I’ve been hearing some pretty hilarious (and sad) posts from Singaporeans who thought buying property in Johor Bahru was going to be a steal. They saw the prices, thought they were getting a massive bargain with Singapore prices as the benchmark, and didn’t bother checking the fine print. Fast forward a few years, and now they’re crying foul.
A lot didn’t realize the legal complexities when buying as a foreigner. Malaysia’s rules are different from Singapore’s, and some properties are outright off-limits for non-Malaysians. But of course, they didn’t bother doing their homework on that or engage an independent lawyer for that.
Then, there’s the whole maintenance side of things. They expected Singapore-style condo management, security, and amenities, only to find out that the standard in JB can be… let's say, less than stellar. Delayed repairs, poor management, and buildings not as well-maintained as they thought it would be.
Oh, and let’s not forget the market volatility. They thought they were buying in an "up-and-coming" area, but the reality is that Johor’s property market is WAY more unpredictable than they imagined. Some are stuck with properties that are worth a fraction of what they paid, and now they can’t offload them either.
Cross-border issues are also a pain, managing a property in JB while living in Singapore is a logistical nightmare for most. Taxes, utilities, and all the paperwork... so many things that were just “too much to deal with” for some of these guys.
You got a liability, not a property since you're not even staying there.