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wuqi256

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Last Sunday went to Bt Indah to see the latest condo project "Sky Suites". Upon arrival at their office, realised this project was made known much earlier at the Msian side. Straits Times singapore only advertised 5 days back. 90% taken up. Very convenient. Right infront of Jusco. Direct CW bus fm Bt Indah to Jurong East.

New landed properties like Jade Garden and Lodge terraces also available for booking at Bt Indah. Understand fm the developer upcoming project builtup would be bigger cost of the M$500K threshold. Bt Indah...a mature estate...

Hmm, some folks here were commenting that they found the West side completely lacking in amenities and places like HH area has no developments/nothing going for it. HH is actually just besides Bukit Indah and 1 min away from Jusco.

Sky Suites, this looks to be an interesting one but i won't really go for condo if i have a choice. The proximity as well as location though means this one is worth another look.
 

Weekim

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Last Sunday went to Bt Indah to see the latest condo project "Sky Suites". Upon arrival at their office, realised this project was made known much earlier at the Msian side. Straits Times singapore only advertised 5 days back. 90% taken up. Very convenient. Right infront of Jusco. Direct CW bus fm Bt Indah to Jurong East.

Not advisable to buy JB condos as your neighbors might be undesirable people..eg. migrant workers, gangsters etc. From my msian relatives, I found out that condos there are mainly bought by poorer families or investors buying to rent out to migrant workers who maybe packed like sardines in a unit.

Sky Suites is indeed a convenient location but there are also terraces nearby which you should consider as they offer a safer environment to live in.
 
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whoami

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Hmm, some folks here were commenting that they found the West side completely lacking in amenities and places like HH area has no developments/nothing going for it. HH is actually just besides Bukit Indah and 1 min away from Jusco.

Sky Suites, this looks to be an interesting one but i won't really go for condo if i have a choice. The proximity as well as location though means this one is worth another look.

True. Quite near proximity to Bt Indah. Only thing is that most are semiD at HH. Whereas at Bt Indah, alot of terraces available and quite reasonably priced compared to SemiD, imo.

Yes bro. Close to 90% taken up at Sky suites.

Not advisable to buy JB condos as your neighbors might be undesirable people..eg. migrant workers, gangsters etc. From my msian relatives, I found out that condos there are mainly bought by poorer families or investors buying to rent out to migrant workers who maybe packed like sardines in a unit.

Sky Suites is indeed a convenient location but there are also terraces nearby which you should consider as they offer a safer environment to live in.

Maybe for other Condo project. But not this one i.e. Sky Suites. Cos Sales staffs told me most of the purchaser are Msian PRs and W/P holders. If travel by CW, it only take within 1 hr to reach JE interchange.

Bro, Sky Suites should be safe lah. Right in the heart of Bt Indah. Although most of the terraces are gated and safe, but I do at times missed the presence of cart sellers or street hawkers. Well, safety cannot be comprised ya. And I agree landed properties a better choice than staying in condo aka pigeon holes....:biggrin:
 

toyohon

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Without doubt the housing projects in the eastern side of Johor are of substantial quality and design. The flip side of it is that the buyers are mostly foreigners, although there are local owners as well. So at the moment, if you live there for some time, it can be quite "depressing" especially on week-nights when only a handful of houses are lighted up. Besides the hypermarts, other promised development will take a much longer time to take shape, IDR no doubt. The good thing is that there're plenty of fresh air, hills and greenery as this part of Johor was untouched, until the IDR project came along. Good thing is that infra-structure like widening and new roads are coming up. As for the rest of the promised projects, well, we'll just have to wait...
 

Weekim

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Went to view houses over the weekend at Nusa Idaman and just to share some findings and photos with bros here.


1. Nusa Idaman

Safety/Security:

1.Main entrance guardhouse not ready yet. Only individual precincts have guardhouse. As each precincts have hundreds of houses, security may be an issue as human traffic will be large compared to Horizon hills where the guards can easily recognize residents.

2.Perimeter and house fences have really low height which is insufficient to keep out intruders. Was advised by agent to install grills on all windows which is a big turn-off for me as window grills make the house feels like a jail cell.

Proximity to amenities:

1. The development is new and currently only 3-4precincts have been completed. There is a cluster of shops nearby but not within walking distance. Jusco is about 5mins drive away as there is a long and winding road to the entrance.

Current launches: Courtyard 2 and Impiana.

1. House Types: 2 Storey Terrace, 1867sqft to 2415sqft,

2. Facilities: Playground, park. No clubhouse, swimming pool etc.

3. Cost : RM 300K to RM450K. (detailed price list can be obtained from the showroom.)


11032010027.jpg
Precinct 6 Entrance

1111.jpg
View from outside main entrance

1112.jpg
House beside main entrance. Notice how low the fences are.

1113.jpg
Playground and Park within the precinct

1114.jpg
House, RM330k.
 
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toyohon

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Bro Weekim, did you enquire about the RM500k restrictions for foreigners? Good if you can get the current and latest guideline. Is it strictly enforced? cause I'll be surprised if it is. I wonder who will buy the tons of houses in the 300 - 450k range in Johor.
 

