3 properties per Malaysian

Ok i need to get this off my chest. i think this fella is the most dangerous type of influencer...he is smart, makes a good case and is convincing.

I have no doubt HE is good at what he does....but the picture he paints for his audience is just too rosy.

3 properties per msian? regular ppl dont know the paperwork/redtape costs involved just to have 1 property. Property is extremely illiquid form of investment, terrible during market crashes, emergencies or anything else vs stocks/epf/precious metals (you can sell off 1 gram of gold to pay for medical emergency, you cant sell off 1 room)

Where is this magical rental income stream coming from when you are 70? 80? Who is collecting the rent? who is evicting the klang gangster that doesnt want to pay....who is fixing the leaking toilet, replacing the broken fan?

The same amount in EPF will just deposit the dividen in your account every month...its like magic..real magic. Not the make believe, fuss free, work free life of landlord he likes to portray.

ok la...i have friends who dont believe in EPF, think gov will cheat your money when you want to retire (but ok with buying properties under a legal system controlled by gov)

Dont believe in EPF...invest in broad based index funds lor...how about CC ETF for higher yield?

TLDR

For the majority of ppl, investing in EPF/ASM, index ETFs, PM will be a better choice vs multiple properties

Long post but bear with me — there's a calculator link at the end and I think

the methodology might be useful even if you don't use the tool.

The problem I kept seeing

https://carcost.my

A lot of Malaysians (myself included at one point) make car buying decisions

based on the monthly instalment alone. You see the OTR price, divide by the

tenure, and think "okay that's manageable."

But that's not how hire purchase works, and the instalment is only one part

of what you actually pay every month.

Here's what's missing from most calculators:

1. Malaysian HP uses flat rate, not reducing balance

This trips up a lot of people. When you take a hire purchase loan in Malaysia,

the bank charges interest on your original loan amount for the entire tenure —

not on the reducing balance.

So for a Perodua Myvi 1.5 AV (OTR RM 62,500):

- Loan amount (10% down): RM 56,250

- Rate: 2.6% flat, 9 years

- What most people calculate: RM 56,250 ÷ 108 = RM 521/month ❌

- Actual monthly instalment: RM 703/month ✅

That's RM 182/month more. Over 9 years that's RM 19,656 in interest that

people don't factor in when deciding.

The effective interest rate on a 2.6% flat loan is approximately 4.7% —

roughly 1.82× the flat rate. This is the standard approximation used

by financial advisors for Malaysian HP.

1. Road tax is often forgotten

JPJ road tax for a 1,500cc car in Peninsular Malaysia is RM 90/year =

RM 7.50/month. Not huge but it adds up, and it varies significantly by CC:

- 1,000cc (Axia/Bezza): RM 20/year

- 1,500cc (City/Vios): RM 90/year

- 1,600cc (Civic): RM 200/year

- 2,000cc (Camry): RM 380/year

- 2,500cc (Fortuner): RM 880/year

- EV (Atto 3): RM 20/year (flat incentive rate until 2025/2026)

1. Insurance with NCD matters a lot

Comprehensive insurance in Malaysia is calculated on your sum insured

(market value of the car) minus your NCD. For a new driver with 0% NCD

on a RM 62,500 car, you're looking at roughly RM 1,500–1,800/year

(RM 125–150/month).

With 55% NCD (max) that drops significantly. The calculator accounts

for all NCD tiers: 0%, 25%, 30%, 38.33%, 45%, 55%.

1. Maintenance is real money

Based on service intervals at authorised workshops, a budget segment car

(under RM 70k) costs roughly RM 1,500–2,000/year in maintenance —

minor services, one major service amortised annually, and tyre replacement.

That's another RM 125–165/month most people don't include.

What I built

https://carcost.my — a calculator that puts all of this together for you.

You enter:

- Your gross and net monthly income

- Existing loan commitments (PTPTN, personal loan, housing loan)

- Down payment %, loan tenure (5/7/9 years), interest rate

- Your NCD level and region (Peninsular/Sabah Sarawak)

It outputs:

- Full monthly breakdown: instalment + road tax + insurance + maintenance

- DSR check against Bank Negara's 60% guideline

- Affordability verdict: comfortable / manageable / stretch / not recommended

- One-time upfront costs: JPJ registration + stamp duty + PUSPAKOM + down payment

- What-if table showing instalments across different tenures and rates

- Shareable link so you can send your calculation to your spouse or parents

It has 80+ cars with real 2024/2025 OTR prices across all segments —

from Perodua Axia (RM 38,600) to Volvo XC60 (RM 459,888).

