I&T Penang Properties Blogs

One of the measures to curb real estate speculative activities in the property sector as announced by the Malaysian Government in its budget 2012 on 7^th October 2011 is the revision of RPGT rate. For properties held and disposed within 2 years, the RPGT rate is 10%. For properties held and disposed within a period exceeding 2 years and up to 5 years, the rate is 5%. Properties held and disposed after 5 years are not subject to RPGT. (refer picture below)

(source picture : btimes )

RPGT has been introduced in Malaysia at multi-tier rates since year 1995 up to 2007. It was suspended from 1st April 2007 to 31st December 2009 in a move to shore up the sluggish Malaysia property sector affected by the world financial crisis.  In January 1, 2010, RPGT was reinstated at a single rate of 5% for all taxable gains (for all disposal within five years). 

Effective  January 1, 2012, property owners and investors who dispose off their property in Malaysia within five years will be subject to the revised RPGT rate on taxable capital gains for sale and purchase agreements signed on or after that date. For disposal of property whereby state consent is required, the date of disposal shall be the date when such conditions have been complied with but not the date of SPA. However, genuine property owner who disposes their property can apply for exemption of RPGT under the following circumstances ie. a) one-in-a-lifetime exemption for malaysian individuals, b) disposal by way of gift ie between parent and child, husband and wife etc.     

Briefly, the computation of RPGT in Malaysia is as follows:-

A)     Disposal  Price ( LESS allowable expenditure ie. upgrading and improvement costs to maintain or enhance the value of the property  and incidental expenditure such as legal fees and stamp duty, agent fees, administration charges etc)   

B)      Acquisition Price ( ADD incidental costs legal fees, agent fees, administration charges etc)

Taxable capital gains = A-B less RM10,000.00 exemption or 10% of the net gains, whichever is higher for an individual. 

 If there is capital gains arising from the disposal of a property after deducting allowance for capital gains exemption up to RM10,000.00 or 10% of the net gains, whichever is higher for an individual, the RPGT rate  shall be 10% on taxable capital gains for disposal within two years and 5% on taxable capital gains for disposal exceeding second years but within fifth years.

In standard practice, A 2% retention sum of the disposal price will be retained by acquirer’s solicitor for RPGT purpose and filing of notification of disposal to Board of Inland Revenue of Malaysia  is required within 60 days. Picture below shows a sample format of the RPGT also known as CKHT form issued by Board of Inland Revenue of Malaysia for your easy reference.

The revision of RPGT rate under the Budget  2012 is considered moderate and  expected to have gradual impact on the property market in key urban areas in KL/Klang Valley, Penang Island and JB where bulk of the property investments and market activities are actively taking place. More  here .

The residential subsector for the state of Penang in the second half of 2010 remains vibrant and continue to be the dominant sector in terms of number of transactions of the Penang Property Market. It is inevitable that home prices are on the rising trend in recent quarters brought about by improving economic conditions nationwide and continued bullish outlook of the Malaysian economic performance. It is also a widely known fact that landed house prices such as single and double storey terraced houses, in particular, Penang Island are amongst the highest in the country which have gone beyond the affordable levels of the medium income groups and new home seekers.

However, first time home buyers can still look for affordable Penang Apartments in the secondary market of Penang Island as there are many choices of medium range apartments priced from RM130,000 to RM220,000 per unit.

Incentive for first time home buyers under Budget 2011

Following the recent budget announcement on 15th October 2010, the government will introduce the “Skim Rumah Pertamaku” or “My First Home Scheme” through Cagamas Berhad to assist the newly-employed younger group earning less than RM3,000 per month to buy a house costing less than RM220,000.00.

First time home buyers will be eligible for 100% FINANCING. First-time house buyers will also be given stamp duty exemption of 50 per cent on instruments of transfer on a house price not exceeding RM350,000 as well as stamp duty waiver of up to 50 per cent on loan agreement instruments to finance such first-time purchase of houses. With the exemption in stamp duty, first time home buyers stand to SAVE UP TO RM2,250.00.

Read more :-Full loan for first-time house buyers and Pinjaman rumah 100 % untuk golongan muda.

Perks for first-time house buyers

a)Savings on 50% waiver of stamp duty on transfer instrument:-
House Price say RM220,000.00
1% on first RM100,000.00 – RM1,000.00
2% on balance RM120,000.00 – RM2,400.00
Total RM3,400.00
50% waiver RM 1,700.00

b)Savings on 50% waiver of stamp duty on loan instrument :-
0.5% on full loan say RM220,000.00- RM1,100.00
50% waiver RM 550.00

First time purchaser needs to pay RM2,250.00 only instead of RM4,500.00. Hence, effective savings is RM1,700.00 + RM550.00 = RM2,250.00.

