City&Country: Serviced suites coming up in Bangsar South

City&Country: Serviced suites coming up in Bangsar South

The developer had initially planned 10 blocks of 13 to 20-storey boutique offices with a total floor area of 1.5 million sq ft as well as a central park in Phase 2 of The Horizon. However, it then decided to scrap two of these office blocks, and another one in The Vertical towers nearby, to create a six-acre central park. Initially, only 2.5 acres were set aside for the park. “The government has been pushing the green agenda, so we decided to support the cause and took out the three blocks to create a bigger central park with a water feature that will be open to the public and the neighbourhood,” Khor says. The pedestrian bridge across the Federal Highway that now connects Wisma Pantai to the three-acre parcel will be extended to the Bangsar South development, says Khor. “The 178m extension will make the total length of the bridge 250m. It will allow people to walk from the Kerinchi LRT station to the commercial precinct in the north sector of Bangsar South. We are in the midst of getting the squatters to leave and will start construction by the end of the year,” he explains. The extension of the bridge will be completed in three months. When ready, it will end at the common basement level of the commercial precinct of Phase 2 of The Horizon and the other office buildings. There will also be a link between the commercial precinct and the clubhouse in the residential precinct. Khor says a new LRT station will be located on Jalan Kerinchi, making the township even more accessible in the future.

Proposed MRT Project

The project will kick off with the construction of the first service line beginning in July 2011, which will run through a Northwest-Southeast corridor alignment. The line will ply a 60 km route between Sungai Buloh and Kajang, and take six years to complete.

It will contain 35 stops, with four interchanges linked to existing rail services, these being the KTM Komuter lines at Sg Buloh and Kajang and in KL, the Putra KJ line at Pasar Seni and Star Ampang line at Maluri.

Property to remain buoyant in 2011

Property to remain buoyant in 2011


Source : Bernama

Date Published : 17 December 2010

The property market in Malaysia is expected to remain buoyant next year, seeing a moderate uptrend in prices, in line with economic growth and growing interest among foreigners.

Property consultant and valuer, James Wong said, the sharp increase in prices, is only to be seen in certain landed properties in choice locations with a huge demand for it in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

"It is challenging to own a house with a salary of just only RM4,000 a month. In 1975, a house in the Klang Valley was around RM30,000 and graduates earned about RM700 a month.

"Today, a graduate earns about RM2,000 but a house in the Klang Valley could easily cost RM400,000," he elaborated. Thus, Choy said, owning a house is only possible if the government made an effort to uplift income.

"There is a lot of interest from buyers from China who are agressively buying into properties in Australia and Singapore. If these buyers start buying into Malaysian properties, then prices will further escalate," he said.

According to Ooi, there is a lot of interest at present from Singaporean and Hong Kong buyers, for Malaysian properties.

He highlighted that foreigners are looking at the yield in making decisions on property purchases.

"Currently, the Kuala Lumpur property market has a positive yield. Investors also like stability in the country and election results will have an impact on their investment mood," he explained.

Luxury Condo by YTL - Capers

http://www.capers.com.my/English/overview.asp



Another Magic from YTL - Midfields

Launched in year 2008, at around RM200k+-.
Now almost complete, but yet VP, market already pushing the price to RM450k+-......

Happy Garden - See Hoy Chan

Next to G-Residence, selling at RM450psf... translated to minimum RM600k per unit !!!

Summer Suites - SOHO

A Very Futuristic Building - Point 92

Recently there are quite a number of development around Damnsara Perdana area. Not mentioning existing taikor - MK Land there, Crest Builder, Empire Mammoth invested few projects there(Empire Damansara, Empire City).

Now there is another new office tower, Point 92, target completion 2012. It is just located right next to the PJ Trade Center (or sometime people called it Bata shoe building). The design look very futuristic, is developed by same developer of PJ Trade Center.

Further details can be found at http://www.point92pj.com/

Flexible

My condo renovation is near the end, renovation work should be complete by next week. During these few months periods, I have deals with about 20-30 contractors/suppliers/seller for different works & products.

I consider myself as a very details person, with project planning, budget, technical drawing and design. I prepare all these "documents" myself as I want to ensure the house is design as per my wish, and more importantly is, I don't really "trust" renovation contractors.....

In these few months, I notice that finding a contractor whom offer good price is important, finding a contractor that is friendly and helpful is quite important, finding a contractor that is flexible and "discuss-able" more important !

