Tai Hock and Yan Yan's Retirement Journey to JB with the MM2H visa

Mid-50s couple Tai Hock and Yan Yan have long considered the Malaysia My Second Home visa. With two properties already rented out in Singapore, their flat in Paya Lebar fully paid off and a stable financial buffer, they've begun exploring the possibilities of MM2H as a way to enhance their lifestyle in JB as a way to escape Singapore's relentlessly rising prices.

Lower Property Price for MM2H Participants
But why JB? Well, for starters, with MM2H, Tai Hock and Yan Yan benefit from a lower property price minimum. This means they can buy a home for considerably less than non-MM2H participants. And with house prices much lower than in Singapore to start off with, the couple will probably buy a spacious, luxurious home in Malaysia. They may even decide to buy that landed home they've always wanted. In JB, owning a landed home is within financial reach after all. This has always been somewhat of a dream for the couple. A dream that, once approved for MM2H, may well come true.

Testing the Waters by Renting
Now, before committing to a property purchase, they plan to rent a home in JB first. This will give them time to explore JB's various different residential areas. The idea is to decide on the perfect place to settle only when they're absolutely sure. And since MM2H offers this flexibility, why not make the most of it?

Tax-Exempt Transfers from Singapore
One of the key financial benefits they're looking forward to is that money transferred from their Singapore bank to their bank in Malaysia will be tax-free once they join the MM2H visa. This includes the income they receive from renting out their two other properties in Singapore, any CPF cash flow, in fact, any funds that they TT to Malaysia. All money wired from Singapore will be available to the couple tax-free once it arrives in their Malaysia bank account. Clearly, this is quite a nice windfall, especially when factoring in the lucrative SGD/MYR exchange rate.

Living Well in JB
The lower cost of living in Malaysia is another significant advantage. With the strong SGD exchange rate against the Malaysian Ringgit, their money will stretch much further, ensuring a higher standard of living than they're used to in Singapore. As a matter of fact, according to the couple's back of an envelope calculations, their lifestyle will be more akin to expats, whilst their monthly expenditures are actually less than in Singapore. Such is their leverage in this JB/Singapore lifestyle arbitrage opportunity.

Space and Nature
Having lived in Singapore their entire lives, Tai Hock and Yan Yan are eager to embrace a more wide open, natural environment. Malaysia's expansive landscapes, breathtaking holiday islands, chilly highlands and lush jungle stretches offer the outdoorsy lifestyle both of them crave. And as such, road trips, sightseeing tours, safari-type excursions and weekend outings on castaway atolls are all on the agenda.

English-Speaking Community in JB
Moving to JB feels more comfortable knowing that English is spoken just about everywhere. The presence of a large Singaporean expat community will also ease their transition, giving them access to familiar faces and experiences. And let's face it, JB and Singapore have so much in common anyway; they'll probably feel at home faster than you can say "selamat datang".

RTS Line for Quick Trips Home
That said, the soon-to-be-completed RTS line connecting Singapore and JB is still a significant perk for Tai Hock and Yan Yan. The fast commute will allow them to visit Singapore as frequently as they want, making their move feel even less like being away. Swinging by family members, or dropping in on their friends, or even going for their favorite bak kut teh, with RTS, it'll be a breeze to and fro.

JB's Booming Property Market
Speaking of JB's infrastructure, the couple is actually quite attracted to JB's constantly improving connectivity, with the upcoming HSR being a good case in point. In fact, with JB's investment landscape thriving and the area gradually morphing into a kind of Southeast Asian Shenzhen, it's probably the perfect time for Tai Hock and Yan Yan to stake their claim, ensuring healthy future returns, all the while reveling in their resort-living lifestyle. Win-win.

Private Healthcare at Affordable Prices
Healthcare is a priority for Tai Hock and Yan Yan as they approach their retirement years, that goes without saying. Malaysia's top-tier private healthcare, oftentimes available at a fraction of Singapore's costs, provides them with peace of mind. And the fact that some of the clinics in JB are owned and run by Singapore medical groups, including facilities like Gleneagles Medini and Regency Specialist Hospital, each CPF/Medisave-approved. The icing on the cake.

Option to Return
Everybody who retired in JB is always able to go back to Singapore of course. As long as there's a property to return to this option remains wide open. In other words, when it comes to the decision of retiring in JB, it's good to know that, regardless of what happens, you can always balek kampong :)

Visit MM2H.com.sg for more information about staying in JB.