Where to find Penang Apartments ?
Below is our compilation of apartment schemes in selected areas of Penang Island which are within the affordable pricing bracket for first time home seekers where we can help you to locate and own a Penang Apartment at affordable repayments from as low as RM500.00- RM1,000.00 a month. Our company, Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn Bhd is ever ready to assist you to own a Penang Apartment in a hassle-free (no headache to find where to buy), easy and convenience way.

Penang Island Apartment Information
Tanjung Tokong/Tanjung Bungah/Batu Feringgi – Aquarius , Azuria, Bayu Emas, Delima Condo, Ferringhi Delima, Ferringhi Mutiara, Permai Ria, Taman Krsytal, Taman Tegoh
Jelutong – Simphony Park, Mutiara Heights, Mutiara Idaman, Serina Bay, Desa Selatan, Menara Riverview, Taman Jelutong, Taman Cemerlang
Bukit Dumbar – Sinar Bukit Dumbar
Bandar Baru Air Itam – Seri Semarak, Desa Intan, Desa Baiduri, Fortune Court, Sri Impian, Sri Ivory, Sri Krystal, Tanjung Court, Asia Height, BL Garden, Treasure Ville
Padang Tembak - Boundary Court
Paya Terubong – Desa Permata, GL Garden
Perak Road – Casa Impian, Tmn Sri Perak, Tmn Kheng Tian, Kota Emas, Suteramas, Seruan Emas
Gelugor/Bukit Gambier – U Garden, Jade View, Gambier Heights, N-Park, Taman Batu Uban, Villa Sri Kenaga
Bukit Jambul – Taman Bukit Jambul, BJ Court, Desa Daya, Jambul View, Sri Nibong Apt
Batu Lancang/Greenlane – Mewah Court, Desa Green, Kota Emas, Desa Penaga, Eastern Court, Greenlane Heights, Medan Penaga, Taman Sri Damai
Georgetown –Taman Pelangi, Macallum St Ghaut flat, Sri Kota, Medan Samak, Desa Singora
Relau/Sungai Ara – Marina Tower, Taman Desa Relau, Acres Villa, Ara Mas, Desa Alor Vista, Desa Bayan, Relau Vista, Sri Abadi, Sunshine Garden, Villa Kejora, Vista Condo
Sungai Dua- Taman Pekaka, Taman Jubilee, Nipah Emas, Taman Lip Sin
Sungai Nibong/ Bayan Baru – Century Park, Desa Bistari, Gedung Hts, Halaman Cendana, Mahsuri Apartments, Nibong Indah, Taman Jubilee
Bayan Lepas – Saujana Damai, Bayan Permai

Mainland Penang- Seberang Perai Apartment Information
Butterworth – Park View, SeaView (studio unit), Pangsapuri Cantik, Pangsapuri Ria, Vista Perdana, Pantai Apartments, Pangsapuri Sena
Bagan Lallang/ Raja Uda area- Seri Cemerlang, Taman Mesra Indah, Taman Pandan, Pangsapuri Mawar, Pangsapuri Seri Mekar
Bukit Mertajam- Kondo Mutiara, Pangsapuri Seri Pelangi
Prai–Pangsapuri Aman(Prima Prai), Pangsapuri Pesona

Contact us now at +604-6588333 or SMS to 0124072329 to find out how we can assist you to own an affordable Penang Apartment for less than RM1,000.00 a month.

Acres Villa in Sungai Ara, Penang

Asia Height Apartments in Air Item

N-Park in Batu Uban

Jade View Apartments in Gelugor

Park View Tower @Harbour Place in Butterworth

Cassia Resort Condo@ Raja Uda, Butterworth

1. More new property launches - More housing projects are being slated for launching in the second half of this year by established developers in Penang as there is growing optimism amongst housing developers and market players on the recovery of domestic economic and improving market outlook on the property sector. Read more at Penang gears up for more property launches.

2. Property transactions on the rise -According to NAPIC’s press release, there is an increase of 16% in terms of number of property transaction in 1^st Quarter 2010 compared to the corresponding quarter in year 2009 whilst the total transaction values surged significantly, almost 49% from RM16.92bil to RM25.5bil. It is projected that the rise on the property transactions and total values are likely to continue for the forthcoming quarters. The overall property market performance this year is expected to be much better than year 2009 which have been marred by the world financial crisis.

