Avoid These Ten Mistakes For a Successful Property Investment

When it comes to investing in Singapore, you can never ignore the property sector. Land ownership is arguably the most ancient expression of wealth. Currently, the human population is exponentially increasing while the land is in a relatively limited supply in Singapore. As you would guess, any market that has significantly higher demand than supply is likely to experience price inflation. In many ways, Singapore is an extreme example where land outweighs the supply. Unfortunately, this scenario may give a false impression that you can never go wrong by investing in property. Perhaps this is why real estate investment has become the most preferred retirement asset for most Singaporeans.

Property investment is an excellent way to generate a healthy passive income, but only if you know what you are doing. Otherwise, it can be a precarious market characterized by lots of difficulties here and there. However, with the right guide and a good idea of your marketplace, you might be well on your path to becoming a successful property investor. So today in this particular post, we want to explain to you in fine detail, some of the most common mistakes that you should avoid even as you aim to build a proper portfolio. Read on and get to know!

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Valentine’s Day Recipes Round-Up with Fun and Creative Food!

Valentine’s Day is just next week! Are you all ready to spend a romantic evening with your partner? Well, we have selected some fun and yummy recipes for you to display your culinary skills.

Nope, you don’t have to be a pro in the kitchen with these step-by-step photo instructions. In fact, some of these recipes are so easy even your kids can make them! We have rounded up 7 Valentine’s Day Recipes for you to choose!

How about kicking off your Valentine’s Day event with this Strawberry Roses Bouquet ( 情人节草莓玫瑰花 )? You've probably seen these Strawberry Roses Food Art, but do you know all you need is a paring knife. some love and patience and your strawberries flower bouquet will be done in just minutes?

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Tiger King: Abalone Minced Chicken Congee Recipe ( 美味鲍鱼肉碎粥 )

On days when you are unwell, do you go for soft diet like congee or porridge? I usually long for this type of diet whenever I am indisposed. My son had a nasty toothache sometime back, and haven’t been on proper food for days. Hence, I decided to make him my family’s favourite Abalone Minced Chicken Congee ( 美味鲍鱼肉碎粥 ).

The Tiger King Chile Aquaculture Red Abalone ( 智利养殖红鲍鱼 ) from HockHua Tonic contains 9 pieces of baby abalones. Hubby and I had 3 whole abalones each, while I sliced the rest for Jon’s easy consumption.

When cooking congee, I like to use Japanese Rice as it is short grain compared to the usual Jasmine rice which is long grain. The plumpy rice has a stickier texture which I find it suitable for making congee. This time round, I added more liquid so that it is easier for Jon to digest. Abalone Congee is extremely appetizing especially when you have no appetite, and it is easy to prepare too. Let’s check out the yummy recipe!

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Delicious Smoked Salmon Salad with JellyFish ( 烟熏三文鱼沙拉捞海蜇 )

We Chinese eat a lot of Smoked Salmon during the Lunar New Year, mainly for the Prosperity Toss session due its symbolic meaning. The auspicious " Lucky " symbol plays a vital role in the Chinese Spring Festival celebration, and Fish is considered a lucky food. Sounding like ' surplus ' in Chinese, we like to think that May There Be Abundance Year After Year ( 年年有余 )!

Be greeted by an explosion of flavours in this Delicious Smoked Salmon Salad with JellyFish ( 烟熏三文鱼沙拉捞海蜇 ) for Chinese New Year!

Filled with mouth-watering Smoked Salmon bought from Fassler Gourmet and Jellyfish from local supermarket, the easy-to-do salad is ready in no time!  I had a surplus of Yusheng ingredients, so I made a simple salad using whatever I had on hand and put my creativity to work. The result is an eye-catching colourful salad for my family of three. Let’s see how easy it is to make this!

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Ah Yat Abalone with Fauchon Foie Gras Platter ( 阿一鲜鲍鹅肝拼盘 )

Looking for some last minute CNY recipes? Not a good cook, but want to impress your family and guests on this festive occasion? Fret not, cause here is one hell of a simple starter that anyone can fix!

I love to stock up gourmet canned food like Foie Gras Goose Liver and Abalones in my kitchen so that I can whip up simple dishes like these if I am short of time.

I am using Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Biscuits for my Fauchon Goose Liver, and Iceberg Lettuce for the Ah Yat Fresh Abalone. Trust me, you can churn out this Heavenly Twin Chilled Abalone with Foie Gras Pate ( 双天至尊冷鮑鹅肝 ) in just 30 minutes!

