Living in JB

[ODYSSEY]

Bros who are buying subsale, please do be reminded that you should get your own lawyer and different from the one representing the seller. Even if it costs more.
That way, the lawyer will act in your best interest. Also, there are people who wants the 10% before state consent. State consent is normally granted after a few months but could take a while, 2-4 months typically and some sellers could be needing money before that hence there are some who asks for 10% prior to the state consent.

This is not that rare a request but best to get everything documented in black and white before you commit.

1. If a seller persists in delaying signing the S&P, its a bad sign.
2. If an agent offers to return you your cheque the very next day.
3. Always appoint your own lawyer even if it costs you more. Do not listen to agents asking you to use theirs or
only theirs can handle it.
4. Soft negotiations can be done sometimes, instead of disbursing 10%, ask for 5% or the right to move in early
to the house.
5. Where a deal goes south or even after a deal concludes well, you have the right to ask for a discount from the
lawyers if you find that the service was tardy or slow.
6. Don't be afraid to seek legal advice, there are reputable ones such as Syed Alwi, Ng & Co*.
7. Where possible, buy direct from developer or from direct owners if you really cannot get it direct.
8. Agents* should normally only be getting the comms direct from the seller unless somehow that agent saved you
a ton of money.

*Wuqi256 is not in any way related to agents or any law firms.

I want to reiterate that every point shared by Wuqi above is absolutely true! My friends and I bought our house from sub-sale and we have experienced some of the above events in one way or another. Buying from sub-sale is not as easy as from developers so please heed the advice given, or shared by all the good bros here. As reminded by Wuqi, it is imperative to get ur own lawyer - a good one for that matter; someone who can and will protect ur interest (instead of the seller, or even worst the agent's). Don't believe everything the housing agent tells u. Go into a deal with both eyes wide open and u will be fine. Note point 6, if still in doubt, check with ur lawyer before taking the next step. That's what u r paying them for. Thanks Wuqi once again, for these timely reminders! One can never be too careful when buying from sub-sale. One truly bad incident can really dampen and spoil ur plan in living in JB.

 

[Batok Seri]

Having been to Johor Premium Outlets today, here's my route guide for people looking for value factory outlet shopping..
Going north on NS highway, take exit 304.
Straight to Senai Airport.
Then take a flight to Bandung.

 

[Sobrielo]

Bros who are buying subsale, please do be reminded that you should get your own lawyer and different from the one representing the seller. Even if it costs more.
That way, the lawyer will act in your best interest. Also, there are people who wants the 10% before state consent. State consent is normally granted after a few months but could take a while, 2-4 months typically and some sellers could be needing money before that hence there are some who asks for 10% prior to the state consent.

This is not that rare a request but best to get everything documented in black and white before you commit.

1. If a seller persists in delaying signing the S&P, its a bad sign.
2. If an agent offers to return you your cheque the very next day.
3. Always appoint your own lawyer even if it costs you more. Do not listen to agents asking you to use theirs or
only theirs can handle it.
4. Soft negotiations can be done sometimes, instead of disbursing 10%, ask for 5% or the right to move in early
to the house.
5. Where a deal goes south or even after a deal concludes well, you have the right to ask for a discount from the
lawyers if you find that the service was tardy or slow.
6. Don't be afraid to seek legal advice, there are reputable ones such as Syed Alwi, Ng & Co*.
7. Where possible, buy direct from developer or from direct owners if you really cannot get it direct.
8. Agents* should normally only be getting the comms direct from the seller unless somehow that agent saved you
a ton of money.

*Wuqi256 is not in any way related to agents or any law firms.

Thanks for the advice Wuqi. I felt a rat when this Malaysian Sri Lankan wanted ten per cent of my son's deposit before the state approval. He is either desperate for money or just one of the unscrupolous seller to his property at ## Jalan Penggiran 4/2 Horizon Hills. All brothers and sisters take heed of the advice and be careful when you are asked for the ten per cent before the state approval. It will put you in significant risk. I am just glad we managed to get back all the deposit minus the legal fees. Thanks for the advice from 1 to 8 Wuqi. It was a blessing that the sale of the property was aborted as I had advised my son against such unethical and unauthodox practise demanded by the seller. Just to highlight this unfortunate incident so that brothers and sisters out there won't be conned.

