Hi All~ Negotiating transfer and I have some questions (if you don't mind)

[CAP]

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

@TheBrit: Akasaka was great, as is Wimbledon. What were you doing in Akasaka?
Truthfully, I've been very happy with my last three neighbourhoods (including Da'An in Taipei). All very green, not terribly congested, yet still have a buzz and are well connected. Viewing what can be had is a good idea, though not sure if I'd have that much time before deciding if we are going to make this happen or not (notably as they have a pressing product launch for 2 key markets coming up so the clock is ticking).

@Zerg: I've not been to Tai Wai - How's the trip to the airport from there?

[Satay Sue]

Do NOT make a choice before viewing in person! I cannot emphasise this enough. We had a shortlist of several places when we arrived - none of them were anything like their photos on the websites. Same goes for areas; I've also lived in Tokyo, know Akasaka and agree with The Brit - definitely won't get anything like you expect for your budget.

[TheBrit]

In Akasaka, worked in financial services. Loved the area, even more after the renewals of the area in front of the TBS building. Loved standing outside in PCA and watching the world go by.

Pressing product launch - you're not working for Sony are you? Seems Hirai is squeezing costs aggressively... Even if schedules are tight, I think it's worthwhile doing the ground work - you can cover a lot of ground in only 2 or 3 days - might be tiring but you can cover off a few areas and get a good feel for the price vs. what you can get here. If you can accept a longer commute, you'll have a better chance of quieter, greener space.

[MovingIn07]

If you raise your budget, try Cox's Rd in Jordan. It overlooks the cricket pitch and is reasonably close to Kowloon park for your greenery, is very close to where you need to go (you can almost certainly get close to direct buses or 5 mins in a cab). There are some older places along there that mostly go to locals, many have balconies (my old boss had one with a 500sq ft balcony!). But the price will be a lot higher than your budget, so as others have suggested you need to raise the budget or travel more.

At the other end of the scale (more travel, less money) I agree Tai Wai would be a good fit.

[chingleutsch]

It's not that I want to rain on your parade, honestly, but as well as unrealistic expectations on the housing front, you also need to consider that your fiancee's being Taiwanese is not necessarily going to make it "easy" for her to get a job here. She will still have to jump through all the hoops of qualifications & finding one that cannot be done by a local to get her employment visa, and in the vast majority of companies Mandarin or Minnanhua are no use for everyday business. Bosses here are also wary of the fact that Taiwanese business culture is very different from the local one and - whether it is true of your fiancee or not - Taiwanese have a reputation for being unwilling to change their ways (<<擦不多>> doesn't cut it here, for one thing).

I'm not saying your fiancee couldn't get a job under her own steam, but she shouldn't expect just to waltz in to one by virtue of reading traditional characters and having an MTP. And if I'm misjudging the situation, my apologies; I'm simply commenting on the information you have given so far.

[MandM!]

Tai Wai is temporarly cheap due to oversupply. Expect your rent to double to 25-30k next year. Landlords are greedy and that new building in Tai Wai is poorly made and has 2 schools on the platform so you get all those kids noise if you are ever home Monday to Saturday. You should look elsewhere.

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[Mat]

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

@TheBrit: Akasaka was great, as is Wimbledon. What were you doing in Akasaka?
Truthfully, I've been very happy with my last three neighbourhoods (including Da'An in Taipei). All very green, not terribly congested, yet still have a buzz and are well connected. Viewing what can be had is a good idea, though not sure if I'd have that much time before deciding if we are going to make this happen or not (notably as they have a pressing product launch for 2 key markets coming up so the clock is ticking).

@Zerg: I've not been to Tai Wai - How's the trip to the airport from there?

Best u take a service appartment fir a month or two in TST or nearby and then visits area/flats in ur free time.

Everyone here can gibe u recommendations but that will be biased because that ia what they like/dont like...not what u like.

really take a service appartment for a month or two and take it from there.



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[CAP]

@Satay: sorry, I think I wasn't quite clear in what I wrote. What I mean was that I'd have to most likely decide whether or not to take the transfer before heading back out to hit the ground a find a flat (for sure, I wouldn't secure a place from the net). To be fair, Akasaka these days is much more expensive than 15000, though then I was a single guy and on a full package.

@TheBrit: Yeup. The Sakas is a really great place - especially in winter when the lights and ice skating rink come out. Truthfully, I tend to agree that I haven't ever seen anything that was really drop-dead nice in Hong Kong similar to Akasaka or Wimbledon (but again, my exposure was more limited to HK Island and southern Kowloon). Perhaps for Wimbledon, the closest I've seen in HK is Kowloon Tong (meaning the local perception of it is similar to how locals in London view Wimbledon). I presume you are doing something similar now in HK?

Re: Sony - perhaps, quite possibly. The cost cutting debate is going to be an interesting one. Fact is, TV business losses have been ongoing for 8 years and the business has fundamental issues. Even if they were to seriously down size, the problem is Japanese people just don't get fired and don't retire. So essentially, the very senior people who have made certain decisions and are, quite possibly, out of touch with the current industry trends would simply be shifted to other businesses within the group (which prohibits moving in talented new employees, generally speaking). So rather than deal with the problem, it might possibly just be shuffled about. I like the direction the company is headed from the content side, though.

@MovingIn: Thanks for the suggestion. Also, I can flex a little bit on the distance, but I think 45 minutes would be the max (so basically 30 minutes actually on the MTR plus a bit of walking on each side). Ideas? Realistic?

@Ching: Yeah, definitely noted. But as mentioned, she won't be working as she would be focusing on further developing her own business. So actually not so concerned about whether she can find a job in HK or not (not planning for her to work for another company, so long as her business is doing well and she is building equity).

@Mat: That is a good approach, however it doesn't really get me through the nego period, where I have to have expectations managed from both sides of the table (theirs and mine). If I see that, within reason, we cannot see eye-to-eye or I cannot meet my own personal requirements (again, within reason, as I'm not solid steel and can flex on certain things) I'd rather turn down the offer if I know it is impossible to work out, rather than get there, be dissatisfied, and then have to consider looking at different companies (that just wouldn't be a professional way to handle it, truthfully). So really, what I'm trying to do now is the due dilligence to have realistic exectations going into everything, given the constraints I have being in London and with the timing.

@All/Any (in general): I was guessing 30 minutes actual train time would open up possibilities, but perhaps I am mistaken? I guess, maybe a different way of looking at it is: how far out would I have to be for 15k? or, if within my radius, how much would the rent (generally if you know what I mean) be?

[zergmei]

Hi Cap
Tai Wai is nearer to the airport than Hong Kong island.
check out google maps

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

@TheBrit: Akasaka was great, as is Wimbledon. What were you doing in Akasaka?
Truthfully, I've been very happy with my last three neighbourhoods (including Da'An in Taipei). All very green, not terribly congested, yet still have a buzz and are well connected. Viewing what can be had is a good idea, though not sure if I'd have that much time before deciding if we are going to make this happen or not (notably as they have a pressing product launch for 2 key markets coming up so the clock is ticking).

@Zerg: I've not been to Tai Wai - How's the trip to the airport from there?

[CAP]

Hi Zerg,
Thanks. I was asking because it seemed that I'd have to go all the way south before heading west to the airport. Just checked the journey planner, though, and didn't realise it's under an hour.

How does Tai Wai compare with others stops in the Shatin corridor? And, how does the Sha Tin area compare with Tsuen Wan (would it be a realistic possibility)?

By the way, the reason I prefer to keep the commute within 35-40 minutes is the hours I presumably will be working (I suspect 10pm nights will not be unheard of).