3. Rebound in market demand -The rebound in market demand experienced by the Penang Property sector in the first half of this year is mainly attributable to the pent-up demand after a period of subdue market activities brought about by the impact of the world financial crisis.

Recent reports of higher take up and improving sales performances experienced by Penang’s established housing developers indicates that the market demand has indeed picked up and the demand trend is likely to remain firm in the short term as property investors are flocking back into the property market in anticipation of buoyant economic outlook as well as further price increase following the recent government’s move to implement gradual removal of subsidy on energy and raw materials.

Another factor that could fuel the buoyancy of the property market is the recent strong performance of the Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index which have recovered over 1,400 points. The stock market has made substantial gains this year and this could boost the property sector.

A local research fund house predicted that Malaysia’s property sector is set to see its biggest residential boom in a decade. The property sector was already entering the early stage of a property “super cycle”. More at OSK bets on Malaysian Property boom.

The Economic Clock - Malaysia’s property sector is currently at the stage of 9 - 12

4. Rising home prices - There is a growing concern that home prices are getting costlier due to the cost push factor as most of the newly launched projects appeared to be in the category of upmarket segment offering luxury housing units.

Penang Island is facing very limited land bank for housing development particularly medium cost housing units and landed homes. With limited supply in land bank, land costs on the Penang Island keep rising and inevitably push up home prices to unprecedented range that go beyond the affordable levels of the majority of the island’s population. A Penang politician MP has recently voiced his concern on rising home prices and has urged the housing ministry to relook into the present housing policy. In the meantime, more parties are urging the state government to review and address the housing issues in Penang which may have an impact on brain drain of Penang employment. The rising prices of homes, if left unchecked, may result in gentrification. Urban gentrification is a phenomenon on socio-cultural changes in an area resulting from wealthier people buying up the housing units in a less prosperous community area.

Property investors now have the opportunity to acquire assets at fire sale prices from Danaharta. There are two striking landmark commercial buildings located in the heart of Bukit Mertajam town in Central Province Wellesley of Penang being put up for sale again at fire sale prices by Prokhas in its 2nd tender exercise starting from 5th July to 4th August 2010.

Brief info on Plaza Utama

Brief info on City Parade

These two assets are possibly the last tranche of residual recovery asset of Danaharta. www.intproperties.com conducted a research on the background of these two assets and its indicative values ..

a) PLAZA UTAMA, BUKIT MERTAJAM, PENANG

Plaza Utama development commenced in Nov 1995 and completed in 1997. The 5-storey departmental store of Plaza Utama was opened for business in early 1997 together with many other smaller retail lots (sold to individual buyers). The Hotel block of Plaza Utama commenced business on January 23, 2008 and the development value of the entire Plaza Utama is RM230 Million according to an article published by The Sun as follows:-

Owing to the onslaught of the 1997-1998 financial crisis, Plaza Utama ceased business operation after a short stint of about 1-2 years and subsequently, the bad loan of Plaza Utama was acquired by Danaharta. More related info at my earlier blog - Impacts of Global Financial Crisis vis-a-vis Asian Financial Crisis on Penang property sector.

This completed skyscraper formed by a nine-level retail podium and 14-level office cum hotel tower capped off by a helipad sits on 2.88 acres of freehold land. Within Plaza Utama are 661 car-parking bays; 286,000sq ft of retail space made up of 23 shoplots, three areas previously designated for supermarket use and three whole floors; 112,500sq ft of office space consisting of 19 suites and nine whole floors; and 188 business-class hotel rooms at the top-most floors of the tower.

It was reported that when Plaza Utama first put up for sale in year 2000, the indicative value was more than RM50 Million. In year 2004, its indicative value was revised to RM42.1 Million. There is no taker despite being put up for sale in the market (By Danaharta until 31/12/2005) and Prokhas for a period of about 10 years. And to-date, Prokhas Sdn Bhd, in its quest to dispose off the asset, has make substantial hair cut and fixed the minimum price at only RM15,913,800.00.( Analysed to RM39.90 per square foot).

b) CITY PARADE, BUKIT MERTAJAM, PENANG

City Parade is another completed commercial building which is similarly affected by the 1997-1998 financial crisis and ceased operation after opened for business for a short period and have remain vacant until the present time. It has a total of 135 retail lots with a combined floor area of 224,773 sq ft.

