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Home or hou$e

The importance of research is rising as more Malaysians look at property as an investment alternative

THE property market is highly volatile and thrives on speculation.

Although Malaysia is considered a fairly stable market with steady appreciation in value, unlike other places around the globe, it is important for Malaysians to understand when and where they should invest their money.

It was reported last year that the local property market would see moderate growth in 2012 due to a gloomy economic outlook.

However, as we approach the final quarter of the year, the property market seems robust, with more developments being launched and take up rates for new developments averaging above 50% despite volatile economic conditions in the West.

Recently, a property developer informed MetroBiz that most of their condominium units were bought as an investment as many expect that the area to appreciate it value.

On display: New condominiums being showcased at a property fair. (File pic)

“They can always rent it out to cover their monthly installmentms and after several years, the value of the property will have gone up by at least 30% given its location,” said the developer.

But if that’s the case, why are there so many vacant condominiums in Mont Kiara, Bukit Ceylon and other upscale property developments?MetroBiz takes a closer look at the property sector, a playing field has created so many millionaires and, perhaps, an equal number of bankrupts.

How many times have we heard at the coffee shop that a new property is being launched and that we should buy it immediately because property prices in Malaysia alway appreciate. It is not uncommon to hear the phrase, “You will never lose.”

Property guru and investment specialist Marco Robinson calls this speculative buying.

“Most Malaysians invest their money in property based on speculation without seeing the bigger picture.

“Eventually they will not have a positive cash flow from their investment and after a few years they end up selling the property to balance the books or even worse, having the bank take back the property,” he said.

The author of Know When To Close The Deal and Suddenly Grow Richand a proud member of the billionaire boys club for achieving over US$1bil (RM3.1bil) in sales, Robinson said Malaysians need to invest in educating their minds before investing in anything.

“Many fail to realise that the recession we had is part of an 80-year cycle and we are still in it. Look at Europe, for example. Almost every week we hear countries like Italy, Portugal, and Greece, among others expecting, bailouts.

“And in the US, markets are still crashing and will crash further after the presidential elections are concluded,” he stressed.

Robinson further adds that the global economic outlook for next year will be far worse than predicted and for the first time in history, we could face a triple dip recession.

“Malaysians who are serious about property investments should look into markets such as the US where house prices have dropped tremendously,” said Robinson. “These markets can offer good rent yields and, once the economy bounces back within a few years, the value of the property will appreciate,” he added.

Robinson cited the Hilton family that invested during the 1920s and 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression.

“From my experience, Malaysia is one of the toughest markets to collect rent,” said Robinson, when asked about the risk involved with property purchases overseas.

According to Robinson, Malaysia should not be classified as an emerging market and should be reclassified as a semi-developed nation due to its nature as a “slow-burning” market.

“In Malaysia, although property prices are expected to appreciate, it takes a very long time. Right now, property prices are too high in Malaysia and it does not make cash-flow sense as you need to service your mortgage which is not covered by rent yield returns,” he explained.

Expert advice: Robinson says, in Malaysia, although property prices are expected to appreciate, it takes a very long time.

Also, property transactions in Malaysia take at least six months to finalise, while in the UK it only takes three days. “In that six months, anything could happen and you may lose out,” said Robinson.

According to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate services and investment management, the second quarter of 2012 marks a return to investment transactions above the psychologically important US$100 billion mark and, at US$108 billion, volumes are up 24% quarter-on-quarter globally.

The report further stated: “The rental outlook for 2012 has been tempered by ongoing economic uncertainty, although we continue to expect positive rental growth in many major prime office markets — the notable exceptions being Hong Kong and Singapore.

We still remain particularly bullish about rental growth in Beijing and San Francisco (+20% to 25%) and we have upgraded our projections for Mexico City (+15% to 20%) as supply conditions tighten.”

Closer to home, it was reported that Budget 2013 will see more measures to control the soaring prices of property, including tighter fiscal policies to curb speculation.

With 58% of households in the cities earned less than RM4,000 a month including 44.5% earning less than RM2,500, the government is expected to allocate more affordable housing projects such as the People’s Housing Project (PPR) and the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Project in the coming Budget.

Local industry experts such as Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah is confident that Malaysia will not be experiencing any such property bubble.

It pays to do your homework before you take the big step into property investment. A sound strategy can pay off even with uncertainties around interest rates and volatile market conditions.

