Traditional shophouses, with their rich history and quaint style, are gaining popularity among real-estate hunters By tay suan chiang (Singapore) They are a common sight in culturally rich areas in Singapore, such as Chinatown, Little India and Tanjong Pagar. Usually two or three storeys high and constructed in contiguous blocks with common party walls, these […]

By EDY SARIF edy@thestar.com.my | Apr 9, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my Despite the move by Bank Negara last November to introduce a maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 70% for the third and subsequent house financing facilities to curb speculation on property prices, property consultants and analysts are convinced that there will only be a temporary […]

extracted from Sydney morning herald Jason Dowling and Marika Dobbin April 9, 2011 Off-the-plan housing contracts in Victoria will soon come with a ”warning notice” on the front page as concerns escalate about complicated contracts favouring developers and a large number of housing projects that may never be delivered. A senior Melbourne developer has warned […]

By SHARIDAN M.ALI sharidan@thestar.com.my | Apr 8, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my KUALA LUMPUR: The mass rapid transit (MRT) system’s project delivery partner (PDP) should step in and complete any works in the MRT project if the awarded contractors fell behind schedule, said Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) CEO Mohd Nur Kamal. “Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd […]

By THEAN LEE CHENG | Apr 6, 2011 leecheng@thestar.com.my extracted from starproperty.my PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara’s move to require house buyers to pay a higher deposit seems to be weeding out speculation in the property market, some analysts said. Its monthly statistical bulletin last week showed that for fourth consecutive months since November, the number […]

By LEE KIAN SEONG lks@thestar.com.my | Apr 1, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd are supportive of the move by Bank Negara to introduce measures for property loans and credit card applications to control the household debt level. Maybank deputy president and community financial services […]

Wednesday March 30, 2011 Plain Speaking – By Yap Leng Kuen extracted:starproperty.my ALTHOUGH only two restrictions have been placed on borrowing for the purchase of a third or more homes and credit card eligibility, it does not mean that there won’t be more to come. In fact, consumers should be vigilant as Bank Negara is […]

By Reuters Friday, 25 March 2011 15:26 SINGAPORE: Wendy Cheng, 32, has been trying to buy a home for over two years but without success. Cheng and her American teacher husband cannot afford property on the open market where a government-built apartment can fetch as much as S$700,000 (RM1.68 million), and they have been unsuccessful […]

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM eugene@thestar.com.my | Mar 26, 2011 PETALING JAYA: YTL Land & Development Bhd, which is launching its condominium development The Capers at Sentul East today, caused a “mad rush” among potential buyers looking to lock in sales. “There was a mad rush of people scrambling in. The food for the guests was left […]

By Bank Negara Malaysia Report 2010 | Mar 24, 2011 The residential property market has been experiencing an upturn since the fourth quarter of 2009 as demand rebounded by 7.1% (2009: -2.3%) following improved consumer sentiments. Meanwhile, the increase in housing stock moderated in 2010 as housing started a declining trend. The widening gap between […]

By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU jagdev@thestar.com.my Economic growth of 5%-6% seen for 2011 with inflation closely watched KUALA LUMPUR: Individual borrowers will be subject to a stress test to gauge if they can afford a new loan once guidelines are introduced in the third quarter of this year. The new guidelines are designed to inculcate responsible […]

extracted from Sydney morning herald March 22, 2011 – 4:26PM First-time home buyers are searching mortgage websites for “no deposit” home loans in vain. They don’t exist. Research by mortgage broker Loan Market shows that internet searches containing “no deposit loans” have increased 28 per cent since the start of the year. An examination of […]

Mark Armstrong March 21, 2011 extracted: sydney morning herald I’ve said it time and again that the residential property investment is a long-term proposition. The property market takes about seven to 10 years to move through a full cycle – from low capital growth/high rental yield, to high growth/low yield and back again. Despite this, […]

By HOUSING INVESTMENTS By THEAN LEE CHENG | Mar 19, 2011 extracted from:starproperty.my Last week, the Government officially launched My First Home Scheme targeted at young working Malaysians earning RM3,000 or less to help them become home owners. Though different in many ways from Singapore’s Housing Development Board scheme, Malaysia’s My First Home scheme has […]

By MAKIING A POINT By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU | Mar 17, 2011 extracted : starproperty.my The one area that is often neglected when it comes to affordable housing is supply. Yes, loans are plentiful and there is now a scheme called My First Home Scheme launched where eligible Malaysians would be able to get a […]

The condominium market will likely be hit harder than the landed residential market. KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Anti-speculation measures and new supply coming into the market will slow the momentum of last year’s massive run-up in property said real estate agency CH Williams Talhar and Wong (WTW) today. WTW managing director Foo Gee Jen […]

Mar 15, 2011 extracted: starproperty.com SHAH ALAM: With the launch of the My First Home Scheme, the Government may review the Housing Developers’ Act to make developers more accountable. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the Act needed to be balanced to make it fair to buyers and developers. “We are […]