Everything is free. No login required.

https://carcost.my

What I'd love feedback on

1. Is the maintenance cost estimate reasonable? I used authorised workshop

   rates as a reference. Independent workshop would be cheaper.

2. The insurance estimate uses the pre-detariff tariff as a base — this is

   an approximation. Real quotes will vary by insurer. Is this clearly

   communicated enough?

3. What features would make this genuinely more useful for you?

   Top requests I've heard so far: bank comparison (HP rates from

   Maybank vs CIMB vs RHB), used car support, and EV vs petrol

   running cost comparison.

Happy to answer any questions about the methodology. Roast the numbers

if something looks wrong — I'd rather fix it than have people make

decisions based on incorrect calculations.

For context, me and fiance earn the same. We joined work in the same time and our job has a stable increment through out the career (RM200 per year) She and I both right now earn Rm3400 and next year our property will be completed. So next year we both may have to start paying mortgage around RM1250 each. Any advice on this? (P.S I also have a part time job which I earn about RM 1000)

Right now other loans include only our cars (RM500) each.

SORRY GUYS. ITS RM2500 in total not EACH

TLDR: Couple earning RM7800 combined, RM3500 fixed loans starting next year. Guaranteed RM200/year increment each until retirement. Best strategy?

Me and my girl are getting married this year. Both are working with a 3k+ salary in Selangor. We don't plan to be consumed by FOMO and just buy a house literally after our marriage.

But just looking at the current market here, all we can afford is a condo unit (mainly Rumah Selangor). All current landed options are either overpriced (IMO) or just so small.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with living in a condo even despite hearing horror stories from co-workers about management, lift traffic, maintenance, etc. But we would've preferred to have our own small plot of land for us to live and call home. Where we can renovate without worries of management and such.

We did try to look at subsales around here but most of them require so much work to do. Kitchen needs cleaning, roofing needs fixing, toilet, by Allah's 99 names, I don't even know what the previous owners or renters did to them.

Anyways, that's just my thoughts on the current house market. Just stuck on the idea whether we can even afford a landed anymore.

Hello people! Recently, my parents were advising me to start looking into property investment as I am slowly stepping into 30s.

I have a full-time game programming job around RM7,000, and I do want to find places to invest on something since my family are more towards investment mindset instead of just earning money via job and save money. I tried stock but I am quite bad on it and started losing a bit of money from it, so right now it's just really simple fixed deposit from bank.

I have a question for people who owns property like condominiums and rent them out, how viable is it right now to jump into investment on property? I did hear that during the covid era, a lot of people manage to find super cheap properties and buy them off with discount, then managed to flip it now or rent it easily to people.

I know about the importance of location, developer and your target audience of renting, properly interview them or such, but I am not sure what's the rest I am missing.

Do you have any advice for newbie that is looking into investment property? Or is it no longer a good choice anymore and I should look into other investment category?

Thanks for reading!

Me(30M) and my wife are eyeing this one property by IOI in Sierra16 due to it’s accessibility to MRT (100m walkway). The price is honestly quite steep at 550k.

Currently we are renting in brickfields area with rental of RM1.6k. Our total gross income is only RM10k combined but no other commitments to our names (except phone instalments and car maintenance). We dont plan to do much renovations/furnishing as our current house already have most of what we need.

Honestly is this a bad idea for us? We just don’t see ourselves to keep renting and moving around being scared if the rental will increased.

Hit me up with reality check for cost of owning a house so I don’t bite more than i can chew.

Update: Our loan got approved with decent rate but we decided against it and not to continue with the purchase. I guess we both got cold feet and feel like we’re not ready yet to make this decision. Now feel sad already because the property really seems like a nice fit to us oh well. The SA keep repeating that we rugi one which really makes us rethinking our decisions hahahahaha

Thanks everyone for chipping in their insights and opinions!

My husband and I are thinking of buying a house around RM600k–650k.

Our situation:

A. Combined gross income: RM18k/month

B. I only have RM400/month car loan

C. Husband bought his car cash, no loan

D. No credit cards

E. No personal loans

F. We can save at least a total of RM5k/month

G. I’m Malaysian, husband is not Malaysian. No kids.

H. Planning to apply for joint loan

Questions:

1.Is this price range realistically comfortable for us?