 

[mathstub]

Dear Bros and Sis, when you buy a condo/apartment/flat in a building (say with 9 storeys or above), do you usually consider which direction your balcony faces (if your condo/apartment/flat has one balcony)? For those buying condos or apartments, do you prefer your balcony faces the pool with another building opposite you at a distance as far as more than the width of the pool or you prefer your condo/apartment balcony faces a large open space?

Bros and Sis who have got a condo/apartment in JB, I would love to hear your views on the above. Also those bros and sis who are into fung shui are very welcome to share their views as well.

 

[mathstub]

Dear Bros, if one buys from one of the top developers, those lawyers from the developer are trustworthy enough or not?

I want to reiterate that every point shared by Wuqi above is absolutely true! My friends and I bought our house from sub-sale and we have experienced some of the above events in one way or another. Buying from sub-sale is not as easy as from developers so please heed the advice given, or shared by all the good bros here. As reminded by Wuqi, it is imperative to get ur own lawyer - a good one for that matter; someone who can and will protect ur interest (instead of the seller, or even worst the agent's). Don't believe everything the housing agent tells u. Go into a deal with both eyes wide open and u will be fine. Note point 6, if still in doubt, check with ur lawyer before taking the next step. That's what u r paying them for. Thanks Wuqi once again, for these timely reminders! One can never be too careful when buying from sub-sale. One truly bad incident can really dampen and spoil ur plan in living in JB.

 

[tansi]

Other than a nice view, I think wind coupled with rain is a practical point to consider. Northeast monsoon makes the balcony frequently wet at year end. With the strong wind beating glass sliding door, the glass panels will be noisy. Even if the balcony is not exactly facing northeast, strong wind could blow round the corner of a building and hit the balcony, making it wet. A few tall buildings nearby may create a wind tunnel and strength the strong wind. Hence my preference is facing an open space towards the south.

Dear Bros and Sis, when you buy a condo/apartment/flat in a building (say with 9 storeys or above), do you usually consider which direction your balcony faces (if your condo/apartment/flat has one balcony)? For those buying condos or apartments, do you prefer your balcony faces the pool with another building opposite you at a distance as far as more than the width of the pool or you prefer your condo/apartment balcony faces a large open space?

Bros and Sis who have got a condo/apartment in JB, I would love to hear your views on the above. Also those bros and sis who are into fung shui are very welcome to share their views as well.

 

[mathstub]

Thank you very much, Bro Tansi for sharing your view!

Other than a nice view, I think wind coupled with rain is a practical point to consider. Northeast monsoon makes the balcony frequently wet at year end. With the strong wind beating glass sliding door, the glass panels will be noisy. Even if the balcony is not exactly facing northeast, strong wind could blow round the corner of a building and hit the balcony, making it wet. A few tall buildings nearby may create a wind tunnel and strength the strong wind. Hence my preference is facing an open space towards the south.

 

[tansi]

makes all the standard paperwork flow smoothly. Try to stay in the new unit often during the warranty period to iron out any defect before the lawyer releases holdback payment to the developer. Take photos and send written notices on any complaint to the lawyer to keep the record straight. i am puzzled as why some buyers leave their units empty for almost the whole warranty period. Defects drop the value of any unit although it is never occupied, and no lawyer can help the buyer on his/her negligence.

Dear Bros, if one buys from one of the top developers, those lawyers from the developer are trustworthy enough or not?

 

[wuqi256]

Dear Bros, if one buys from one of the top developers, those lawyers from the developer are trustworthy enough or not?

Normally they are quite reliable and (touch wood), never really had any issues with lawyers.
You may still want to consider your own lawyer, especially when dealing with subsale.

 

[wuqi256]

WELL SAID, Bro Wuqi........

Thanks, just words from my heart.