The reported indicative value of City Parade was RM28.3 Million in Danaharta’s 5th Property Tender document from 5th June 2001 till 4th July 2001. In 2003, the indicative value was revised to RM19.546 Million as per Danaharta’s 8th Property Tender Advertisement below.

Similarly, there is no taker despite being put up for sale in the market for more than a decade. And to-date, Prokhas has also make substantial hair cut and fixed a minimum price at RM5,488,100.00.( Analysed to RM24.40 per square foot).

With such attractive fire sale prices at deep discount from its indicative values, it is now opportunity at the right entry level for investors to explore the investment viability as well as its restoration or refurbishing costs of turnaround it into viable and usable building.  Act now and contact us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn Bhd ( A panel real estate agent of Prokhas Sdn Bhd) for further information and FREE investment advisory and factors that investors should look into before making investment decisions. Email me at tan@intproperties.com, or SMS/CALL  +6012 4285453.

UPDATE (4/9/2010) - According to the tender results and information provided by Prokhas, Plaza UTAMA has been SOLD …

UPDATE (19/10/2010) - City Parade is currently put up for sale again by public auction scheduled on 26th October 2010. The reserve price is further revised to RM4,939,000.00 (RM22 per square foot) compared to last reserve price’s at RM5,488,100.00.( RM24.40 per square foot).

Many consider property, be it a landed home or stratified condominium unit, is a big ticket item which involves high capital and long term commitment, so the question of whether is it better to buy or rent is very much depends on one’s financial affordability and needs. www.intproperties.com looks into the advantages of owning a home versus renting.

Advantages of home ownership

i) Provide stability and certainty of stay for your family;
ii) Benefit of security and pride of home ownership;
iii) Freedom on choices of usage ie. for self-occupation or weekend second home or rent out;
iv) Built equity of your own home. Instead of paying rental monthly, you make repayments to the banks and gradually building up your home equity and ultimately owning the property after you redeem the property.
v) Hedge against inflation. Owing to the scarcity of landbank earmarked for new developments and growing population, demand for quality and affordable housing in established areas in Penang remains high which leads to higher home prices. In addition, the cost to build new housing stock continues to rise due to inflationary factor.
vi) Tax relief. Malaysians are eligible for tax relief of up to RM10,000.00 a year on loan interest payment to finance the purchase of property for three consecutive years subject to conditions that it is limited to one residential home for own occupation( not for rental) and the sale and purchase agreement is signed between March 10 2009 and December 31 2010. Besides, the government has further relaxed the EPF housing withdrawal guidelines beginning of January this year to encourage more Malaysians home seekers to own houses.

Advantages of renting

i)a cheaper and affordable way (less upfront costs) as you only need to come out with deposit payments equivalent to 3 months rental of which the security and utility deposits are refundable;
ii) Faster move in time unlike property purchase which takes 3-4 months to complete the deal and hand over the property.
iii) option of choosing length of stay according to tenant’s need ie. monthly or yearly tenancy ;
iv) No need to bear documentation costs such as legal fees for preparation of sale and purchase agreement and loan documents and stamping charges in connection with home ownership transfer and yearly taxes like assessment rates and quit rent.
v) No need to bear maintenance charges and structural repair costs either as these costs are also to be borne by the landlord.
vi) flexible of being relocated without having to worry about the empty home!

Recommended blogs on the advantages and disadvantages of Buying versus Renting, go to Renting vs Buying a home or Buying vs. Renting.

Whether renting is better than buying depends on many factors, including how fast prices rise and how long you will stay in your home. And now there is a new method rent-buy interactive calculator to compare the costs of buying and renting equivalent homes.

The methodology of the calculator keeps a running tally of the most common expenses of owning and renting. It also takes into account something known as lost opportunity costs — for example, the return you could have earned by investing your money instead of spending it on a down payment. The calculator assumes that the profit you would have made in your investments would be taxed as long-term capital gains and adjusts the bottom line accordingly. The calculator tabulates lost opportunity costs for all parts of the buying and renting scenarios.

This rent-buy interactive calculator allows home seekers to do their own comparisons on renting versus buying whereby you can i)  adjust the annual home price change and annual rental rates according to local market conditions  and ii) change inputs or variables such as your rate of return on investments, condo/common fees and your tax bracket to find out whether the buying is better than renting or otherwise!

Whilst no one can accurately predict the future pricing/rental trend of the houses in a particular area, however, analysis to find out average house price index or its trends based on the past historical housing data of say past 10 years or 15 years or 20 years of a similar class of property in a specific housing area can be quantified.