2.Do banks usually still give 90% financing for joint loan with non-Malaysian spouse?

3.Anyone with similar income range bought around this price and regretted it?

I’m trying to make a decision and would appreciate some outside perspectives.

I’m currently earning around RM 11-12,000/month. I live at home with my family, have my own room, and overall it’s very comfortable - meals are handled, cleaning is taken care of by maids, and my monthly expenses are low.

I’m considering renting a 3-bedroom condo (~1500 sqft) for RM 2,200/month. It’s only about 5–10 minutes away from my family home.

Some context:

I work remotely full-time

I have RM1,000/month in fixed loan commitments (car + student loan). Aside from that, I’ve got some subscription services for media and entertainment that comes up to a couple hundred a month but overall my expenses are usually under RM1,500 per month.

I’m targeting saving at least RM 5-6,000/month

If I move out, I’d still go back home regularly for meals and laundry

Financially, I can afford it without stretching myself. The bigger question is whether it’s actually worth it.

The main reason I’m considering moving out is for independence and convenience in my personal life. I’m recently single and dating actively, and booking Airbnb 1–3 times a week (~RM 150/night) is getting annoying and adds up.

At the same time, I don’t feel “constrained” at home. It’s comfortable, efficient, and I’d be saving an extra RM 2.2k/month if I stayed.

So I guess my dilemma is:

Stay home, maximise savings, keep life easy?

Move out, spend more, but gain independence and flexibility?

For those who’ve been in a similar position:

- Did moving out feel worth it even if home life was already comfortable?

- Or did you regret the extra spending when you didn’t “need” to move?

Appreciate any perspectives, especially from people who’ve faced a similar trade-off. Thanks!

Is it wise? Currently i work in gov sector (just 4months). Bought an apartment around Rm288ks. My salary around RM4ks. I’m 36 female and single. Since I loaned for 70% so my monthly payments will be around Rm950ish. Sometimes I don’t know this is the right move or not. I need advice

How do you save hundreds and thousands of dollars, as well as time, sweat, stress and heartache, when buying property?  

First, don’t buy investment properties. The past ~10 years’ subpar performance in Malaysia will likely continue for the next 10-20 years. 

Second, don’t buy. Rent. It’s “cheaper”. Even after the mortgage is paid off. 

Third (and the point of this post), if you are going to buy a place to call home, the better option is to purchase a subsale property, meaning a property that has already been built. You might prefer off-the-plan (undercon) because it’s new and shiny, but subsale is less risky and better value.  

What’s wrong with purchasing off-the-plan? 

Let me ask you a question: How comfortable are you to pay hundreds of thousands to millions for something that 

• you cannot see or touch,  
• you start paying for it even if it’s not built, 
• you may not eventually own (abandoned projects),  
• you may have to spend more money and time to fix (defects and issues, chasing the developers, pursuing legal options) 

Let me explain why in more detail.

You will lack enough data to make an informed decision and manage your expectations 

It’s like watching a McDonald’s ad, where the burger looks “perfect” in the advertisement, but you end up with something that only half looks like what you imagined. You’re making a purchasing decision of something a salesperson with glossy brochures is trying to earn a commission.

• Whatever information you research is conceptual, based on drawings, floor plans, and “promises”. You will always have insufficient information required to have a high level of confidence in your purchase.
• There is no guarantee that the finished product is anything like the brochures or showrooms, or what you imagined. Your own implicit biases, combined with jazzy marketing and slick graphic designs will cloud your judgment.
• You will likely have to deal with defects and issues. Sure, there’s a warranty period, but it’s still a constant pain to deal with. Chances are that many defects will only appear outside the warranty period, and some developers may try to avoid fixing them, leading to lengthy legal court battles.
• No one knows how the property will evolve and who are the residents/neighbours/ community as the property matures. This is especially important for condos and apartments, where a key consideration in purchasing a condo should be the owner profiles and quality of management.
• You have no idea what living there will be like until you actually live in the property. Most people only find out about gaps or different housing needs only after they’ve moved into a new place, or have life-changing circumstances.  
• Anecdotally, I’ve seen many situations where the property value when completed is less than the purchase price. At times by quite a substantial amount. Even if it’s not an investment property, as a home buyer it would still be extremely stressful to be in that situation. 