You can reap rewards if you choose the right property as the shortage of rental properties, combined with rising prices in most markets across the globe but be sure keep a close eye on your investment.

MetroBiz is not liable for any purchases made based on the information above. Please do your own research before investing. - The Star

No property bubble in M'sia; Sunway chairman says local prices affordable

PETALING JAYA: The local property industry continues to face many obstacles despite signs of steady economic growth, which was announced recently for the second quarter and the first-half, underpinned among other factors by a jump in construction activity as well as healthy consumption.

Among the challenges the industry faces, according to Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, is the market perception that the industry is heading towards a property bubble, which is not backed by reasonable evidence.

“As a developer I'm convinced as of now that we shall not be experiencing any such property bubble, as our property prices are still affordable compared with some of our neighbouring cities in the region,” Cheah, also Sunway Bhd chairman, said at an address during the launch of the 15th National Housing and Property Summit.

He cited Bank Negara's second-quarter gross domestic product data which indicated a 5.4% year-on-year growth despite external challenges as signs that private consumption remained steady. Central bank data showed the construction sector, which includes housing and civil infrastructure activity, surging 22%.

Great stuff: (From left) Land & General Bhd MD Low Gay Teck, PKNS GM Othman Omar, Asli CEO Tan Sri Michael Yeoh, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung and Cheah looking at a project model.

Cheah said it was also untrue that property prices were being driven up due to foreigners' purchases in the country as transactions by foreigners had historically hovered at 3% compared with 20% in Singapore.

He added that 54% of total residential transactions in 2011 were below the RM150,000 range.

Cheah said the other challenge the industry faced was the lack of skilled workers, which caused delays in the completion of projects. He said it was important for the Construction Industry Development Board to continue engaging with both industry players and non-governmental organisations to address this issue in order to improve the quality of finished projects.

Cheah said there needed to be combined efforts by the Govern-ment and industry players to address these issues as well as come up with strategies to overcome them.

He urged the Government not to take “too drastic measures” to cool the property market as this “can kill market sentiment and slow supply of housing further.”

“The Government should not in-crease the real property gains tax. I also hope it will not further restrict lending to the property sector or introduce new measures that will make it more difficult for house buyers to purchase properties,” Cheah said.

He also stressed the sustainability of the industry, which would be important to ensure continued buoyant economic growth and resilience.

Meanwhile, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said new fiscal policies might be introduced in Budget 2013, as current measures taken to control house prices had not been very effective.

Despite the Government's measures to curb the rise in house prices, such as the increase in RPGT and a restriction on loan-to-value ratios on third properties and above, there were feelings that the Government has not done enough.

“I will be recommending a review of fiscal policies in the next budget,” Chor said.

Cheah's remarks on the property bubble continue to divide analysts who closely follow the industry with Kenanga Investment Bank research head Chan Ken Yew pointing out that a bubble might exist to a certain extant as prices continued to be above what younger workers were able to afford.

“This is because their salary can't catch up with the current house prices. This problem is not only evident in Malaysia but also in Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.

Increasing the Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) withdrawal rate to be utilised for the down payment of a member's first home could solve this problem, he added. Currently, the EPF allows for a 30% withdrawal from Account 2. “If the Government allows for a 50% withdrawal, this would help to lower the burden,” he said. - The Star

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Penang Real Estate | Penang Property | Penang Properties: Land For Rent (L3)

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Finding the right property mix

Making housing affordable, avoiding a property bubble and ensuring there is no over or under development are some key issues.

FOR the vast majority of people property means getting a respectable roof over their heads with proper amenities in a decent neighbourhood, and getting it affordably.

For others, it is about getting a second or third property or more for the sake of investment a good return eventually for the price they paid and as a hedge against inflation because property prices mostly continue to rise in the long term much faster than inflation.

The most sophisticated of them don't just restrict their investments to the residential market but dabble as well in commercial and industrial space such as shops, offices and factories, wherever they may be located.

Socially, there has to be regulation of property development not only to ensure that it is done up to certain standards but to ensure a proper mix between the various kinds of development such as residential, commercial and industrial and the various segments within these broad sectors.

It would be a mistake to micromanage however and within broad guidelines, it is often best to leave it to the market place to adjust things. But it does take a long time for things to adjust in property because of the gestation period before a property can be brought to market.

