Those of you who follow this blog regularly will know that the Malaysian Government has made it impossible for me to live here in my old age because they have refused to grant me permanent residency, and refuse to enter into any further discussion on the matter…
…in spite of the fact that I am married to one of Malaysia’s more pre-eminent, highly decorated, internationally-renowned academics and citizens who has devoted much of his life to the future Malaysian scientists and scientific endeavour (I’m sure he will blush when he reads that, but to my eyes, it’s a true statement)
…and in spite of the fact that I have lived here for 32 of the past 40 years
…and in spite of the fact that most of those 8 years abroad (ultimately the reason I lost my permanent residency status in the first place) were while he was on government secondment.
So we have been looking at ways in which we can settle down where I was born, Western Australia.
And believe me, I am wondering how it is ever going to be possible.
Look at this, figures taken from the business section of The Star Wed. 7th July 2010.
Australia’s median home price 2009 was 6x the gross yearly income
Britain’s median home price 2009 was 5.1x the gross yearly income
USA’s median home price 2009 was 2.9x the gross yearly income
The median home in Australia cost $A 468,000 in May 2010
In US for 2009, the median home was US$216,700 or $A 248,085
In the past year, Australian house prices rose by an incredible 20%. Australian home prices are 82% higher than in the US.
I won’t even begin to say how much more they are than prices in Malaysia. Our major investment is in our home here – but if we sell it, it will only be about half the price of an Australian home one third of the size in a lousy area.
Maybe we’ll settle for a caravan somewhere…?
Housing is outrageously expensive but there are some cheaper options for older folk. I'll send you some info.
Thanks. I'll need it!
A mobile home sounds good. You can move easily when you get tired of the neighbourhood.
I may be wrong, but aren't house prices in WA a bit high at the moment, comparatively? Looking at median house figures doesn't tell you the range of prices available in a place, either. You can still find cheaper houses. It might make a big difference if you buy outside of major cities, too. Some country towns are well serviced – not to mention pretty.
Or you could join the tiny house movement: http://tinyhouseblog.com/. There are some prefab companies in Australia that do them. Very cute! (But where would you put all the books?)
Trudi, the article did say that Melbourne and Sydney were where the biggest increases were. But then as far as I know WA has been high all along, because that's where the boom has been, so perhaps it's a matter of the eastern states catching up.
The only reason I would like to be relatively close to Fremantle is because my sister is there. I think we will be looking south to the Mandurah area – connected by train.
Tiny house? Hmm, I wonder if there's some way of building a house of books, rather than for books…??
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Come to Wollongong. Seriously, it's lovely down here. Close to the ocean, close enough to go up to Sydney when you want, an hours drive from the airport. Lousy bookshops. That's about the worst of it.
Glenda, Perth house prices are ridiculously expensive. We have an investment house on the mid-north coast of NSW that is so much more cosy and livable than our house in suburban Perth. Hopefully one day in the not-too-too-distant future we'll be able to retire there.
Our Perth house is nice, and in a popular, good, area, but it has nothing on our NSW house when it comes to character. The NSW house is valued at $200,000 less!
Mum lives in a very nice retirement village in NSW as well. http://www.faringdon.com.au/lifestyle.htm
It's an older style village but to my mind it's got a lot more going for it than a lot of the newer ones.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's so much variety out there, don't get stuck on median prices…and maybe look a little further afield than capital cities or even WA.
Deb
In France housing is very expensive too since a few year, espacially in big towns.
Obviously I know nothing about prices in Oz, but we lived in a mobile home in the States for a number of years and had every mod com, and it was a delightful way of living, a mobile home is NOT the same as a trailer or caraven which can be moved easily, although for a fair amount of money you could move it I suppose. If you got a double wide though, it would really cost you. I am assuming you can get such mobile homes in Oz.
Just to let you know Glenda, I have emailed you a pic of our mobile home.
Re the Malaysian Government, can't you reach somebody higher up? Surely Noramly has contacts or something? I know when we were having trouble emigrating because of a clerk in the embassy, we ended up asking for his boss who came along and processed everything right away.
I'm in the throes of getting my house ready to sell to move down to Brisbane – planning on buying on the north side but no further north than Caboolture, and no further south than Strathpine, and house prices seem comparable to Cairns.
Move to NZ! Property is much more affordable here!
Wollongong? New Zealand? Brisbane? All tempting actually, but problem remains that I have family in Perth and I kinda want to be within shout…
The current ruling party only wants to import low/uneducated people into Malaysia. Easy to manipulate them.
My late brother in law (from New Zealand) also don;t have PR and was an illegal here. But he don't bother much I guess because he's too old.