As a young and single Singaporean who can’t afford to buy my own public housing at the moment, I find myself exploring beyond the borders of our little red dot for alternative housing options that would appeal to myself and fellow kindred spirits. Last November, Singapore-based ferry operator Batamfast shared that they were exploring the possibility of a new ferry route from Tanah Merah in Singapore to Pasir Gudang in Johor, Malaysia. When I read the news, it sparked curiosity on the viability of living in either Johor or Batam in Indonesia, where the housing markets are much more affordable compared to Singapore, and commuting regularly by ferry. Travel by sea, unlikely traffic jams at immigration checkpoints, but still close to Singapore. Sounds like a dream. And so, I started taking a look at the property markets around these overlooked transport nodes. And what I found was more nuanced and data-rich than what I had initially expected....