Affordable Housing in HKG FDA
11-20-2007, 01:57 AM
#1
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Joined APC: Sep 2006
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Posts: 321
Affordable Housing in HKG FDA
Purple Brother's and Sister's,
I will be heading over to China in a few weeks. I will begin to find "affordable" housing for all those that would be interested. Common conveniences such as public transportation to Guangzhou airport and other's would be paramount.
These apartments would be in the PRC. Please pass the word and post here any specific "requirements" and/or "wants" that would be desired.
I will be looking at several areas. I have a few apartments in Zhuhai that could be available already.
Whale
I will be heading over to China in a few weeks. I will begin to find "affordable" housing for all those that would be interested. Common conveniences such as public transportation to Guangzhou airport and other's would be paramount.
These apartments would be in the PRC. Please pass the word and post here any specific "requirements" and/or "wants" that would be desired.
I will be looking at several areas. I have a few apartments in Zhuhai that could be available already.
Whale
11-20-2007, 04:36 AM
#2
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Joined APC: Feb 2007
Position: Left to right
Posts: 119
Housing
I will be heading over to China in a few weeks. I will begin to find "affordable" housing for all those that would be interested. Common conveniences such as public transportation to Guangzhou airport and other's would be paramount.
These apartments would be in the PRC. Please pass the word and post here any specific "requirements" and/or "wants" that would be desired.
I will be looking at several areas. I have a few apartments in Zhuhai that could be available already.
Whale
You might be jumping the gun a bit. Before you spend any time looking north of the border you should make sure your visa allows that. It may be a working visa only for PRC. Good luck.
These apartments would be in the PRC. Please pass the word and post here any specific "requirements" and/or "wants" that would be desired.
I will be looking at several areas. I have a few apartments in Zhuhai that could be available already.
Whale
You might be jumping the gun a bit. Before you spend any time looking north of the border you should make sure your visa allows that. It may be a working visa only for PRC. Good luck.
11-20-2007, 05:48 AM
#3
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Posts: 403
I'm sorry I wasn't able to post this sooner but, I just had a layover in HKG and went over to Stanley for lunch, shopping, and just to satisfy my curiosity, to talk to real estate agents about rentals. I spent 45 minutes with the agent right on the waterfront in Stanley, who showed me several dozen different choices for rentals around Stanley, Repulse Bay, and up the hill just east of the Aberdeen tunnel, at a development called the Hong Kong Parkview. All are nice areas that have a lot of expats, are less crowded than the rest of HK, and are on the windward side of the island, so there's not nearly as much air pollution. I didn't have a chance to check on schools, but the agent said the airport could be reached 24 hours a day, in an hour to an hour-ten, using buses, with one connection.
The agent came up with an average cost for a 900-1200 square foot apartment (which includes a portion of the lobby and the hall) as 43,000 HK dollars, or approx. $5500 US. The average 1800-2000 square foot apartment that a family of four might need, was $7000-$8000. The total up-front cost to move into the smaller apartment, exclusive of any furniture costs, would be approx. $19,460 US.
When I asked him about these costs, he said I didn't need to worry about it, because every company pays these costs for their employees. When I told him that my company wouldn't pay them, he actually laughed. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I worked for one of the 200 largest companies in the US - it was just too embarrassing.
For those of you who were foolish enough to bid this POS, these might be areas you want to look at. Along with Discovery Bay, just south of the airport, they would be one of the few areas that I think my wife might consider living in. Of course, until the company tells you where you're going to need to report to work at, you can't make any decisions on where to live, and how much you'll need to spend to get decent housing. All's I can say is good luck, and God bless.
The agent came up with an average cost for a 900-1200 square foot apartment (which includes a portion of the lobby and the hall) as 43,000 HK dollars, or approx. $5500 US. The average 1800-2000 square foot apartment that a family of four might need, was $7000-$8000. The total up-front cost to move into the smaller apartment, exclusive of any furniture costs, would be approx. $19,460 US.
When I asked him about these costs, he said I didn't need to worry about it, because every company pays these costs for their employees. When I told him that my company wouldn't pay them, he actually laughed. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I worked for one of the 200 largest companies in the US - it was just too embarrassing.
For those of you who were foolish enough to bid this POS, these might be areas you want to look at. Along with Discovery Bay, just south of the airport, they would be one of the few areas that I think my wife might consider living in. Of course, until the company tells you where you're going to need to report to work at, you can't make any decisions on where to live, and how much you'll need to spend to get decent housing. All's I can say is good luck, and God bless.
Last edited by hyperone; 11-20-2007 at 05:56 AM.
11-20-2007, 08:02 AM
#4
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Posts: 494
Originally Posted by hyperone
I'm sorry I wasn't able to post this sooner but, I just had a layover in HKG and went over to Stanley for lunch, shopping, and just to satisfy my curiosity, to talk to real estate agents about rentals. I spent 45 minutes with the agent right on the waterfront in Stanley, who showed me several dozen different choices for rentals around Stanley, Repulse Bay, and up the hill just east of the Aberdeen tunnel, at a development called the Hong Kong Parkview. All are nice areas that have a lot of expats, are less crowded than the rest of HK, and are on the windward side of the island, so there's not nearly as much air pollution. I didn't have a chance to check on schools, but the agent said the airport could be reached 24 hours a day, in an hour to an hour-ten, using buses, with one connection.
