In a tenants’ market, it is commonplace to see tenants bargaining with landlords for a good rental deal. I shared a private apartment with two flatmates between the years 1999 and 2003. The 1,700 sq ft flat previously tenanted at $2,500 was let go at $1,800 a month after being left vacant for some time, … Read more
Do you believe in house fengshui? I am a big fan of it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not being superstitious. Fengshui is very scientific. There is nothing speculative or supernatural about it. Property fengshui believes in maintaining the harmony between man and nature for the sake of good health and good fortune. Good … Read more
It’s not always an easy process to buy a home. Many first-time homebuyers encounter obstacles, and it’s not unusual to run into flying monkeys and wicked witches along that yellow brick road to home ownership. The first step in home buying is to prepare for the obstacles. An experienced real estate agent can help you … Read more
I have written hundreds of articles about the home buying path and gone into excruciating detail about every single step involved in buying a home. It dawned on me that buyers really need a basic overview. Especially for first-time home buyers who aren’t familiar with the process. Bear in mind that the steps in the … Read more
When it’s time to sell a rental house, sometimes the unexpected problems encountered by some sellers are based on the fact the purchase was made without devoting much thought to buying a house that is easy to rent. Not every rental home starts out as a rental house, either, because sometimes these homes are converted … Read more
The National Association of REALTORS® would like me to tell you that all agents are ethical, honest, experienced and care about their clients — especially about first-time home buyers — but that would not be true. It might be true about the majority of the agents in the business, but it’s not true about all … Read more
Investors are on track to buy $4.5 billion in student housing properties in 2015—up from just $3 billion the year before, according to data from commercial real estate services firm CBRE. “I knew that volume would be up—but not that much,” says Jaclyn Fitts, national director of student housing for CBRE. “It continues to demonstrate … Read more
Question: What are the Benefits to Paying Cash for a Home? A reader asks: “We aren’t bragging or anything, but my wife and I have saved enough money to pay all cash for a home. We know we might get a better rate of return in the stock market, but with prices the way they … Read more
The Malaysian economy expanded by 4.9% y-o-y in Q2, the smallest growth since Q4 2013. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.1%. The Ringgit recorded a year-to-date drop of 27% against the US dollar, driven by the devaluation of the Renminbi amid concerns on China’s economic growth, weakened investor sentiment, and low oil prices. Investment … Read more
Question: What Do We Need to Know About Buying an As Is Short Sale? We had been patiently waiting for the bank to approve our short sale for almost two months. We are first-time home buyers, and I can’t believe the great deal we’re getting on this place. The problem is we could not do … Read more
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