By OH ING YEEN ingyeen@thestar.com.my Photos by MOHD SAHAR MISNI | Mar 15, 2011 extracted:starproperty.my – Making way: The proposed MRT line will pass through Jalan Besar in Kajang Town, affecting 39 shop owners. Half of the residents who turned up for a meeting on the proposed Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Sungai Buloh-Kajang line walked […]

Bina Brown March 13, 2011 extracted from:smh.com.au Louise Mercer’s investment property was trashed and she had no insurance Louise Mercer learnt the value of landlord insurance the hard way. She thought she had taken out landlord insurance on an investment property, before her tenant decided to stop paying rent. It was only after the tenant […]

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM eugenicz@thestar.com.my | Mar 12, 2011 extracted: starproperty.my Gevanantham Marimuthu (Geva) has been waiting for over a decade to move into his Lembah Beringin home he bought in the late 1990s, 50km from Kuala Lumpur. Today, Geva, alongside some 2,000 others in that area, have not moved into their dream homes because the […]

Can you trust a real estate agent? Kevin Turner March 11, 2011 – 3:00PM extracted from : smh.au . The time when most people selling a house perceive real estate agents to be dishonest is when they are putting a price on your property. In the industry, an ambitious price estimate is called “buying a […]

By MAKING A POINT By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU | Mar 10, 2011 extracted starproperty.com AFFORDABLE housing is a subject matter which a great many homebuyers are talking about. Often, friends will comment how crazy the housing market has become. Those who own one house, which is their primary residence, might feel the pinch when it’s […]

By A. LETCHUMANAN letchu@thestar.com.my | Mar 9, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my KUALA LUMPUR: Young working adults can now buy themselves a new home without having to pay a sen in down payment. Those earning less than RM3,000 a month can obtain up to 100% financing to buy their first home under a new scheme launched […]

Saturday, March 5, 2011 extracted: thestar The planned mass rapid transit (MRT) project may be just what the city of Kuala Lumpur needs as a long-term solution to public transportation. But the MRT plan is today mired with controversy. Some resident associations have been up in arms about the potential disruption to their homes and […]

Friday March 4, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my THE Emerald township in Rawang was a hive of activities during the weekend as buyers and investors came in droves and the latest phase of semi-detached and link homes were quickly snapped up during the Triple Fortune celebration. About 135 units of Amberley semi-detached parkhomes and Coral double-storey […]

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM eugenicz@thestar.com.my | Mar 3, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my PETALING JAYA: The abundance of office space supply in 2011 is expected to create pressure on rental rates for this property sub-sector. Henry Butcher Malaysia Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Tang Chee Meng said there would be a slight weakening in rates in the […]

Wednesday March 2, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my PETALING JAYA: Property prices of the local residential sub-sector are expected to be flat in the next few months as fears of rising oil prices due to the political unrest in the Middle East may damper investor and buyer confidence. Khong & Jaafar Sdn Bhd managing director Elvin […]

By Lee Wei Lian March 01, 2011 extracted: themalaysianinsider KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — The property market has either gone flat or is showing signs of decline, as indicated by rents and capital values for prime areas. The market, especially the high-end segment, appears to be feeling the pinch of oversupply and the tightening measures […]

By REALTY CHECK By DATUK ABDUL RAHIM RAHMAN | Feb 26, 2011 extracted:starproperty.my THE introduction of a rail transit investment brings benefits to the transportation system and accessibility of the population to employment, retail, and recreational facilities. One of the most significant impacts of a rail transit project is the impact on property values. Numerous […]

Properties from a Feng Shui perspective: Part 178 By David Koh and Joe Choo | Feb 18, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my Our Environology tour of Petaling Jaya presently takes us to Jalan Universiti, one of the main arteries in this city. (For Google map reference, please log on to http://maps.google.co.uk/ and search for “Kuala Lumpur”.) […]

Feb 24, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my The thriving Penang property market has gotten off to a robust start this year with a new development planned for Jelutong. Tambun Indah Land Berhad has proposed to acquire the entire equity of Premcourt Development Sdn Bhd, and will undertake a mixed strata development project in the area through […]

Saturday February 19, 2011 By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU extracted : thestarproperty FOR many, there are a few necessities in life. The basics include food on the table, clothes on one’s back and a roof over one’s head. In large part, poverty reduction and programmes by the Government to ensure Malaysians get the minimum calorie intake, […]

By THEAN LEE CHENG leecheng@thestar.com.my | Feb 17, 2011 extracted:starproperty PETALING JAYA: While some property consultants and analysts have been bullish on the overall impact of the mass rapid transit (MRT) on property prices, another group of property consultants has reservations about the blanket “price hike” touted by their counterparts and other parties. This second […]

