Living in JB 2 (Johore)

[Mingchye]

HI wuqi,

as we were due to sign e tenancy, i told my agent if she can help us by asking for additional items like autogate, solar film if possible, cos i told her i made e decision under pressure then as she told me got another person wanna offer at 2.1K already then, i also told her i found some new units in Bukit Indah asking about 2K RM

Apparently, she was not happy and told me it was not possible, told me if i not happy, she will ask if landlord can refund us back if landlord willing to... and she told me where on earth i found this 2K RM house.

Think this relationship soured about i asked her for additional help... and she is not willing to help

We are in e sales trade also, but think she represent both landlord and tenants here unlike in SG, where agent can only represent one party, hence, i think the agent also cun be bothered with us - e tenant

Or is my request too demanding?
This is a hard one...

Sounds like both sides have verbally agreed on rental rate and whats included hence "about to sign the tenancy". Suddenly you ask for more items and want to use bkt indah to compare, if i was the landlord or agent of cos i wud be pissed. Early on dont say now then ask for more stuff and use another location as example. Somemore they have lost this other potential client willing to pay 2.1k and dont ask for the stuff you're asking. Imho, take this as a lesson and if uncomfortable dont go ahead with it. What for make the relationship sour even before commence rental. Tho you are a newbie but hey the world's not all fair and nice. Happens on normal working life too.

 

[melodysoul]

Sounds like both sides have verbally agreed on rental rate and whats included hence "about to sign the tenancy". Suddenly you ask for more items and want to use bkt indah to compare, if i was the landlord or agent of cos i wud be pissed. Early on dont say now then ask for more stuff and use another location as example. Somemore they have lost this other potential client willing to pay 2.1k and dont ask for the stuff you're asking. Imho, take this as a lesson and if uncomfortable dont go ahead with it. What for make the relationship sour even before commence rental. Tho you are a newbie but hey the world's not all fair and nice. Happens on normal working life too.

Ok Mingchye

Thanks for the advise. I agree one would be pissed if tenant
Asked for additional items if verbal agreement is formed
But we are not insisting. We were merely asking
Is that wrong? You sound harsh.

I didn't ask cos I have no experience at all
In fact I didn't bargain and just accept what e agent
Put forth to me. In fact she only showed us 2 houses only

Regarding e 2.1K offer, I dun even know if it is real.
I am in e sales so I know there are possibilities
To close e sales, this is one techniques.

Btw r u renting or own a house in JB? Are u a Singaporean?

 

[wuqi256]

You declare the total income earned from rental minus allowable expenses like interest expense on home loan, condo mgmt fees etc. The 26% will be based on the remaining income minus expenses. Similar to how IRAS handles rental income.

Only thing I figure out is that if you live in JB and work in SG, you can be considered as 'tax resident' in both countries, then you will be subjected to the tiered tax rates enjoyed by tax residents compared to the flat 26% slapped on 'non tax residents'.

Guys, this is my own experience, again this was posted earlier but just to share:

1-26% and can deduct against many claimable expenses, even internet and computer - Only catch is at least 182 days in Malaysia
A friend of mine who has 3 houses rented out paid a grand total of 4k for the taxes after deductions
Once you get the tax number, go down to the tax office, near Angsana shopping centre and get your online PIN. You can then use
that PIN permanently (yes can change PIN number later, yes its a one time effort to go down)
Then you can file accordingly.

 

[Arowana88]

Ok Mingchye

Thanks for the advise. I agree one would be pissed if tenant
Asked for additional items if verbal agreement is formed
But we are not insisting. We were merely asking
Is that wrong? You sound harsh.

I didn't ask cos I have no experience at all
In fact I didn't bargain and just accept what e agent
Put forth to me. In fact she only showed us 2 houses only

Regarding e 2.1K offer, I fun even know if it is real.
I am in e sales so I know there are possibilities
To close e sales, this is one techniques.

