• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Status
Not open for further replies.

cathylmg

Alfrescian
Loyal
True, in life nothing is guaranteed. No one in Singapore can guarantee too. Even the tv we have in our home only has warranty, no longer the guarantee.

Nowadays, our first class country cannot be expected to guarantee no major flooding, MRT issues as well as escaping of terrorists etc. Who would have thought? But then what happened?

Yes, very true quick profit (flipping = no) but there is value here.

The houses here are at least 50% below (ok used to) KL prices. Looks like its beginning to catch up.

Actually, not only SG buyers are in the market now, seems there are people who already got in long before a lot of us removed our blinkers.

Funny, i recently even had a question from someone who asked me how i could guarantee her safety from a CW3 bus to a car, i remember telling her, if you cannot even take the risk of walking 5 metres in a crowded car park, then don't even venture out of your home. Wear a suit of armour or something.


Actually the tought of getting a piece of property in JB did crossed my mind some 15 odd years ago. That time property was like a couple of ten Ks only. Don't know why didn't take action. I could have bought up the whole row of terrace and finished servicing its loan by now.:biggrin:
 

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
Actually the tought of getting a piece of property in JB did crossed my mind some 15 odd years ago. That time property was like a couple of ten Ks only. Don't know why didn't take action. I could have bought up the whole row of terrace and finished servicing its loan by now.:biggrin:

Oh wow, i wished i knew about this 15 years ago, but then again i was in the jungles serving my country's NS and had neither the money or know how to get in.
 

cathylmg

Alfrescian
Loyal
Oh wow, i wished i knew about this 15 years ago, but then again i was in the jungles serving my country's NS and had neither the money or know how to get in.

I think was about 18 year ago lah. That time was the start of our Singapore's very own long term property bull run. My MIL kept urging us to go and get a HDB. People were speculating that the next generation will not be able to afford a HDB anymore. The thought of getting a Malaysia property came up cos it was so cheap.:biggrin:
 

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
I think was about 18 year ago lah. That time was the start of our Singapore's very own long term property bull run. My MIL kept urging us to go and get a HDB. People were speculating that the next generation will not be able to afford a HDB anymore. The thought of getting a Malaysia property came up cos it was so cheap.:biggrin:

Oh then even pre-NS, too early for me for i was just a kid back then.

Oh yes, but i am sure people must have brought up the plantations, crime, racial + riots plus hell and high water, etc even back then.

Looking at some of the posts today, what changed? :smile:

18 years ago, i couldn't do anything, now i sure as anything want to do something before i am too old to.
You either must have a nest egg or at least be able to get a loan from a bank for a property. (must still be young enough AND earning a salary)

I would rather plan now than regret later.
 

cathylmg

Alfrescian
Loyal
With propertise from both Singapore and Malaysia, we will be far better off then staying in the so called secured comfort zone. From now on, collecting rental is my retirement plan.
 

winners

Alfrescian
Loyal
Just wondering how long this fever can last. Before buying, why don't we asked ourselves again at the possible consequences... Najib went down. Another MM came along. Racial riot came in and you hv all the mobs surrounding yr poor HH (Can you remember what happen to the Batam Shipyard when one person said the wrong thing). What are you going to do? It is the biggest and most prominent Sgp target and also the easiest to invoke fear into Singaporean without stepping into Sgp soil. Subsequently, yr 500K is worth nothing.

You above concerns are certainly valid. That is why it is not advisable to put all your eggs into 1 basket. I am also worried for those who had bought properties above RM800k. In case of a crisis, it will be very difficult to liquidate within a short period, unless one is willing to take a substantial loss. However, as some forumers had already said, there are risks in every thing we do and each individual's risk appetite is different, based on his financial strength and capability. Coming back to the issue of riots, I believe that it is quite, but not totally, unlikely. I mean the Malaysian government is also not stupid to create fear to foreign investors. It can only be detrimental to its own economy eventually. As said, it may still come with a small risk of it happening should there be some selfish and cranky leaders inciting tensions between the races.

If 3 months later, Najib change his mind on the land swap then what?

