I agree with you that Mr. Chipsley has a grudge against Flora Damansara. It’s one thing to point out the bad points about the place (which is actually helpful for potential buyers so they can make informed decisions), it’s quite another to keep harping about it. When someone does so many posts, day after day, you have to wonder what their agenda is. He’s denied having a grudge, and people who can read will make up their own minds.

I’m an ex-FD owner who sold a Block F unit (high floor) in 2010. Bought from the developer in 2002, sold at a loss in 2010, and was happy to sell even at a loss. Before people misunderstand, it’s not that the place was SO bad that I was happy to take a loss. It’s just that by 2010, FD was simply not the type of property I wanted to deal with anymore. To me, taking the loss was worth not having to think about FD, and it gave me more time to think about other properties. It did (and probably still does) have it’s bad points, but it certainly wasn’t SO bad. People should note that the build quality of units does vary, and while I heard that some had tiles popping up, pipes leaking, etc, my unit didn’t have those.

Now that the price has gone up, I’m glad that the buyer is now sitting on a profit. The buyer took the risk, and it’s only fair the buyer reaps the reward. The idea of being happy when others gain might be an alien concept to some people, but I’ve reached a stage of my life where the financial loss I incurred doesn’t matter that much, and I don’t live my life with the goal of me being the only one to gain and everybody else must lose.

Getting back to the topic, I personally would not buy FD now. But I do recognise that there is potential for improvement, and IF the management company is strong, the place can be turned around (I’ve seen this happen at other places where the residents’ committee was very strong). It will probably take 4 – 5 years though, although signs of improvement should be visible within 1 – 2 years. In the meantime, inflation will continue, and that will help support FD prices.

For people who have decided (or do decide in the future) to buy into FD, I wish you good luck and hope that FD improves. Some of you will have bought it as an investment, some of you will have bought it because it’s what you can afford. For the latter group especially, I hope things work out well.