you don't have to worry too much.
NEXT TIME, be more vigilant.
thanks for the tip. next time we'll be more careful. agent did mention that since we don't have kids...this lead thingee is not so critical. ya..my agent looked like the blur type =P
side note...i didn't have to pay commission to the agent for renting. how about buying a house? who pays the commission - buyer or seller or both parties? and usually...roughly how many % for commission? just curious.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks for the tip. next time we'll be more careful. agent did mention that since we don't have kids...this lead thingee is not so critical. ya..my agent looked like the blur type =P
side note...i didn't have to pay commission to the agent for renting. how about buying a house? who pays the commission - buyer or seller or both parties? and usually...roughly how many % for commission? just curious.
For sales commission info. read this link. Real estate Commission.
Hardly surprising your agent is a rookie. Only rookies will bust their butts for small deals. Very hardworking, very interested in your needs. But not very well informed yet.
I do like rookies, but if you want to use them.. you need to be well informed and do your own homework.
Veteran agents only go for big fishies. They are a wealth of information and experience, but can be very picky who they want to serve.
If you have a specific home you want, you can go directly to the listing agent. He/she will be very happy because the agent gets the FULL(double ended) commission instead of splitting it with another.
The above is just my personal experience and humble opinion.
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thanks jojobeach for the link.
6% commission...wow, i'm in shock!
that's like $30,000 for a $500,000 home.
to think singaporeans are complaining about paying 1-2% comm to their real estate agents
no wonder i see so many realtors everywhere in the US
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks jojobeach for the link.
6% commission...wow, i'm in shock!
that's like $30,000 for a $500,000 home.
to think singaporeans are complaining about paying 1-2% comm to their real estate agents
no wonder i see so many realtors everywhere in the US
Yah, and uncle sam has his hands in their pockets.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks jojobeach for the link.
6% commission...wow, i'm in shock!
that's like $30,000 for a $500,000 home.
to think singaporeans are complaining about paying 1-2% comm to their real estate agents
no wonder i see so many realtors everywhere in the US
yes there are rooms for everyone.........thats what i am always amaze.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks jojobeach for the link.
6% commission...wow, i'm in shock!
that's like $30,000 for a $500,000 home.
to think singaporeans are complaining about paying 1-2% comm to their real estate agents
no wonder i see so many realtors everywhere in the US
Singaporeans are infamous for being "cheap". So what da ya expect ?
Another article: Who pays the coms.
"A buyer does not pay a commission!
Real Estate sales commissions are paid by the person or business contracting the agent to list the property for sale. This commission is spelled out and set forth in a "listing agreement", and is generally specified as a percentage of the final selling price, with part going to the actual selling agent, and part going to the listing agent.
Buyers should always work with the best local agent they can find, because they can reap the benefits of the expertise of their agent while shopping for a home. A good agent will have a professional network of associated business partners such as real estate attorney, home inspectors, insurance agents, title agents, appraisers, and mortgage loan officers."
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maybe i shld become a realtor.
i see SO MANY houses on sale....but are there many buyers now?
while it makes sense for us to buy a property now (low prices, save $ on rent)...i'm concern about the long term depreciation of the USD?
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
maybe i shld become a realtor.
i see SO MANY houses on sale....but are there many buyers now?
while it makes sense for us to buy a property now (low prices, save $ on rent)...i'm concern about the long term depreciation of the USD?
There's buyers, but most of them probably couldn't qualify for a loan or afford higher downpayments. The good ole days of subprime lending is over.
Ya be careful when you go shop for your own home. I'd avoid them short sales like a plague. Foreclosures are ok, but them are usually fixer uppers and sold "as is". So be careful ya ?
Betta you get yourself pre-approved/qualified for housing loans before ye go hunting your dream house.
Ya don't have to worry about depreciation of the USD do ya ? Since you be earning and spending here.
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
There's buyers, but most of them probably couldn't qualify for a loan or afford higher downpayments. The good ole days of subprime lending is over.
Ya be careful when you go shop for your own home. I'd avoid them short sales like a plague. Foreclosures are ok, but them are usually fixer uppers and sold "as is". So be careful ya ?
Betta you get yourself pre-approved/qualified for housing loans before ye go hunting your dream house.
