Living in JB

[Investor]

Hi vincent,

Many thanks for sharing...that is helpful to me... Let's see what others have to say about their purchases/ intended purchase.

Cheers,
PH

I'm sharing the reasons why I've invested in East Ledang (my personal point of view);

1) Presently the closest high-end residential property to Singapore via 2nd Link.
2) Located right after the exit to Nusajaya City, thus the best location to avoid any traffic jam in the future when the City is bustling.
3) Located right beside Nusajaya's CBD - Medini(99 years leasehold Prime land of Nusajaya). Just like living in Paterson Rd/ Scotts Rd beside Ion Orchard.
4) Located right beside the very successful EduCity, thus demand for rental of properties in East Ledang is good in future.
5) Good materials and build quality, eg. Polished and non-polished homogeneous tiles for almost everywhere in the house instead of ceramic tiles.
6) Reliable developer, UEM Land, which is a government linked company and also the land owner and master developer of Nusajaya.
7) Presently proven to be the most sought after landed development in Johor based on the take-up rate of previous launches. Phase 8 terraces launched early this year at prices between RM 660k to RM1 million were all snapped up within 1 week. All previous launches were Fully sold, not a single unit left.
8) Most mega investments have selected Nusajaya for their developments. To be exact - mostly selected Medini till date. (Booming city equals capital appreciation)
9) Kota Iskandar, Johor State New Administrative Centre, is also in Nusajaya. Thus it gave me more faith in the future of this city.
10) One of the most high-tech security system (Perimeter intrusion detection system, perimeter CCTV with infra-red and VDM, plate recognition system, vehicle movement tracking facility at each phase, boom gate, emergency intercom, outdoor pan-tilt-zoom CCTV along main road, panic button)
11) No need to pass thru any older taman or estate in order to get to East Ledang, thus the feel good factor about the whole environment outside East Ledang.
12) Freehold

Thus, investment wise, I've chosen East Ledang.
But for own weekend stay and lifestyle, I prefer HH's The Hills Precinct where I can enjoy an elevated and unblocked view, cool fresh air from the golf greens all around.

 

[LeMans2011]

The reason i invested in East Ledang was... when i saw the property i fell in love with it instantly.. it was love at first sight

 

[markhida22]

Re: Investing in Nusajaya

i rem seeing it at the showvillage sometime back...i think all built up liao. its ok as long as you ok with the smallness...i think intermediate subsale units going for 450+..ouch.

sorry but i claustrophobic type...in fact present offerings at the showvillage reminds me of the tatic deployed by Sing developers....build as small as possible so as to keep price affordable..expect developer to cont doing that especially for launches within 1km from circular.

Thanks yonglip for your reply.

Ya, the 2 storey terrace houses developed by SP Setia are generally quite small, this unit in "the Quartz" is considered ok to my small family, with 20 x 70 lot size and a built up of about 1900 sq ft.

So it is similar in size to those 20x 70 in HH ambang 4/x, except that the Quartz has no common area on the 2nd level, instead there is a spacious belcony extend out from the masterbedroom. The guest room on the first level is also quite spacious.

I wonder if the built specification is acceptable, eg. with "Timber Truss roof framing" and "Corrugated roof / R.C flat roof", which I do not know if there are any concerns.

http://www.spsetia.com.my/bukit_indah_johor/pfs_thequartz_specifications.htm


Also the security of the area.

 

[tutucake]

Hi there roger
My children are studying in Singapore and we commute daily. One of them is in the morning session and the other is in the afternoon. They are both schooling in Woodlands. Well, the elder will wake up about 5:30 to get ready for school and leave about 6:15 and drive in through Tuas. I usually reach woodlands about 7:10 and will drive back to JB. The younger will leave home about 11:20 and drive through woodlands and would reach school about 12:10. When I fetch the younger back and will drive through woodlands and get back about 7:30 - 8pm depends on the jam at the causeway. The jam at the causeway will start about 6pm usually but on rainny days sometimes its not so bad. If some odd days, I would drive back through Tuas and would reach home about 7:40-8pm well if I am lazy to Q in the jam. You need to try out for about a week or two to get some timing right. Btw im staying at HH. I would avoid the morning jam from JB at the causeway. I tried the route before and I left home at 6am and reached my kids school earliest at 7:15, that is with good driving skill going through the jam. The traffic from tuas to woodlands is a breeze as most of the traffic is going the opposite direction.