Reason being is no matter how details a person is, you will sure miss out something, either your designer/contractor forget to tell you, or don't want to tell you. When you trap by this kind of situation, only those "flexible contractor" can help you.

I have many examples in this case, but most memorable one is with YT Lighting Puchong, whereby I bought 6 units of fan from them as they are authorized KDK dealer, and they offer good price. The lady boss is a very friendly person during the sales process. But, when I notice that one of the fan cover is missing from the box, I try to contact her to get a replacement. Suddenly a friendly boss become a bitchy boss. She claim I lost the cover, and not willing to provide me the replacement. The only thing she will do is contact KDK factory and get them check whether the fans cover is missing during packing at factory. WTF! What kind of reason and excuse is this? Cheap & Friendly boss, now I learnt another lesson....

Some Good Quote From Guru - Milan Doshi

One key skill that you must develop to become a professional property investor is to acquire the ability to accurately see into the future as property investment is for the mid- to long-term. As you acquire more knowledge and experience over the years, this skill will somehow become second nature to you.

For example, when I arrived in Kuala Lumpur in early 1994, I took a long drive (there was no SPRINT expressway back then) from Bangsar Baru to check out the landed properties in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Back then, the land at Bandar Utama was just being cleared and I was wondering why anyone would want to stay in a property so far away from town. If I recall correctly, double story link houses in Bandar Utama were sold for around RM350,000 then. 16 years later in 2010, house prices there are more than RM750,000.

Today, I know of a few upcoming and better designed townships that reminded me of the Bandar Utama of 1994. Having seen how Bandar Utama and its surrounding areas have transformed, it’s not too difficult to imagine how these new townships will eventually look like in the hands of a reputable developer. Hence the risks for me to invest in these new townships are much lower compared to someone who is just starting out.

How Much Will A Landed House Cost In Year 2015?

Seeing the crazy property price now, I am a bit scare to imagine, how much will a double storey house cost in next 5 years time ???

I done a simple calculation, using assumption that a property price will appreciate 10% per year
- In reality, property appreciate more than 15% in past few years in some popular area
- In theory it should be around 7-8%, and they might be some depreciation during economy downtime

Let say I put aside all other factor, below is the estimated property price at few prime areas, in year 2015.

Look like you may need to have RM1 million, to own a double storey house in year 2015?

Questions are:

Can you afford to buy and pay for RM1 million house in year 2015?

Will will salary increase at the same or better pace than the property price?

Or shall we start think of other alternative way of earning money to keep up the pace?

Or should we start buying it now since still "not so high"?

Or is there any possibilities the property price will drop in next few years like UK and Australia?

First home scheme to attract young buyers - StarProperty.my

First home scheme to attract young buyers - StarProperty.my

To promote home ownership among Malaysians, the Government has proposed to introduce First Home Scheme whereby Cagamas Bhd will provide a guarantee on the 10% down-payment for houses priced below RM220,000.

The scheme is for first-time house buyers with monthly household income of less than RM3,000. It is aimed at young adults who have just joined the workforce.

With the guarantee from the national mortgage corporation, it means that eligible house buyers will be able to obtain a 100% loan.

First-time house buyers will also be given stamp duty exemption of 50% on instruments of transfer on a house priced at not more than RM350,000. The Government has also proposed stamp duty exemption of 50% be given on loan agreement instruments to finance such first-time purchase of houses.

Honda Insight

What is the trend nowadays ? - Living in gated community - Eating organic food - Environmental friendly, no plastic day - Getting a pets - Driving hybrid car Good news is, Honda is bringing it's new hybrid car to Malaysia next month ! "Honda Insight". Is economical version of Toyota Prius... can't wait to try it..hopefully the price is cheaper than Honda Civic Hybrid...

Setia Alam - Gloriosa (20 x 70 DSL) at RM588k

Requested to review this property. Launch this weekend, details as below

Size: 20 ft x 70 ft

Price: RM588,000

DIBS - Developer Bear Interest Scheme

Scheme: 5/95 (Mmm..only apply to those who have < 2 properties ?)

First impression, Setia Alam house nowadays no longer "cheap". In fact, I feel it is very expensive, so do Bandar Kinara. Not sure is good sign, or bad sign; as this year, lot of properties at "not so expensive" area suddenly become expensive.

DSL at Bandar Kinrara is selling at RM600k-RM700k. DSL at Setia Alam is also approaching RM600k. What will happen next year? Will it up another RM100k?