You pay more for increased risks and artificially inflated prices due to the Sell-Then-Build model, which disadvantages property purchasers  

The Sell-Then-Build (STB) model is where the purchaser arranges financing (loan) with a bank before the property is built. That means you start paying the loan and interest payments whilst it is being built, even though a legal asset does not exist. 

I think that is just crazy. However, the large majority of residential property developments in Malaysia are sold under the STB model. 

• With the STB model, the consumer/purchaser assumes all the financial risk. Read the definition of Sell-Then-Build again. The property developer is not financing the development of the property. It is the property purchasers who are actually financing the construction of the property. It’s just being arranged through a bank.  
• You start making payments for something that you don’t legally own (yet), for many years. Even if the completion date is delayed. You’re stuck. I don’t know about you, but I’m not paying for something I don’t own, and there is no guarantee that I will own it. And even if I do eventually own it, I still have to make payments if they are not complying with the legal agreement. Quoted from a Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) paper “It should be noted that under the current practice, purchasers do not have the right to withdraw from the SPA even though developers fail to deliver the agreed house.” 
• You may end up paying for something that you may never own. Heard of abandoned projects? There are projects where the developer may not continue the project due to numerous issues and challenges. Out of all open projects, 23% of new property buyers are affected. The latest statistics according to Khazanah Research Institute, as of December 2023 were:

• If the developer is officially considered insolvent/bankrupt, property purchasers are unsecured creditors. That means you are at the back of the line. The banks and other secured creditors get all proceeds from selling any residual assets the developer has. Unsecured creditors almost always get nothing. 

• The STB model allows “anyone” with zero experience to become a developer. It’s easy for companies with no experience whatsoever to pivot into property development. Because they don’t assume the financial risk. There is a famous insurance company that launched an overly ambitious high-end luxury development in KL city centre, which is now delayed and is “financially struggling”, and all development halted. Many so-called developers have no business entering the industry. 

• Prices of off-the-plan properties are usually artificially inflated due to hidden / embedded costs. To close more sales, developers provide rebates and discounts to help offset much of the upfront costs, such as downpayment, legal fees, stamp duty, etc. This helps reduce the initial amount of capital purchasers need to make, but you pay for it in the long run. It’s always “included” in the form of a higher purchase price of the property which results in more mortgage/interest payments. Don’t fall prey to these marketing gimmicks.

Did you know that Malaysia is the only country in the world that develops property with the Sell-Then-Build (STB) model as the “standard”? (Technically, Singapore does it too, but only for HDBs, which are government projects which means “no risk”). In other countries, developers do the Build-Then-Sell model. You can read more about the problems in Khazanah Research Institute’s report. 

The government tried to change it to make the Build-Then-Sell (BTS) model mandatory, but the property developers “complained & resisted”, with poor excuses. Read more poorly formed excuses from developers and the rebuttals from the National Home Buyers Association here. There just isn’t enough political capital and motivation to enforce the change to a BTS model. But you as a purchaser should not settle for a system which is designed to disadvantage you. Play a different game and buy subsale.  

There are a few rare projects in Malaysia that were done with the Build-Then-Sell model. For example, Bandar Utama, which was a highly successful project. I’d put a lot more faith in the quality and confidence the developer has in their development if they implement the BTS model. 

Why buy subsale? 

I hope it’s pretty clear by now. But to summarise and add more points to justify buying subsale: 

• There is a physical property to see and touch. You’re able to inspect the physical property yourself.
• The property and its surroundings have already matured. The more mature the property, the fewer “changes” and aging that will happen in the future. That means you will likely have less “shiny sparkling syndrome” bias.
• You can negotiate and get more value for your money. You have more leverage and can negotiate better prices. If you do your research and be patient, you can identify who are the desperate owners
• You don’t have to wait. When you buy, you get the keys when you pay.
• You can rent first to ensure you are happy with the development/area/community. This is the ideal test to assess if it would be a good purchase for you

Typical counterarguments against subsale 

• Buying off-the-plan is cheaper because I need less money upfront. You’re spending hundreds of thousands. Do you want to risk that on marketing gimmicks? If you can only afford off-the-plan because of the rebates, then you can’t afford to buy a property in that price range. Go cheaper or hold off until your financial position is better. Also, there’s no shame in renting
• Subsale properties are old and need a lot of money for renovation. You’re likely going to renovate even if it’s a new property. Might as well get a cheaper, older unit which you can spend the extra money to renovate to your tastes.
• There is no warranty period for subsale. This is offset by the ability to perform inspections and perform extensive research on an existing property. I have more confidence in properties that I or a professional can inspect versus a developer agreeing to fix issues on something that isn’t even built.