Just my 2 cents
Cheers

If you leave HH by 6.15am and reach Woodlands CIQ via coastal highway by 630am, i guess the traffic at woodlands CIQ should still be okie rite?

I guess your job offers you great time flexibility as well as income to allow you to fetch boths ur kids thru and flow....i cannot imagine how much u spend on petrol and toll every mth....

 

[markhida22]

Its be SP Setia...heard alot of leaking issues from the buyers of this particular projects in the cari forum....if have to buy from SP Setia, avoid The Quartz and The Emerald...they are from the same contractor....

tutucake, thanks for the info..

 

[markhida22]

Hi you may find the following link helpful.
Have a good read.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bukit-Indah-Community-JB/112897038781629?ref=ts

hi checkers, thanks for the link, i will check it out...

 

[cleyeo]

Bros,

Can some bros here explain how the loan package work ?.
As we all know that most developer prefer "progressive payment" to "deferred payment".

I would like to know how the bank loan work. For example, the house price is 500K. the buyer pay 10% in cash for downpayment/booking fee, and the buyer get 80% loan.

When does the buyer start paying the loan ?. Am I correct to say that all progressive payment will be handled by the bank ?.

appreciate it very much.

cheers

Can some bros here help to brief me a bit here. thanks

 

[wuqi256]

Can some bros here help to brief me a bit here. thanks

If you get 80 percent loan, you will pay first the 10% to the developers lawyer and then another 10% later. Once that is done, lawer from developer will send letter to advise the bank to disburse the 80% to the developer. Once that is done, bank will then send you a letter advising of the disbursement on such a date and to advise you on the payment and account information from that month on.

Normally progressive payment is if you have no bank loan at all. As if you are paying the cost of the house once it is completed (COV/TOP in SG)

 

[Aisanbo]

Can some bros here help to brief me a bit here. thanks

Progressive Payment is based on the construction milestone.
During construction, I think you only pay the interests of the amount disbursed to developer. I.e. you do not start paying principal.
Some developer like SP Setia may absorb this interests during construction (that's why it's transparent to me during the construction period).
When fully completed and the loan amount is fully disbursed, you start to pay the proper loan installment (either 20yrs, or 25 yrs, etc).

 

[vincentck]

Hi Cleyeo, last post before I sleep....

It will always be progressive payment to developers for properties under construction; whether finance by the bank or paid in cash by yourself. As construction is completed stage by stage, the developer's lawyer will request for payment, up to the stage of the construction completion. This is known as progressive payment; meaning as the construction progresses, bank makes payment.

For bank loans, foreigners can only loan up to 80% most of the time; 90% will be for Msians. And if you have 2 home loans in MY, your 3rd home loan is restricted at 70% only, I believe should be for both Msians and foreigners (correct me if I'm wrong). The 70% restriction only applies to residential loans; meaning if you buy a commercial property, it does not count towards the 70% restriction policy. So, depending on your approved loan amount, you could either be paying 10%, 15% or even 20% downpayment to the developer upon SPA signing.

The banks have various packages; need to ask the bank officer or mortgage consultant to advise you on the differences. I have a mix of flexi and non-flexi loan. Flexi loan is where your current account is tied to your home loan account and whatever cash you deposit into your current account will be used to offset your principal amount owed, thus resulting in less total interest paid and therefore shorter tenure; but this usually comes with a RM10 maintenance fee charged by the bank. Non-flexi accounts just means you pay your installment on a monthly basis, no maintenance fee on your savings account.

Buyer starts paying he loan upon receipt of vacant possession, or the owner can also make advance payment over the counter during construction period and inform the bank officer to deduct the amount towards your principal or loan amount.