I think this is also very unlikely because they would like to get this POA resolved as practical as possible. Also, it would assuage the fears of Singapore's forthcoming investments into their Iskandar Malaysia project. From what I see, the present governments of both sides are indeed making genuine efforts to reconcile after the turmoil Mahathir period. Otherwise, they would also not be announcing the collaboration of lower telecom charges, additional bus services and even a planned MRT link to JB. At this moment, I believe Najib has played his cards well and is not so easily toppled by his detractors.

Also, too many ppl think of renting. Is that such as a big rental market there? The affordability is not there anymore.

From my observations, to derive rental incomes from properties in Johor is pathetic because there is simply an oversupply of land and houses available for the locals. My opinion is to buy for own occupation is the best.

Most of all, what is your exit plan when you do not need the property anymore. Who are you going to sell to?

I don't know about the resale valuations of those newly established gated and guarded housing estates. But unless 1 is willing to hold for 6 to 8 years, I don't see too much of a capital appreciation, all because there are too many new developments coming up. The best I've known so far are those in Austin Heights, where the capital appreciation for its shophouses are truly substantial. But not many estates are like them though.

Take for example in Setia Tropika. From the mock up model in its sales office, I was taken aback by its vast area and the eventual total number of units when completed. I was asking myself, how are they going to fill up all those houses upon its full completion, and this is only 1 project from the developer. There are still others from the same developer at the west side of Johor, not to mention about the various projects from other developers as well. Johor is not as densely populated as KL nor Singapore, so don't even expect 85% occupancy rate for all its vacant houses. Even with the Iskandar Malaysia project in full swing eventually, I still believe that there are still excess houses for the influx of new migrants. Don't forget that the Iskandar Malaysia project will eventually has its own medium cost housing facilities as well to cater mainly to those working within that vicinity.

As we all know, concerning the retaining value of properties, it's all related to location, location and location. 1 fear I have about those strata titled units (which applies to most gated and guarded estates) is that once the initial 2 to 3 years of free maintenance provided by the developer has expired, it may become a problem thereafter if there will be some owners who defer or don't pay up their maintenance fees promptly. Worse still will be those who had bought for rental revenue and if there's no tenant, even the Managing Agent will have difficulty to locate the owners to recover their quarterly maintenance fees. And once those who had once paid diligently will get to know the arrears of their neighbors, they may also retaliate by stopping their payments as well. If it is not managed carefully, the estate will start to become dilapidated due to lack of maintenance as a result of insufficient funds. I've seen 1 such case in a mature estate. The local municipal council is not obligated to carry out repairs (on roads, sewerage, lighting, maintenance of grass cutting, mini parks and playground facilities, etc) for them because it is considered a privately enclosed area.
 
Last edited:

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
Hi Winners,

Thanks a lot for the input, racial issues are always thorny but with their policies and the fact that there is now an established middle class, the old days are pretty far away right now. They have as much as the minorities to lose if things goes south here.

With regards to being a landlord, rental over a lot of areas here are still bad as you already pointed out but its very much dependant on the location. It matters alot as well as the security and the environment plays a part in the consideration.

Rental yield aside, you can get places or even terraces for cheap still but these are not necessarily places you would want to live in especially with a young family. I have recently seen alot of SG cars as well in older estates like Perling as well as those ungated ones in Bukit Indah recently.

The different developments simply caters to different segments of the market. Those catering mainly to the local markets may see market share eroding as more foreigners start to come in which is why i saw a recent trend to copy the others and start to cater to this end of the market. Whether they succeed or not is a question mark.

Though there are a lot of developments, choice land with good proximity and amenities will always be in demand. Like i have said before, houses in Kulai are cheaper and in some cases much cheaper than in Johor, land plentiful yet i don't see loads of people going there for house hunting. (Not now anyway)

The location itself must make sense, no sense having a place/palace in the middle of nowhere and far from shops, etc or not having adequate security especially if you own a big piece of land.

When i asked about Setia developments, i was told it was developed to cater to certain groups (read locals) and only now they are starting to target the more affluent(read foreign) part of the market, whether it is folks from SG, other foreigners and even folks from KL who are posted here.

I was concerned about the spike in prices, as a realistic steady rise is much preferred to short lived spikes. I for one do not have intention to sell as i wanted to give them to my kids.

There will always be some form of corporate or hostel to house the people working here in the new developments. Of some interest to some folks i spoke to however are the potential students, the lecturers and also some folks in business in the SiLC area.