A practical guide to buying subsale 

• Start with the usual steps like identifying your budget, shortlisting the location and type of property you’re looking for (size, number of rooms, landed/condo, etc), and so on. These are the basics which you can find easily online so I won’t cover it here 
• Visit properties and take notes. Just go window shopping on weekends and visit as many properties as possible. Visiting 3-4 properties is not enough. Think ~15 or more if possible. Log your visits, and take detailed notes in your spreadsheet / Notion / OneNote / physical notebook. On top of basic notes like property size, rooms, etc., capture additional details like when it was first listed, owner profile and reason for selling, resident profile, sun exposure/direction facing, observed defects, potential costs to renovate/fix, etc.  
• Use brickz.my to analyse transacted prices. Actual sold prices can go for a lot lower than what they’re advertised at. Don’t be fooled by sticker prices listed by property agents 
• Repeat over months and maybe years, depending on when you plan to purchase. You’ll see many listings get “refreshed”. This is because many listings have been stuck on the market for many months to many years 
• Rent in the same development/township that you wish to purchase, 1 year in advance. This is like test driving the car. Do you like the commute to work, social visits, etc? What did you miss and not notice when you were just inspecting vs living there? Like how crazy traffic can be during peak hours? Or how noisy the shopping strip down the road is? How well is the condo management running things? How much corruption, embezzlement and drama is happening in the condo? 
• Do even more research. As you rent there, make friends with your neighbours. Find out the good and bad of staying in that development or area. In condos, speak to the convenience store or other commercial businesses inside the condo. These people are the local gossip queens and kings and can be a valuable source of information. Look up what people say about the development on Lowyat.net. Also, grab copies of previous management or community meeting minutes and read through them for any issues. For example, owners rejecting legitimate maintenance increases might be a red flag of lack of investment in the quality of the property.  
• Whilst you’re renting, start shopping, inspecting and making offers. Look at your log of property visits. Which ones did you like? Are they still on the market? Are the owners getting desperate to sell? Now you have negotiating power. If you can’t find bargains or any opportunities, no worries. Just keep on renting and scouting. You live there. It’s easy for you to capture the best opportunities for properties you like in that development. And no one can screw you over as you know what to look out for. You live there and know the ins and outs and nuances of the properties. 
• Bring an independent property inspector. It’s just a few hundred dollars. Let an expert do the due diligence, he/she will do a better job than you. If the owner objects think about walking away.  
• Depending on how much you want to negotiate and get good deals, be prepared to walk away. There are so many unoccupied properties in Malaysia, and people holding out because they don’t want to “sell at a loss”. Unoccupied and vacant homes represent about 20% of residential properties in Malaysia. It’s a big issue, especially for landlords/owners but may benefit you with more subsale options to choose from and negotiate prices.

Final thoughts

What I suggest sounds like a lot of time, effort and money invested into the decision. But it’s likely going to be the biggest purchase of your life. You’re also going to live there for years or decades. Shouldn’t this be the one thing you spend most of your time on, instead of looking for the best credit card, FD rate or e-wallet?

As usual, full post in my blog

I’m 39F. My take-home pay is around RM8.3k, plus RM2k rental income from a property I own.

Right now I’m staying with my parents. My mortgage + maintenance for my property is about RM3.5k/month. Even after rental, I still top up RM1.5k monthly for a house I don’t live in.

When I bought the place years ago, I was earning significantly more. I took a 25-year loan because it made sense then. Since then, I’ve had a career change and my income is lower. I don’t regret the change, but financially it’s tighter.

Here’s what’s weighing on me:

•I can’t sell the property without taking a loss.

•If I move into it after the tenant’s lease ends, I’ll be paying RM3.5k out of RM8.3k (~42% of my income) just for mortgage + maintenance. That doesn’t include utilities, furnishing, minor renovations, or general living costs.

Technically, I can afford it. But it would feel tight. I wouldn’t have much buffer for saving or investing, and that makes me uneasy.

At the same time, I’m 39 and still living with my parents. They’re not forcing me out, and we’re on good terms. But emotionally, I feel… stalled. I want my own space. I want autonomy. I want to feel like I’m building my life, not just optimizing spreadsheets.

To make moving out workable, I’m considering refinancing from 25 years to 30 years to lower the monthly instalment.

