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New developments to share

Chocolate

Alfrescian
Loyal
Just sharing what I have received via email on Paradiso Nuova Medini - there are 2 block of 35 storey with a total of 382 units, come with imported marble flooring with solid timber, branded applicances and fittings such as Bosch, Teka, TOTO & Grohe, private lift lobby, 5 tier security and comprehesive facilities, indicative price RM$800/psf. The distance to Gleneagles Medini Hospital and Iskandar Financial District is "only 5 mins walk" but what attract me to read further was "High Speed Rail"? Wonder is this HSR confirmed? Anyone know?

Fyi, there are all kind of HSR'maps' and RTS'maps' making their way around. Some look authentic, buyers beware! Until officially announced we can only guess.
 

arsenal

Alfrescian
Loyal
Yes. Engaging contractor is not a very pleasant experience. To buy a bare unit, it definitely must be cheap. Then you can apply whatever kind of fengshui design to make your house Wang. . Good for people to have time to play with his design idea, bad for those who are too busy to run between 2 countries. .

Not surprised that KSL came out in the news. I went to see the mall and was disappointed with the end product.

KSL can build, no doubt. But little effort/heart goes into the project/s. IMO, they dont even measure up to the lowest tier of developer in SG i.e. HDB.

Which then brings me to another topic - price and value. Someone brought to my attention that a few condos in JB are launching at good prices. So I went to check them out. What I realised that the developers are essentially giving you BARE UNITS. nothing more than entry level sanitary fittings, flooring, pipes, etc. What that means is that you will have to build your own cabinets, cupboards, kitchen (all you have is a sink), appliances, which in essence will add onto your psf cost should you be buying for self-stay (i know some are just ppl are just buying for speculation). Bare units are good if you have a design flair and want to customise everything to your preferred lifestyle. Downside is that, it is terribly time consuming to oversee renovation. Personally, I would rather buy something similar to what SG developers can provide. All I need to do is to buy lightings, some electrical applicances, curtains, furniture and move in with my luggage.

The reason I am writing this down is because I suspect that the profile of some Singaporeans buying properties in JB are similar to mine - noobish. say for example you buy a bare unit at BI for RM600 psf and it costs you another RM250 psf (an estimate that I used for my house in sg) for renovation. Total costs comes to RM850 psf before taking into account your time and supervising efforts (and possibly anguish). of cos, the value of your time, desired level of comfort, etc, are subjective. My point is, your purchase price may be low, but when you take into account the other costs, you might be better off buying something more expensive (with more fittings) to begin with. A bare unit RM600 psf unit may be just as expensive as a semi-fitted RM1,000 psf unit at the end of the day.

For the average Singaporean buyer, the property mkt in Malaysia is a jungle. So please tread carefully.
 
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FHBH12

Alfrescian
Loyal
Thanks for sharing! Yeap in fact, it really caught me in surprise when first saw a condo in JB, only floor tiles and toilet essential are provided. Aircons only provided in master room and + 1 room. The other bedrooms you are own your own. I also went to see Besteri Height phase 1, when the developer still have some units left over... saw some leaking and wall crack. The developer say they will sell it "as it is" - no warranty given because the developer has open the unit for the potential owner for inspection so you actually know the unit conditions before process e SPA. Sign**

Warranty still applies after sales :wink: But KSL could have done better in terms some aspects, particularly the low perimeter fence and use of 1-phase electricity instead of 3-phase electricity. Phase 2 addresses some of the short-comings of Phase 1 in Bestari Heights (e.g. 3-phase electricity) but they are paying a premium for it.
 

FHBH12

Alfrescian
Loyal
Totally agree. That’s the frustrating part abt msia ppty market – lack of transparency and ppty data. Probably its deliberately kept this way to facilitate bribery and other “under table”transactions by developers and govt officials.

That is what I heard.
 

Rocker

Alfrescian
Loyal
Warranty still applies after sales :wink: But KSL could have done better in terms some aspects, particularly the low perimeter fence and use of 1-phase electricity instead of 3-phase electricity. Phase 2 addresses some of the short-comings of Phase 1 in Bestari Heights (e.g. 3-phase electricity) but they are paying a premium for it.

What's 1-phase electricity or 3 phase electricity?
 