Imagine, how can a normal working individual, or couple can afford to buy house at RM700k? It will cost them RM3000 - RM4000 for monthly bank installment !!! Crazy, crazy, crazy....

For those looking for investment, they should be prepare to fork out at least RM2000 per month, just to pay the bank mortgage. The rental at this area probably will fetch only RM1000, means the investor need have spare cash every month to cover the monthly mortgage payment.

While for "cash rich" buyer, their only hope of return is capital appreciation. I not sure how much a DSL at Setia Alam will be able to sell next year, or next next year. But I know, the price at this area have almost increase 50% or more compare to those purchase it 3-4 years ago. While price at Setia Eco Park (high end) have almost double. Assume if it appreciate another 50% after 3 years, means a DSL is selling at RM882k in year 2013 !!!

Is this a good buy? Not sure actually, however I like Setia Alam township concept, if this is property is build with Gated and Guarded concept, maybe it be a better bet. Unless I am so cash rich, and not sure where to spend, and don't want to think so much, then just whack it lar, worse case, earn RM100k in 3 years time also not bad.....

Facebook Poker - http://www.cheapfbpokerchips.com/

Met with some of my old time friends today, notice that I am quite "out dated" after chatting with them. They are talking about Facebook game, especially the Texas Poker game. I can see how addicted they are into Facebook games....

Imagine some of them are actually spending real money to buy virtual poker chips !!! Decided to search around Internet and found this website...

http://www.cheapfbpokerchips.com/

Seem like life become more and more interesting now with facebook around...

Renovation - Kitchen Tiles

I spent about RM2800 to change the tiles for my kitchen area. The cost consist of RM1600 for tiles, and RM1200 for the workmanship, to lay tiles for 60ft area. I have been searching around for the tiles contractor, is so hard to find contractor with better price to do small area tiles change. To me, this material and labour cost is quite expensive, until now I still not sure whether I make correct decision to change the tiles colour. Below is the half finish product, hopefully overall will look better once the Kitchen Cabinet is installed...

Renovation - Kitchen Cabinet

Recently don't have much time to spend in property investment, Sep, Oct and Nov is super busy month. Hope thing getting better in December.

Anyhow, would like to share with you my recent experience about renovation - Kitchen Cabinet.

I have deal with few Kitchen Cabinet company in past few years for my rental property, in which I usually will try to spend minimum $ for Kitchen Cabinet for rental property.

However for this new property, I will use it for own stay, therefore I decided to spend a little bit more for Kitchen Cabinet. I have visited quite a number of Kitchen Cabinet company and have different experience dealing with them. For easier elaboration, I group them as below (purely personal judgement) :
Class A - Super Luxury - Out of My Reach
Class B - Branded - Aino Kitchen, Signature Kitchen
Class C - Well Known - In Cube, Kian Classic
Class D - Freelance, Sole Proprietary Type

I have engaged Class D company few years back to build the kitchen cabinet below, it only cost me RM5-6k including Hood and Hob. Overall I am quite happy with the quality of the kitchen.

This time around, I try search for Class B and Class C company, to build Kitchen Cabinet for my own house. Overall Class B company will cost 25% or more than Class C.

However, dealing with Class C company is very tiring, as it require you to pay extra attention to all minor details, the material, the design, the measurement, the surface and etc. I am not a carpenter or ID designer, there are a lot of things that I don't know OR I don't know what should I know. So there is a risk you may see a lot of surprise when the final product is ready, as you will not be told for those thing you did not ask for.

On the other hand, dealing Class B company give me more peace of mind, in which I just need to focus on the design I want, and they will take care of the rest. I guess the main reason is this type of Class B company want to maintain their brand and standard.

However, finding a better company does not guarantee they able provide good service. I dealt with few Class B designer before, even though their company product is good, but their designer service is no really on par. In fact, some might be worse than Class C company. Therefore, it is very important you find the right company, with right people for your renovation; then this person will help and reduce your burden. Sometimes, he/she may able to give you new idea on your overall house design. And glad to say, I found mine, my right hand man in renovation after searching around for months :)

Announcement on loan-to-value ratio for properties very soon

Announcement on loan-to-value ratio for properties very soon

KUALA LUMPUR: BANK Negara is expected to make an announcement on the loan-to-value ratio for mortgages very soon, according to a source.

“Genuine home buyers need not worry as it will most likely be implemented on buyers making their third and subsequent house purchases, and be confined to specific locations and prices.