Btw r u renting or own a house in JB? Are u a Singaporean?

You should rent from wuqi, he will definitely comply to yr requests... Not all landlord is generous. And not all things requested is a must from the land lord. I was a land lord before... Those things needed I automatic will buy and let tenants use, but some ridiculous request will not be entertained. If u rent 2 or 3 months then if requests were given then land lord will have a hole in the pants. Should be profit later became big lost!

Most land lord will want to spend as little money as possible , his main purpose is to earn from the rents and not lose $$$$!!!

 

[wuqi256]

HI wuqi,

as we were due to sign e tenancy, i told my agent if she can help us by asking for additional items like autogate, solar film if possible, cos i told her i made e decision under pressure then as she told me got another person wanna offer at 2.1K already then, i also told her i found some new units in Bukit Indah asking about 2K RM

Apparently, she was not happy and told me it was not possible, told me if i not happy, she will ask if landlord can refund us back if landlord willing to... and she told me where on earth i found this 2K RM house.

Think this relationship soured about i asked her for additional help... and she is not willing to help

We are in e sales trade also, but think she represent both landlord and tenants here unlike in SG, where agent can only represent one party, hence, i think the agent also cun be bothered with us - e tenant

Or is my request too demanding?
This is a hard one...

Hi Melody, i would generally agree with Mingchye's assessment here.

You could have walked away but then you verbally committed and before the contract, you asked for more. It will be different if you did not talk about the other units in Bukit Indah. I know you wanted to leverage on it to get what you want but these additional items could have been requested for earlier. Solar film isn't too expensive but still subject to the landlord but autogate is at least 1350 so its an investment the landlord may or may not want to make. You could have also told her that these are just good to have but no impact on the ongoing lease. Willing buyer, willing seller.

It now depends on what you want, if you want to continue, just tell the agent you hope to have them but if not you will continue. Else I think you should get a refund and then go ahead with the 2k RM Bkit Indah unit.

 

[Newbie2012]

Ok Mingchye

Thanks for the advise. I agree one would be pissed if tenant
Asked for additional items if verbal agreement is formed
But we are not insisting. We were merely asking
Is that wrong? You sound harsh.

I didn't ask cos I have no experience at all
In fact I didn't bargain and just accept what e agent
Put forth to me. In fact she only showed us 2 houses only

Regarding e 2.1K offer, I fun even know if it is real.
I am in e sales so I know there are possibilities
To close e sales, this is one techniques.

Btw r u renting or own a house in JB? Are u a Singaporean?

Requesting for a Autogate will be like asking for a $150 monthly discount off the rental for a one year lease. Besides, I think you have triggered her "temper bud" by literally saying your agent pressurized you into making a hasty decision. She rather pocket your deposit and have a share with the landlord and still get any chance at earning a commission from a new tenant. Don't believe your agent's word that she will try to get back your deposit for you. You can imagine what she will do - sleep on it and come back with a "No".

Guess your agent not a very tolerant sales person; won't go far in sales because handling difficult customers well is part and parcel of the job.

BTW, will you be contributing to the weekday morning and evening peak hour congestion in Woodlands Causeway or Tuas? Don't get me wrong, if you do, we still welcome you to squeeze with us together during the morning and evening peak hours.

 

[wuqi256]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

Just to add if I ever retire and use the JB house, I will not bother climbing the staircase and will prob seal up the 2nd level.

This may be a good solution:
http://www.ken-jo.com.sg/kenjohome.htm

 

[Newbie2012]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

Yes sir, you are right to point out that it is inevitable and we are following the footsteps of Japan very closely. Property prices in Japan are so high that mortgage terms of 100 years are commonplace. Japan went down this road of multi-generational mortgages and they consequently have a wonderful system of housing. Everyone is a winner!

You are either a rich landlord or a poor renter!

