Choosing to live in the now...we sold our private property
We let go of walls and mortgages to hold tighter to what truly matters — love, presence, and God’s daily grace.
We sold our home and we gotta move out by 26 October 2025.
Yes, this year, in 9 week’s time.
For years, the script was: buy as big a house as you can manage, grind away at the mortgage, hope property values rise, and at 55… finally sell, downgrade to public HDB flat living, and “live well” on the capital gains.
It still works, of course, financially.
But…that only works if one earn lots of money and has a lot surplus. I dont agree if I’ve to chase mortgage payments and constant pay rises to meet the ever-growing-upgrades-interest payments.
I don’t want to wait until 55 to live.
I want to live today.
Part of this comes from a sobering reminder: a few years ago, I almost lost my life to a sudden, flu-induced heart failure. In one moment, everything I thought was stable was fragile.
Life is far shorter (and frailer) than we like to admit.
And that’s when it hit me: if what I want is to leave my kids a financial legacy when I’m gone, there are lots of instruments and tools for that — good term insurance will do (my ideal is a trust fund).
Those can cover the money side.
But what money can never buy — and what no insurance policy can replace — are the memories of a present father and mother who lived with them, grew old with them, guiding them as much as they can…you know?
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” – Matthew 6:19–20
We’re appealing to HDB right now, and we’re praying that they will allow us to buy a resale flat immediately and waive off the 15 months wait-out period. Because if another heart failure ever does turn fatal, I want to know Louise and our three young children have a secure and manageable home, without the crushing burden of uncertainty.
All this so we can live more fully in the now:
To hear the pitter-patter of our children’s feet.
To be present at the often-noisy dinner table, not lost in tomorrow’s mortgage.
To treasure evenings with Louise, not distracted by financial strain.
That, I believe, is the greater legacy: not just leaving behind assets, but leaving behind a lifetime of love, memories, and presence.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12
Maybe the real question for all of us is this: what are we waiting for?
If tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, why keep postponing life until “someday”? Why wait to live at 55 by can downsizing-to-cash-out larger (or private) properties to smaller ones…so that we can start to live?
Why can’t we live now? Today?
Whilst property agents may have noble intentions of helping us have a nest egg upon retirement (or maybe wanting us to buy and sell more properties as they do can earn)…but it is so unusual for me that people would max out loans and interest repayments so that they can retire with a good chunk of money at 55+.
Property capital gains are 2%+ per year…vs global and US ETFs that average conservatively 7-10%+ per year. If it’s for financial gain, it’d make more sense financially to just put into ETFs - without any legal fees, agent fees, stressing over mortgages or lack of tenants.
We need to think critically more.
Is it really so bad to live with “just enough” rooms? Do we really need to buy spaces with extra rooms…just in case? Do we need to max out our mortgage and loan rates?
Perhaps the wisest legacy we can leave is not just in the inheritance we pass down, but in the presence we live out — today, with the ones we love. I dont want to teach my children to max out their loans and then wait till 55 so that they can retire with nest egg.
There are so many ways to earn money, and I think if I’m not super stressed about largest-mortgages available, I’d have more mental/emotional/creative bandwidth to create more and even earn more.
Heck, just putting money into ETFs would work too, without the property-related stresses.
These are thoughts that I have, and I’m happy to have conversations with different perspectives. For me, life is really short and it’s not meant to be deferred until retirement.
Yes, in some things, it’s worth it, but for this, to me, it isn’t - I see this move not as a downgrade, but an upgrade to quality of life, and I do hope that HDB can waive off the 15 months wait for us.
I’m very grateful that my wife is supportive and is aligned with me, and I hope to provide her and the children with more of me and more of a wonderful adventuring life with me and Jesus.