Ideally, property development should take place under the aegis of a broad master plan which has been formulated after intense study and research, taking into account projected population growth and other demographics. It should be dynamic to take into account changes.

Unfortunately we don't stick to a plan in terms of development and even when there is a master plan it is often overruled by those in authority for other reasons which are often not compelling from an economic viewpoint.

In residential development, the greatest challenge is, of course, providing decent housing at affordable cost to the vast majority of the population. Unfortunately that is also a function of income if people are poor, they won't be able to afford nice houses no matter what.

But we are a middle-income country and we can do some things to keep prices of properties within reasonable levels. The best gauge of that is in relation to our own income level instead of making comparisons with countries with much higher incomes (eg Singapore) or those where special situations make property expensive (eg Mumbai).

Prices are always a function of demand and supply. Some moves simply increase demand, often without a fundamental increase in demand for actual occupation. Opening up property purchases to foreigners often result in a spurt in demand at the time of sale but properties may not get occupied. Look at some high-end properties in Mont'Kiara and around the twin towers area in Kuala Lumpur for illustration.

Also, making a leveraged property purchase easy encourages property speculation. If you pay 5% down and if your next payment is two years later and if the property appreciates just 10%, you have made 100% (before transaction costs) in two years or 50% a year roughly. That is powerful incentive for speculation, creating an artificial demand that can collapse two years out.

To curb such kinds of speculation which lead to temporary surges in house prices and a potential bursting of the bubble in future, it will be necessary to curb foreign property purchases and easy financing schemes.

Meantime, the state and federal governments and their agencies must be more circumspect about handing out their landed assets to developers at very low cost to develop. Developers naturally want to maximise their returns and high-end, high-density properties offer the best returns.

Instead governments and their agencies should develop a master plan for the land they have and allocate the areas meant for low-cost, medium and high-end residential as well as commercial and industrial. Then they can invite the developers to bid for the parcels they will develop.

All that would take a lot of work, yes, but nothing worthwhile comes without proper effort. Examples to emulate for low-cost to medium-cost housing might be the Singapore Housing Development Board which has strict criteria for purchase of property, resale and standards.

Examples not to emulate would be Singapore again which has adopted a free and unfettered stance as far as sale of property to foreigners is concerned which has priced high-end property beyond the vast majority of Singaporeans to become the domain of multi-millionaires.

Incidentally, this is one of the major complaints of Singaporeans who otherwise have little to complain about in terms of economic development and living standards given their tiny space and resources. That has been reflected in voting trends too, leading the government to descend from its mighty perch of “I know it all” to re-examine its policies.

In commercial development, the trend in Malaysia has been to cramp it all in as little space as possible to maximise development profits. Abetment comes from authorities who give approvals with little or no thought of proper planning considerations such as availability of parking, public transport and whether it will cause congestion.

Many developers are willing to take the plunge into commercial development because of high profits. The danger of over-development is the greatest here, especially with plans to set up a new financial district called the Tun Razak Exchange, which will result in plenty of commercial space coming on stream in Kuala Lumpur city. Developers in this area have been granted tax exemption which will cause market distortions by giving them an advantage over others.

Under the circumstances, authorities have to be extra-vigilant to ensure that there are no untoward pressures on the property market, both in terms of a boom or a bust.

Speculation and ill-considered development can cause a volatile, mercurial mix which if it explodes can cause years of agony. Better a sensible, more stable brew that stands the test of time and ages gracefully. - The Star

P Gunasegaram (t.p.guna@gmail.com) is an independent consultant and writer. He believes strongly in the old adage that prevention is better than cure.

Correction

In last week's column on the price surge and collapse of E&O shares, the turnover figure cited for E&O shares traded on the relevant Friday should have been 44.7 million shares and not 447 million shares. The error is regretted.

Points to consider when buying a house to avoid future complications

CAN you afford a house now?

Assuming you can afford a house, how much can you afford to pay? These are important questions that many people do not research. This oversight can lead many people to bad debt and even bankruptcy.

Your monthly expenditures will be more than just the housing loan. There will also be insurance, electricity, water, telephone bills, contributions to maintenance fund, medical bills, groceries, unexpected household/auto repairs, lunch money and many other obligations.

They must all be accounted for in your budget spreadsheet. For many of us the purchase of a house or property is the largest financial commitment we will ever make. This makes arranging the most suitable housing loan just as important.