As a followup to your mentioning of Japan 100 years mortgage, would like to add the following links as research material for investors here which I gotten with a simple google search of keywords:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1990/05/21/73567/index.htm

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/longest-mortgage-7677.html

Hope it will help each one of you better understand the advantages and disadvantages of a longer-term mortgage and take advantage of it according to your risk personality.

I must add ... to be filthy rich in property investment, one has to be quick and merciless. Don't worry about your decedents future ability to own a property on their own, you shall take it as your task to provide for them.

 

[Newbie2012]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

This may be a good solution:
http://www.ken-jo.com.sg/kenjohome.htm

Good that you suggested it since many SG are buying 2 stories and 3-stories landed properties here for retirement. In fact I have been doing a little thinking/researching about the feasibility and regulation to have a lift retrofitted in a terrace or semi-D but don't seems to be getting anyway.

Hope this can be discussed further here.

Lifts are not commonly provided by landed developers here except for one or two bungalow developers. To push up prices of properties in Iskandar and attract more SG to retire here, developers has to do more than simply raising prices.... they got to change tact and add more features, better qualities materials to at least justifies some portion of their price increase. This would be even more important if the minimum $1 million floor for foreigners buying property in Malaysia is to be implemented. If not, when this regulation is passed, they can "moo" grass.

 

[FHBH12]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

This may be a good solution:
http://www.ken-jo.com.sg/kenjohome.htm

Thanks. Lifts are not cheap to install, operate and maintain. I will just skip the 2nd level since i just need 1 room at the ground floor when I'm old. Prob by then shoebox apartments might be common and I will just buy one to stay and sell/rent out this landed.

 

[abugumgum]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

If thinking ahead and may install a lift, it will be good to buy those units with an internal courtyard design. Less work. .

As for the rental or sale, there is also the possibility that the agent is the owner / co-owner too, so need to tactful. Even bankers and lawyers are in the property investment, seems many people are :o

 

[Mingchye]

Ok Mingchye

Thanks for the advise. I agree one would be pissed if tenant
Asked for additional items if verbal agreement is formed
But we are not insisting. We were merely asking
Is that wrong? You sound harsh.

I didn't ask cos I have no experience at all
In fact I didn't bargain and just accept what e agent
Put forth to me. In fact she only showed us 2 houses only

Regarding e 2.1K offer, I fun even know if it is real.
I am in e sales so I know there are possibilities
To close e sales, this is one techniques.

Btw r u renting or own a house in JB? Are u a Singaporean?

Sorry for sounding that way. Wrote that response using my iphone and had to be short and sharp but didnt realise I sounded harsh too. Need to learn from how wuqi answered your query. Calm, cool and diplomatic.

I am a Msian working in SG. I booked an under-construction terrace at Nusa Idaman and intend to rent it out when its TOP, hence I can understand your landlord's viewpoint when I put myself in landlord's shoes. However, I must agree that the sales agent's behaviour is not professional as no matter how unhappy one is, one needs to be professional and handle the situation well/tactful.

 

[wuqi256]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

If thinking ahead and may install a lift, it will be good to buy those units with an internal courtyard design. Less work. .

As for the rental or sale, there is also the possibility that the agent is the owner / co-owner too, so need to tactful. Even bankers and lawyers are in the property investment, seems many people are :o

http://www.aritcomalaysia.com/t1/contact-us.php

This is one of those doing lifts and i have confirmed they can install this in Johore.
Budget of 80-100k RM typically for double storey inclusive of installation charges.
2-3 weeks to install depending on complexity, whether extensive hacking required, etc

 

[wuqi256]

Actually I got a tenant who asked for additional aircons in the rooms, additional built in ovens, to do some re-wiring etc AFTER he has moved into my house for 3-6 months. Some might ignore their request but for me I try to install for them if they need it.



as we were due to sign e tenancy, i told my agent if she can help us by asking for additional items like autogate, solar film if possible, cos i told her i made e decision under pressure then as she told me got another person wanna offer at 2.1K already then, i also told her i found some new units in Bukit Indah asking about 2K RM

It is quite common for them to ask after tenancy agreement, as much as possible, i try to fulfill such requests including rewiring or adding of water heaters in the back room or kitchen toilet, etc. I even put in solar film, etc towards the end of a lease when the tenants asked for it.