“These are only pre-emptive measures as currently there is no property bubble,” said the source, adding that genuine house ownership would still be encouraged.

Means for those looking for investment with low entry cost, should act fast fast before this new rules implemented. No doubt developer is very creative when come to property launch, however I believe this new rules might impact those who looking for zero or minimum entry cost type of investor...

Selayang Spring to launch 2nd phase in October

Selayang Spring to launch 2nd phase in October

You may view their website here... http://www.selayangsprings.com/

Young couples priced out of home market

Young couples priced out of home market

Malaysian, you should feel lucky after reading this....

HONG KONG: Low-income families are being left behind in the battle to buy their own homes as soaring house prices push the cost of public and subsidised flats beyond their reach.

The story of Ann Kan, a young clerk who hoped to buy a flat with her fiance, is typical."We are getting married in November and still do not have a flat to move into, although we began trying to buy something half a year ago," she said.

The couple had hoped to buy a flat in a private housing estate with a budget of HK$300,000 (RM119,434.06) as a down payment, she said. (In Malaysia, 100k as downpayment can buy Semi-D or Luxury Condo liao....)

A 778 square foot flat in Yiu Chung House in the Yiu On Estate in Sha Tin was sold for HK$2.07 million on the open market this month, a record for a public housing flat (778 sft Public housing flat also cost RM1 million, this can buy studio at KLCC !!). The vendor bought the flat for HK$1.8 million in February. (Within few monthly price increase 10%+, did salry increase that fast too???)

"Second-hand HOS or public housing flats are now also too expensive. We could not afford to have a baby if we bought a flat, and we would rather have a baby." (Here you can have both baby and house ...)

Some Nice Photo

Recently busy for my house renovation. Done some research and would like to share some nice design found in internet...

M Suites @ Ampang - Update 2

Received email below from Mah Sing

M Suites Hits the sweet spot

Mah Sing Group Berhad held a preview for M Suites Embassy Row Jalan Ampang (M Suites) from 3-5 September. Prospective buyers started queuing up outside our sales gallery a day prior to the preview and the atmosphere was charged up as the gallery was packed with buyers. 100% of Phase One is fully booked; in fact, all the studio units are fully taken up with a growing waiting list. Even Phase 2 which was only previewed on Sunday has nearly been fully taken up.”

M Suites is located along Jalan Ampang next to Great Eastern Mall, and offers semi-furnished residential suites comprising studios and one, one plus one, two and three bedroom apartments. More than 5,000 projective buyers registered for the project over the past few months. Currently, the units are priced from RM610,800 for the smallest unit starting from 502sqft. Prospective buyers can still select choice units at the sales gallery on the 5th Floor of The Icon Jalan Tun Razak which is open daily from 10am – 6pm including Sundays and Public Holidays.

The project comprises 442 units in two towers designed to optimize views of Ampang and the city center. There will be retail outlets on the ground floor of the development as well as recreational facilities such as swimming pool, and a podium roof garden. The units are designed for those who seek a middle- to upper-range apartment near the city and are expected to provide a strong rental yield. More information is available on http://www.m-suites.com.my/

You may also log-on to http://www.mahsing.com.my/ or call 03-2162 8282 for show units viewing.

TA Global to launch Damansara Avenue’s residential phase in November

TA Global to launch Damansara Avenue’s residential phase in November

KUALA LUMPUR: TA Global Bhd is looking to launch the first residential phase of its RM3.8 billion Damansara Avenue in Bandar Sri Damansara in early November

Meanwhile, its first residential phase known as Azelia Residence, will comprise 250 units of high- and low-rise residences with sizes from 600 to 3,400 sq ft. It will be launched via its priority preview, which has received more than 4,500 registrants, the developer said. Indicative prices for the residential units are above RM500 psf.

This place also sell at RM500psf??? This market abit over now.... However heard that the 80% cap will be implement soon end this year, will this impact the house price?

Another Empire Mammoth Art - Empire City

This topic is very hot in internet forum nowaday...

Empire City is a mega modern mixed lifestyle development. Empire City has retail shops, office suites, Lofts, studio suites, high end condominium, hotels and different thematic malls.

It will be constructed on 23 acres of prime land situated along LDP across from Mutiara Damansara and Damansara Perdana, ie PJ Golden Triangle.