Make sure you know the costs of entering into the loan for the purchase of the property. They include conveyancing, application fees, valuation and legal fees, mortgage insurance (if necessary) and sometimes, extra life insurance premiums.

Some lenders will tell you the advantages of whatever housing loans they are trying to squeeze you into, but rarely will they tell you the disadvantages.

According to an article in a business magazine, the banking system is flush with RM180bil liquidity. This explains the increasingly aggressive sales promotions undertaken by financial institutions for the housing industry.

Always look at the total deal, not some dangling carrots in front of you. Compare the entire housing loan cost of different lenders to determine which is best for you.

I would like to discuss some of the lenders' offers that may not be as attractive as they appear. I will start with the special low interest offered for the first year. Such an offer is usually given during a sale campaign and it usually carries a fixed calendar period with a run-out date. Thus, even if a house buyer commenced his application process immediately upon the launch of the campaign, by the time the loan is approved and disbursement commences, the period remaining to enjoy this special low interest rate will certainly be less than one year.

If he were to start the application process a few months after the campaign, it is likely that he will enjoy the special low rate for only a very short period.

Due to our unique system of progressive payments to the developers, the mean average of the amount disbursed by the banks during the “first year low interest offer,” is really lower than the loan amount. Thus, any saving on interests is really much less than it seems. And these have all been figured out already by those marketing experts in the banks.

A more sincere approach would be to offer the special low interest rate to apply during the progressive payment period and to continue to run for one year after the date when the loan is fully disbursed. Only then can such offers bear some element of sincerity. I believe that anything short of that makes the offer a sales marketing gimmick.

There are other clauses that put house buyers in a disadvantaged situation. Some lenders include clauses in the loan agreements that give them the absolute rights to alter both the Base Lending Rates and/or the margin of interests.

Doesn't this in effect nullify their typical attractive offer of “BLR plus X% for following years?”

One cannot make a special low interest offer in the sales campaign and then contractually (through the loan agreement) creates a clause to allow that special offer interest rate to be invalidated. Make sure you know all the costs of early discharge of the loan.

One other clause to look out for is the redemption of the loan. A house buyer may wish to sell the house and wished to fully-settle the loan.

This is where the conditions for full-settlement differ from one financial institution to another. Think long term.

When one takes a loan, one spends a much longer period servicing the loan beyond the first year or even the second and the third year. So do not be taken in by the very attractive offers during the honeymoon year/s of the tenure of your loan. Remember, the remaining of the 25 years is more important. Do not go for short-term gains only to lose out heavily on the long remaining years.

I would advise house buyers to look beyond the first year of so-called low interest when shopping for housing loans. With the stiff competition among the various lenders today, one should seriously shop around and scrutinise each and every offer before commencing the application process. Talk to your bankers, lawyer friends or seek advice from the National House Buyers Association.

One really has to scrutinise the fine print before making a decision as to which financial institution to go to for a loan. It is about time to standardisde the terms and conditions in the loan agreement so that there will be orderliness in the banking industry.

No more “embedded” clauses within the voluminous stakes of papers one has to initial giving the impression that one has truly read and understood them. It is obviously impossible to read and understand those 40 over pages of legal language that comes with appendixes. - The Star

Chang Kim Loong is the honorary secretary-general of The National House Buyers Association, a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political organisation manned by volunteers. For more information, checkwww.hba.org.my or e-mail info@hba.org.my

Mah Sing has high hopes Developer targets to become proxy leader

MAH Sing Group Bhd managing director Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum has big ambitions, and he's ready to articulate his aspiration for all who want to hear.

First of all, he has a vision of making Mah Sing the next Cheung Kong Holdings of Malaysia. For the uninitiated, Cheung Kong belongs to Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, and is one of the largest property developers in Hong Kong.

Like Leong, Li also started off Cheung Kong as a plastic manufacturer back in the fifties.

Some may even judge this as being a little presumptive, but Leong wants to work towards being the proxy leader of the property sector in Malaysia.

After chalking up more than 10 years of double digit growth, 39 projects ongoing and a remaining gross development value (GDV) and unbilled sales of some RM18bil, Mah Sing as a proxy leader of the sector might not be too far fetched a scenario.

Meanwhile sources added that Mah Sing was close to concluding two en-bloc sales from its existing developments in the Klang Valley to a group of foreign investors who are keen to take a bet on the Malaysian property market.