Ya don't have to worry about depreciation of the USD do ya ? Since you be earning and spending here.
sigh..there's so much to learn about getting a US property. i've heard/read so much about property foreclosures (different stages of foreclosures etc) but i'm still in a blur.
i heard the housing interest rates are pretty steep..even though it's quite low at the moment? prob have to check with our banks how to go about obtaining pre-approval. we can't even get a credit card for now! it's crazy. would it help the loan qualifying process if we borrow only small % of house price/valuation?
it's a steep learning curve for us....we didn't even realise that our debit cards were tied to our checking account (we've both checking/savings accounts) 'cos we just took for granted that the cards are tied to savings a/c just like in singapore. in the end, we overdrawn on our checking account 'cos we only left a minimal amount there...the bank charged us $35 per overdraw and we incurred $140 in total! we really felt like idiots. and i also don't understand why there's a limit to the number of transfer transactions between bank accounts?
there's so much to learn...
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
Ya don't have to worry about depreciation of the USD do ya ? Since you be earning and spending here.
hmmm...not sure if we'll be staying put in the states for long. things are still kinda fluid at the moment. who knows...we might return to singapore after a few years? we still have a property back home. -
Originally posted by lostintransition:
sigh..there's so much to learn about getting a US property. i've heard/read so much about property foreclosures (different stages of foreclosures etc) but i'm still in a blur.
i heard the housing interest rates are pretty steep..even though it's quite low at the moment? prob have to check with our banks how to go about obtaining pre-approval. we can't even get a credit card for now! it's crazy. would it help the loan qualifying process if we borrow only small % of house price/valuation?
it's a steep learning curve for us....we didn't even realise that our debit cards were tied to our checking account (we've both checking/savings accounts) 'cos we just took for granted that the cards are tied to savings a/c just like in singapore. in the end, we overdrawn on our checking account 'cos we only left a minimal amount there...the bank charged us $35 per overdraw and we incurred $140 in total! we really felt like idiots. and i also don't understand why there's a limit to the number of transfer transactions between bank accounts?
there's so much to learn...
We all live and learn. But ye get the hang of it eventually.
In Singapore, we're all so used to having everything pre-packaged and shoved in our face.
Here, ya just gotta adapt and do some research on your own. The good thing is, 90% of them information is available online. Just need to perfect your googling and yahoo-ing skills.
You haven't yet establish yourself here. So banks are probably gonna give you low credit ratings.
Which bank did you apply for credit card ?
For home loans, banks typically ask for your previous years income tax statements and how much you have in your savings, then they'll figure out your equity and debt to income ratio. They may even limit your loan amount based on the information you furnished. Interest rates are quoted based on their assessment on your credit ratings. If your rating is poor, you get a higher interest rate.
You may be able to get a small loan, if you put a big downpayment. But the banks will want you to prove you have that money in your bank first, before they'll give you the nods.
But prior to submitting for loan approval, it is important you don't make any major purchases on your credit. Example, a 2K wide screen TV, or a new car.... etc.
Right now, you need to focus on improving your credit ratings. Once you have a good rating, everything will be easier.
I know it seem rather daunting, and I don't wana scare you lah.
Imagine you are a fresh grad just starting out with zero credit rating. You'll be just fine.
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our bank accounts are with sovereign so we applied for the credit card with sovereign and got rejected. we also tried BOA for a secured card...so far, no news yet. my spouse might be able to get a card but 'cos i don't have a SSN...i might not be able to obtain a credit card ever? any ways to get around that? it seems like i can't apply for even store credit cards 'cos of the lack of a SSN. i feel like some illegal immigrant here =(
my bank now needs me to obtain some form of tax number 'cos i don't have a SSN. they informed me that they might have to cancel my account if i don't have the tax/SSNs (they had overlooked this requirement earlier when they had approved of my account setup). unbelievable! frankly..i'm not too impressed with the level of service at the banks over here.
we don't really want to bring a lot of money over to the US yet. so our bank accounts in the states aren't too impressive right now. i'd only wire money over from singapore as and when we need more. so i doubt the banks will consider us favorably for the housing loans. sighhh. only silver lining is that rental opportunities are plentiful and the rents are very low.
over here...it's history this, history that...we just arrived for gods sake! how to have any form of history?! and how are we gonna get any form of history if we get rejected for everything that we applied for?
only good thing was my husband managed to get a very low insurance rate for his car 'cos we requested for letters of proof of no claim history, driving history from the traffic police and our insurer back home...which the local car insurer here accepted as past driving records. i'd really advise those who are coming here and planning on driving to go get those reports.