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Auspicious Bagua Abalone Yu Sheng Recipe ( 吉祥八卦鲍仔魚生 )

Bagua ( 八卦 ) represents the octagonal trigram template, with the center containing the Yin ( 阴 ) and Yang ( 阳 ) symbol, or Taijitu as in the Taoist philosophy. The Chinese believe that the Yin represents the receptive ( female ) force of nature, while Yang represents the creative ( male ) force of nature.

According to Feng Shui belief, the positive chi energy in one’s life, environment and living area should be balanced. Hence, Bagua is an essential tool used to map a location to see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life such as fame, marriage, career, and wealth.

During Chinese New Year, Lo Hei ( 捞起 ) is a Lunar New Year tradition whereby Yu Sheng is served. It is a large colourful plate of salad consisting of numerous ingredients, and they get tossed during the “ Prosperity Toss ” session while shouting out auspicious phrases.

Well, the Auspicious Bagua Abalone Yu Sheng ( 吉祥八卦鲍仔魚生 ) was one of the few Yu Sheng I had created for the Chinese New Year. Are you a fan of Yu Sheng or Abalone too? Let's put on our apron!

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Share Food Mobile App Lets You Promote Your Home Cooking!

Singapore home cooks, have you always wanted to display your culinary skills and share your home-cooked food with the people around you? You can now, with Share Food free mobile app for Singaporeans to buy, sell and share home-cooked food!

To use this app, simply Cook, Snap and Share! For foodies who are always on the prowl for home-cooked food, you can always find out what is cooking near you and if you spot something that suits your palate and the price is right, simply hit the order button to submit your orders!

Just to give you an example, I picked one of the categories “ Food Near Me “ and found Roti Jala selling at SGD 3.50 per serving, along with other information.

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Winners of Luxury Haven’s Handmade Beaded Handicrafts!

The results are out! Who are the readers picked to receive my mom’s handmade accessories? Are you the lucky 2 to walk away with the top prizes?

Thanks for your entries at Int’l Giveaway: Win Handmade Crafts by 87-Year-Old Granny, with a total of 495 entries!

As mentioned in the Giveaway post, 3 special items were reserved to these few awesome followers of Luxury Haven who have been sharing our posts in Facebook, and they got to pick the items before the draw:

• Jenny Gen - Pink Doggie Charm
• Anne Lim - Hello Kitty Charm
• Sharon Ngoh – Goldfish Charm

Keep your love and sharing coming! Luxury Haven loves rewarding our readers! Well, here’s announcing the winners to our giveaway………….

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Bitter Gourd with Minced Pork in Black Bean Sauce ( 苦瓜炒肉碎豆䜴 )

Do you crave for home-cooked food whenever you are back from a trip? Well, I always do. After spending a week in Tokyo, I longed for some local cuisines like our homely Stir-Fried Bitter Gourd with Minced Pork in Black Bean Sauce ( 苦瓜炒肉碎豆䜴 ).

I have discovered an interesting ingredient recently, and adding that to this dish brings the hot favourite bitter gourd dish to a whole new level. These Preserved Olive Vegetable with Mushrooms and Black Beans are getting really popular of late, and are easily available in local supermarkets. They come in bottles that can be stored in the refrigerator, and are great with porridge on lazy days.

Well, what I did was I fried these Preserved Olives in Black Beans till crispy to go with my bitter gourd dish and they are a perfect combination! If you don’t take pork, simply replace it with Minced Chicken and they taste just as good! Let’s put on your apron and come with me into the kitchen!

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Int’l Giveaway: Win Handmade Crafts by 87-Year-Old Granny!

Hey sunshine, I will be away in Tokyo for a week on a media trip but I have prepared a giveaway during my absence and it is Open to All Worldwide!

For those who have been following Luxury Haven and my Facebook Page will know that my 87-year-old mum is a huge fan of beaded handicrafts, and some of you may have already won some of the pretty items in one of our few giveaways previously.

My mom is always busy with her handicrafts and the stuff you are seeing in this photo are just some of which she has made for my friends. Well, she has made more during her free time, and we will be giving away 19 items in total! There are bangles, handbag / mobile phone accessories, couple of display items, plus top prizes of a mobile phone hand-carry pouch and a tissue case! Nothing expensive really, but if you appreciate cute stuff, why don’t try your hands in winning one of them?