Tentative Phases and developments:-

1) Studio Suites

2) Loft Offices

3) SOHOs

4) High end Condominium

5) 2 Premium Hotels

6) Thematic Malls including IT Mall, Lifestyle & Furniture Mall, Fashion Mall and Art & Culture Mall

7) Entertainment Street

This Empire City @ Damansara is expected to match Midvalley City and Setia Eco City if not better, in terms of lifestyle and concept.

1st Phase

• A Block of Studio suites, consisting 700 units, in an iconic 38 Storey Tower will be opened for booking soon.  
• Studios are approx 500sf  
• Studio Suites are fully furnished and approx RM30K to RM40K is to be spent on fully furnishing each studio suite.  
• Tentative and Indicative pricing depending on floor levels and facing, ranges from RM220K to RM300K.  
• Developer is working on DIBS scheme.

Sanderson Is Launching

Received SMS invitation for Sanderson launching this Sunday 19-Sep-2010. For those interested may contact 010-2211898.

Poser on whether real property gains tax will be raised

Another possible move by government to control of increasing property price ....

Poser on whether real property gains tax will be raised

Property 101 - Some Tips....

In property investment, you will engage with real estate agent when buy or sell your house. Therefore it is quite important for you to understand how real estate company function to ensure you cut the cake in your favour.

Real estate company make living by completing a sales between Buyer and Seller. They take certain percentage from the total sales value. Usually between 2-3%. Out of this 2-3% of commission, 1-2% will go to the property agent pocket.

For example if a property transaction close at RM100k, then the commission charge to Seller will be around RM3000. The real estate company may take up RM1500, and RM1500 will be given to the property agent. This means, property agent main interest is to close the deal.

Let's assume there is a situation below
Sample
- Seller A want to sell his house at RM500,000
- Buyer B want to buy the house at RM450,000
- The commission charge to Seller is 3%
- The commission earn by the property agent is 1.5%

If the deal is close at RM500,000, then agent will get RM7500 as commission
If the deal is close at RM450,000, then agent will get RM6750 as commission
If the Seller and Buyer cannot reach an agreement on the price, then the property agent will get RM0 as commission.

By the way, property agent is also kind of professional mind reader when come to property. The face different kind of Seller and Buyer everyday, and they easily can see which party is interested and which is not.

For situation above, if Seller A is eager to sell than Buyer B, this can easily spot by the property agent. As the agent mission is to close the deal, the property agent will try to convince the Seller sell at lower price so the Buyer will get interested. Even though it means the property agent will get lower commission, but it is OK for them as they rather earn slightly lower commission at RM6750 than get RM0 commission.

So...play smart when you deal with the property agent .... always remember that they are mind reader.... when you hear thing like this below, think twice before you register it into your mind

- Someone already make an offer to buy this house, if you seriously want it, please pay the booking fee now so I can reserve for you .
- There are many people interested in this unit, act fast if you want it.
- Not many people interested, you need to lower your asking price.
- You house condition is so bad, your asking price is very difficult to get.
..............................

Property 101 - Celiling Height

Recently I learn something new in property renovation - Ceiling Height. I found out that Ceiling Height is something quite important that I should have pay more attention.

I visited Opal Damansara @ Sunway Damansara and Sterling PJ @ Kelana Jaya recently. Both condominium are about same size 1400sf++. While Opal Damansar is selling at higher price (>RM100k) Sterling PJ.

However when I went into unit at Opal Damansara, i does not look like 1400sf condo at all. It look like 1200sf condo to me instead of 1400sf house. After spend some times to inspect the house, finally I notice why..............ceiling height.

Opal Damansara ceiling height is 9ft, while Sterling PJ is 11ft. The different of 2ft make Sterling PJ look more spacious, and more bright. Worse is owner at Opal Damansara will have difficulty to put on plaster ceiling in their condo, as plaster ceiling will take away another 1ft height, and it will make the house much more smaller.

Lesson learn is when scout for property for own stay in future, is better to ensure the ceiling height is at least 10ft and above...

Property 101 - Professional Negotiator

Have you ever encounter situation below:

You as Buyer
You would like to buy a house and the owner insist on the selling price. Eventually you only manage to get RM10k discount for a RM700k house?

You as Seller
You would like to sell your house at RM500k, but end up selling at RM450k after few round of negotiation with the buyer?

WHY SO ???
Why when you are buyer, the seller only willing to give you small discount even you have try hard to get more discount? Why when you are seller, the buyer only offer to buy the house with much lower price?

The answer is simple, not everyone of us are good negotiator.





We may good at certain skill, but not all skills including negotiation.