In the past, Mah Sing has concluded six en-bloc deals to both institutional and private investors.

When asked by StarBizWeek, Leong says an appropriate announcement will be made when such developments take place.

Potential proxy leader

The title of proxy leader undisputably belongs to one company over the last decade. Mention property in Malaysia, and the first company that springs to mind is S P Setia Bhd. And, of course, everyone knows S P Setia is what it is today thanks to its leader Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin.

While Liew's Midas touch is growing in its efficacy, much of the company belongs to Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) which made a general offer for S P Setia last year. Today PNB owns some 70% of S P Setia. The takeover has seen S P Setia's sector leadership being increasingly discounted, and this is evident from its share price.

While Liew continues to steer the company for the next three years, his ownership in the company has been reduced to 5.65%.

So here comes Leong, who is focused on steering his company towards pole position by taking the approach of being a professionally-run company with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Mah Sing has delivered every quarter in terms of sales and profits over the last 10 years. As it stands, Mah Sing has a market capitalisation of more than RM2bil, putting it in sixth position. Leong is targeting Mah Sing to have a market capitalisation of RM5bil in the next 3 to 5 years.

“I have worked very hard over the past 18 years as I want to leave behind a legacy. We are building the company to be the next proxy of the property sector, by being the premier lifestyle developer that can be counted upon to deliver the results and the quality that is associated with the Mah Sing brand,” says Leong.

As Malaysia's second biggest listed property developer by sales value, Mah Sing has the credentials for these ambitions.

Up to June 30, 2012, the company has achieved sales of RM1.29bil, which is also 52% of their 2012 RM2.5bil sales target. It has unbilled sales of RM2.69bil and a cashpile of RM555mil.

For the first half, net profit was up 42% to RM120mil on the back of a 25% improvement in revenue to RM913mil.

From 2002 to 2011, Mah Sing has enjoyed a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 47% on net profits. Housebuyers who purchased Mah Sing homes, especially its landed properties, have also seen capital appreciation of more than 50% over a three to four year period.

For instance, Aspen and Clover @ Garden Residence in Cyberjaya has a resort lifestyle concept with lots of lush greenery. Clover@Garden Residence for example, is set upon a hillslope and for home owners, so it is virtually having a mountain beside one's home.

For its upcoming Ferringhi Residence in Penang which also offers the same concept but with an ocean view, registration has currently reached a cumulative 2,787 units, out of total units of 210 units.

Its M Residence in Rawang has seen registration of 2,509 units out of actual units of 779, for its linked units. Its semi-dees have seen registration of 891 units out of actual units of 68.

It is with these statistics that Leong's conviction to achieve his sales target of RM2.5bil for 2012 has been further strengthened.

“If we buy the right land, offer the right product and right concept and launch at the right time, then I am very sure that my developments will sell. Property development is a cashflow game. You have to manage that well. To have a quick turnaround, we must target the right segment,” says Leong.

In 1994, Mah Sing was a fledgling property developer that started off as a plastic manufacturer, foraying into the development of an industrial park. Mah Sing can today boast of a remaining GDV and unbilled sales of RM18bil in Penang, Johor, Kota Kinabalu and the Klang Valley.

Over the past four years, Mah Sing has also bought over RM1bil worth of land with about RM12.6bil in GDV. It is still reasonably geared at 30%, well below management's target of 50%.

The company is known for its small, niche and fast turnaround developments. Previously, the company never owned a single parcel of land bigger than 400 acres. Its strategy was always to roll out what buyers wanted and at the right location.

Township developer

So moving forward, what is Leong's strategy?

For starters, he's expanding Mah Sing's township portfolio. Mah Sing has been developing townships since year 2000 in both Klang Valley and Johor Baru.

Projects like Garden Residence in Cyberjaya, Kinrara Residence in Kinrara, M Residence in Rawang and Sierra Perdana in Johor are mixed townships which have been received good take up rates. So now, Mah Sing is venturing into bigger acquisitions to meet market demand.

This is already evident in the sizes of land it has been buying of late. While its two projects in Rawang is about 400 acres, its Bangi land which will house its Southville City development is over 400 acres with a GDV of RM2.2bil.

Mah Sing will also bid for the Rubber Research Institute Land in Sungai Buloh, where it is hoping to get a bigger portion from the carved out parcels.

When asked for his outlook on the property market, Leong says he is selectively optimistic, especially on the middle income market.