This giveaway is not just for ladies. Guys, come and join in the fun and win one for your girlfriend, wife or daughters too! All you need to do is Subscribe to Luxury Haven via Email, and tag your friends in social media. That’s it, and you are on your way to getting one of these lovely crafts!

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Celebrity Chef Recipes From Around The World for Home Cooks!

Food lovers, we have tasted Masterchefs' cooking in some of the best fine dining restaurants and watched a handful of cooking shows such as Asian Food Channel, Food Network, BBC Food, often drooling over their masterpieces in front of our TV. Now, here is your chance to pick up some tips and impress your guests with these restaurant-style dishes.

Lucky me, I had the chance to meet some of these famous Chefs during their media trips to Singapore. Now, I have rounded up a list of recipes from Celebrity Chefs and Top Restaurant Chefs from around the world just for you home cooks! From Asian to Western, there is something for everyone. Let's put on our apron and get started!

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Teriyaki Pork Belly Rolls with Okra Recipe ( 焼きオクラの肉巻 )

Japanese food lovers will probably enjoy these Ladies Fingers aka Okra Wrapped In Sukiyaki Pork Rolls, a popular sight in Yakitori ( 焼き鳥 ) or Kushiyaki ( 串焼き ) restaurants. These Japanese eateries offer both poultry and non-poultry items, deliciously skewered and grilled.

Home cooks, you can now make your own Finger-lickin' Good Teriyaki Pork Belly Rolls with Okra ( 焼きオクラの肉巻 ) in the comfort of your home. Depending on your preference, you can opt to substitute these sukiyaki pork with bacon instead. The difference? Well, you can control the level of saltiness with pork belly by adjusting the amount of seasonings but you can't with bacon.

So is it difficult to make? Check out the step-by-step photo instructions, and you will be an expert in making these in no time!

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Fun Food: 3D Jelly Flowers with Lychees ( 水晶荔枝果冻花 )

If you have the time and patience, I think Jelly Art is a good hobby to pick up. These 3D Jellies are so pretty to look at especially if you are bored with plain jellies. Well, it was my mom's 87th birthday, so I decided to make my 2nd attempt at these 3D Jelly Arts again.

Instead of having plain Konnyaku Jelly, I added Lychees in the coconut agar agar base. I wanted to make a rose this time, but it turned out to be something else. Lol!

I also made another jelly art for mom to bring home. I changed the type of blade this time. I thought this piece resembles more of a rose, don't you think so? Anyway, looks like I gotta to work harder.......

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Top 5 Bangkok’s Most Beautiful Temple Architectures!

As a town with a unique mix of Hinduism and Buddhism culture, Bangkok is the perfect place to have temple tours. There are a lot of incredibly beautiful temples located in Bangkok. Moreover, the rich history of these temples are really worth learning. So what are the interesting temples in Bangkok? Here are 5 temples you should visit:

1. Emerald Buddha Temple ( Wat Phra Kaew )
Emerald Buddha Temple, locally known as Wat Phra Kaew, is considered the most important and holiest temple in Thailand. Wat Phra Kaew is different from other temples because it does not have rooms for the monks. There are only pagodas filled with a statue of Buddha here.

The Buddha Statue that resides in Wat Phra Kaew is considered to be the holiest statues in Thailand. Not a single person but only the King of Thailand is allowed to touch the statue. The King is tasked with changing the statue’s clothes.

To visit Wat Phra Kaew, you must dress politely with trousers, because there will be officers to check on what you wearing. If they deemed your dressing not polite enough, you will be directed to a place to borrow a long cloth from the temple.

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Aromatic Long Jin Prawns, Fit For The Emperor ( 茶香龙井虾仁 )

Long Jin Tea aka Dragon Well Tea ( 龙井茶 ) is a pan-roasted green tea from the Long Jing Village near Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. The tea can be very expensive, and the prices depend on the varieties which is produced mostly by hand and celebrated for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title.

Renowned for its " four wonders " - lovely green colour, scented flavour, sweet taste and beautiful appearance, the green tea is further popularized by the world famous Dragon Well Tea Shrimps. A specialty of Hangzhou City produced by using live river shrimps coated with egg white and moistened starch, the shellfish is infused in the aromatic Long Jin Tea which is rich in antioxidants.

