Re <<I think 3600 sq ft is probably ideal for a family of 4>>
Just watched wife, my better half, execute some papers.
Following up Message 26714346 (circa 2010)
(iv) my in-laws just offered and my wife accepted same, that we would trade our smaller (1500 sft) full ocean view abode with the in-laws' larger (3600 sft) and garden complemented home that is across the street from us, so that the two grandchildren can scamper around while their all providing dada can extract from the market arena undisturbed.
... a passing comment, that i truly appreciate asian family values even as i conditionally take advantage of american crony capitalism, both apparently considered to be in alignment with god's work by somebodies ;0)
I have a lot of good memories of the ocean view abode since purchase way back when
Message 12648727 (circa 2000)
Sunday morning again. Reflection time. Balcony door and windows open to clean ocean air that is a rarity in Hong Kong. Spring is early this year, and not usually failed to be marked by the Chinese New Years (akin to Farmers Calendar). Also unusual is the line up of CDs in the changer: Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan. Thoughts of returning to Ecuador, the rose plantation, and the Galapagos. What ever happened to my Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrone? Energy music to go with the times. Wonderful companies ? Time Warner, Columbia Music, and of course Sony Music. Internet business plans still warm from the printer heat all around me. Magicaldesk.com, Qingniao.net, Renren.com, Texwatch.com. What Apple II did for KKR, Hewlett Packard is doing for all gamblers. One constant is my Frappucino from Starbucks, not a plan but a delicious drink from Starbucks, a crushing competitor to The Coffee Station in which I have a private equity investment. Uhm, Magicaldesk or AOL, Texwatch or Softbank? More energy drinks and energy music, a little sail boat comes into view of window and the sun should tear the morning fog soon.
... as it turned out the swap w/ in-laws wasn't exactly a swapped, but a gift, as I had gifted the 1,500 sft to wife way back when we got married mortgage-free, the in-laws also gifted the 3,600 sft to the grand kids even as they lived in the smaller apartment since 2010 and we in the larger abode across the street. In-laws now moving to a rental unit in high-rise nearby until and if they find something else to buy but in no particular hurry.
We shall continue to occupy the gift. Asian family-values are peculiar.
However, and a big however, the in-laws are now forced out of the smaller apartment as it has just transacted, force-bought from us at absurd pricing by group of young developers wishing to control the entire site.
Sadness, because the ocean view is superb and we lived in the abode 1999 - 2010, and visited in-laws every most Sunday's dinner 2010 - now.
The arms-twisting was expertly done by the young developer group used to forcing people out of industrial units by aggregating 80+% of whatever building and do force-auction at 'market' price, always an argument, and in this case the group got 4 out of the 5 apartments of the little building.
Alas, apartment rules are different w/r to forced-auctions and the developing group was seriously 'plucked' and 'phucked' by holding cost especially as I threatened to compete--bid against them to get the market price up from my wife the owner, and they caught short by clever wife doing much legal research and intent on exacting pound of flesh, for the children :0)
Bottom line, now wife has enough to buy two similar apartments of equal size and equivalent view but not caught short :0)))))
Apparently HODL-ing works well when it comes to ocean views, and good to teach the youngsters a lesson they shall not likely ever forget, a gift to them.
Re <<time the gold market>> ... time to add some gold, in a hurry, and to get an apartment slowly slowly. (HK has no capital gains tax)
Energy music is good. Relaxed serendipity also good. Aggressive people busy making mistakes best.
I told wife that Sino - US powwow might result in sanctioning of HK that would lead to a monetary - financial crisis here in the shape of 'L' or 'V', more likely a 'V' as HK is backstopped by Team China. Should such come to pass, cash and gold has clear use-case. This is how we are going to play WWIII. If win, win big, and if lose, nothing matters.
How Ukraine project goes now more important than ever.
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