An Open Letter to Marina One

Dear Marina One,

I wish you would have been launched at the time when the loans are easier, at least I know I could leverage myself better to get at least a yummy 1-bedroom unit which you have meticulously designed for any future tenants which I could host. Generous Miele suite for all kitchen appliances, V+S sanitary ware, good size white volaka marble slabs, and even a cute walk-in wardrobe for the 1-bedrooms. Not to mention you have balconies! *sigh* Wish your 1-bedrooms would have a more undesirable facing but almost all of them would be facing a well taken care landscaped HUGE indoor garden of almost 65,000sqft!

1-bedroom showflat at actual site in Marina One
1-bedroom showflat at actual site in Marina One

I feel jealous when most of the units are snapped up so quickly when you’ve decided to price yourself so fairly especially for the low floor units. I wouldn’t mind snapping up at least one if you would have allowed me to take my loan from the banks. The TDSR is killing almost all of us who fell in love with you. You have disappointed not only me, but many whom have tried talking to the bank and failed to get an in-principal approval. I’ve seen even foreigners wouldn’t mind paying the extra 15% and many of my fellow countrymen who already has more than 2 properties paying 10% on top of their stamp duties just to own at least one of you. Continue reading “An Open Letter to Marina One”

Reliable Internet Mobile Connection for Singapore Realtors – M1 Broadband, Singtel Broadband on Mobile or Starhub Maxmobile?

To fellow Realtors, have you met up with a situation where you’d really like to check on caveat prices or get a document from your Agency’s website really badly and have to travel all the way back to the office or home to get things done when you can close your deal in an instance if you have a laptop and a working internet connection in hand?

Let me paint the picture “Oh crap, I have to logon to e-Office to check on the recent transacted price. . Sigh wish I can logon to AgenTools now to arrange for viewings for my client in my car” I bet they’re familiar.

Sure you could just go to any Starbucks or Macdonalds or even anywhere near central to get a WIFI connection provided by Wireless@SG, but that means you have to travel to the particular place and it doesn’t mean that your connection would still be reliable. I had this problem in Starbucks recently even when Wireless@SG has two access points, connection is totally intermittent.

INTRODUCING YOUR UNLIMITED MOBILE CONNECTION FRIENDS (IN SINGAPORE ONLY OF COURSE)

Try using the solutions in other countries and pay for roaming charges, be warned. I have been a subscriber of these 3G sim card solutions ever since a year ago when M1 just introduced a flat fee plan for an unlimited plan (data cap, but anything more than 1 GB is more than enough if you don’t download stuffs with it).

M1M1 Broadband. It’s Anywhere

Cost (at the moment) – $22.42 per month for 1MBPS, no Data Cap, 6 months contract

What you get when you sign up: A Vodafone USB Modem or a Vodafone PCMCIA Modem or a Linksys Vodafone 3G/UTMS Router

Singtel Singtel Broadband on Mobile

Cost (at the moment) – $22.42 per month for 512KBPS, 50G Cap, 12 – 24 months contract

ps. I’ve signed up for 24 months contract, 12 months free subscription, which effectively cuts my subscription fee to $11.21 per month

What you get when you sign up: a Huawei USB Modem or a Samsung USB Modem (with free 1GB space). I opted for the Samsung one

StarhubMaxMobile

Cost (at the moment) – $72.76 (50% off for Starhub customers) per month for 7.2MBPS

ps. Apparently the most expensive one in town if you are not an existing Starhub customer to enjoy the 50% off (even with the 50% thrown in), but of course, good speed.

With these solutions, you can always use your laptop on the go in any parts of Singapore and have your work done. If you think carrying your laptop is a hassle, a dual sim card PDA phone could use your plan too. Just simply put this particular 3G sim card to the DATA slot of your dualsim phone to enjoy a reliable connection.

MY VOTE GOES TO…

Singtel's Broadband Man!
Photo credit: dpcafe

Singtel’s Broadband on Mobile. Probably because its basestations have better coverage in Singapore than the two other Telecommunication provider. I was even trying this connection on my friend’s cabin cruiser in Serimbun on the sea trying to email my client. Connection is smooth and flawless for even a 512KBPS connection.

M1 was ok, but the connection was somewhat weak/ and sometimes no connection at some parts of Singapore, namely the West area and especially Sentosa.

No chance to try Starhub’s. Too hefty for a non-Starhub customer to carry IMO. But I don’t really need a 7.2MBPS solution for my job. No multimedia intensive presentation required.

It seems that Singtel and M1 are having a price war on their mobile internet solutions. You can take the advantage now to sign up for any of their plans now, whoever is giving a better offer.

ps. Singtel’s naming convention of their mobile internet service would score much better in SEO on the internet. Smart.