“We have to tailor our property products to the needs of the market. From what I can see, mid to high end developments will still be in demand if they are in good locations. I am still bullish on certain market segments, For example, the market wants landed properties. Buyers don't mind driving 15 minutes to 30 minutes to work, as long as they have a good sized link house, semidee or a bungalow. That is why my Southville City and M Residence in Rawang will cater for this need. Landed properties for the middle income group,” said Leong.

On this note, he will continue to focus on linked houses in a gated and guarded concept priced below RM1mil.

Leong is extremely excited over the launch of Southville City, as this sizeable land will provide housing which is within the reach of many middle income earners in the Southern part of KL. Southville City has prime frontage of 2km along both sides of the North South Highway, providing value enhancing branding opportunities for project.

Mah Sing is planning to seek approval from the government for a new interchange on the North South Highway just 2.5km from the existing Bangi interchange to allow direct access to Southville City. Currently, registration for Southville City has reached close to 2,500 registrants.

Leong sees Southville City changing Bangi. He feels that presently, despite the rising trend of urbanisation, locals are largely underserved.

It is on this note that the township of Southville will comprise of landed residential units, and some 30% of the landbank will be allocated for commercial properties. Leong is targeting the upgraders and new buyers from Bangi and surrounding townships of Kajang, Semenyih, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Nilai and Seremban. Leong adds that for serviced apartments, there is demand for units between 500 and 700 sq ft. This was especially popular among new household formations and singles.

“Nowadays people buy properties to match their lifestyle. Property is acknowledged as the best hedge against inflation, and people buy properties as a form of wealth preservation and not speculation,” said Leong - The Star

PLB to dispose land in Penang for RM10mil

KUALA LUMPUR: PLB Engineering Bhd's wholly-owned subsidiary,Excelgrand Properties Sdn Bhd, is proposing to dispose a 81,948.834 square metre piece of freehold land in Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang, to Greenpower City Sdn Bhd for RM10.144mil.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, PLB said the disposal was expected to result in an estimated one-off gain (net of tax) of RM4mil to the group after deducting the development cost incurred and other sundry expenses fees. - Bernama

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Actual sale of residential properties declining

PETALING JAYA: The residential property market may be cooling down in terms of actual sales due to credit-tightening measures by banks, according to real estate consultants and Bank Negara data.

Bank Negara's website showed loan approvals' percentage for residential properties in the country declined to 46.8% in the first half of this year from 50.1% during the same period in 2011.

The number of loans applied for purchases of residential properties increased by 2.9% year-on-year in the first half of this year to RM96.7bil.

However, the number of residential property loans approved during the six-month period declined to RM45.26bil from RM47bil in the same period in 2011.

It is also worth noting that the loan approval percentage for non-residential properties was stable at 52.3% in the first half of this year, compared with 52.4% during the same period in 2011.

The number of loans applied (RM50.35bil) and approved (RM26.35bil) for purchases of non-residential properties was also stable in the first half of this year.

CB Richard Ellis (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd executive director Paul Khong said if the housing loan approval rate continued to decline, it will affect residential property prices.

“In order to conclude transactions, residential property sellers may now need to realistically adjust their selling prices as many of the buyers cannot get their loan applications approved,” he said.

KGV International Property Consultants director Anthony Chua said although the demand for residential properties continued to be high, the credit-tightening measures by banks had resulted in the market “cooling somewhat”.

“We are still monitoring the situation. There is less transactional activity in the market this year for both new property launches and the secondary market compared with last year,” said Chua.

Property consultancy CB Richard Ellis (M) Sdn Bhd had, in its recent report on the Kuala Lumpur residential market for the second quarter of 2012, also noted that there was a significant decline in the loan approval percentage this year.

“The loan approval rate was as high as 60.5% during the first five months of 2008, and has declined steadily since,” said the report.

The CBRE report said that the lower rate of loan approvals this year could be attributed to the implementation of new lending guidelines by Bank Negara.

Effective this year, banks have started using net income instead of gross income to calculate the debt service ratio for loans.

“Anecdotal evidence from real estate agents suggests that transactional activity has also declined as a result.”

The property consultancy also pointed out that despite the lower loan approval rates, buyer interest in new property launches, typically of smaller housing units in secondary locations, during the second quarter remained strong with developers continuing to offer attractive incentives to the purchasers such as the developer interest bearing scheme (DIBS), early bird discounts, free built-in cabinets and free legal fees.