In Malaysia, information on property pricing trends and rental movements, current and future supply and take up rates of various sub-sector of Malaysia property market can be obtained from the annual publication of Malaysia Property Market Report published by Department of Valuation and Property Services (JPPH) and NAPIC quarterly reports. Find out more at 6 websites that property investors need to know in Malaysia. It would be good that a similar calculator can be generated in Malaysia using our very own housing data.

Views of new completed housing schemes in mainland Penang

Villa Cendana 2 ( Cendana Permai) at Juru

Dedaun - another housing scheme by PDC at Batu Kawan

In property investments, there are two main determinants ie capital growth and rental income. Capital growth is the increase in the value of a property over time whilst rental income refers to the amount of monthly rents that can be collected from the tenancy of a property. A good property investment has two key elements ie. a) one that have the potential of high capital growth, which appreciates in value over time and b) secure rental, which generates cash flow or steady incomes to the property owner.

When making investment decisions, property investors need to know what is the expected rental yields from a property investment and how its yield would fare in comparison with similar class of properties as well as other alternative investments available in the market such as REIT, stocks, unit trusts etc.

A rental yield provides indication about the performance of a investment and its relative attractiveness against other types of investment. For example, if a residential property can produce a rental yield of 5% pa, it is considered a better investment than the fixed deposits offered by the local banks at prevailing rates of 2.0- 2.5% pa. On the contrary, the 5% yield is considered less attractive if compared to other higher yields but riskier investment options like stocks, equity-based unit trusts etc.

Besides, the yield can be used as a yardstick to measure and evaluate similar class of competing investments for decision making. For example, condominium investors would be keen to know which class of condominium in Penang can offer higher rental yields ?

a) beach / holiday resort condominium within the tourist belt of Batu Ferringgi or
b) city condominium in the inner city of Georgetown or
c) Suburb condominium at new growth areas along the reclaimed coastal area of Jelutong- Gelugor- Bayan Baru

Ways to determine property investment yields

The rental yield for a property investment can be determined by using the following calculation, commonly known as investment method:-

Estimated Rental per annum
______________________ X 100 = Gross Yield (%)
Property Acquisition Cost

Property Acquisition costs = Purchase Price + incidental costs ie legal fees, stamp duties, agent fees etc

Example :

Monthly rental RM1,000.00. Estimated annual rental income = RM12,000.00
Property acquisition cost= RM185,000.00

RM12,000.00
——————- X 100 = 6.5% gross yield
RM185,000.00

For computation of net yield, which is more reflective of the actual return, the following expenses ought to be deducted :- maintenance charges, sinking fund, management fees, insurance, quit rent, assessment, and other expenses.

Indicative gross yields of several property class in Penang

Landed houses- terraced, semi-detached and bungalow: 2 – 3%
Townhouse/Apartment/Condominium : 4-7%
Commercial shops/light industrial : 6- 9%

Generally, landed homes in land-scarce Penang offer lower rental yields as compared to high rise stratified and commercial units. Lower yield signifies that it is a safer or lower risk investment and hence  investor is willing to accept longer payback period for his investment. Property investors would expect higher yields for commercial/industrial property investments due to higher holding costs and risks.

Property investor need to set out his/ her investment objectives whether to invest for rental returns or long term capital growth or combination of both as each investor has his own investment requirements and rental yield expectations and hence difference strategies and choices of properties as their investments.

• Landed houses vs condominiums/apartments
• High price single property vs low price multiple properties
• Off-the-plan housing unit vs secondary market unit

A retiree might seek higher rental as passive income from his property investment whilst a young working professional would be more interested in wealth creation and achieve long term capital growth.For more related information on investment strategies, go to 6 strategies to succeed in Penang Property Investment.

In addition to the above investment method, other sophisticated approaches that can be used to aid property investors in decision making are:-

The Discounted Cash flow (DCF) model can be applied to determine the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) or Net Present Value(NPV) of an investment property. The DCF method is one of the valuation methods being used by property valuers particularly in evaluating income-producing properties and potential   development lands.

The Monte Carlo Analysis is another decision-making tool using multivariate modelling technique that allows investors to forecast various investment outcomes. The risk/return profile of any investment can be calculated and compared to investor’s risk tolerances.