we also managed to get our car from international autosource at a reasonably good price and our car was delivered within a month of our arrival in the states (and they paid for our car rental prior to the delivery of our car)..so i'd recommend them too.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
our bank accounts are with sovereign so we applied for the credit card with sovereign and got rejected. we also tried BOA for a secured card...so far, no news yet. my spouse might be able to get a card but 'cos i don't have a SSN...i might not be able to obtain a credit card ever? any ways to get around that? it seems like i can't apply for even store credit cards 'cos of the lack of a SSN. i feel like some illegal immigrant here =(
my bank now needs me to obtain some form of tax number 'cos i don't have a SSN. they informed me that they might have to cancel my account if i don't have the tax/SSNs (they had overlooked this requirement earlier when they had approved of my account setup). unbelievable! frankly..i'm not too impressed with the level of service at the banks over here.
we don't really want to bring a lot of money over to the US yet. so our bank accounts in the states aren't too impressive right now. i'd only wire money over from singapore as and when we need more. so i doubt the banks will consider us favorably for the housing loans. sighhh. only silver lining is that rental opportunities are plentiful and the rents are very low.
over here...it's history this, history that...we just arrived for gods sake! how to have any form of history?! and how are we gonna get any form of history if we get rejected for everything that we applied for?
only good thing was my husband managed to get a very low insurance rate for his car 'cos we requested for letters of proof of no claim history, driving history from the traffic police and our insurer back home...which the local car insurer here accepted as past driving records. i'd really advise those who are coming here and planning on driving to go get those reports.
we also managed to get our car from international autosource at a reasonably good price and our car was delivered within a month of our arrival in the states (and they paid for our car rental prior to the delivery of our car)..so i'd recommend them too.
No SSN ? That's odd. You still need to have a SSN when you file a joint income tax ( for married couples) .
What is your visa classification again ?
Social security department does issue the cards to non-working visa holders. Have you apply to them yet ?
Anyway, I hear ya pain girl.
Remember, this country is big and the population is bout 300 million. They won't move as fast as you are used to in Singapore.
But everything does eventually fall into place. Ya just need to be patient.
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Originally posted by jojobeach:
No SSN ? That's odd. You still need to have a SSN when you file a joint income tax ( for married couples) .
What is your visa classification again ?
Social security department does issue the cards to non-working visa holders. Have you apply to them yet ?
Anyway, I hear ya pain girl.
Remember, this country is big and the population is bout 300 million. They won't move as fast as you are used to in Singapore.
But everything does eventually fall into place. Ya just need to be patient.
not sure about spouse visa though the approval come from DHS....U can get a driver license but not sure they will issued SSN...I think you can get a TIN# for tax purposes.
One of the reason between my wify was she got her SSN during her college years.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
our bank accounts are with sovereign so we applied for the credit card with sovereign and got rejected. we also tried BOA for a secured card...so far, no news yet. my spouse might be able to get a card but 'cos i don't have a SSN...i might not be able to obtain a credit card ever? any ways to get around that? it seems like i can't apply for even store credit cards 'cos of the lack of a SSN. i feel like some illegal immigrant here =(
my bank now needs me to obtain some form of tax number 'cos i don't have a SSN. they informed me that they might have to cancel my account if i don't have the tax/SSNs (they had overlooked this requirement earlier when they had approved of my account setup). unbelievable! frankly..i'm not too impressed with the level of service at the banks over here.
we don't really want to bring a lot of money over to the US yet. so our bank accounts in the states aren't too impressive right now. i'd only wire money over from singapore as and when we need more. so i doubt the banks will consider us favorably for the housing loans. sighhh. only silver lining is that rental opportunities are plentiful and the rents are very low.
over here...it's history this, history that...we just arrived for gods sake! how to have any form of history?! and how are we gonna get any form of history if we get rejected for everything that we applied for?
only good thing was my husband managed to get a very low insurance rate for his car 'cos we requested for letters of proof of no claim history, driving history from the traffic police and our insurer back home...which the local car insurer here accepted as past driving records. i'd really advise those who are coming here and planning on driving to go get those reports.
we also managed to get our car from international autosource at a reasonably good price and our car was delivered within a month of our arrival in the states (and they paid for our car rental prior to the delivery of our car)..so i'd recommend them too.
Do you have a HSBC USA bank in boston? See if they can work something out.