waileong

It's a huge question guys, and something that's been agonising business schools a lot in the last decade-- the declining value (and perceived value) of an MBA. 20 years ago, one could expect a pay rise with an MBA, but not any more. You might have read stories of how Wall Street investment bankers are skipping business school in the last few years, and how some people now believe that an MFA could be worth more than an MBA... Notwithstanding the above, few people now think that an MBA will make you a better manager in and of itself. In fact, there's lots of jokes about how MBA's are out of touch with the ground because they do too much theory. Read Dilbert. When employers specify that they want an applicant with an MBA, it's for several reasons: a. Most grad business schools require that the applicant provide strong letters of recommendation saying that the applicant has management potential. This usually means that your CEO or senior management is willing to stick their neck out for you. That is proof that someone senior and credible believes in your potential, which is what potential employers want. b. Difficulty of entrance. The high GMAT score, the strong undergrad results, the admission essays, the panel interviews, the strong letters of references, etc. are there to ensure entrance of the fittest. Potential employers thus feel that an MBA from a good school is a mark of quality. c. Difficulty of completion. An MBA known for its rigour to complete demonstrates to the employer the applicant's discipline and ability to multitask. This ability to juggle complex tasks is what employers want. I interview people from time to time, and it's quite amazing what fresh grads come out with these days. They typically have an honours degree or two if they did a double-degree undergrad programme, and the smart ones will even have a Masters (eg Masters of Economics, Comp Sc, etc) which they did because they got a scholarship. So the really bright ones will have 3 degrees (2 undergrad + 1 postgrad) before they start their first job! When they reach their thirties. these guys will typically go for another Masters degree such as an MBA, or one relevant to their work such as an MPA, Masters in Supply Chain Management, etc. So they would have 4 or 5 degrees before 40. Such is the reality today. Jackie Chan, etc. don't need degrees. More importantly, such degrees are "honorary", ie not real, and is meant to give publicity to the school. And unless you are big name celebrity like him, few schools will give you such a degree as it won't give them the publicity they want. There is a massive difference between business or entrepreneurial ability and managerial ability. MBA tries to teach the latter, eg how to manage people, reward people, motivate people; how to analyse financial statements; how to do marketing, etc. The former cannot be taught easily, because it is about risk taking, building business relationships, etc. Which is why you learn to talk like your boss, etc. But to be a real entrepreneur-- to be willing to walk away from a comfy job, risk your life savings, etc. on a business venture-- people either have it or they don't.

Public housing is not a "free" market-- at least, not when bought directly from HDB, since there are conditions for buyers to satisfy (family nucleus, etc). However, that does not mean that the govt must sell at a way below market price. The laws of economics still apply, prices are still set by demand and supply, if they price too low, demand will be too much and in fact can adversely affect the resale market. If they price too high, then people would rather buy resale. The only question is how low the price must be below comparable resale flats, taking into account the restrictions of direct purchase from HDB. This price difference is what our govt conveniently calls a "subsidy" when in fact anyone trained in marketing would consider this a price adjustment to compensate the buyer for the restrictions. Imagine if someone said I will sell you this house at $50k discount only if you are Singaporean, married, and you cannot sell this house to anyone else for 5 years after purchase and you must obey all the 101 rules that in the thick stack of T's & C's. Obviously, the $50k is to compensate you for all these inconveniences-- only politicians would call this $50k a "subsidy". Especially if the selling price is always $50k below the current market price, in other words, if the market move up, you will have to pay more even though the flat was already built 5 years ago.

Other than the agent, everything else HDB will help you calculate if you choose to use their lawyers for the transaction.

Live with it.

1. Check HDB website. 2. Never heard of plaster peeling off. If it doesn't happen on ordinary walls, why should it happen to ceilings?

No way. You can't get the permits in time, not to mention good contractors. A rush job is the surest way to regret in any reno.

However you feel, a deal is a deal, unless you want to lose your OTP money. There's no point checking how much other people paid for their flats after you buy, you just run the risk of buyers' remorse.

Your ID must be getting a big bonus....

This is why you engage lawyers for property transactions.

Simple. Did you sign anything?

You should worry more about losing storage space. You'd be amazed how many "things" accummulate.

If you have ever picked up a book on tropical architecture (Balinese, Thai, Indonesian, etc-- even our own colonial black and whites), you'll see that it's all pitched roofs. Rain is not the only reason. Think about the old days, before aircon. The air buffer in the pitched roof provided good insulation against the tropical heat. In addition, they also typically raised their houses on stilts for the same reason.

1. Why do you think almost every grad business school wants a GMAT score? Because they want to compete on the quality of their students, to boast that the average GMAT of their students is XXX. ==> MBA without GMAT requirement would be a waste of time. The school doesn't care about its reputation or the quality of its students. It also reflects badly on you-- do you not care about the quality of the education you receive? 2. MBA can help you move way from Eng only if you genuinely like doing other things (eg sales, marketing). If you don't have aptitude outside Eng, it will show eventually. 3. Better pay or not depends solely on your performance. A cheap MBA on your CV will not cause any employer to pay you more. Bottom line-- You are trying to cut corners, you don't value your own education. Why don't you give me your $25k instead.

I understand your concern on cost. All of us have limited $$$. But I would say it may be better to worry about other things, like quality and reliability of the contractor.

Cement is cement. A plastered wall is far prettier. Go to any condo show flat, you'll find the walls are beautifully plastered.

You should talk to the guy who sold you the sofa. Frankly, you go to any good store, they should also sell the leather cleaner and leather care cream. It's important to clean and oil the sofa regularly, else the leather will become stiff and crack.

Thomson Road nurseries. About $20 per bag.

It'll be hard to find an ID who knows what you want.

If you don't know what it is, or if he doesn't either, what's the point? A good design comes from understanding your perosonality, likes and dislikes, hobbies and lifestyle, influences, etc. It's not about reading magazines. I suggest you search yourself to understand. My blog may help.

You don't get the point. If it's not in the contract, it's not binding on you. This is one reason why, for important agreements, they want both parties to initial EVERY page, in addition to signing the contract on the last page, along with witnesses. Very simply, the initial is to ensure that both sides can't claim they haven't seen every page of the contract. And if necessary, the witness will testify that you indeed went through every page of the contract, so you can't deny anything.

Yes, it's not their pasal to know whether your insurance contract requires Safety Mark or not.

You have a copy of the agreement, you should check it.

Ditto for 99-year LH private property, at the end of 99 years, it still reverts to the state, hence you never "own" it.

HDB regulations are on their website. You should check there.

Why do you fear HDB?