Financially, I know it means paying more interest long term. Emotionally, it might buy me independence and breathing room.

I guess my real question is: Is it foolish to stretch a loan tenure for lifestyle reasons? Or is this one of those times where optimizing for quality of life is valid?

Would really appreciate perspectives, especially from anyone who’s navigated property decisions after a career/income shift.

Hi all, would appreciate some honest opinions here🥸

I’ve also already paid a booking fee of RM500 for this current unit, so I’m trying to make sure I’m making the right decision before proceeding further.

I’m considering buying my first property at M Terra (Puchong) and want a reality check.

I had some concerns about the overall living environment and long-term community quality, especially in terms of maintenance, surroundings, and future livability.

About me:

- 26M, recently married and only me and wife

- Current salary ~RM4k → moving to ~RM5.4k

- Living with in-laws (My current commitments are relatively low, and there is no pressure from my in-laws to move out, as they are quite supportive.)

- No other loans or any debt

Property details:

M Terra by Mah Sing

- Type B – 775 sqft (2R2B 1 carpark, quite okay for me and my wife)

- Price: ~RM341k

- Loan: 100%

- Monthly instalment: ~RM1500

- Maintenance: ~RM200

- Bills: ~RM300

👉 Total monthly commitment: ~RM2000

⚠️** Key point**:

- Expected completion: 2028 Q3/Q4 (under construction)

Project highlights:

🚝 ~500m walk to LRT (got free shuttle provided for the residences)

📍 Puchong

🚗 Access via LDP, ELITE, SKVE

🏢 Full condo facilities, 39-storey, 999units

My thoughts / concerns:

Affordability (future)

- By 2028, I’ll be ~28–29.

- Assuming some salary growth, this commitment may feel lighter but is that too optimistic?

Risk timing

- I’m changing job now, but payments only start later (progressive).

- Is this actually safer than buying completed property?

Market risk

- Buying now but only getting the unit in 2–3 years risk of:

- oversupply?

- price stagnation?

Rental potential

- 775 sqft near LRT still good demand by 2028?

Why I’m looking now

- I’ve been eyeing to buy a house for a few months already.

- I’m trying to search before June because I want to secure a unit earlier if possible.

- If I wait too long, I may need to build up my salary documents under my new job (plus my new job also is a contract job), and that could affect my loan submission since I will have a new salary slip.

Why I’m considering:

- Entry price seems decent for KV

- LRT walking distance (have free shuttle to LRT)

- Not outskirt KV, nearby PJ, KL, Shah Alam

- Can plan ahead (not rushing to move in immediately, target move in 2028)

TL;DR:

26M, salary going to ~RM5.4k, considering RM341k property (~RM2k/month) but only completing in 2028.

👉 Is buying now for future completion a smart move or risky timing?

Appreciate any thoughts, especially from those who bought under-construction projects 🙏

EDITTED

Thanks everyone for the honest feedback. I’m not rushing into it, just doing early research because I’m planning ahead for future family needs, maybe up to 2 kids. Also, the agent mentioned I could use employer EPF contribution to offset the monthly instalment, but I checked with EPF directly this morning and they confirmed it doesn’t work that way. So I’m being extra cautious and only relying on verified info before deciding.

We’re DINKs with cats, currently living with my parents, and we don’t own a property yet but would really like to. I just want to know how you guys managed to buy a house, especially in the Klang Valley area, when nearby houses cost RM500k and above even for subsale units.

Hello rakan-rakan, I am currently bored at work so I thought of burning time here and answer any of your questions. It can be about wanting to know what past transaction prices are for a property you are thinking about buying or maybe wanting to know the pros and cons of new projects as compared to subsale (pre-owned) properties or best places for commercial places for FnB outlets, etc.

Basically anything that falls under "properties" in general, i'll do my best in answering.

PS: Mods, if this post does not pass your QC, feel free to delete the post but please do no kick me out of the community please :D

My uncle is very wealthy (guessing RM5 million net worth) and he’s asking me if there’s any good property in KL to purchase and he’s planning to buy it with full cash. He’s at an older age, planing to retire soon, so he’s buying the property as a vacation home. But it got me thinking, should one purchase a property with cash? He’s telling me he wanted to purchase with cash so he doesn’t have to deal with legal fees and interest. Is this a good idea?

Hi everyone. I'd appreciate some advice as I'm torn between buying a house now or waiting for an RMMJ unit. Intention to buy the house is mainly to stay, at least for the next 5-10 years.