Yes, progressive payment is handled by the bank. However, based on past experience and also hearing from others, some banks are slow to disburse the money resulting in the developer charging 10% pa interest on the amount owing. After 2-3 years (landed or high-rise), the amount of interest charged can amount to thousands of RM. So, best bet is to follow-up closely with the bank and the credit dept of the developer to make sure you don't have any outstanding.

 

[Aisanbo]

Searching "car polish" didn't get me any results.

Any recommendation for good car polishing and interior cleaning services in JB ?
I know there's a "Cars international" at Tebrau City basement carpark but I dun wanna take a package.
Thanks.

 

[Investor]

Congrats, you guys Living In JB is the talk of the town now

Singaporean home buyers look to Johor 08 NOVEMBER 2011 , BY THE SUN


The long queue for public housing in Singapore and high prices in the secondary market have resulted in more Singaporeans buying property in Johor and the Iskandar region, a Singapore real estate agent said.

Institute of Estate Agents Singapore immediate past president Jeff Foo said it is taking longer for young couples in Singapore to upgrade as property prices have gone up while supply is low.

"The government is working to provide more properties for young people, but we will only see the effect in several years' time," he said at the FIABCI-Malaysia Morning Talk on 'Singapore Property Market Updates' recently.

He added that many Singaporeans, both local and permanent residents, are buying houses in Johor and commuting to work every day due to the lower cost of living and cheaper houses in Johor.

On real estate investment trusts (REITs), Foo said prices have fallen due to lower demand while analysts have said Singapore's REITs are undervalued.

"REITs in Singapore have fallen, about 23% for hospitality REITs, office 22%, retail 5%, industrial about 7%," he said.

Foo said Grade A offices today are charging about S$10 to S$11 psf compared to the peak in 2008 with rentals of S$18 psf, which was still 50% cheaper than in Hong Kong.

However, healthcare REITs are growing, he said. Singapore's only two healthcare REITs are Parkway and First REIT.

 

[Lizzert]

Hi Lizzert, congratulations on securing the unit at Impiana. It would be helpful if you could share what kind of pros and cons you found at Impiana before you made the decision.

Btw, I was told that the next two towers will be launched in January and will be priced around 5% higher that the first two towers. I checked with them in late October and most of the smaller units were sold. They were left mostly with bumi lots, 3 br duplexes and 4 br.

Went there to EL to visit a friend..then went to show flat..and bought a unit for my retirement needs since its only ready in 2014.and I liked the whole neighbourhood,and the fact that it would be next to the International school. I am not one for Landed units since I dont plan on living there permanently -so a condo works better for me as I will have less to worry about security ect..when its empty for extended periods.Price wise..I think its still very worthwhile.. surprisingly I was told thast most units have been taken up by locals. There's some comfort in that -it must still repreent good value/potential for appreciation if there is strong local demand. Who knows..I m happy to get the unit whatever the outcome. Its basically the same price as that of a good European sedan with a 10 yr life span in Singapore and still represents good value for money.

 

[Investor]

Medini
After Temasek's RM3,000 million (RM3 billion) investment in Medini http://www.temasek.com.sg/media_centre_news_releases_270611.htm

2 more major investments which followed recently are;
Zhuoda Real Estate Group - RM2,5000 million (RM2.5 billion) http://iskandarmalaysia.com.my/news/111108/iib-and-china-firm-in-rm25bil-mega-property-venture
Qingdao Zhouyuan Investment Holdings - RM1,800 million (RM1.8 billion) http://iskandarmalaysia.com.my/news/111108/iskandar-lands-rm18b-deal-from-qingdao

 

[mathstub]

Hi, Bro, my place will be ready about 2 years from now.

Thanks for sharing DOJ, looks like a good contact to have in the event we need to go to Changi from Johor.

Same thing bro, we couldn't imagine paying RM650k for an intermediate unit in The Hills, so did more searching and found NI; corner unit at RM500k only... and still can have some balance to spend on reno. What was your original budget for the house?

As other forummers has shared, getting good rental income really depends on location; same in KL too because the whole area is just so big. In KL, usually rental yield for houses are lower than rental for condos. In Nusajaya, it's different because there are not many condos yet, so houses will be in demand. I think if your rent can cover 50% of your instalment, that would be good already. When will ur place be ready?