The rental market has been surprisingly interesting of late as i also thought previously that it would be bad and of low yield.

I have neighbours who just very recently rented out smaller semi-ds for 5k RM and one larger one for 7k plus which was an eye opener. These of course are the exception rather than the rule. Not all the folks bought them to rent out like in the case of those who bought units at the Golf.

There will always be the worry about Strata title no matter where one lives, people living in condos in SG are also having the same problem and only after years of being fed up with things are they starting to take action against recalcitrants like in the case of Castle Green. Unlike condos however, one does not have to worry about the lifts. Things like rubbish collection, land maintenance, etc have to be managed by a commitee who will run things.

I did pose this question to others before, being a major sceptic myself, please note that this comment by a local was very refreshing:

You need to realise something, not a lot of common folks in the market can afford to pay 300k or more for a terrace, 500k for a cluster or 800-1million for a semi-D.

Those who can do so and who are locals will have a deep stake in the place as they ploughed in a considerable amount of cash. Do you think they will stinge on the maintenance of their expensive property? If they wanted to, they could have bought houses just outside at the Bukit Indah side for half that or less what they paid here.

Even if things goes south, as long as there is a minimum core group, things can still be maintained. If not, whats the worse thing? Group those in your immediate area for maintenance, trash and security concerns.

There is no perfect scenario just like the old cliche saying, no one owes us a living, if we have to be self reliant and dependant on ourselves in SG with high cost of houses, high cost of living and high medical fees and we can make it there, why can't we make it here? No one owes us a living and if we are too afraid and paralysed to move or act, we will go the way of the dodo. Moving to JB is not the only option as i have always pointed out, its just the path i have taken.

Oh something from observation, seems recently there are some starting to market more JB houses in SG. There has always been but i am seeing more representation by SG folks. An example below:

http://www.iproperty.com.sg/propertylisting/893975/Horizon_Hills-Corner_Terrace-ForSale
 
Last edited:

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Wuqi256 I really appreciate ur patience in answering every single query. I am still surprised that there are still many skeptics who believe that a good life can be had in spore alone.

It would be absurd to believe that real estate profits can be attained in first world countries alone. For me..... I am totally supportive of living in jb. Nicer life.... More space..... Rather than being cooped up in a pigeon hole....

Comeon guys let's move on to the living in jb issues.....
Let's leave the skeptics alone.... It's hard to change the mindset of the doubting thomasses.

For one I am keen to plant pine trees arounnd my home...anyone willing to share contacts or information who could do it for me at a reasonable price??

Got a question
 

aangsc

Alfrescian
Loyal
For one I am keen to plant pine trees arounnd my home...anyone willing to share contacts or information who could do it for me at a reasonable price??

Got a question

at pletong giant,his phone number is 0197730738 -his name is ah huat. He was refer to me by a chap Liat Men who plant grass for me (www.cowgrass.com.my) and a few selected plant he got from ah huat. [email protected]. Pls update us if you get any service and price for sharing.
I am looking for chopped bamboo abt 1 ft for fencing but so far no luck.
 

toyohon

Alfrescian
Loyal
wuqi256, you are one real patient dude! As some have pointed out, sometimes its good to let go and not try to convert every single doubting Thomas. We do not need to intensify the traffic jams at checkpoints! :biggrin:
 

aangsc

Alfrescian
Loyal
wuqi256, you are one real patient dude! As some have pointed out, sometimes its good to let go and not try to convert every single doubting Thomas. We do not need to intensify the traffic jams at checkpoints! :biggrin:

Yeah lah, keep the community small and close knit, don't want the place to end up like going downtown orchard with jam and expensive parking. Those who want alternative, come explore and talk to those staying there. Those holding negative mindset just stay back and enjoy the crowd in SG.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Aangsc thanks a ton. Il give him a call. What a quick reply?

Sure i believe in sharing too.

And i have lots of questions too.. hope the experts will enlighten us.


at pletong giant,his phone number is 0197730738

-his name is ah huat. He was refer to me by a chap Liat Men who plant grass for me (www.cowgrass.com.my) and a few selected plant he got from ah huat. [email protected]. Pls update us if you get any service and price for sharing.
I am looking for chopped bamboo abt 1 ft for fencing but so far no luck.
 

Analytical Professor

Alfrescian
Loyal
Toyohon...