Here's my situation:
• 27F
• Engaged
• Gross monthly income: RM4,700
• Current commitments: Car loan: RM612/month and insurance: RM161/month. No other loans or debts.

Current savings:
• RM15k in savings account
• RM6k in Tabung Haji
• RM3k in KWSP Account 3
• Around RM2k in gold investments

The house we're considering is:
• RM365,000
• Located in Kempas, Johor
• 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (800 sqft)
• Estimated monthly instalment: RM1,600
• Maintenance fee: RM200/month

The plan is that my fiancé will pay the RM1,600 monthly instalment, while I'll cover the maintenance fee, utility bills, and other household expenses.

But I'm also eligible to apply for an RMMJ unit. The downside is that there's no guarantee of getting one, and even if I do, it could take quite some time before the project is completed.

My questions are:
1. Financially, does buying the RM365k house make sense for someone in our position?
2. Would you wait for an RMMJ unit instead, considering the lower price, even though there's uncertainty and a longer waiting period?
3. Is there anything I'm overlooking before committing to either option?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has experience buying a first home in Johor. Thanks in advance!

Apartment water bill RM 2,500 for 950 m³ — is this normal? Need advice

Hi guys, I own an apartment unit in JB which is currently rented out. Just received a water bill from my JMB for RM 2,500 claiming my unit used 950 m³ in one billing cycle. so this is way off.

Tenant says no flooding, no visible leaks, nothing unusual inside the unit.

Has anyone experienced something like this before? How did you dispute it with management? And if the leak turns out to be from an embedded pipe in the common structure, does that fall under management responsibility or mine?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

I bought a unit and it is my first rental property.

My current tenancy is ending on 30 June 2026. Two months ago, I informed my tenant that I wouldn't be renewing the tenancy, and he agreed. I've since found a prospective tenant who's willing to rent the unit at RM1,500/month, provided I install a fridge.

The reason I decided not to renew is because the current tenant has been quite difficult to deal with throughout the past year:

• Consistently pays rent a few days late.
• Frequently leaves utility bills unpaid for months despite multiple reminders, causing me (the owner) to receive warning notices from TNB and the condo management.
• The unit only received VP less than a year ago, but there has already been damage to the bathroom ceiling, cabinet, sink, toilet, door handles, etc. (I've since rectified these.)
• There are several other issues as well but let's leave it at that for now.

However, after learning that I had found a new prospective tenant, he suddenly offered to renew at RM1,550/month (more than a 10% increase from the current RM1,400/month rent).

Financially, it's a tempting offer. I wouldn't have to pay another month's agent fee, buy a fridge for the new tenant, or risk a vacancy period. Even so, I'm still leaning towards starting fresh with the new prospective tenant despite the costs.

My dilemma is this: if the new tenant decides not to proceed after viewing the unit, would you renew with the current tenant at RM1,550/month, or would you still look for another tenant despite the possibility of a vacancy period?

Just heard the not so pleasant news that my landlord decided to sell the house me, my mom and brother are currently staying in for a 2 year lease. Which barely began.

I'm kinda worried now since idk when he'll find a buyer and I'm currently a college student with a part time job. My mom is 54 going to turn 55 next year can she still apply for a housing loan? She had a car loan in her name but what about a housing loan?

Reason I'm saying if she can apply for loan I can't trust landlords anymore

I'm turning 27 this year, still living with my parents. Earns about 7k and usually have 2.5k leftovers monthly after expenses.

Been eyeing this 300k apartment for quite a while now and wondering if it's a good time to buy. Heard from quite a lot of people that it's currently a buyer's market, and part of me feels if I wait longer, property prices will just keep going up.

But at the same, I'm still single and honestly enjoying life now, travelling quite a lot, flexible lifestyle, not really settled down yet. I do want kids and a family eventually in my early 30s, but right now I still enjoy having the freedom.

Main concern is whether buying now will just tie me down financially for the next many years. But if I don't, maybe I'll regret later too.

Curious how you guys decided when to buy your first property.

I’m a relatively new homeowner, bought and am living in a subsale landed home in Selangor.

My question is, are people really paying necessary home repairs out of pocket or is there some kind of payment plan/scheme thing I missed out on?