View of the coastal area along Tanjung Bungah- Batu Feringghi

Despite the onslaught of the global financial downturn, the Penang property sector in general has been resilient and relatively stable with no drastic movement in housing prices. The local housing developers have been better prepared this round to ride through the downturn with the exception of handful housing developers which are forced to slow down their construction activities or delay their project launchings during the height of the crisis. Though there are signs of market softening in 2H 2008 and 1H 2009, market sentiment for Penang property sector in the 2H 2009 has improved remarkably with more buyers/investors flocking back into the market whilst housing developers are beginning to make a come back and roll out more new planned projects in anticipation of improving economy outlook. Transaction activities in both primary as well secondary market are poised to pick up again buoyed by the continued support and lending by Malaysia’s banks with attractive financing packages at low interest rates of 3-4%.

Unlike the previous 1997/98 Asian Financial crisis, the Penang property sector at that time was badly hit due to the credit crunch of the Malaysia banking system and the sudden surge in lending rates to as high as 13%.  As a result, many housing projects were stalled and abandoned, with many developers were either facing cash flow and debt servicing problems and eventually collapsed and wiped off from the marketplace such as Adorna, Penas and Cayman etc. The aftermath of the crisis has crippled the Malaysia housing and construction sector with major property sectors suffered sharp price declines as much as 30-40% from their peak levels whilst the banking system saddled with huge bad loans and high NPLs.

Some notable projects in Penang/Kedah region which have been badly affected since the times of 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis are mostly retail/commercial and several mega projects, some of which are still in abandoned stage and awaiting revival or resuscitation:-

Penang Island

Bayan Central – An uncompleted commercial complex located at Bayan Bayu which commenced construction in 1997 and subsequently stalled.

Bayan Bay Marina and Leisure Resort by Eternal Resources (joint venture between Anson Perdana and PDC) which was originally scheduled for completed by year 2000 but stalled for several years. This multi-million Bayan Mall (now Queensbay Mall) was successfully revived by CP Group and commenced business in 2005.

Mainland Penang (Seberang Perai)

Plaza utama- A commercial complex comprising 6 storey shopping mall, 213 room-hotel and one office block at Bukit Mertajam town. Plaza Utama development commenced in Nov 1995 and completed in 1997. The commercial complex was opened for business after completion but ceased business after a short stint.

View of Plaza Utama in Bukit Mertajam

City Parade at Jalan Megat Harun, Bukit Mertajam – Another completed commercial building which is similarly affected like Plaza Utama and ceased operation after opened for business for a short period.

Both buildings have long been put up for sale by former Danaharta now Prokhas and still looking for potential “white knight” to revive it.

Fasda Heights (Taman Bidara)- a mixed housing project in Macang Bubok, Bukit Mertajam with about 1,000 units which was not fully completed and handover to the purchasers.

Taman Perindustrian Macang Indah- an abandoned SMI industrial park at Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam.

Leisure Tower- A 11-storey integrated commercial complex at Jalan Kampung Gajah, Butterworth by HCC Group originally schedule for completion end of 1999 but only partially completed and abandoned.

Kristal Golf Resort (Suasa Kristal) - a golf resort located at Sungai Bakap, Southern Seberang Perai, ceased operation several years ago and taken over by Danaharta. The site was reportly sold to a private housing developer.

Others approved commercial complexes which have been launched but failed to take off and subsequently shelved are “Plaza Everise” – a planned 2.3 acre commercial complex at Sungai Rambai Commercial Centre and  “Aseania Mall” at Bandar Perda. Both are located within bukit mertajam area. “Plaza Cayman”, another planned commercial project located adjacent to old MPSP building at the heart of Butterworth town.

Kedah

Padang Meha Parklands by MBF Country Homes and Resort (Alamanda) near Kulim– a proposed RM3 billion housing/resort development near Kulim covering 5,200 hectares launched prior to 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis which has since abandoned. Latest report disclosed that the developer has been liquidated in year 2005. More related info here: Developer liquidated, 300 land buyers in the lurch. Others include the 160 hectare  residential resort scheme (Diamond Santuary) in Mukim Padang Meha near Kulim Hi Tech Park and the proposed RM1 billion Diamond Creeks Retreats with 800 hectares of land in Ulu Behrang, Perak near the proposed Proton City.

In a nutshell, the magnitude and severity brought about by the impact of the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis on the Penang property sector is comparatively shorter and much lesser compared to 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis. A healthier and resilient Malaysian banking system, on-going implementation of Malaysia economic stimulus package, Malaysia’s central bank prudent interest rate policy, relaxation of EPF housing withdrawals and other economic liberalization measures, have helped to cushion the impact of the recent economic downturn on the property sector. Malaysia economy is on track for a full recovery next year.

