To me, one almost unbeatable advantage in investing in most properties in Malaysia is that in the long run, the investment tends to be right...even for fools. I have never come across anyone who inherited property in Malaysia complained that his or her parents , grand parents or great grand parents bought a piece in crab or something to this effect. Whereas in Singapore where more than 80% properties are leasehold, the values 100% will turn to zero in 100 years, no matter how smart or right the investors. So for those who feel disappointed now, the comforting fact is that even though time may not be on your side it is certainly on the side of your property or your children who are going to inherit what you leave them.
I don't agree with this.
Firstly, as always, the dangers with some people is comparing properties from different countries. Everyone should know by now Johor properties don't work the same way as SG properties. I suspect that's one big reason why in 2013, so many Singaporeans rushed into Iskandar to buy properties without much thought. (Of all things, Johor condos at RM800-1000 psf which most Malaysian locals won't even touch or can afford?!) That was the year they were hardest hit by the property cooling measures. And they thought, ok, Johor condos so cheap. Let me buy and "invest". I can rent it out and make positive returns. Opps...
Nothing much has changed about Iskandar in the last 3 years. So why did the market in Iskandar suddenly quieten down in 2014 and got even worse after that? Again, I suspect it's the news that there is a huge oversupply coming up in Iskandar. 300,000. Go figure. Forest City that can cater to 700,000 residents! In case some think it was a typo, and should be 70,000, I type here again: 700,000.
For some completed condo projects in Johor, Singaporeans are desperately trying to offload them now but without success. Who wants to buy? And those who bought between RM500k to RM1mil, they are stuck.
Secondly, Singapore's history is not even anywhere near 100 years. Why paint an end-of-the-world picture about leasehold properties? My good friend had an old flat that was 39 years old. Back then, maybe you would have told him: "Haha.. friend your useless flat is so old and leasehold. Prepare for its value to drop to zero soon."
However, the flat was en bloc in 2008. The government relocated them to another nearby good location. It was bought at only S$200+k. After just a short 5 years after that, the price shot up to a high S$700+k. Go figure the profits. And this is not an isolated case.
For Johor? I admit I dunno. Those Johorean families likely bought their properties a long time ago. They don't care about Malaysian policies or currency exchange. They're gonna die in Johor anyway and their kids need a home to live in when they grow up. So they don't worry like a foreign investor.
How much did a Johor landed property cost years ago? RM100-200k? Of course it's a no brainer they will make some profits. Compare that with prices of today which included foreigners and Singaporeans rushing in to buy. In particular, look at Johor condos. Yes most of them are freehold. But can they be sold off easily in the resale market? Please tell. Cos I wish to know too.