 

[wuqi256]

I want to reiterate that every point shared by Wuqi above is absolutely true! My friends and I bought our house from sub-sale and we have experienced some of the above events in one way or another. Buying from sub-sale is not as easy as from developers so please heed the advice given, or shared by all the good bros here. As reminded by Wuqi, it is imperative to get ur own lawyer - a good one for that matter; someone who can and will protect ur interest (instead of the seller, or even worst the agent's). Don't believe everything the housing agent tells u. Go into a deal with both eyes wide open and u will be fine. Note point 6, if still in doubt, check with ur lawyer before taking the next step. That's what u r paying them for. Thanks Wuqi once again, for these timely reminders! One can never be too careful when buying from sub-sale. One truly bad incident can really dampen and spoil ur plan in living in JB.

Thanks Odyssey, being foreigners in a foreign land, we need to be cautious and remain vigilant but probably temper it with some trust especially if its handled by lawyers you appointed yourself. I am glad you didn't give up.

There will always be crooked lawyers in this world, SG is not immune from them and we had folks running road with their clients money. That should not deter one from carrying out ones dreams. If i had given up at the first sign of failure(shoot past Senai on a first visit through 2nd link), i would never have reached HH in the first place.

 

[wuqi256]

Thank you for your constant help and contribution to the community, bro, you are the man!

Thanks Icyraine, a lot of bros have contributed much useful information as well, so not just me.

 

[mathstub]

Bro Tansi, totally agree on the following. This is not just for buying a property (of course, more so for buying a property). Like buying any other products, shouldn't the buyer use the product to check whether it looks ok during the warranty period? This is just a common sense.

makes all the standard paperwork flow smoothly. Try to stay in the new unit often during the warranty period to iron out any defect before the lawyer releases holdback payment to the developer. Take photos and send written notices on any complaint to the lawyer to keep the record straight. i am puzzled as why some buyers leave their units empty for almost the whole warranty period. Defects drop the value of any unit although it is never occupied, and no lawyer can help the buyer on his/her negligence.

 

[mathstub]

Bro Wuqi, what you say is absolutely right! One should consider a lawyer who can represent one's best interest. The lawyer by default knows much better regarding the law than us.

Normally they are quite reliable and (touch wood), never really had any issues with lawyers.
You may still want to consider your own lawyer, especially when dealing with subsale.

 

[wuqi256]

Was at Nusa Duta just now, buying some food. Just fixed up accessories for the (J plate) MPV i bought for my wife so also taking a chance to drive it around. Imagine my surprise when i saw a new road through Nusa Duta continuing from the end so i went down that path. Did a 3 point turn after that when i reached a dead end pretty long into the road.

Suddenly something happened just as i was adjacent (on the main road) to my relatives unit (near the guardhouse) and 3 policeman on motorbikes stopped me. Asked for my license after 2 of the police bikes screeched to a halt, one in front and behind my car.

I greeted the policeman cheerfully and passed him my license. He asked me why i was there in the middle of the night and doing by that road, i told him i have units at Nusa Duta and heard about my relative talking about a corner terrace that was done in a very "exaggerated" manner near her house so decided to take a look when i saw the new road, so just went to see where it led.

He didn't believe me at first and proceeded to shine his torch and checked on my car. After taking a closer look at my SG license though, he started to speak in a friendlier way and asked me to avoid driving by myself at night. I told him i was so glad that they checked me and that there is even a police post at Allianz bank now. He was pretty pleased when i told him i am amazed with the progress for Iskandar.

Wished me a good night, handed me my license back and told me i could go. Waved to the concerned looking security guard at the guard post (Nusa Duta) and the other guards who were also nearby and slowly drove off. Saw that they stopped another person further ahead, this one on a bicycle.

Saw that there are more police presence these days so hopefully they will keep it that way. Like a very surprised business owner i spoke to (when they heard the 3 robbers in the hair salon case was caught so quickly), someone is really doing their job this time.

 

[mathstub]

I remembered the sales mentioned to me I as the buyer needed to pay 3% property stamp duty for buying the property from the developer in the state of Johor. I have checked from some websites that the stamp duty should be calculated in a progressive manner not at one flat rate of 3% as follows: 1% stamp duty for the first RM100,000 of the purchase price, 2% for the next RM400,000 and 3% for the next remainder. I think the latter one should be correct. I think most bros and sis who own the property in Johor can confirm the answer. After signing sales and purchase agreement, when should we start the stamp duty? Is the buyer going to receive any notification from the government/lawyer regarding the payment for the stamp duty?

