Author: Charles Tan
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RM800 per month, enough to live on?
The answer is a pretty certain, NO. Not even a single person whom you ask today would say yes but if you do not have much expenses and house is fully paid for plus you do not fall sick all the time, RM800 can still allow you to live a very frugal life in a…
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You make it Faster, I make it Cheaper.
This is a good challenge and it should be reported by all medias. Datuk Francis Goh, the President of the Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers (SHAREDA) said that one major contributor to housing price increase is because of the delay in development approval. In fact, he outlined clearly why if the development approval is…
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Household Debt Malaysia? Better.
First of all, the household debt to gross domestic product has risen marginally to 87.9% compared to 86.8% a year earlier. Actually, in percentage, it’s getting worst! However, look one level deeper and we can heave a sigh of relief because 80% of all new loans had a debt service ratio (DSR) of less than…
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Golfing, hot weather and Japanese interest
When I was with my first company, a Japanese MNC, my general manager told me that while golf is not considered a luxury for him in Japan, it is a scarcity. More often than not you would need to book at least weeks ahead and for some of the more popular ones, perhaps even months…
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RM down, end of the road soon?
A Facebook comment I saw prompted me to write down my personal views about my country’s currency, Ringgit (RM). Of course, if that Facebook user can write his comments and share with the world, I should be allowed to also write my comments with actual references to actual currencies in the world. This is not…
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Buy property, get wife free.
In an article in Singapore’s major property portal PropertyGuru.com.sg, one property in Yogjakarta has attracted huge attention because when you buy that house, you can also get a wife free. No, it’s not a spelling mistake for WIFI. It’s the correct spelling for WIFE. Yes, buy that said property at the price the owner is…
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Selling property with ambassadors, does it work?
Maybe six months ago, I got to know of a local developer with a project in a secondary town in Malaysia using ambassadors to sell its high-rise properties. The result was not good because even when my friend told me about the ambassador, I had to ask, ‘who is she?’ Can ambassador really sell a…
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Malaysia: good health care, lower living cost
In Malaysia, one can live comfortably for less than in Australia. I remembered a conversation I had with a Senior HR manager a few years ago. He said, “I seldom fail to convince any retiree to move to Malaysia and contribute to my company. The reason? As long as they are from America, I tell…
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Property market down but bigger developers fine
Many say when your company is smaller, it is more nimble, more flexible and can react to changes faster. Quite true. However, for property developers, size does matter. The bigger you are, perhaps the more resilient you are. In fact with the right planning, during current slowdown you may be able to focus on affordable…
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High-rise occupancy is 69% in KL.
Reported in a local English daily. According to CH Williams Talhar & Wong managing director Foo Gee Jen, the average occupancy of high-rise residential property in Kuala Lumpur for 2014 was 69%. With more new completion of high-rise residential developments in 2015, this will definitely lower the rental yield as well as the average occupancy…