As long as you're happy with it, then ur mind can be at peace. That area is definitely more mature than HH/Bukit Indah side. But good thing is TGV is going to open soon in Jusco Bkt Indah, then we can watch movies cheaper than in SG. Are you planning to move in when it's ready, or is the place just as a weekend home?

 

[mathstub]

I passed by the construction site (beside Jusco) for TGV (right opposite to McDonalds). TGV seems to be in a completely separate building. If I did not see it wrongly, the TGV seemed to be of several storeys. Any Bro can confirm?

Wow! That's great news ...Any idea when TGV is opening?

 

[mathstub]

Now thinking more about what has been happening in Johor, especially Nusajaya, property price appreciation at such a skyrocket fast rate is healthy or not to both locals and foreigners. Most of us think we are getting something a lot cheaper than what we can get in Singapore. Our expression of our feelings about properties being cheaper in Johor (through our actions and aggressiveness in snapping properties there) gives the developers guts and signals to increase the price at any rate they like: they may think even they increase the price, we still think we are getting something cheap. Relative to what happened a few years back in Johor, what we are getting are no longer cheap (I am not using Singapore as the benchmark here). The main point is not whether we can afford it but whether the property purchase is value for our hard earned money.

I was surprise too that one was sold!? The showhouse unit are all rush wok tts y things are not properly constructed from wat i heard, bt the show unit is indeed crazy big carpark can put more than 7 cars @@
U r wrong bro yonglip we r forced to buy such high price due to the market inflation >< these houses are aiming to foreigner and also for those who work in sg(like me), those who work in jb reali cant afford to buy such house (not teasing bt its truth =( ) Jb cost of living is getting higher~

 

[mattl02138]

Hello, new to the forum, a big thank you to everyone for the wealth of information!

i am working abroad and is thinking of buying a semi-d or cluster for my parents/investment. tried to contact HH and SPSetia sales people and can't seem to get good information through email/internet. I have narrowed down my choices to HH, Cascadia and EL.

I am wondering if anyone has the floor plans for the 2-1/2 The Golf Semi-D, the new 2 and 3 story clusters at The Hills and the new launches at Eco Cascadia? Gamuda is horrible about updating their website and replying emails.

Can't find anything online regarding these few prohects, I want to do my research before my trip back this December so I can decided quickly. Hope some of you big bosses can help out. Posting the scans of the plans would be appreciated and I am sure others would love to see it too.

Please let me know if anyone has any leads or information on locating the floor plans, my parents can't help much as they are IT-noobs and can't travel around in JB easily. Many thanks in advance!

 

[mathstub]

Horizon Hills, 79100, Nusajaya, Johor

Hi HH residents... I need your help to complete my house address. I forgot to copy it down from the tenancy agreement. What comes after "No. XX, Jalan Ambang X/X"?

Thanks.

 

[jasonjst]

Now thinking more about what has been happening in Johor, especially Nusajaya, property price appreciation at such a skyrocket fast rate is healthy or not to both locals and foreigners. Most of us think we are getting something a lot cheaper than what we can get in Singapore. Our expression of our feelings about properties being cheaper in Johor (through our actions and aggressiveness in snapping properties there) gives the developers guts and signals to increase the price at any rate they like: they may think even they increase the price, we still think we are getting something cheap. Relative to what happened a few years back in Johor, what we are getting are no longer cheap (I am not using Singapore as the benchmark here). The main point is not whether we can afford it but whether the property purchase is value for our hard earned money.

I think it is still cheap if you buy at the right location, price and developer. The problem I see it is people think that the whole JB is price at a premium . Sometime I wonder where is the real saving we were talking about at the begining of the thread 3yrs ago. Assuming you buy a house 1M = 450K SGD , you need a SG car , a JB car and toll charge / petrol / times.
With this kind of money a retirees can find a humble HDB pigeon hole , move around in MRTs , eat at hawkers .
Anyway I still feel is great buy if you have the money , quality of life is better than living in pigeon hole lah, saving is not that great already . If you are buying in very high end development , maybe cost of living higher than in SG leh .