FHBH12

Alfrescian
Loyal
3-phase electricity can supply more power, 1-phase cannot. But for averarge households, 1-phase electricity should be sufficient.
 

potter

Alfrescian
Loyal
Not surprised that KSL came out in the news. I went to see the mall and was disappointed with the end product.

KSL can build, no doubt. But little effort/heart goes into the project/s. IMO, they dont even measure up to the lowest tier of developer in SG i.e. HDB.

Which then brings me to another topic - price and value. Someone brought to my attention that a few condos in JB are launching at good prices. So I went to check them out. What I realised that the developers are essentially giving you BARE UNITS. nothing more than entry level sanitary fittings, flooring, pipes, etc. What that means is that you will have to build your own cabinets, cupboards, kitchen (all you have is a sink), appliances, which in essence will add onto your psf cost should you be buying for self-stay (i know some are just ppl are just buying for speculation). Bare units are good if you have a design flair and want to customise everything to your preferred lifestyle. Downside is that, it is terribly time consuming to oversee renovation. Personally, I would rather buy something similar to what SG developers can provide. All I need to do is to buy lightings, some electrical applicances, curtains, furniture and move in with my luggage.

The reason I am writing this down is because I suspect that the profile of some Singaporeans buying properties in JB are similar to mine - noobish. say for example you buy a bare unit at BI for RM600 psf and it costs you another RM250 psf (an estimate that I used for my house in sg) for renovation. Total costs comes to RM850 psf before taking into account your time and supervising efforts (and possibly anguish). of cos, the value of your time, desired level of comfort, etc, are subjective. My point is, your purchase price may be low, but when you take into account the other costs, you might be better off buying something more expensive (with more fittings) to begin with. A bare unit RM600 psf unit may be just as expensive as a semi-fitted RM1,000 psf unit at the end of the day.

For the average Singaporean buyer, the property mkt in Malaysia is a jungle. So please tread carefully.

u hit e bulleye man! i took one and run away, with ~100psf extra.. titter.gif
 
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Rocker

Alfrescian
Loyal
I see, how to find out all this? Does this spell in the spec or SPA? I was happily booked a unit in Cascadia under their new phase, smaller build up as compare to Desa Tebrau.... without any docs to refer just based on the model display in their gallery. One thing I noted is their 1m low fence between neighbour, a bit concern on the security but keeping my figure crossed. Blur blur ... didn't realised have to check on the power supply :*: Faint!
 

Daydreamer

Alfrescian
Loyal
Not surprised that KSL came out in the news. I went to see the mall and was disappointed with the end product.

KSL can build, no doubt. But little effort/heart goes into the project/s. IMO, they dont even measure up to the lowest tier of developer in SG i.e. HDB.

Which then brings me to another topic - price and value. Someone brought to my attention that a few condos in JB are launching at good prices. So I went to check them out. What I realised that the developers are essentially giving you BARE UNITS. nothing more than entry level sanitary fittings, flooring, pipes, etc. What that means is that you will have to build your own cabinets, cupboards, kitchen (all you have is a sink), appliances, which in essence will add onto your psf cost should you be buying for self-stay (i know some are just ppl are just buying for speculation). Bare units are good if you have a design flair and want to customise everything to your preferred lifestyle. Downside is that, it is terribly time consuming to oversee renovation. Personally, I would rather buy something similar to what SG developers can provide. All I need to do is to buy lightings, some electrical applicances, curtains, furniture and move in with my luggage.

The reason I am writing this down is because I suspect that the profile of some Singaporeans buying properties in JB are similar to mine - noobish. say for example you buy a bare unit at BI for RM600 psf and it costs you another RM250 psf (an estimate that I used for my house in sg) for renovation. Total costs comes to RM850 psf before taking into account your time and supervising efforts (and possibly anguish). of cos, the value of your time, desired level of comfort, etc, are subjective. My point is, your purchase price may be low, but when you take into account the other costs, you might be better off buying something more expensive (with more fittings) to begin with. A bare unit RM600 psf unit may be just as expensive as a semi-fitted RM1,000 psf unit at the end of the day.

For the average Singaporean buyer, the property mkt in Malaysia is a jungle. So please tread carefully.

Well said 1nottiboy, we so far been to a lot of development. The best one still belong to Leisure Farm. All you got to do is take ur luggage and move in. All room with AC, fully fitted kitchen and bedrooms wardrobe. The overall price still cheaper than their neighbors.