Khazanah Nasional Berhad organized its 6th Khazanah Penang Lecture entitled “The Global Economic Crisis: Implications for Malaysia” at Wawasan Open University last week. More than 300 guests of mostly businessmen attended the talk by Penang-born Professor KS Jomo, a prominent Malaysian economist who is currently serving as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) whilst Mr Andrew Sheng,  another prominent Malaysian economist/chartered accountant chaired the panel discussion after the talk. Many were there at Wawasan Open University to seek their latest views and insights into this complex financial meltdown from global and Asia prospectives ! Related article : Global Financial Crisis and Malaysia Property Outlook.

Wawasan Open University along Jalan Sultan Ahmah Shah
(Northam Road), Penang

Here is Mr Andrew Sheng’s An Asian View Of The Global Financial Crisis. Though economists are of the views that the worst is over and confident level on the global economy outlook is improving, the lingering concerns remain whether the world economy recovery is V-shaped or W-shaped recovery? Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman’s view ; World may witness W-shaped recovery whilst a local Fund Manager has a bullish view; V-shaped recovery has begun.

Malaysian Economy - at which stage of economic clock; 7 or 8 or 9 O’clock ?

Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn Bhd compiles a list of Malaysia’s official portals providing property information and guidelines that property buyers and foreign property investors need to know in Malaysia.

1. Relaxation of FIC guidelines- The Prime Minister of Malaysia has announced that, effective 30/6/2009, all property transactions, including those between foreigners and non-bumiputeras, will no longer require Foreign Investment Committee (FIC) approval. The NEW FIC guidelines on acquisition of properties can be downloaded from the website of Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.

However, foreign investors cannot acquire properties below specified threshold limits, with the threshold amount for commercial properties at RM500,000. For the purchase of residential properties, the present threshold of RM250,000 is maintained until the end of 2009, with the threshold increased to RM500,000 effective of Jan 1, 2010. More latest related information on deregulation of FIC guidelines at here and here.

2. Pemudah– A special taskforce set up by the government of Malaysia in 2007 to facilitate easier business dealings and improving public services delivery system. Pemudah has come out with a guidebook on land registration in Malaysia. The guidebook provides a brief information on land ownership registration in Malaysia. It also provides the stages and processes involved in land administration and complete with relevant forms required when transferring ownership for both local and foreign investors as well as list of registration fees for ownership transfer of each states.

The guidebook can be downloaded free from Pemudah’s website-here;

3.JPPH–Valuation and property services department, ministry of finance Malaysia. The JPPH’s website has shown much improvements over the years. The website not only posted the department’s up-to-date information but incorporates various NAPIC (National Property Information Centre)’s publications as well which was previously available on printed copy at a fee.

It is commendable that JPPH has posted NAPIC’s publication online on regular basis providing free quarterly property information such as Property Stock Report, Property Market Status Report, Property Sales Data etc. In addition, the portal now comes with new added online services such as stamp duties calculator for ownership transfer of real estate and MySMS services for property purchasers on stamp duty valuation cases. Though JPPH has uploaded the property information online, layman and property beginners somehow find that these quarterly reports are not easily comprehensible as there is little explanation or commentary and comparative findings on these tabulated statistics and data. The information is catered more for macro analysis on the suppy and demand of the various sub-sectors of the property market.

4. Department of Director General of Land and mines – this website posted general information (in Malaysian Language only) and a list of Malaysia Laws and application guidelines of various land dealings such as application for state alienated lands, subdivision and amalgamation, land conversion and guidelines on the approval process of land ownership (residential units) by foreign interests. Under Malaysia’s Federal Constitution, Land is under the jurisdiction of the respective state administration and each state has its own set of land enactments. Related link : Penang’s new policy on land conversion.

The website has also posted a paper written by Mohd Shukri Bin Ismail providing some insights into the latest amendments of the National Land Code 1965. The National Land Code is the primary land law of the states of Malaysia.

5.MM2H – Malaysia, My Second Home Programme, an international residency scheme being promoted by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia to allow foreigners to live in the country on a long-stay visa of up to 10 years. The portal, MM2H, has been enhanced several times and is now accessible in various languages and provided with all the one-stop information including guidelines on purchase of residential homes by foreigners/expatriates.

