More Homes For Sale In Malaysia In First Half of 2012

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

There will be more property launches in 2012 despite market slowdown according to the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association of Malaysia (or better known as REHDA).

According to a survey spearheaded by REHDA, more than 60% of respondents (comprising of developers) have plans to launch new development projects in the first half of 2012. This is up from 45% obtained in the same series of surveys in the second half of 2011.

Malaysia Real Estate Challenges in 2012

According to president of REHDA, Michael Yam, 2012 will be especially challenging given the imminent rise of labor as well as building materials costs coupled by a soft economy. There are also concerns regarding stricter requirements in the homes for sale sector as well as the lack of data and information transparency and flow.

Malaysia Property Exposition (Mapex) 2012

This year’s Mapex will be held at Mid Valley from the 2-4 March, and is poised to be the largest one-stop centre for recently completed development as well as a showcase for ongoing developments. There will be more booths compared to last year’s event, with developers coming in from UK, Australia and China. Specifically, the Australian exhibitors will be putting up a showcase on real estate investing in Australia for the Malaysian public. Not to be missed.

Homes For Sale In Subang Jaya

Posted on January 17, 2012 by admin

Subang Jaya is a township which is situated between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. It is situated inside the Subang Jaya district within the Selangor state, and is a popular option for real estate investors who are attracted to its closeness to Kuala Lumpur. In the 1970′s it was a plantation as well as a small trading town. Since that time, serious development has quickly altered the landscape with the deployment of residential areas and commercial projects. The population of the Subang Jaya town is about 455,000.

Click here for a map of Subang Jaya

Subang Jaya is quite “homely” despite the launching of commercial

Shopping is a popular hobby among Subang Jaya-ers!

projects in the past few years. There exists a wide range of real estate properties for people who are on the lookout for real estate for sale – in particular apartments, flats as well as landed properties and link homes.

Subang Jaya belongs to the authority of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Transportation In Subang Jaya

Transportation in and around the Subang Jaya area has been boosted with the plans to build an LRT station there. The LRT station is to be built near Subang Parade and the Mesiniaga office building.

Buses like Metro Bus and Rapid-KL regularly service this area. In terms of accessibility, Subang Jaya is linked by the Federal Highway and the Damansara Puchong Highway (also known as the LDP). Be forewarned that heavy traffic jams are a norm on these highways.

Food In Subang Jaya

One of the many advantages of Subang Jaya is the availability of a huge range of food selections here. Especially notable is the street food areas around USJ and also Bandar Sunway. There is also an increasing number of upper-range restaurants around the Subang Parade area. Food outlets that have opened there include Chat2Go (tea drinks), Rosie (nyonya food) and TGI Friday’s.

Schools In Subang Jaya

Here’s a listing of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Subang Jaya:-

Taylor’s University College
Sekolah Cina Tun Tan Cheng Lock
Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Selangor
SEGi University College
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Subang Jaya SS14
Sekolah Kebangsaan Subang Jaya
INTI International University
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan USJ 4
Sekolah Agama Menengah Bestari USJ 5
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Subang Utama SS18
Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Subang Jaya
Sekolah Kebangsaan Dato Onn Jaafar
Sri Kuala Lumpur Secondary School
Sekolah Wawasan (USJ 15)

Taylor’s College is situated opposite the famous Asia Cafe. It is one of the preferred choices for college goers in Subang Jaya, and it is especially strong in its hotel management and hospitality courses.

New Developments

The Empire Shopping Gallery in SS15 and the First Subang are high profile projects in Subang Jaya for the last three years. The Empire Shopping Gallery is built by the Mammoth Empire Group.

The Empire Gallery is designed to be lifestyle-focused and has a relaxing atmosphere with exquisite landscaping and exotic water features within the compound. There are a wide range of food and chill-out outlets, and shows and concerts are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays.

The First Subang, on the other hand, is designated as the business and commercial center of Subang Jaya. It enjoys a superb location which faces the main road, and its accessibility will increase when the LRT station is built. It is near Subang Jaya’s main commercial area. Some businesses which are already in First Subang are Giant, Maxis, Guardian and MBC.

First Subang targets anchor tenants in the retail sector given the high middle-class population in the area. It consists of office towers in an area of about one acre. The buildings are well equipped with fast connection for data transfer – absolutely essential for today’s businesses which rely heavily on technology.

To conclude, Subang Jaya is a permanent fixture on our real estate radar this year, and with more projects (and transportation development) being rolled out here, prospects are bright.

Homes For Sale In Puchong

Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin

Puchong is a town which is located between Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. It belongs to the Petaling Jaya district in Selangor, and is often a prime choice amongst home buyers who like its proximity to the city. In the 1960′s it used to be a rubber estate as well as a tin-mining town. Since then, major urbanization has rapidly changed the landscape with the development of residential areas and multiple commercial hubs. The population of the Puchong town is estimated at around 350,000.

Click here for a map of Puchong

Puchong remains rather “residential” despite the mushrooming of commercial

Shopping is a favorite pastime amongst Puchong-ers!

developments in the recent years. There are a wide variety of properties for those looking for homes for sale – particularly condominiums, flats as well as bungalows and terrace houses.

Puchong falls under the jurisdiction of Sepang Municipal Council and also the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Transportation In Puchong

Transportation in and around the Puchong area has received a boost with the plans to construct an LRT station in the area. The LRT stations are to be located near the Rakan Muda headquarters as well as the DHL building (previously known as Tractors Malaysia building).

Buses such as Metrobus and RapidKL also service the area. In terms of road accessibility, the area is linked by the Kesas highway, Damansara-Puchong Highway (better known as LDP) and also the Puchong-Sungai Besi Bypass. Caution that heavy traffic jams are a daily occurence on these roads.