 

[austin_hts]

Hi Wuqi, i filed tax online. Where do i make payment? And do i wait for a letter from the authorities before making payment like in spore?

Thanks v much..

Guys, this is my own experience, again this was posted earlier but just to share:

1-26% and can deduct against many claimable expenses, even internet and computer - Only catch is at least 182 days in Malaysia
A friend of mine who has 3 houses rented out paid a grand total of 4k for the taxes after deductions
Once you get the tax number, go down to the tax office, near Angsana shopping centre and get your online PIN. You can then use
that PIN permanently (yes can change PIN number later, yes its a one time effort to go down)
Then you can file accordingly.

 

[wuqi256]

Hi Wuqi, i filed tax online. Where do i make payment? And do i wait for a letter from the authorities before making payment like in spore?

Thanks v much..

Hey Austin_hts, you can pay online as well as at many banks including Public Bank. After doing this, there should be a prompt for the amount.
They even have a cash accepting machine at the banks which you can do this.

For first timer, if you want to be doubly sure, just get the tax payment slip at the bank and make the payment.

http://www.hasil.org.my/goindex.php?kump=5&skum=1&posi=2&unit=5000&sequ=7

I have posted the links before but here they are again to the income tax page:
http://www.hasil.org.my/index.php

 

[tonto]

You declare the total income earned from rental minus allowable expenses like interest expense on home loan, condo mgmt fees etc. The 26% will be based on the remaining income minus expenses. Similar to how IRAS handles rental income.

Only thing I figure out is that if you live in JB and work in SG, you can be considered as 'tax resident' in both countries, then you will be subjected to the tiered tax rates enjoyed by tax residents compared to the flat 26% slapped on 'non tax residents'.

Mingchye, does that mean that a Singaporean who works in Singapore and live in a Malaysia home for > 183 days will be taxed on the employment income earned in Singapore by Malaysia? If that is that case, it means that employment income earned in Singapore will be taxed twice, once in Singapore (for Singaporeans as we are considered tax residents regardless of where we stay) and once in Malaysia (tax resident of Malaysia if we stay > 183 days there)? Do you know if there is any double tax relief from Malaysia side? I do not think there is any double tax relief on Singapore side for individuals. This could mean I should only stay full time in Malaysia if I do not have income from Singapore...

 

[Mingchye]

Mingchye, does that mean that a Singaporean who works in Singapore and live in a Malaysia home for > 183 days will be taxed on the employment income earned in Singapore by Malaysia? If that is that case, it means that employment income earned in Singapore will be taxed twice, once in Singapore (for Singaporeans as we are considered tax residents regardless of where we stay) and once in Malaysia (tax resident of Malaysia if we stay > 183 days there)? Do you know if there is any double tax relief from Malaysia side? I do not think there is any double tax relief on Singapore side for individuals. This could mean I should only stay full time in Malaysia if I do not have income from Singapore...

Malaysia rental income declare/report to Malaysia inland revenue dept and taxed solely on this basis.
Singapore employment income declare/report to IRAS and taxed solely on this basis.
Separate. No double taxation. In anycase, SG and MY have double taxation agreement to avoid this. Thats why I say it is feasible to stay in MY and commute to work in SG and hence be considered "tax resident" in both countries and enjoy the tiered tax rates.

 

[vincentck]

Hi melodysoul,

Pity you had to go thru an unprofessional agent when looking for a house to rent. I'm not siding with them and in fact those that I've dealt with are not any better. But if you were to put yourself in their shoes, I guess you would also feel the same if you had a tenant asking for additional things at the point of signing the tenancy agreement.

