PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Developers’ Council (MDC), which convened for the 19th time on April 25 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, discussed the state of the housing industry and highlighted three main concerns.

PETALING JAYA: More than 650 people attended The Edge Investment Forum on Real Estate 2014 last Saturday. Participants had the opportunity to gain insights into the current state of the Malaysian property market as well as London’s residential market. There was also a panel discussion with industry experts on whether homes will cost less in the future.

PETALING JAYA: Housing prices are expected to rise by at least 5% next year when the goods and services tax (GST) takes effect in April next year, said property experts.

PETALING JAYA: The soon-to-be-implemented Strata Management Tribunal will have two enforcement tools — civil and criminal.

PETALING JAYA: The soon-to-be established new Strata Management Tribunal is set to quickly resolve strata management issues in the housing industry between developers and purchasers, and to do so more cost- efficiently, Yong Yung Choy, the past president of the Home Buyers Tribunal, told a seminar organised by The Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute yesterday.

A RECENT SURVEY by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) indicates that many developers are not very optimistic about the outlook for the property market. While they may continue to launch more properties — up 37% from the almost 11,000 units in 1H2013 — before the Goods and Services Tax hits the market next year, sentiments are weak.

KUALA LUMPUR: In a move to further curb speculative activities in the property market, the government is in talks with property industry stakeholders to stop individuals from buying houses and properties in bulk.

GEORGE TOWN: Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) is urging financial institutions to subsidise the property loan interest rates to help low-income earners own their first house.

Its Penang chairman, Datuk Jerry Chan, said the current rates do not benefit the low-income earners as they are high.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s ruling to increase the floor price for foreigners’ purchases of properties in Malaysia to RM1 million from RM500,000 by Jan 1 has yet to be implemented.

Property outlook for 2014