“We expect 2012 to be a period of stabilisation especially within the luxury residential market, with transactional activity depressed by uncertain economic conditions and the reduction in loan approval percentage, which remains well below 50%.”

The CBRE report also said speculative property purchases were expected to be reduced for the rest of this year, as a result of tighter lending conditions, uncertain economic outlook, and concerns about the outcome of the upcoming general election.

Meanwhile, another property consultant said the tighter lending conditions had taken a visible toll on the secondary residential property market.

“Newly-launched properties are selling well thanks to better financing access, especially with the DIBS offered by many property developers.”

The consultant said slower sales activities in the secondary residential property market had resulted in innovative offers from marketing agents.

“This includes transactions where buyers sign the sales and purchase agreement but take the bank loans only a year or twolater. In effect, the buyers lock in the unit price now (perhaps in anticipation of further increases in market prices) and defer payment until much later. This works just like an informal DIBS,” he said.

In a recent report, Kenanga Research also said based on its channel checks, the secondary market appeared to be very weak and prices of secondary and primary products have diverged further.

The research unit opined that buyers were more focussed on new launches due to financing and promotional schemes.

“From a bank's perspective, we think there is a preference to lend to the primary market as it means better asset quality whilst banks can get all-in' deals with developers (for example, end-financing to bridging to land financing) to ensure a more balanced systems loans growth.”

Kenanga Research also opined that as a result, property developers can continue to grab greater market share and chalk-up high sales, although it expected Malaysia's overall residential transaction value growth to be relatively unexciting at 5% year-on-year.

It was noted that despite the tighter lending criteria, Malaysia's total residential transaction values have remained stable in the first quarter of this year.

It said buying interest remained strong, due to residential property buyers hedging against inflation and the lack of alternative investments, but this will be reigned in by more prudent lending criteria and the banking system's fear of real-estate tightening measures such as higher real property gains tax. - The Star

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Time to impose stronger policies to weed out property speculation

WE have heard all the reasons for the increase in property prices. Land is getting expensive, building materials are costlier and interest rates are low and so on.

Now, Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Kamarul Rashdan Salleh has said the buying of homes by non-Malaysians was pushing up the price of homes.

There is truth to that but we should not be putting the blame solely on foreigners for the hike in property prices.

Rich foreigners, like their Malaysian peers, will buy luxurious condominiums, sprawling bungalows and expansive semi-detach homes. Those with money will know that property prices in the hot urban areas have surged in recent years and over the long-term, they will stand to make a pretty decent capital return from their investment.

There had been stories of people buying multiple units of homes when they were launched.

Those at the back of the queue would just have to find a house somewhere else after being told the units on sale had all been sold. Urban migration means that this issue will get amplified in the years ahead.

All of this has led to frustration as the dream of owning a home is increasingly escaping most of the low and middle-income segments. Not helping matters is the crawling pace in the construction of affordable homes.

There are homes to be bought in places most of us now will be shaking our heads with disbelief if told that is where we have to live given the price of homes these days.

But why blame foreigners for pushing up home prices and forcing more Malaysians to live in the fringes of big cities when policies do nothing to stop that from happening? Do the number of expatriates and work permit holders mirror the purchases done by foreigners? Or are foreigners buying homes as an investment?

It comes as little surprise that foreigners and Malaysians share the same hurdles when buying a home. Yes, there is a floor price for houses foreigners can buy and the price of most new luxurious homes foreigners might want to buy are above that limit anyway.

If policy makers are serious about at least putting some brakes on foreign money flowing into homes in Malaysia, they should just see what other countries are doing. Singapore has a 10% additional stamp duty on foreigners buying homes and only allows a small number of foreigners to buy landed properties.

Doing that in Malaysia will have its repercussions though. Imagine what will happen to demand for the new upmarket homes being built in southern Johor, especially Iskandar Malaysia, where the focus is on building homes for Singaporeans and other foreigners.

An exemption can be granted for certain projects but on the whole, policies should be strengthened to weed out excessive speculation in home buying.

The real property gains tax should be punishing and maybe there should be a limit to the number of houses a person, Malaysian or foreigner, can buy at a new launch to just one.

Acting business editor (features) Jagdev Singh Sidhu wonders why people can't buy homes in established neighbourhoods instead of paying the same price for a new home so far away from the city centre.