May I know where is this house that you're renting at RM2.1k? I'm currently renting a HH unit in The Gateway for RM1.8k, bare unit only with 1 AC, heater, washing machine and fridge only, plus kitchen cabinets, hood and stove; fans and lights are standard. And I had to pay the agent fee too, half month.

If I am the landlord, I would install the autogate and solar film and raise the rent to cover the cost. Nothing personal, it's just business.

HI wuqi,

as we were due to sign e tenancy, i told my agent if she can help us by asking for additional items like autogate, solar film if possible, cos i told her i made e decision under pressure then as she told me got another person wanna offer at 2.1K already then, i also told her i found some new units in Bukit Indah asking about 2K RM

Apparently, she was not happy and told me it was not possible, told me if i not happy, she will ask if landlord can refund us back if landlord willing to... and she told me where on earth i found this 2K RM house.

Think this relationship soured about i asked her for additional help... and she is not willing to help

We are in e sales trade also, but think she represent both landlord and tenants here unlike in SG, where agent can only represent one party, hence, i think the agent also cun be bothered with us - e tenant

Or is my request too demanding?
This is a hard one...

 

[vincentck]

Re: Your Friendly Bank in Singapore!

Haha, that's a small issue, depending on the height of the carpet, shave the bottom of your door. But for Av room you need soft furnishing, like sofa, carpets, rugs, cushions n curtain inorder to have great sound effect!

Hi Sanur, as you can see I'm quite green in this matters... haha... never considered changing the flooring due to the additional cost involved. Do you have an AV room in your place? I plan to have wall-to-wall curtains as well as a carpet/rug in the centre of the room. Of course enough sofa, cushions, lazy boy, bean bags to seat 10 people in the room too. Any recommendation for sound and video setup?

Oh mine is not full carpet for whole room. It's just a small piece of throw over carpet with a lot of soft ticklish furs. Its underneath my table and chair and my kitty like to sleep on it

in future, I want to design the bedrooms with full carpet. Its ok as I expect that air con will be turn on quite often in the bedrooms. I like the idea of a video room so that would complement perfectly.

Hehe... we can go shopping for AV stuff and get a bulk purchase discount. When will your Laguna unit be ready?

Yes. And definitely will change window to double glaze

What are double glaze windows, bro?

I find it amusing that bros and sis are trying to look for the perfect floor. Fact of the matter is..there are none. Like tamans, every floor type has its pros and cons. there is no perfect one. Its not right to say a particular floor is bad just becos u dont understand it. The 'floating' feeling of laminated floor is due to the underlay which helps absorb sound and moisture. Laminated flooring has come a long way since its hey days. i dont sell laminated floors by the way. as with All types of floors, one has to take care of it. Show me a floor that you dont need to take care...raw cement or linoleum maybe. I have seen parquet floor warp or buldge and scratched, ceramic tile floors pop, homogeneous tiles chipped. marble floors stained and scratched. Also for tiles, u have to contend with the grout getting dirty. As for carpets, its not exactly a floor type but for people looking at easy maintenance floor systems, carpet should be your last consideration. Walk into any hotel room and u will know what i mean. I have stayed in houses with all the above types of floors except for granite. thats why no comments on granite floor except it is damm ex.

Nolar, we're not looking for the perfect floor, more like looking for the best option in terms of cost, feel, maintenance, etc depending on the needs. Thanks for listing the various options with pros and cons.

Just a little jest and Feng Shui time .... when buying property, I prefer to be on solid ground rather than on "floating" ground .

The fact remains that laminated flooring can't last longer than parquet and tiles and will cost more in maintenance fees. That is also why due to it material and construction, laminated flooring is cheaper than parquet and has a cheap wood look. Staircase with laminated flooring really looks bad. Pacquet or timber strips on staircase is much better looking and suitable.

Hmmm, I wonder if timber flooring was the type of flooring provided in Horizon Residence. I didn't see any vendor selling this during the HomeDec in Persada in mid July.