mpan12 you summarised all my thoughts to a T, your myths of enjoying JB is exactly how I feel too, and if anything if there is a real need to buy for price stability it is a landed home. Right now I feel that all the benefits of enjoying good life in JB can be done by renting or just checking in to a good hotel for the weekends, which is what I am doing now. My HDB residence is almost in the middle of the causeway and Tuas link and I go there every weekends too, I am not missing anything compared with people who invested large sums of money there.
Cheers
My personal response to the Myths article by TS. Note this is not a rebuttal or attempt to refute, but simply my response as someone who has bought a landed property and currently residenced in JB.
Myth 1 - Medini being like Singapore CBD
NA. Whatever the merits of this tagline, it was never a factor in our decision to buy and stay. To me, the whole Nusajaya area is expensive so we looked to the East.
Myth 2 - More people will settle there once businesses are set up
NA. Again, this was never a factor in our decision to buy and stay. We saw a few properties from West to East, and settled down in the East because we are happy with the surrounding amenities.
Myth 3 - Govt and Peter Lim invested in Iskandar
NA. Again not a factor. To say it bluntly, so what if they did, or did not? My purchase was motivated by personal need, not businessman or govt greed.
Myth 4 and 5 - HSR is game changer.
NA. Maybe but again not a factor for me.....my home is JB, not KL. And we rather prefer to drive to KL. Have car will travel.
Myth 6 - Stay in Iskandar and work in Singapore if cannot rent out JB property
NA. JB property was bought for stay.
Myth 7 - Treat JB property as holiday home
NA since JB property bought for stay.
Myth 8 - Love cheap shopping and food
Very true, I did not buy JB house because of shopping and food. But because it is cheap property compared to Singapore. And still get to enjoy cheap food and shopping!
Myth 9 - Bigger and cheaper does not mean it has value
Depends on what one means by value. For me, bigger and cheaper is good enough a value proposition for me, to rent out HDB and stay in JB.
Myth 10 - Developers releasing units in stages
NA. Whether they bomb the market with all units or trickle the release I bought my present unit for stay because I liked it and the surroundings.
Myth 11 - Retiring there so rental not issue
Hmmm....I don't consider this a myth at all because if I am staying there is logically means I can't be renting it out too.
Myth 12 - Want to retire in big house!
NA...I want big house now!
Myth 13 - Singaporeans will move over to JB and it will boom.
Well I am Singaporean and already made the move with other 5000 Singaporeans as reported in newspapers. Early adopters FTW!
Myth 14 - The place will be vibrant!
Maybe....if so...will be bonus....if not....the current amenities around where I bought is good enough for me.
Myth 15 - I have faith in Iskandar regardless!
I don't think I am now laughing to the bank. But for sure if I still remained in HDB pigeon hole in Singapore and missed the 2013 chance to buy property at that time, I will now be crying for missing the boat to buy a house in JB when it could be gotten for less than RM1 million.
Now for the question you said to ask myself...if I could go back in time would I still buy Iskandar? My answer would be, I wished I could even go further back in time and bought into it when it was below RM500K...and rented out my HDB for passive income earlier!:o