Ur absolutely right..

There are many of us who have seen the brighter side of living in malaysia.

At the moment the traffic at the causeway is manageable provided the timing is right. Why worsen it?

Also as and when the skeptics become believers expect the property prices to head furthernorth. So those of us who are contemplating getting a second property like wuqi shd do so now before prices rise further.

In fact we may even sell it to the skeptics who become late believers.

For fortune favours the BRAVE


wuqi256, you are one real patient dude! As some have pointed out, sometimes its good to let go and not try to convert every single doubting Thomas. We do not need to intensify the traffic jams at checkpoints! :biggrin:
 

winners

Alfrescian
Loyal
wuqi256, you are one real patient dude! As some have pointed out, sometimes its good to let go and not try to convert every single doubting Thomas. We do not need to intensify the traffic jams at checkpoints! :biggrin:

Don't be like that leh.... I'm also coming to JB. My earlier post in reply to Tuapehkong was only my personal views.

But uncle here cannot afford those "gated and guarded" like you rich people lah. Honestly, I'm quite disillusioned by strata titled properties as they get older for reasons I've stated in my earlier post. I can only afford one of those 30 years old house in JB, hoping to retire there for the next 20, 25 years? My neighbor is a Malay family and they are also a friendly lot. Also, coming to a destination near me, hopefully will be the MRT station. Cheers.
 

Dicktamby

Alfrescian
Loyal
Also as and when the skeptics become believers expect the property prices to head furthernorth. So those of us who are contemplating getting a second property like wuqi shd do so now before prices rise further.

In fact we may even sell it to the skeptics who become late believers.

For fortune favours the BRAVE

HH just called me up yesterday. They will be releasing new row of superlink house phase at golf precinct sson. Since I missed out on a corner house last weekend, they have reserved a corner lot for me:smile:. But price has increased by about 20K. But this one comes with a bigger land than the previous one.
So for those guys who are considering getting a corner terrace at HH, this is your chance.
As for me, will be going down later to put in my deposit.:smile:
 

toyohon

Alfrescian
Loyal
Don't be like that leh.... I'm also coming to JB. My earlier post in reply to Tuapehkong was only my personal views.

But uncle here cannot afford those "gated and guarded" like you rich people lah. Honestly, I'm quite disillusioned by strata titled properties as they get older for reasons I've stated in my earlier post. I can only afford one of those 30 years old house in JB, hoping to retire there for the next 20, 25 years? My neighbor is a Malay family and they are also a friendly lot. Also, coming to a destination near me, hopefully will be the MRT station. Cheers.

No worries, my remarks are not directed at anyone in particular. Me also not rich to buy above half a million ringgit property that's why asking if the RM500k guideline is .. only a guide as reflected in their portal http://www.johordt.gov.my/ptkluang/v2/index.php?info&type=12#3 . According to some lawyers, foreigners can still apply to buy such properties 2-storeys above RM 250k, of course subject to approval from the State.

Hope someone here can enquire from their friendly lawyers and share
 

winners

Alfrescian
Loyal
No worries, my remarks are not directed at anyone in particular. Me also not rich to buy above half a million ringgit property that's why asking if the RM500k guideline is .. only a guide as reflected in their portal http://www.johordt.gov.my/ptkluang/v2/index.php?info&type=12#3 . According to some lawyers, foreigners can still apply to buy such properties 2-storeys above RM 250k, of course subject to approval from the State.

Hope someone here can enquire from their friendly lawyers and share

From what my lawyer told me before, for landed residential properties, foreigners can buy only 2 storeys and above, above RM250k for new ones directly from developer, or above RM350k for resale ones. Also payable will be the non-negotiable RM10k levy. Not sure though if the RM500k threshold has really started since there's also no announcement from the local media.
 

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
Hi all,

Thanks, its actually not just for Winners as i have heard a lot of these often repeated "pails of cold water".

Actually Winners has contacted me via PM before, he has a place already here so he is a convert. He is just holding on to a conservative attitude with regards to property. He is fully entitled to his views and i respect that. Just that in my humble opinion, even if it somehow gets bad, having some security is better than no security for me.

Ok from now on, i will try to go back to some of the earlier posts i had about living here and some of the good food, contractors that i know of.

Will be sharing shortly :smile:
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top