House Hunting - Part One

We met our realtor on Thursday afternoon at 2PM.  She'd prepared a full itinerary of locations based on some e-mail exchanges prior to our arrival.  Raye wisely wore sandals; Paul learned that wearing tie-up shoes when house hunting in Singapore is a mistake.  Proper etiquette here involves removing shoes before entering a home.  Visit 6 places; take your shoes on and off 6 times.  Slip-ons will be part of the plan next time.

The variety was good and Raye took photos and notes to help us remember which one was which.  Of the ones we visited, one stood out as the best of the bunch.  We asked the realtor to begin negotiations.  It is a high floor unit with 3BR and a clean layout that is close to Orchard MRT.  We also visited a terrific little place up the East Coast that had a roof garden and an excellent patio.  Unfortunately, the rooms were just a bit too small and it was too far out of town for Raye's liking.

Some of the other interesting things we learned was that apartments (actually condos) come mostly partially furnished if not fully furnished.  (Our top choice was empty, much to our preference).  Amenities vary; all have pools but workout facilities range from none to decent.  Ethnic communities are all varied with some locations having concentrations of this group or that.  Not a factor for us.

Earlier in the day we checked out the American Club based on recommendations we'd received prior to the trip.  It's a very nice facility: activities, restaurants, pool, gym, meeting facilities, various shops, etc.  We are not convinced of the need or value at this point in time.  On the other hand the American Women's Club caught Raye's interest and will likely be part of the plan going forward.