The agent came up with an average cost for a 900-1200 square foot apartment (which includes a portion of the lobby and the hall) as 43,000 HK dollars, or approx. $5500 US. The average 1800-2000 square foot apartment that a family of four might need, was $7000-$8000. The total up-front cost to move into the smaller apartment, exclusive of any furniture costs, would be approx. $19,460 US.
When I asked him about these costs, he said I didn't need to worry about it, because every company pays these costs for their employees. When I told him that my company wouldn't pay them, he actually laughed. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I worked for one of the 200 largest companies in the US - it was just too embarrassing.
For those of you who were foolish enough to bid this POS, these might be areas you want to look at. Along with Discovery Bay, just south of the airport, they would be one of the few areas that I think my wife might consider living in. Of course, until the company tells you where you're going to need to report to work at, you can't make any decisions on where to live, and how much you'll need to spend to get decent housing. All's I can say is good luck, and God bless.
The agent came up with an average cost for a 900-1200 square foot apartment (which includes a portion of the lobby and the hall) as 43,000 HK dollars, or approx. $5500 US. The average 1800-2000 square foot apartment that a family of four might need, was $7000-$8000. The total up-front cost to move into the smaller apartment, exclusive of any furniture costs, would be approx. $19,460 US.
When I asked him about these costs, he said I didn't need to worry about it, because every company pays these costs for their employees. When I told him that my company wouldn't pay them, he actually laughed. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I worked for one of the 200 largest companies in the US - it was just too embarrassing.
For those of you who were foolish enough to bid this POS, these might be areas you want to look at. Along with Discovery Bay, just south of the airport, they would be one of the few areas that I think my wife might consider living in. Of course, until the company tells you where you're going to need to report to work at, you can't make any decisions on where to live, and how much you'll need to spend to get decent housing. All's I can say is good luck, and God bless.
I'd leave the dogs and cats behind...altho they can be tasty!
11-20-2007, 09:17 AM
#5
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: Gear Monkey
Posts: 3,193
The more I read these "house hunting in HKG stories" the more it amazes me.
What benchmarks did the union use in negogiating the housing allowance?
I've never heard them answer via any communication.
Did they talk with even one military guy who been assigned overseas in Asia or Europe who lived off base?
As a minimum, they should have just looked on line at the DOD housing rates for officers in HKG and Paris and then subtracted out the housing rate for Memphis.
Simply Incredible!
What benchmarks did the union use in negogiating the housing allowance?
I've never heard them answer via any communication.
Did they talk with even one military guy who been assigned overseas in Asia or Europe who lived off base?
As a minimum, they should have just looked on line at the DOD housing rates for officers in HKG and Paris and then subtracted out the housing rate for Memphis.
Simply Incredible!
Last edited by DLax85; 11-20-2007 at 09:25 AM. Reason: typo
11-20-2007, 09:24 AM
#6
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Position: FedEx
Posts: 666
Originally Posted by cma2407
That's the pessimistic view. If you look around, you could no doubt find a nice 25 story oriental tenement with not too many rats, electricity, a stove to boil your drinking water, and a laundry downstairs for the wife to work at. The kids could get jobs at the Gap Kids sweatshop (don't ask...it was in the paper when I was over there last week. GK was "shocked" and shut it down.) And, you might not even have to write a check for 20 grand for the privilege of breaking in our new B scale.
I'd leave the dogs and cats behind...altho they can be tasty!
I'd leave the dogs and cats behind...altho they can be tasty!
FJ
11-20-2007, 09:30 AM
#7
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 478
Originally Posted by DLax85
What benchmarks did the union use in negogiating the housing allowance?
Pretty nice, eh? Open the negotiations at less than half the industry standard! We lowballed ourselves.
11-20-2007, 04:35 PM
#8
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Position: Gear Monkey
Posts: 3,193
Originally Posted by BrownGirls YUM
According to MEC Officers, our openers were $4000.00.
Pretty nice, eh? Open the negotiations at less than half the industry standard! We lowballed ourselves.
Pretty nice, eh? Open the negotiations at less than half the industry standard! We lowballed ourselves.
OK, but off what benchmark? ---- or did we just throw a # out there?
Good luck to all who were awarded an FDA --- I truly wish you the best, but I think you will have to pack very lightly.
11-20-2007, 04:54 PM
#9
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Joined APC: Aug 2007
Posts: 281
Originally Posted by BrownGirls YUM
According to MEC Officers, our openers were $4000.00.
Pretty nice, eh? Open the negotiations at less than half the industry standard! We lowballed ourselves.
Pretty nice, eh? Open the negotiations at less than half the industry standard! We lowballed ourselves.
Hey, we got more than half of what we asked for!
Too bad its not even half of what it should have been.
11-20-2007, 07:23 PM
#10
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Joined APC: Sep 2007
Posts: 47
Originally Posted by DLax85
OK, but off what benchmark? ---- or did we just throw a # out there?
Good luck to all who were awarded an FDA --- I truly wish you the best, but I think you will have to pack very lightly.
Good luck to all who were awarded an FDA --- I truly wish you the best, but I think you will have to pack very lightly.
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