Wednesday February 16, 2011 By DANNY YAP danny@thestar.com.my Those within 500-metre radius from station to appreciate the most PETALING JAYA: Property valuers and developers expect the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project to have significant impact on the prices of residential and commercial properties along the MRT route. Eric Oii, a member of the […]

By Marina Emmanue- the business times lPublished: 2011/02/08 A general uptrend in Penang property prices is expected this year as property developers offer better quality products to more discerning buyers. Penang-based property players interviewed by Business Times have cited construction material prices and inflation as reasons for them to price their units higher this year. […]

By Michael Tan | Feb 14, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my There’s a definite price bubble growing in the real estate arena in Klang valley to say the least. With the reports from various financial dailies showing strong or overwhelming growth in the nation as well as new and bold land acquisitions by several large developers, […]

My Money by TEE LIN SAY Feb 12, 2011-extracted from starproperty.my In today’s environment of rising home prices, is it more advantageous to buy a house or rent a house? While most people unanimously agree that owning a home is better, the financial situation of the individual is important in assessing whether he or she […]

KUALA LUMPUR — The government currently, has no plan to raise the ceiling price for houses which did not require down payment, from RM220,000 to RM350,000, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung. He said he had proposed the matter to the Cabinet last month but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun […]

Business Times – 08 Feb 2011 Developers will have to make sure that the units give an accurate picture and don’t mislead buyers By UMA SHANKARI (SINGAPORE) The Ministry of National Development (MND) plans to introduce new regulations to make sure that developers build showflats that accurately represent the actual units in a project, sources […]

Tuesday February 8, 2011 By EDWARD R. HENRY edward@thestar.com.my BUMIPUTRAS in Selangor may not be given the 5% discount for high-end properties as the state government feels that the rich do not need the reduction. State housing, building management and squatters committee chairman Iskandar Abdul Samad said under the guidelines drafted those who could afford […]

By REALTY CHECK BY DATUK ABDUL RAHIM RAHMAN | Feb 5, 2011 extracted:starproperty.my In December 1993, residents of Bukit Antarabangsa were shocked to learn that the Highland Towers tragedy was happening at their doorstep. A multitude of other disasters have also taken place such as flooding of residential areas in Malaysia, Australia, the United States, […]

extracted from fazleena@thestar.com.my | Feb 7, 2011 Site of project: The plot of land in Segambut where the PPR low-cost housing flats will be built by DBKL. The Segambut constituency will be getting its first People’s Housing Project (PPR) flats for Kampung Sungai Udang, Kuala Lumpur. According to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, 560 units […]

Business Times, Singapore 28 Jan 2011 A study has found that prices (in psf) increases by 3% for every 1km closer to the CBD By KLAUS SPREMANN AND WEINI ZHANG WHEN property owners or investors make their decisions to buy or to sell, they usually form expectations of how prices of property are changing in […]

By ANGIE NG angie@thestar.com.my | Jan 27, 2011 PETALING JAYA: The supply of new office space in Kuala Lumpur will be overwhelming this year making the market soft and competitive as tenants will get to pick and choose the best deals. DTZ Nawawi Tie Leung executive director Brian Koh said an additional 2.3 million sq […]

Jan 26, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my Property coach Dr Peter Yee started his investment journey in his late 30s, after going through many of life’s trials and tribulations. In just six years, he managed to attain financial freedom and today, he is living in his dream home. In his recent workshop titled “How to make […]

Tuesday January 25, 2011 By KHARLEEZ ZUBIN kharleezzubin@thestar.com Many business operators in Little India and other parts of Brickfields are likely to be edged out or forced to take a cut in their profits with an imminent increase in rental and property prices. According to property consultants, realtors and valuers, the market was adjusting to […]

Jan 21, 2011 extracted from starproperty.my Hi, I’ve bought an apartment in Subang Jaya for my personal stay at a 10% downpayment. It was my first property, which I am also sub-letting to a friend. My motivation everyday in working is to acquire the funds required to purchase many more properties as I target to […]

extracted from: Brisbanetimes.au Ellen Lutton January 23, 2011 HOMEBUYERS greedy for a bargain descended on Brisbane’s flood-ravaged suburbs within hours of the river peaking. Real estate agents were shocked to receive calls as early as Thursday, January 13 – the day the Brisbane River peaked at 4.46 metres, leaving 25,000 homes flooded – from buyers […]

By Sherry Koh | Jan 21, 2011 extracted: starproperty Business savvy: Although Azizi Ali is largely known as a property coach and investor, he is also a pilot, publisher, author and qualified financial planner. Azizi Ali, 48, is as versatile as it gets. A pilot, publisher, property investor and coach, author, qualified financial planner – […]

Jan 19, 2011 extracted :starproperty PUTRAJAYA: Residents should consider the advantages of having the mass rapid transit (MRT) system in their housing areas. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the MRT would ensure the smooth movement of people in the city, especially with the ever-growing population of the Klang Valley. “Instead […]