Weekim

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Bro Weekim, did you enquire about the RM500k restrictions for foreigners? Good if you can get the current and latest guideline. Is it strictly enforced? cause I'll be surprised if it is. I wonder who will buy the tons of houses in the 300 - 450k range in Johor.

hi bro, the 500k restriction is federal government ruling. Johor state government has decided not to adopt it indefinitely. Very few properties in johor are worth more than 500k.. Unlike in k.l or penange...thus its not realistic for johor to impose this restriction. Thats what i heard frm afew agents alr... I am planning to buy only in november and budget is abt 400k so i really hope this restriction will never be enforced.


Will upload more photos soon...... Cheers.
 

toyohon

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We're not alone ...

It's more than just shopping in Johor
Insight Down South by SEAH CHIANG NEE


LIVING in one of the most densely-populated and expensive cities in the world has led to greater Singaporean dependency on Johor for cheaper necessities.

Traditionally, Johor has always meant cheaper shopping and chilly crabs for Singaporeans. But these days as Singapore becomes more affluent (it ranks 6th globally on per capita GDP) and embraces the cost structure of a global city, this attitude is changing.

The Malaysian state no longer just represents a few bargains for a small number of people. For a segment of the population, mostly middle and low-wage earners who have fallen behind, the frequent trips to Johor have become a necessary feature to combat high costs.

This trend has become more prevalent in recent years as a result of relentless price spirals and higher unemployment.

Last year, the average household income fell by 2% just as Mercer Consultancy was ranking Singapore as the 10th most expensive of 143 global cities.

Increasingly, Singapore “heartlanders” are making frequent trips to Johor to buy cheaper household goods, groceries, baby products and other family essentials that could cost 50% higher back home.

“We buy only what is necessary for the home and provided if there is savings,” said a taxi-driver, a frequent shopper with his wife. It is a big help to his family budget.

He is one of about 10 million Singaporeans who visited Johor last year, a figure still below the pre-recession records.

Currently Johor, as in past history, is becoming a growing factor affecting the lives of most Singaporeans. The rich go there to play golf, sail their yachts or occasionally shop for bungalows.

Couples go for fertility treatment or stage their marriage dinners and many women opt for skin products or buy contact lenses or have their breasts enhanced.

The Singaporean shopping list ranges from petrol to pharmaceuticals, from dental care to durians, and many sorts in between – seafood, video tapes, massage and so on. They even get their cars repaired or painted, and yes, even for a car wash!

In return, Johor derives the benefits of substantial tourism earnings, job creation and Singaporean investments that help to make it one of Malaysia’s richest states.

In addition to water and cheaper shopping, Singapore also depends on the Johoreans for semi-skilled production workers, especially plumbers, electricians and mechanics.

A friend who runs a furniture business has told me the extent of Singapore’s reliance on Johor skills.

All his furniture-makers are Johoreans. “You can scour the whole Singapore island, and you’ll not likely turn up any skilled furniture- makers,” he said.

The transformation of Singapore in the past two decades has resulted in major changes that now spilling cross frontiers to impact some of its neighbours including Malaysia.

With five million people packed into 740sq km - the world’s second densest population – Singapore is short of many things including hospital healthcare facilities.

Frequently, public hospitals are out of beds. From this month, the Singapore government has begun to allow Singaporeans to use its Medisave funds in selected hospitals and clinics in Malaysia.

For Singaporeans, it can be a big saving on medical bills, while Malaysia’s ambition to become a medical hub gets a boost.

The account can be used by Singaporeans to pay for their own or the family’s hospitalisation, day surgery (one-day surgical operations) and a number of outpatient expenses outside the country.

It represents an ironic change. Until now, hospital treatment had largely been a one-way affair, with Malaysians coming to Singapore, rarely the other way.

Singapore is promoting itself as a medical hub by attracting tens of thousands of foreigners to use its hospitals it says are cheaper than in the West. But it has now moved a full circle.

Due to costs, more Singaporeans are seeking treatment in Malaysia (now making up 10% of its total medical tourists) even as wealthy foreigners are still making their way here. In Malaysia, Singaporeans can cut medical bills by at least 50% even if they can wait in queue.

A heart bypass which costs US$18,000 (RM58,509) in Singapore, for example, costs only US$9,000 (RM29,255) up north. Prices for angioplasty, paediatric cardiology, or specialised services, are about half the cost in the Republic.

The government’s encouragement for its people to seek treatment across the Causeway has been given good publicity in pro-government media.

A recent example of an early user of the Medisave scheme is cab-driver Ali Ahmed, who underwent a laminectomy at the Regency Specialist Hospital in Johor Baru.

His total bill for surgery, meals and a five-day stay in a single deluxe room came to only S$7,050 (RM16,404) (it would have been S$1,000 less if he had not insisted on a Singapore doctor.) In the Republic, it would have cost Ali S$13,500 (RM31,411).

For a long time now, thousands of Singaporeans have enjoyed vast savings when they buy medicine in Johor, an equivalent of the US-Canada situation where drugs cost only a fraction in Canada.