How should we this stamp duty? Stamp duty for the transfer of title (from the developer to the owner)?

 

[wuqi256]

Bro Tansi, totally agree on the following. This is not just for buying a property (of course, more so for buying a property). Like buying any other products, shouldn't the buyer use the product to check whether it looks ok during the warranty period? This is just a common sense.

Agree, unless one has too many units, best is to check first, wait, get defects rectified (unless one is in a great hurry) renovate and then move in. If one has too many units, then the next best thing if its rented out (to proper folks), that way, they will inform you of leakages, etc.

 

[wuqi256]

Dear Bros and Sis, when you buy a condo/apartment/flat in a building (say with 9 storeys or above), do you usually consider which direction your balcony faces (if your condo/apartment/flat has one balcony)? For those buying condos or apartments, do you prefer your balcony faces the pool with another building opposite you at a distance as far as more than the width of the pool or you prefer your condo/apartment balcony faces a large open space?

Bros and Sis who have got a condo/apartment in JB, I would love to hear your views on the above. Also those bros and sis who are into fung shui are very welcome to share their views as well.

Not an expert on fengshui and not in an apartment so cannot comment much although i always avoid the West direction (for the sun) and especially North West direction. Most people like north facing but for folks born in my year, they recommend i face south actually so sometimes quite interesting. Half of my houses are facing north, the other half faces south. I made a compromise by continuing to stay in the North facing one that benefits most of my family members and at times i will stay in the room facing South.

 

[wuqi256]

I remembered the sales mentioned to me I as the buyer needed to pay 3% property stamp duty for buying the property from the developer in the state of Johor. I have checked from some websites that the stamp duty should be calculated in a progressive manner not at one flat rate of 3% as follows: 1% stamp duty for the first RM100,000 of the purchase price, 2% for the next RM400,000 and 3% for the next remainder. I think the latter one should be correct. I think most bros and sis who own the property in Johor can confirm the answer. After signing sales and purchase agreement, when should we start the stamp duty? Is the buyer going to receive any notification from the government/lawyer regarding the payment for the stamp duty?

How should we this stamp duty? Stamp duty for the transfer of title (from the developer to the owner)?

The main stamp duty is to the big guys, so just pay the progressive calculated manner. Your lawyer will be the best to advise you(learned friend recommends make your moneys worth by asking them more questions IF they are unable to give you discounts)

Normally its deposit to owner(kept with lawyer), , S&P or SPA (Sales & Purchase Agreement) with the agreed amount (about 10%) followed by state consent, stamp duty/levy (as we are foreigners) You may then need to pay the balance 10% at a later date assuming if you are borrowing 80%. The agent(if you are buying subsale) may then ask you for his comms if not already. Typically last payment should then be for the lawyers (ask for discount, its discouraged publicly by their governing bodies but privately still practised)

When in doubt, ask your lawyer.

 

[mathstub]

Bro Wuqi, as always, Thank you very much for your help, great info and advice. The lawyer representing me now is the one suggested by the developer and I signed a few months ago agreeing the suggested lawyer to represent me. So far I have paid the State Authority Consent, fee for Disbursement for S&P and fee for Disbursement for loan (including stamp duty for the loan agreement). There should not be any more legal fees, right? I will ask my lawyer, hopefully he will say "no more legal fees except for the payment of stamp duty to the big guys."

The main stamp duty is to the big guys, so just pay the progressive calculated manner. Your lawyer will be the best to advise you(learned friend recommends make your moneys worth by asking them more questions IF they are unable to give you discounts)

Normally its deposit to owner(kept with lawyer), , S&P or SPA (Sales & Purchase Agreement) with the agreed amount (about 10%) followed by state consent, stamp duty/levy (as we are foreigners) You may then need to pay the balance 10% at a later date assuming if you are borrowing 80%. The agent(if you are buying subsale) may then ask you for his comms if not already. Typically last payment should then be for the lawyers (ask for discount, its discouraged publicly by their governing bodies but privately still practised)

When in doubt, ask your lawyer.