There's a swimming pool and a clubhouse at his doorstep, and round-the-clock security.

No wonder Mr Mohd Hassamee and his family relocated to JB four months ago.

He is essentially living the Singapore dream of owning freehold landed property even with his average-Joe pay.

'People are talking about retirement next time. I want to retire in a place of serenity. I don't want to wait. I want to taste the fruits of retirement early,' he said.

Not that he is about to quit his job.

He is using his CPF to repay a $200,000 loan for his Simei flat, which he bought in 1997.

He also has an 8-year-old son and two daughters aged 4 and 10 to care for. His wife is a homemaker.

Private driver

The children are currently studying in a JB school near their home. A private driver takes them to school every morning at 6.30 and drops them off at 1pm.

Said Mr Mohd Hassamee: 'The children have adapted very well to the school here. They like this place and they don't miss Singapore very much. I pay only RM$300 a month to the driver.'

Lower cost of living

He said he moved to JB because he found a big house with a wonderful view and a lower cost of living.

He spends just $90 a month on maintenance fees - which goes towards upkeeping the Balinese swimming pool and clubhouse right at his doorstep, which he shares with 81 other residents.

'My cost of living has been halved. My family used to spend about $600 a month on living expenses. Now, I spend RM$600 instead,' he said. He even managed to buy a car, a second-hand Proton Wira, for RM$17,000 a few months ago.

He does his weekly family shopping at a hypermart just 25 minutes drive away.

His wife, Madam Dayang Hasinayati Abang Ismail, 32, a Singapore permanent resident, said she prefers living in Johor.

'I'm quite happy here,' she said with a smile. 'Over in Singapore, I'm quite stressed about money, children's school, but over here, it's easier.'

Singaporean admin planner Mohd Fauzi, 40, feels the same way too. He bought his 1,677 sq ft townhouse two years ago for RM$340,000 and moved in two months ago.

He is also using his HDB flat to pay for his new home. He rents out two rooms in his Tampines four-room flat, and uses the $900 rental to pay the $71,900 mortgage.

He earns about $3,000 a month. His wife is a clerk who's paid about $1,000 a month. Both work in the City Hall area.

Their two sons, aged 6 and 12, are studying in Singapore. So they commute here every morning.

Mr Mohd Fauzi drives them in his weekend car to his mother-in-law's place in Jurong. Parking the car there, he and his wife go to work on a motorbike. The family gets back to Johor every evening after 7.

They have to watch their expenses. Mr Mohd Fauzi is still repaying the loan for his HDB flat using his CPF.

He might put his sons in JB schools.

'Whether we will let them study in JB depends on our eligibility and whether the education standard there is good,' he said.

'We were hesitant about buying a place in JB because we heard about people having problems there. But we like it there,' he said.

'You definitely can't get this kind of scenery in Singapore... We went there for the weekend and fell in love with the place.

'I've got the lifestyle I want. I've a swimming pool and gym there, and a landed house. My family is happy.'

ROLLING green hills, winding streams and a scattering of bungalows dotting a picture-perfect landscape.

So beautiful, it might remind you of a faraway vacation spot.

But it's a lot closer to home.

Spread over 714-ha (about 714 football fields), Leisure Farm Resort at Gelang Patah, Johor, is just 20 minutes from the Second Link.

The developers claimed that when completed, there would be thousands of residential and holiday homes here, plus a shopping complex, a golf course, a horse-riding school and even an international school.

It's already attracting the early birds - mostly Singaporeans, it seems.

You'd know why when you consider the prices.

The developers said the cheapest homes cost just about the price of a three-room HDB flat.

Launched in 1996, the masterplan is divided into six phases and is spread over 15 years.

There are freehold land plots of 10,000 sq ft and above available for sale.

The costs - both land and construction - are from about $300,000 for a house (on a 10,000 sq ft plot with 3,200 sq ft built-up area). Such homes would cost at least $1 million here.

Townhouses cost from RM$381,000 ($170,000) onwards for a 1,583 sq ft unit.

About 150 townhouses have been sold, with more than three-quarters being bought by Singaporeans or Singapore-based permanent residents.

Only about 10 per cent is still unsold.

Mr Hijjas said that about 100 families live in the estate presently - the majority Singaporeans, and even some from Germany and Switzerland.

He said: 'Some of the Singaporeans commute or use it as a weekend home. On weekdays, the estate is quite quiet, but on weekends, many return and stay the weekend, and return to Singapore on Monday.'

The CEO of Malaysian real estate agency SK Realty and past president of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents, Mr Charlie Chan, said that such resort developments are ideal for a weekend home.

He said: 'When you talk about resort developments, Singaporeans will find it an expansive place to explore and enjoy the greenery. It's more (about) recreation and relaxation than an investment tool.

'At the moment, how many people will rent from you? It's great for a weekend stay or if you want to relocate.'