Sorry I'm not try to sell Leisure farm to you but you lot need to look closer when you buying in Iskandar.
 

RedsYNWA

Alfrescian
Loyal
hi redsynwa, since u are familiar with molek area, may I ask hows the japanese rental market like at molek? Is the rental market robust? Since most of molek pine 4 are sold to japanese, I think they will be more inclined to buy rather than rent since MY ppty to them is cheap given their high purchasing power - do u think its a good strategy to buy bumi lots and rent out to the japanese tenants (since selling bumilots are more complicated)

I think just like SG, there are 2 kinds of Japs. 1 group who intend to retire/set up biz or buy holiday home in Taman Molek, and another grp who come to JB to work. For these expats, since rental is paid for by their companies, they will rather rent than buy. To be honest, who wouldnt if the rent is paid for by the co?

Personally though, I think that condo prices are rather high in MY, when compared to the rental market, so I still prefer to buy landed, then sub-sale. My SG condo for instance, can be rented out easily within 1 month, but I am not so sure abt MY.

Anyway, just saw a Japanese with a property agent looking at Molek Haven the other day, though its selling at RM 798K now. So maybe some japanese (though still rare) are sick of living in pigeon holes in Jap, and are now thinking about retiring in MY landed properties.....LOL
 

RedsYNWA

Alfrescian
Loyal
Well said 1nottiboy, we so far been to a lot of development. The best one still belong to Leisure Farm. All you got to do is take ur luggage and move in. All room with AC, fully fitted kitchen and bedrooms wardrobe. The overall price still cheaper than their neighbors.

Sorry I'm not try to sell Leisure farm to you but you lot need to look closer when you buying in Iskandar.

For most landed properties, it's pretty common to be given an empty unit though. To be honest, after looking at some of the 'creativity' of landed owners, I am beginning to think a high-priced exclusive strata-titled landed (where you cant change the facade), could be a better bet.....haha
 

FHBH12

Alfrescian
Loyal
I see, how to find out all this? Does this spell in the spec or SPA? I was happily booked a unit in Cascadia under their new phase, smaller build up as compare to Desa Tebrau.... without any docs to refer just based on the model display in their gallery. One thing I noted is their 1m low fence between neighbour, a bit concern on the security but keeping my figure crossed. Blur blur ... didn't realised have to check on the power supply :*: Faint!

Cascadia should be SP Setia, so you should not have any major issue even though it is not spelt out in the SPA. I think as long as there is a decent perimeter fence >1 m, it should prevent opportunistic thieves or burglars from loitering in their bikes or cars near your house. 3-phase electricity supply is thought to be a given for large landed houses but KSL was a bit cheapskate and used it for phase 1 of Bestari Heights. However this is minor and overall, the quality of my unit at Bestari Heights and responses to requests for rectification are pretty good.
 
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potter

Alfrescian
Loyal
Well said 1nottiboy, we so far been to a lot of development. The best one still belong to Leisure Farm. All you got to do is take ur luggage and move in. All room with AC, fully fitted kitchen and bedrooms wardrobe. The overall price still cheaper than their neighbors.

Sorry I'm not try to sell Leisure farm to you but you lot need to look closer when you buying in Iskandar.

LF got condo one mei? :confused:
 

Rocker

Alfrescian
Loyal
Cascadia should be SP Setia, so you should not have any major issue even though it is not spelt out in the SPA. I think as long as there is a decent perimeter fence >1 m, it should prevent opportunistic thieves or burglars from loitering in their bikes or cars near your house. 3-phase electricity supply is thought to be a given for large landed houses but KSL was a bit cheapskate and used it for phase 1 of Bestari Heights. However this is minor and overall, the quality of my unit at Bestari Heights and responses to requests for rectification are pretty good.

At least good to know KSL has responsed to request and rectified. Happy for you!
 

Valdez

Alfrescian
Loyal
JB home prices rise in 1Q despite election jitters

THE traditional first-quarter lull, coupled with politically-induced anxiety over the economy prior to the general election did not affect home values in Johor Baru's residential market in 1Q2013. House prices grew further during the period, according to The Edge-KGV International Property Consultants Johor Baru housing property monitor for 1Q2013.

