All my life, I have felt very uncomfortable with big rental burden (debt too .. another topic), so I always find ways to reduce it.

• in Newport, I was paying $2000, then increased to $2200 ! (I just hated the hike) So I quickly subleased the big room for $800 and felt much better.
• In Fort Hamilton and Bushwick, I had to sublet one room to /reach/ an affordable rental cost level.

When my family finally comes over, I will need to find quick relief. A questionable relief is buying a home as it will further aggravate the cash-flow burden, and sink me to cash flow lower ground ! My default plan:

1. Try to save up USD 100k (discussed below) in advance. Convert SGD if needed.
2. give family a feel for the different parts of Bayonne. Bayonne is low-rental town. Hopefully we narrow down to 2 or 3 locations.
3. locate the best rental home. There should be many reasonable choices so won’t take too long.
4. Get family prepared for downsizing, potentially challenging.
5. Pick a place up to $1500-2000/M. If too many rooms and too expensive, I will consider sublease part of it.
6. construct a div stock (Reit) portfolio.. low volatility, to be liquidated in the next step
7. Within 2 years (hopefully 12 months) buy a first rental property 200k-350k like 43R, with NRY to help defray my rental expense
   • It could be a pure rental property but I can still use the basement for storage.
   • If acceptable, my family could use it, reducing various risks

In the long horizon (no timeframe), I could buy a 2FH for family use, and sublet one unit. However, 2FH creates heavier cash flow burden including pTax

Q: USD 300k war chest for rental relief? How would it change my life?

• I could stay in SG forever
• I could target JC jobs, and spend $1.5k/M net rental in Bayonne/JSq forever. Or $2k in JC/Hob.

Q: USD 100k war chest for rental relief?

• This amount means a lot to rental home comfort [size..]. $1k/M additional rental will exhaust this amount in 8 years !
• This amount is insignificant for branded colleges .. not worthwhile
• This amount is insignificant for a SDXQ home .. not worthwhile
• This amount is easy to squirrel away, esp. in SG
• This amount as a target bonus, is brutal and unforgiving. I won’t accept such a target. I will reject such a target.
• To relieve work stress, I can realistic consider giving up $30k/Y salary over 10Y. USD 300k lost_pretax_income is no big deal to me. (After-tax, it would become a 200 lost income.)