The two combination which I had prepared for the Lunar New Year, sweet succulent prawns stir fried together with the mild bitter taste and coarse texture of the tea leaves, makes this Aromatic Long Jin Prawns ( 茶香龙井虾仁 ) a unique seafood dish.

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Bee Cheng Hiang Pork Floss Baby Kailan ( 美珍香肉松炒小芥兰 )

During the Chinese New Year, shops like Bee Cheng Hiang ( 美珍香 ) are packed with shoppers buying trendy CNY goodies like Pork Floss ( 肉松 ) and Bak Kwa ( 肉干 ), a Chinese salty-sweet dried meat product similar to jerky. There are usually lots of leftover after the festive period and I would use them in my cooking.

Pork Floss ( 肉松 ) is popularly used as a topping for food such as congee, tofu, or even as a filling for pastries. I have a bottle of Bee Cheng Hiang Crispy Pork Floss ( 美珍香猪肉松 ) sitting at home, and I love snacking on it. But the Pork Floss with Baby Kailan and Deep-Fried Mermaid Fish ( 美珍香肉松炒小芥兰 ) is a winning combination with its sweet and savoury taste coupled with the crunchy texture.

The extra ingredients certainly add flavours to the simple kailan vegetable dish. Try cooking it and let me know if you enjoy as much!

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Valentine's Day Strawberry Roses Bouquet ( 情人节草莓玫瑰花 )

Valentine's Day is just couple of days away, are you ready for a romantic dinner with your beau? You've probably seen these Strawberry Roses Food Art, but do you know all you need is a paring knife. some love and patience and your strawberries flower bouquet will be done in just minutes?

If there are any guys out there reading this post, impress your partner with these edible roses! These Valentine's Day Strawberry Roses ( 情人节草莓玫瑰花 ) make great table setting for a candlelit dinner too. Don't you think they set the mood right for a romantic evening? Let's check out how easy it is to make these Strawberries Roses!

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Valentine's Day Flower Bouquet Fruit Jelly Dessert 情人节花束果冻

Do you like creative food art? How about DIY? It's the Festival of Love on Feb 14! Why not shower your beau this Valentine's Day with your very own handmade dessert instead of spending money on lavish gifts. Learn how to create this simple yet unique and delicious Valentine's Day Flower Bouquet Fruit Jelly ( 情人节花束果冻 ) with Luxury Haven!

Set the heart flutters with this lovely Edible Valentine's Day Flower Arrangement! Let the imagination run wild with your choice of healthy fruits like strawberries, kiwis, dragon fruits and peaches.

If fruit jelly is not your cup of tea, check out the Top 10 Popular Valentine's Day Recipes for novice cooks to the pro, so there's really no excuse you can't cook! Well, are you ready to DIY with Luxury Haven? Let's put on our apron now!

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Chinese New Year Lo Hei: Salmon Yu Sheng with Jellyfish!

Be enticed by the prismatic colours and flavours in this traditional festive salad! It's the time of the year again for the Prosperity Toss aka #Yusheng ( 鱼生 ), a Teochew-style raw fish salad. Every Lunar New Year, Chinese folks will feast on this auspicious multi-coloured salad with different variations which I had highlighted in my past Lo Hei posts.

If you already know me, I love playing with food. Hence, I really enjoy making my own Yusheng, coming out with whatever designs I can think of. The latest I have made is this Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng with Jellyfish ( 发财鱼生捞海蜇 ) resembling an aquarium, with fishes swimming around a bed of seaweed on sandy ground.

These cute Chinese New Year auspicious fishes, made of Carrots, Radish and Japanese Tobiko Fish Roe, symbolise abundance throughout the year.

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CNY Fortune Stir-fry Chicken with Ginkgo Nuts ( 发财鸡炒白果 )

Do you know that Ginkgo Nut (白果 ) is a traditional Chinese herb that is known to combat coughs and ageing?  It is also a superb herbal supplement and anti-oxidant, and that is why I love adding these healthy nuts occasionally to my cooking.

Ginkgo nuts are popularly used in congee, and are often served at special occasions such as the Chinese New Year as part of the vegetarian dish called Buddha's Delight. Hence, the Fortune Stir-fry Chicken with Ginkgo Nuts ( 发财鸡炒白果 ) formed my Chinese New Year 8-Course Festive Dinner with friends last year.

This dish can be part of your casual home-cooked meal, but when plated with some colours, the simple chicken meal is instantly transformed into a classy dish fit for a festive occasion like the Lunar New Year.

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