"[This is because] the market has come to a stage where the 'train cannot be stopped'," KGV International Property Consultants (M) Sdn Bhd executive director Samuel Tan tells City & Country.

The recently-concluded general election had little impact, if any, on Iskandar Malaysia's development. "It has come to a point where things are running on their own steam," Tan says.

Leading the way in terms of growth in prices are the Suria Mas apartments in Larkin. The average price of the 850 sq ft leasehold units breached the RM300,000 mark to hit RM320,000, rising a whopping 18.51% from RM270,000 in 4Q2012.

Half of the high-rise homes sampled also chalked significant gains. The average price of Sri Samudra's 1,000 sq ft units rose to new levels of RM420,000, up 10.52% from RM380,000 in the previous quarter. Prices of Lagenda Tasek's 1,040 sq ft units appreciated by 9.37% to RM350,000 from RM320,000 in 4Q2012, while mid-level 1,469 sq ft units at Molek Pine Tower 2 rose modestly by 2.94% q-o-q to RM700,000. The apartments' performances were buoyed by the higher prices commanded by new launches.

Landed homes

Average prices of Horizon Hills cluster houses rose the most, by 13.63% to RM1 million from RM880,000.

Semi-detached houses in Blue Sky at Adda Heights and Taman Gaya in Tebrau/Kempas areas, both with built-ups of 2,080 sq ft, appreciated by 8.33% to RM600,000. Two-storey terraced houses, meanwhile, saw more consistent growth.

Primary market

Tan notes that there were more new property launches during the period under review. In fact, there were a number of highly sought-after projects — including launches — being brought forward, thanks to heightened demand.

High-rise homes that were much in demand were Molek Pulai serviced apartments, D'Inspire Residences at Nusa Bestari in Nusajaya, Medini Signature, One Danga at Danga Bay, Astaka, Paragon Suite and block two of The Garden Residences in Taman Mutiara Mas, Pulai, while new landed homes that performed well were the Wetlands at Horizon Hills, Nusa Sentral in Pulai, Taman Skudai Indah 2, New World Garden in Plentong, Maya Heights at Seri Alam, Ophira at East Ledang and Taman Gaya in Tebrau. The launch of Ophira and Taman Gaya had been brought forward.

Rising prices and talent issues

However, Tan notes that the locals have expressed concern over escalating house prices which have risen to between RM800 psf and RM1,000 psf. Taking into account the typical 20-year cycle of ups and downs, the market is due for a price adjustment. However, Tan sees this as unlikely, given the bullishness of the property market and what he calls a "herd mentality to make money" from the market.

While the rapid growth of Iskandar is undeniable, this growth could become untenable in light of the escalating living costs and a lack of talent. Hence, Tan lauds the federal government's plans to build 8,000 PR1MA homes priced from RM199,000 in Larkin, Tampoi, Kulaijaya, Plentong and Pasir Gudang.

As far as talent is concerned, Tan wonders if Malaysia is able to offer enough talent in areas such as technology to meet the needs of the more sophisticated businesses expanding in the state. "In the short to immediate term, you can bring in skilled labourers because it takes time to train, but investors are also looking at the long term. I think we need an overhaul in the education system. It must change. We need savvy professionals, not labourers. Are we doing enough?"

An eventful first quarter

The first quarter of 2013 was eventful, with the most significant event being the meeting between the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore. This meeting heralded a number of landmark infrastructure projects, including the high-speed rail (HSR) project and rapid transit system as well as the proposed business cooperation between Senai International Airport and Changi Airport.

"The projects will be a game-changer for Iskandar Malaysia as it will be intertwined with Singapore in many ways," says Tan.

Meanwhile, Singapore's investment company Temasek Holdings and its unit CapitaLand Malaysia inked a joint-venture deal with Iskandar Waterfront Holdings to acquire a 71.4-acre parcel for RM811 million, which will be developed into a mixed-use development worth RM8.1 billion.

