I'm not sure that you're correct about that - I don't believe it's necessary to have a retirement visa to buy property in Malaysia. If you do have a retirement visa, your house or property counts towards the amount of money you have to keep on deposit, also. Basically, you have to have funds to get the MM2H visa, but you do have the flexibility to either keep in on deposit with a Malaysian bank or buying property with it. You might want to check with the folks at Borneo Vision for more information about retiring in Malaysia. How much you have to deposit also depends on your age - it's less if you're over age 50. Personally, I don't think you get a lot with the MM2H - it's a hassle to get and the benefits are marginal. If you like to get out and see things, it's just as easy to head to Thailand or Singapore or Indonesia for a day trip or weekend every 90 days and keep staying in Malaysia on a social visit pass. There is no limit (yet) on how long you can stay there on this type of entry permit.

Skype is a good deal, but in Malaysia, you don't always get the best connections - the 3 and 4G is just a little slow, but during off-peak times, it's usually ok. For 2 cents a minute, it's a bargain. I had my hand-phone with Digi, which has special rates for calling the US and other countries - 5 sen a minute (less than US 2 cents) - with great sound quality. Rates are quite a bit higher for calls made within Malaysia. SMS calls to phones within Malaysia are either very cheap or free, so I've become a very speedy texter!