Food In Puchong

One of the major advantages of Puchong is the availability of a wide range of food choices in the area. Particularly famous are the hawker areas around Pusat Bandar Puchong and also Puchong Jaya. There is also an increasing number of mid-range food outlets in and around the IOI Boulevard area. Outlets that have opened up there include Chatime (bubble tea), The Library (pub) and the Pacific Coffee Company.

Schools In Puchong

Here is a list of some of the kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Puchong:-

SK Seksyen 1 (Bandar Kinrara)
SK Puchong
SK Puchong Jaya
Pusat Jagaan Mega Ria
SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya

Binary University College is situated right across the famous IOI Mall. It remains one of the top choices for university goers in the Puchong Area, and it specializes in management and entrepreneurship courses.

New Developments

The Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (also known as PFCC) in Bandar Puteri and the IOI Boulevard in Puchong Jaya are the two high-profile developments in Puchong for the past few years. Both are developed by IOI PRoperties Bhd.

The IOI Boulevard, inspired by Covent Gardens in London, is designed to be lifestyle-centric and has a laidback ambience with landscaping and water features located at the courtyard. There are ample dining and “chill out” outlets, and exhibitions and concerts are also held during weekends and holidays.

The PFCC, on the other hand, is positioned as the financial and corporate hub of Puchong. It has a premium location which faces the LDP, and its accessibility will receive a tremendous boost when the LRT station is completed. It is a stone’s throw away from Bandar Puteri Puchong’s commercial area. Some businesses which are already in Bandar Puteri are Al-Rajhi Bank, OCBC, Citibank, Giant, Gorgeous Fitness and Secret Recipe.

The PFCC targets multinationals in the technology sector given the proximity to Cyberjaya (about 25 minutes drive away). It comprises of five office towers in an area of about 10 acres. The buildings are wired with high speed data connections, and the developer is seeking the MSC Cybercentre status from MDC (Multimedia Development Corporation).

All in all, Puchong remains on our property radar in 2012, and with more development (and transportation infrastructure) being planned in the area, things will only look better from here.

Malaysian Property In 2012

Posted on January 4, 2012 by admin

2012 is finally here!

Here at Homes For Sale we continuously look out for ways to make your real estate dreams come true.

For the new year, make a list of the things you want to do: landscape a garden, upgrade the bathroom, or even make that down payment for the house you’ve always been dreaming of buying.

Our new year resolution is simple – we aim to help you better in your search for the ideal property by giving you stories of people who have already done it. We look forward to continue to serve you well in your quest for your dream home this year.

Real Estate Investing In Australia

Posted on January 3, 2012 by admin

Real estate investing in Australia has been popular among property enthusiasts in Malaysia for simple reasons: migration and education. Australia has a long established reputation as a tourist and education haven, and it is also the choice of migration destination for many Malaysians. Also, more Malaysians are investing in Australian real estate because of the relative stability and favorable economic conditions.

Melbourne has long been the real estate investment destination of choice for many Malaysians

Malaysian real estate developers too have jumped at the opportunity to buy land in Australia and launching projects by joint-venturing with Australian property partners.

There are, however, some potential pitfalls when it comes to investing in real estate in Australia:-

House prices in Australia has been weakening due to poor buyer sentiments in 2011.
There are economic concerns with the flattening of the GDP and poor hiring conditions due to slowing economic growth.
Eurozone uncertainty and weakening consumer confidence. These are the same factors which affected the Hong Kong real estate industry in 2011.

On the upside, however, in 2012 there will be quality real estate properties at good locations that were seemed to be expensive to some. Those who are previously on the hunt for good property for sale in Malaysia will now have more options – if they look further to Australia.

What To Look Out For When Buying Property In Australia

There is a scheme called the National Rental Affordability Scheme (or known more popularly as NRAS) which was launched back in 2008. It is a governmental scheme to shift its liability of low cost housing to the private sector.

This scheme is designed to encourage private real estate developers to build properties to house people who are on government assistance. Therefore, those who are currently occupying low cost houses which are located on prime locations could be moved elsewhere – and as a result, the area could be freed up for premium development.

Property Options vs Physical Properties

Another consideration that the Malaysian real estate investor should make is to look at alternative investment options – namely property options. These are remarkably similar to stock options expect is that the “stock” in question is yet-to-be-built real estate.

This is how property options work:

The property broker will underwrite a portion of the project (say, 70%) at a wholesale price (typically discounted at 10-20% of the listing price).
The broker then sells these units to buyers who pay an “option fee” of about 15% of the unit price. During the first 2-2.5 years (when the property is being developed) there is no further payment.
Typically six months after purchase, the buyer can sell the option for a profit, or to keep the property and wait for the building to be completed.
Remember that if the buyer decides to exercise his sell option, then the property broker has the exclusive right to sell (at the retail price) the property of option holders.
If the property broker is unable to find a buyer, the property broker should then return the deposit topped with a good interest return.

If you need more information on property options, check out this informative (but somewhat dry) Wikipedia article on the subject -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_estate_derivative

Hong Kong Properties For Sale – Down By 33% In 2011

Posted on January 3, 2012 by admin

Real estate sales in Hong Kong fell by a third in 2011 – registering about 108,000 deals over economic worries and governmental action on curbing speculative practice among real estate investors. Last year, the government has introduced special stamp duty and further restricted the availability of bank loans in an effort to reduce real estate speculation.

This number of transactions, which include the purchase of homes and office space, are below the volume of deals done in 2008 when the global financial crisis peaked. The amount of second-hand houses for sale are a little more than 75,000, which is down about 40% from 2010.

On a related development, property developer Sino Land said that it has already sold 90% of its landmark development The Coronation in West Kowloon since its release last week. The Coronation is jointly developed by K Wah International, Nan Fung and Chinese Estate Holdings.