The total cumulative investment in Iskandar as at March 2013 was RM111.3 billion, up RM5.06 billion from last quarter, with 40.2% of the total realised. Of this, manufacturing continues to take the biggest share at RM41.28 billion, with Singapore being the top foreign investor. This was followed by property (RM27.3 billion) and miscellaneous sectors (RM34.47 billion) comprising tourism,healthcare, creative industries, finance, retail, logistics and education.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking ceremony at the University of Reading — its first campus outside of the UK — was held on Feb 27 at EduCity Iskandar Malaysia. The campus is expected to open in September 2015 and will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in business and law, science, and the built environment. The campus is expected to accommodate 2,000 students.In terms of tourism, the state recorded tourist arrivals of 15 million in 2012, up 35% y-o-y, thanks to theme parks such as Legoland at Nusajaya and the Johor Premium Outlets in Senai. This has also benefited the retail, and food and beverage sectors, says Tan.
He feels that Johor can tap into tourists visiting Singapore, who could be persuaded to take a two or three-day visit to the state.

Meanwhile, Destination Resorts and Hotels opened the Traders Hotel and the Little Red Cube — a mall housing the Indoor Theme Park, in 2Q following an announcement in March. Both are part of an integrated development by the waterfront at Puteri Harbour.

The 283-room Traders Hotel has five multi-function meeting and event rooms, including a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 600 people.

The Little Red Cube is a 150,000 sq ft retail, F&B and recreation area with 88 lots. It houses indoor theme parks including Hello Kitty Town.

While Tan says the opening of a new hotel is timely and having more attractions in Johor is a good thing, he feels it is "silly" to have a children's theme park close at 5pm, because working parents will not be able to take their children to the theme park after work.
 

cascadia

Alfrescian
Loyal
Cluster 32 x 70 said to be priced at 900k, semi d at 1.5k. Official pricing will be confirmed at launch in August. They are now collecting rm10k cheque for booking. Currently more cheques then available units so balloting will happen. Those who put the cheque in, they will call to confirm if we r keen to put in for ballot, if not, they will return the cheque. Once we confirm to put the name in for ballot and we can't choose a unit that we like, they will also return the check to us. Quite risk free, IMO.

However, if u have chosen a unit but before signing SPA, they will deduct RM500 admin fee is u back out.

Was told 600+ units for phase 1. 20% reserved for bumi. Remaining 80%, half foreigner, half local. Sales exec told me currently most of cheques are from Malaysian.

Hope that helps.

32x70 cluster only rm900k? Very cheap....
 

dare2

Alfrescian
Loyal
Not surprised that KSL came out in the news. I went to see the mall and was disappointed with the end product.

KSL can build, no doubt. But little effort/heart goes into the project/s. IMO, they dont even measure up to the lowest tier of developer in SG i.e. HDB.

Which then brings me to another topic - price and value. Someone brought to my attention that a few condos in JB are launching at good prices. So I went to check them out. What I realised that the developers are essentially giving you BARE UNITS. nothing more than entry level sanitary fittings, flooring, pipes, etc. What that means is that you will have to build your own cabinets, cupboards, kitchen (all you have is a sink), appliances, which in essence will add onto your psf cost should you be buying for self-stay (i know some are just ppl are just buying for speculation). Bare units are good if you have a design flair and want to customise everything to your preferred lifestyle. Downside is that, it is terribly time consuming to oversee renovation. Personally, I would rather buy something similar to what SG developers can provide. All I need to do is to buy lightings, some electrical applicances, curtains, furniture and move in with my luggage.

The reason I am writing this down is because I suspect that the profile of some Singaporeans buying properties in JB are similar to mine - noobish. say for example you buy a bare unit at BI for RM600 psf and it costs you another RM250 psf (an estimate that I used for my house in sg) for renovation. Total costs comes to RM850 psf before taking into account your time and supervising efforts (and possibly anguish). of cos, the value of your time, desired level of comfort, etc, are subjective. My point is, your purchase price may be low, but when you take into account the other costs, you might be better off buying something more expensive (with more fittings) to begin with. A bare unit RM600 psf unit may be just as expensive as a semi-fitted RM1,000 psf unit at the end of the day.

For the average Singaporean buyer, the property mkt in Malaysia is a jungle. So please tread carefully.

Got exaggerate or not. $250psf for renovation? Meaning $750k for a landed 3000 sq ft landed? Can rebuilt Liao, not every one have expensive taste like u lah!
 

graveyard

Alfrescian
Loyal
32x70 cluster only rm900k? Very cheap....
the price is only indicative. The developer probably gg to price.based on demand .the nbr of cheques collected for.balloting will be the litmus test. Judging from that number and that there is still one mth to cut off, the clusters will prob be priced mid to high 9xx k
 
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