Have you ever think, if there is someone you can employ to negotiate on behalf of you, and you will be able to get additional RM50k discount when you buy a house, or you will be able to sell your house with extra RM50k?


This job is something new in the property market, and not everyone ready to accept this kind of concept.
- First is people tend to think they are good negotiator.
- Second is people tend to trust the agent more (Will write some article about this later).
- Third is people is not willing to pay for this service.


If you are the person, and the negotiator is charging you RM10k to represent you, and he can help you to earn extra RM50k or get extra RM50k discount, are you willing to pay for his/her service? Will you???

My Dream Home 2010

This is what we call Interior Designer !!!!! Originally this is just a conventional 22ft x 75ft terrace house....but now it look like ...aiks....dunno how to describe... you need to view the photo below to appreciate it....it is too amazing ...



City&Country: My Dream Home 2010-- Living the dream

Condo vs Landed: A rising trend for condos - StarProperty.my

I have been "debate" with my friends about this topic recently, Condo vs Landed. I personally prefer to stay at condominium while my friend prefer landed house.

Security is the main reason that I choose Condo over Landed House. I wanted to ensure my family is live in "safer" place, especially when I am away to work. It is very hard to find affordable (RM500k++) gated and guarded landed house within KL/PJ area, unless I explore further to outer area like Kota Kemuning or Setia Alam.

Saw this article in TheStar today...seem like I am not the only one doing so, as there is a trend that people start moving to Condo instead of Landed House...see below..

A rising trend for condos - StarProperty.my

Banks to try and prevent speculation on property prices

Banks to try and prevent speculation on property prices

PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara is engaging with banks on possible measures to curb excessive speculation on property prices while developers caution that it should not be imposed across the board to avoid dampening the property market.

When contacted, banking industry players said it was likely that any measures to be introduced would be pre-emptive measures to target certain quarters of purchasers and would not be across the board.


The measures are believed to be targeted at the high-end and non-owner occupied house purchasers.

But following a rise of between 10% and 30% in the prices of landed houses in some parts of the Klang Valley (including Kuala Lumpur) and Penang in the past one year, banking sources said Bank Negara might be looking at discontinuing the 5:95 and 10:90 housing loan packages, and preferred banks to impose higher downpayment for property purchasers.

“If it is implemented, home buyers will have to self-finance a higher amount than they do now. In the short term, coupled with entry costs such as legal, stamp and valuation fees, the property market will take a dive and it will subsequently dampen the mortgage business.

M-Suites Launch !

Key Asian markets strike early to ward off property bubble - StarProperty.my

Key Asian markets strike early to ward off property bubble - StarProperty.my




Key Asian economies fearing a US-style housing market bubble are taking fresh measures to curb runaway property prices as the region leads the global rebound from recession.

China is also trying to rein in buyer exuberance by tightening credit and imposing other regulations that make it tougher to buy and sell property. Beijing has tightened restrictions on advance sales of new developments, introduced curbs on loans for third home purchases and raised minimum downpayments for second homes.


Singapore's latest measures are aimed largely at buyers who have at least one outstanding mortgage.The minimum cash downpayment was raised from five to 10 percent of valuation, while the maximum amount a bank can lend was capped at 70 percent, down from 80 percent.
The balance can be taken from a buyer's pension fund."This round of tightening appears to be the most draconian," said CIMB bank analyst Donald Chua

Malaysia... higher interest rate? higher property tax?? maximum 80% loan ???

There may be a price war to give out cheaper bank loans

There may be a price war to give out cheaper bank loans

KUALA LUMPUR: There may be a new round of price war among banks for consumer loans, with the new mortgage rate going down to as low as base lending rate (BLR) -2.3%. The current BLR rate is 6.3%.

It appears that CIMB’s rate is now BLR-2.1%, Hong Leong Bank Bhd is BLR-2.3%, OCBC Bank (M) Bhd is BLR-2.3% and UOB Bank is BLR-2.3%.

“The price war has also spilled over to credit cards, with offers to absorb the government annual service tax. This was previously borne by card holders,” said an analyst from UOB KayHian.

EPF to invest RM4.88bil in UK properties - StarProperty.my

EPF to invest RM4.88bil in UK properties - StarProperty.my




PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will invest £1bil (RM4.88bil) in properties in the UK, the pension fund said in a statement yesterday. (Guess is because UK pound exchange rate is very attrative now and the property price is relatively cheaper then previous...)

“The stable and highly liquid UK property market underlies the rational behind the move,’’ it said.