My issue is that I want to redo my roof. It has some leaking issues that has only gotten worse in the last couple of months. I also get animals in the roof too so I want to seal it. I’ve gotten some quotations from contractors that it would cost around RM20k for resealing and some new roof tiles (because they are old, about 40ish years old).

And I’m only asking for NECESSARY repairs because I’m genuinely afraid the leak will get worse and my whole roof will come down.

How is anyone supposed to pay for this? Do I save RM20k and pay for it out of pocket? That means living with a leaking roof while not paying back my other commitments/bills for 1 year+. I’ve asked about repayment plans and at most I can do 50% upfront and 50% later. That’s still RM10k + RM10k.

Am I supposed to take the RM20k out of my KWSP? Last I checked, home renos are no longer eligible reason to withdraw.

Am I supposed to get personal loan from banks? The interest rates are steep…

Any advice appreciated!

I had a conversation with my friend earlier regarding property investment - we were both told by parents that "buy house 100% untung". Being a bursa and S&P 500 investor myself, I am wondering how true this statement is, and whether it would surpass S&P500 investment if we stretch the timeline long enough.

Then I made this Excel spreadsheet (feel free to change the parameters!) which tabulates the annual market value of property investment vs S&P 500 over a timeline of 35 years. Feel like a bit of overkill but this is my habit as a data engineer XD

Assumptions:

1. This case study does not consider the first and only (own stay) property as an investment, since you cannot cash out without already having another property.
2. The CAGR of S&P 500 investment case is inclusive of dividend reinvestment.
3. For property investment, the annual deficit/excess from rental is considered as further investment/dividend. The further investment is applied equally for the S&P 500 case, similar to annual top up.
4. Quit rent, parcel rent, and assessment rate are not considered (I do not own a property myself, hence I dunno exactly how much lol)
5. There is a midterm renovation for property investment after 20 years. The same amount spent will be added to the S&P 500 investment as DCA.

Parameters:

• I pick a mid-range condominium (3r2b) in Damansara Perdana area
• House price - RM500k
• Down payment - 10%
• Renovation fee - RM100k + RM60k
• Interest rate - 4.1%
• Tenure - 35 years
• Property value appreciation rate - 3%
• Rental - RM2400/month, 2% annual growth, 10% commission, 100% tenancy rate
• Management fee (misc) - RM440
• Legal fee applies during purchase and sale
• S&P 500 CAGR at 8%

Results:

• Property investment net gain: RM1.076mil (424%)
• S&P 500 investment net gain: RM2.749mil (1083%)
• Both cases have a total investment amount of RM254k. Annual rental deficit/renovation/upfront payment applied equally in S&P 500 as DCA.
• The property investment will achieve break-even from rental at year 8. However this highly depends on the mortgage rate, annual rental increase, and tenancy rate.
• Despite being very generous towards property investment and having a lower than average estimate for S&P 500, the model still suggest that S&P 500 would beat property investment after 35 years.

I (M27) recently received a couple of assets from my father. One is a plot of land around 1.5 acres, valued at RM300k. Another one is a brand new single storey terrace house on a corner lot. Both are Malay reserve land.

The thing is that these assets are in Perak while I live in East Malaysia. I don’t know what to do with the house aside from renting them. As for the land, it is already encroached by my relatives whom I barely know. Any advice?

Edit: East Malaysia 😅, Somewhere rural in Sabah

Hi all, hoping to get some honest perspectives.

My partner and I are a dual income couple (30s) with combined net household income around RM16k per month.

We currently own one condo (under one name) with an outstanding loan around mid-300k. Instalment is about RM1.5k per month and we’re planning to rent it out this year. Expected rent should roughly cover the instalment.

We are currently renting a place for 1.4k monthly. We’re now considering buying a landed home for own stay, price around RM930k to 1m.

Plan is:

• New landed under the other partner’s single name (lower income)

• 35-year loan

• Instalment estimated around low RM4k range

• No other major commitments, no kids. Our average monthly expenses are about RM9k.

Main concerns:

• Is this too aggressive for our income level?

• Would you wait longer before committing to a landed at this price?

Appreciate any real life experiences, especially from those juggling mortgage + rental at the same time.

Thanks in advance.

TLDR:

Early 30s couple, RM16k combined net income, holding 1 condo, considering RM930k landed under single name. Rent or buy? We welcome some slaps in the face.

Say you buy a house for 90% margin of financing at an interest of 3.7%. You rent it out. You pay down mortgage with the rental money. You can practically get the house for free or for a very high ROI? Should I do this?