A major discouragement that stands in the way of more Singaporeans taking advantage of a cheaper Johor is a popular perception of unsafe streets. There had been too many reports of mugging, theft and assaults.

With prices remaining far apart between the two places, the trend is for more Singaporean consumers coming to Johor – with the growing momentum to build a faster rail and immigration processing.

Not all Johoreans are overjoyed by the prospects, however. Some are fearful that if large numbers of Singaporeans come armed with ready money, they may push up the cost of living for Johoreans.
 

whoami

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
hi bro, the 500k restriction is federal government ruling. Johor state government has decided not to adopt it indefinitely. Very few properties in johor are worth more than 500k..

Bro, is tat info very choon? Cos the Sales staff fm Setia told me othewise. He mentioned this july likelihood the 500K threshold would take effect..:o
 

Queen Seok Duk

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Bro, is tat info very choon? Cos the Sales staff fm Setia told me othewise. He mentioned this july likelihood the 500K threshold would take effect..:o

Isn't it obvious ? That whoever the sales staff is, he or she is trying to pressure you into committing the purchase asap.
 

allanlee

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Bro, is tat info very choon? Cos the Sales staff fm Setia told me othewise. He mentioned this july likelihood the 500K threshold would take effect..:o

My source says will be implemented on 1st September for landed property only......... but those deals under 500K oso can jalan coz there's gonna be something like a progressive tax / levy system (eg 300K + xx% tax / levy)..... for condos there is no change to present system. :biggrin:
 

whoami

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Isn't it obvious ? That whoever the sales staff is, he or she is trying to pressure you into committing the purchase asap.

Hmm....Pahang already implemented min threshold RM$750K. So I believe Johore may up the threshold to RM500K this year. Hope I am WRONG! :o I was at Bt Indah and Setia Tropika. U should have seen those car plates.....so many wkend cars...:biggrin::o


My source says will be implemented on 1st September for landed property only......... but those deals under 500K oso can jalan coz there's gonna be something like a progressive tax / levy system (eg 300K + xx% tax / levy)..... for condos there is no change to present system. :biggrin:

First July...and now Sept....many of time ya..:o
 

Weekim

Alfrescian
Loyal
Bro, is tat info very choon? Cos the Sales staff fm Setia told me othewise. He mentioned this july likelihood the 500K threshold would take effect..:o


There is currently no official policy announcement regarding the 500k threshold restriction. Thus like you, I have been hearing rumors about this issue.

Until I hear the government's official announcement, I take it that this policy has been shelved indefinitely since the govt has not decided what to do.

The Nusa Indaman agent too told me that the 500k restriction will start in july but when I probed further, she conceded that there are no official announcements yet and this is a hear-say from some govt official.
 

Weekim

Alfrescian
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I was at Bt Indah and Setia Tropika. U should have seen those car plates.....so many wkend cars...:biggrin::o

YES YES!!! wonder if they drive into Singapore everyday?

I realized that driving into sg from the 2nd link causeway is actually very expensive.

Any bros here drive in on a daily basis? Please help advise on the traveling costs and time required during the morning and evening peak hours.

Thanks.
 

toyohon

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Malaysians(Johoreans)/Sg PRs working in Sg owns/drive Sg plate vehicles too. So it does not mean Singaporeans are driving those cars, be it red plate or normal. By causeway it's S$1.20 and RM 2.60 going into JB. The return trip to Sg via causeway is free.
 

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
True. Quite near proximity to Bt Indah. Only thing is that most are semiD at HH. Whereas at Bt Indah, alot of terraces available and quite reasonably priced compared to SemiD, imo.


Actually two things, one is that it is not quite near but just besides it, in fact it is the same distance if not nearer to Jusco, the other is at HH is they are not mainly semi-D as its a mixed development? I am a bit confused here, have you actually been to the place?

There are terraces, clusters, semi-D and bungalows like many other developments. For Mont Calista though, for example, these are mainly Semi-D.

But yes regardless whether semi-D or not, houses in HH and some of the other developments are at a premium price. Bukit Indah is on the whole much cheaper but there are a bit more "variety" in the types of people living there. I saw an ad where they will even give a cash rebate recently for developments in the area.

There are lots of SG car plates at Bukit Indah too, (we recce a lot) the area, whether filled up with SG PRs driving SG cars or SG guys somehow makes it feel like a home away from home.
 

wuqi256

Moderator - JB Section
Loyal
Malaysians(Johoreans)/Sg PRs working in Sg owns/drive Sg plate vehicles too. So it does not mean Singaporeans are driving those cars, be it red plate or normal. By causeway it's S$1.20 and RM 2.60 going into JB. The return trip to Sg via causeway is free.

Good pointers as always.
I had in fact encountered some KL folks who are working in SG but staying in JB and driving SG car plates.

So some of the SG folks here come in by 2nd link and leave for work in Singapore using the first link/causeway. That way, they save at least on one trip, of course, their journey back may take them longer or shorter depending on their destination.
 
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