The EPF said that although it had a policy to pursue overseas investments, the fund is also “aggressively exploring the market” in Malaysia. (With EPF fund size, easily can purchase dunno how many blocks of condo or how many taman(s) at one shot...goreng goreng ...)

Mah Sing's Kinrara Residences draws more than 1,000 at preview

Mah Sing's Kinrara Residences draws more than 1,000 at preview

Crazy pricing ....

"The sales preview featured three types namely 2-storey link homes with a 2,488 sq ft built up priced indicatively at RM718,000 onwards, 2½ -storey link homes with a built-up of 3,038 sq ft priced indicatively at RM808,000 onwards and 3-storey superlink units with a 3,318 sq ft built-up with an indicative price of RM888,000 onwards."

The Sanderson - Rustic Luxury in Urban Setting

Source: Review by Estate 123

Introduction
Established in 2002 the Newfields Group has ventured into the property development scene in 2004. They started with the Puchong Gateway, its phase 1 already complete since April 2009, and phase 2 in the process of completion. At the moment, another project of theirs would soon be launched in Sept 2010 - The Sanderson.

Location
Located in Bukit Serdang, besides the Villa Pavillion and behind Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), the location of The Sanderson itself is accessible via the ungai Besi Expressway (BESRAYA), Lebuhraya Sistem Lingkaran Kajang (SILK Highway), KL-Seremban Highway and Bukit Jalil Highway. Almost every basic necessity (school, markets, bank, police station etc) are within driving distances. Well known landmarks nearby include the TPM, Villa Park, Green View Park and the Bukit Jalil Stadium. It is a short driving distance away from KL city central, as well as other well-known landmarks such as UPM and The Palace of Golden Horses; approximately within 20-30minutes drive.

The Sanderson comprises of low and high-rise condominiums on eight acres of prime, freehold land. Rustic luxury was the concept in mind with the design of the project, which emphasizes on the eco-friendly features of the facilities, as well as the greenery landscape around and within the whole project. There are 3 types of units available for choice - Villas, the largest and spacious units (1,400 – 1,600 sq. ft.); Suites, the smallest among the units (900 sq. ft.); Homes, units with sizes in between Villas and Suites (1400 sq. ft.). Prices start from RM245/ sq. ft. or RM220K minimum per unit. There are a total of 376 units available.

Reminiscence of the Serene Countryside
For a condominium in an urban area, The Sanderson aimed to provide a harmonious and pleasant environment, much like the peace and quiet of the country side, to its residents. The greenery, eco-friendly systems and convenient outdoor facilities allow residents to not only fully utilize the outdoors, but also soak in the calmness brought about by the presence of natural greenery. The 24-hours security feature is a bonus, along with the small conveniences - a gym, convenient store, yoga facility etc.

Another plus point for Sanderson is that it has been built to cater for both single professional as well as families, with its 3 different types of units suiting different lifestyles. The Villa and Home designs are excellent for families, even slightly larger ones, for its spaciousness and number of rooms; while single working residents will like the cozy design of the Suite units. The gated Linear Park is an added point - being safely within security surveillance while providing residents a place to rewind and relax by being close to nature.

Last but not least, prices, in the meantime, are quite affordable, especially for the intended target market of the project. Compared to the other surrounding condominiums, prices for The Sanderson is on a more reasonable level.

Disadvantage
The Sanderson is not completely flawless, however. While it has access to major roadways, its access points are somewhat limited. There is only one direct access to the highway, which passed by the light industrial area nearby. The access leading to Bukit Serdang is also what some visitors have commented about being 'bottle-neck', and the surrounding area leading to the condominium, especially from the highway, may encounter heavy traffic during rush hours.

Living nearby a light industry area, no matter how good the security of the premises are, or how well-maintained its facilities are, may not appeal to some, who may worried about health problems or social and security problems.

Conclusion
The Sanderson is worth considering, with its reasonable pricing, convenient facilities and good security measures, nice greenery landscape and design, plus the freehold tenure and convenient access to major roadways.

Gated Guarded Project - Sierramas vs. Desa Park City vs. Setia Eco Park

Source: Estate 123

Introduction: Who likes to know the future trends of the Malaysian property market?

What property to invest into? Could it be link-houses, apartments, condominiums, semi-dees, bungalows or villas, all in strategic locations? Almost all types will give you good returns but which investment will stand out over the longer term period...