6. Guidelines for house buyers issued by Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia- The guidelines has been posted on the ministry’s website for many years which are still relevant and provides  helpful tips to FIRST-TIME house buyers who wish to purchase new housing units (off-the-plan or under construction units) from primary market ie from housing developers.

The website also provides information of housing legal clinic and tribunal for homebuyer claims set up by the ministry to provide advice and help solve the problems faced by home buyers against housing developers.

For advisory on property investments in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.

Evening Scene of Butterworth-Penang Skyline

KLCC skyline

Many house owners have the tendency to renovate their new homes exceeding their original budget. It is common to see that house purchasers of newly completed schemes in Penang are “competing” each others in home renovations. Some common renovations visible in Penang’s new residential areas are demolition of front car porch and replaced with a bigger car porch to accommodate two or more cars, hacking down the entire front terrace and facade (without balcony) and replaced with a much bigger car porch incorporating a balcony, extending the rear portion of the house to accommodate a larger kitchen etc.

We have seen house owners carried out major renovations to their houses to the extent that the renovation costs exceeding the purchase price of the house.

Renovations do not always translate to an increase in the value of your home. However, if you’re planning to sell sometime in the future and want to ensure you get the most ROI (Rate of Return), it is important to assess the value renovation. Below are several ways to optimise the cost-value ratio and achieve maximum ROI for your renovations;

a) Avoid renovations with too much customization of personal liking and taste.

If the major renovations and home improvements are customized design to suit to personal liking and lifestyle which is not commonly acceptable in the marketplace sometime in the future, you may not get much of a return when you sell as potential buyers may find these renovations are not value-added renovations but rather owner’s own personal indulgence and lifestyle. Potential buyers may also view it as a liability because he may have to spend more money to change or renovate again.

When choosing tiles, countertops, paint, cabinet doors, kitchen appliances and awnings, go with colors that will stand the test of time even as fashions come and go. Conventional or classic home designs are still the ideal for home renovations because such designs never go out of style and will always attract buyers when you are ready to sell your home.

b) Retain the essence of the original design ambience

Avoid excessive renovations such as changing the structure of house from the original two storey house to become a three storey house or demolition of a front porch and facade and replaced with a totally new design super large car porch with a balcony. Such major renovations could have materially changed the external facade of the house and may render the house no longer blend in with the design ambience of the neighbourhood and this may affect the saleability of the house.

c) Summit proper building plan for new extensions

Check with the building department of the local council MPPP or MPSP and obtain a copy of building  approval guidelines. Engage a licensed draftsman or architect to ensure that the extensions are in compliance with the building guidelines by the local authorities.

A property valuer, when assessing the market value of a house, will give due consideration and only accord full value computation for properly constructed extensions with valid approvals.

d) Value-neutral or value-added renovations

Ascertain whether the renovations to be carried are value-neutral or value-added renovations. Upgrading cement floor with homogenous floor tiles, modernizing a kitchen or upgrading the kitchen into wet and dry cooking area, improving home security system are regarded as value-added renovations whilst demolition of front terrace and house facade and rebuilt it with a large balcony, adding a swimming pool or building a sauna or long bath,  reducing the number of bedrooms to less than three are considered value-neutral renovations.

List down your options before embarking on home renovations. For house buyer who prefers house design with large car porch and balcony, it is wise to compare and weight the option which is more worthwhile and cost effective ? to buy a landed house without a balcony and later renovate it or to look for house design that comes with large car porch and balcony ?.

House Design : 2-storey terraced houses without balcony

Another House Design : 2-storey terraced houses with large car porch and balcony

For more tips on home renovations, go to Renovation quotation.

Very often when house owner decides to sell off his house, they tend to overprice their properties as they calculate their asking price by factor in all the costs incurred during and after acquisition of the house ie. purchase price plus all incidental costs such as payment of legal fees and stamping charges plus  renovations costs, bank interest charges incurred plus exit fees or penalty charges for termination of loan agreement within the lock-in period (if any).

The true fact is that total cost spent on the particular house is NOT necessarily equate to the market price of the house. In an active and uptrend market, house prices tend to go up higher than the total acquisition costs. Conversely, in a weak or depressed market, house prices may go down and fall below the total acquisition costs of the house. The market price of the house is very much influenced by the prevailing economy conditions and market sentiments and more specifically relates to the demand and supply of similar houses in the local area.

For advisory on property investments in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, email to us at Izrin & Tan Properties Sdn. Bhd or call us at +604 6588333 (Penang Office) or +603 92839782 (Kuala Lumpur Office) and we would be pleased to assist.