Location
Strategic location is always the most important factor when investing in a property. However, what is the next best deciding factor. It can be anything & anybody guesses. However, let us give some thoughts, for example if we were thinking of buying our Ultimate DREAM Homes. Meaning, when money & time is no longer an obstacle to the decision making buying process, would you agree that tight security homes will become a more & more important deciding factor?

Recently, we notice that, in most property launches we visited, we started to realize that more & more developers are beginning to highlight the importance of security. Looks like the trend is Right on track....

Developer
Sierramas East & West enjoyed the first mover advantage as they are the First to market Gated & Guarded Community. Thereafter, Sam Ling Group launched Desa Park City and SP Setia launched Setia Eco Park & a few other projects follow through. However, over the last 5-10 years, the market responded poorly & demand was below expectations as local market was not ready & buyers are not YET willing to pay for the services. However, recently, there is some positive growth.

A semi-dee in Sierramas launched during 1998 priced at RM700K is marketed at RM1.2 million now. The estimated appreciation is 70% or RM50K per year. However, a semi-dee in TTDI which was sold at RM920k during 1998 is presently marketed at RM1.2 million only too. Similar properties in Bangsar are also not enjoying much appreciation now. Many affluent families are moving away from old residential areas to new gated guarded community.

Look like most developers are becoming more & more aware of this trend....we observe....

Special
Residence in Sierramas has only great comments to boast about their gated & guarded homes. Freedom to go around. Peaceful environment. Door un-locked. Emergency panic button. Jogging track, Golf courses, Butterfly farms etc etc...

Obviously, Desa Park City & Setia Eco Park are emulating Sierramas‘s concept. And we expect more similar projects to be launched soon.

All in all, the key factor is always about Tight Security & Peaceful environment for Family members.

Against
Condominium is also considered guarded & gated project. Many purchasers stayed on condominiums based on this sole factor. However, many have been disappointed with the security services & the poor management of these services always arises, whether it is manage by the developer or by the community.

Sierramas, Desa Park City & Setia‘s project includes the services & they are responsible to provide the entire services & are also given the rights to penalize non-paying residence.

Recommendation

We believe the trend is having a Home that provide a peaceful environment to your family. Obviously, it comes with a cost. The question is which one is more important – family or cost?

YTL’s Dale in Sungei Besi achieves 100% sales ahead of launch

A new benchmark has been established for homes in Sungei Besi, Kuala Lumpur with Dale, YTL Land and Development’s latest offering in Lake Fields, selling all of its 343 units ahead of the launch.


Priced between RM638,800 (US$203,200) and RM1,329,620 (US$423,243), Dale has not only set a new price standard for Sungei Besi, but has also demonstrated the area’s potential to be Kuala Lumpur’s next property hotspot, according to the developer.

A preview for YTL’s valued buyers and registrants at Starhill Gallery saw teeming crowds rushing to stake a claim in the project. A total of 100 per cent of units were sold before the end of the preview on the fourth day.

Commenting on the staggering results, Dato’ Yeoh Seok Kian, Executive Director, YTL Land & Development Berhad said: “We knew interest in Dale was high as more than 4,000 people signed up for the project through an earlier registration exercise held less than two months ago, but we certainly didn’t expect a sell-out success prior to the launch.”

He added: “This clearly shows that Lake Fields’ popularity as a modern, spacious residential development, coupled with Sungei Besi’s strategic location that is well connected with multiple highways and public transport, is in high demand.”

Dato’ Yeoh also said that the positive response was in appreciation of YTL Land’s track record of delivering truly branded homes with highly unique concepts. A testament of this was when an intermediate home from Meadows & Glades recently sold at a record RM665,000, translating to an appreciation of approximately 80 per cent from its launch price of RM360,000 in 2005.

The RM300 million Dale project is the second phase to be launched in Lake Fields and features 3-storey spacious homes enhanced with a more generous design and layout. The centrepiece of these 20’ X 80’ homes is the double volume living area with floor-to-ceiling windows, to add to its already spacious 2,600 sq ft built-up area. With a total of five bedrooms including a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom on the ground floor for the convenience of the elderly, Dale provides generous space for all in the family.

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BEFORE and AFTER

BEFORE:

“I purchased the house in year 2008 for RM850,000. I spent about RM700,000 to rebuild the house; almost demolishing everything. Very little of the original house is left,”

AFTER:

Phuah plans to sell the Seputeh bungalow at RM2.5 million. “Everything goes. Lock, stock and barrel, minus me (laughs).”