I have never heard MCD KFC reducing their prices. Care to share more details, please?

Those are marketing tricks and not your everyday price. Since when I'm so old

I gen y lah. Not corrupting youngsters, but to provide perspectives of the other (dark) side

Just back from a residential and a commercial property launch. Buying interest are still quite healthy at both launches. Many people are just holding back due to Budget 2014. I dun think they are flippers because DIBS is gone and RPGT has been increased.

Based on number of agents/visitors and sales chart in the showroom, keeping in mind the selling points and launch period.

Those with poor sales can be easily identified e.g. almost empty carpark, few sales agents with almost no visitors, poor sales performance even after months of launch etc.

For JB, residential now probably left mostly long term investors (>5 years) and those buying for own stay. Flippers are mostly out, which is good news.

Not too clear about KL, but I guess high end condos could be oversupplied and could have price correction, if Singapore can serve as a reference after the cooling measures were implemented there.

Correction for typo - deleted "not"

This post has been edited by BTimes: Jan 5 2014, 08:30 AM

I usually go in to check e sales performance, profile of buyers n other information of e project. I also look at e drivers/ passengers as I drive ard, drive into e neighborhood, talk to e security guards etc to feel e area.

Condos appear to be oversupplied.

Household income n parents' help with 10-20% downpayment, plus other upgraders who reinvest their profit n foreign investors. All have to be factored in.

M'sia trade surplus touches 20-month high in Nov
Increase signals pick-up in global demand; bodes well for this year
Published January 09, 2014
By S Jayasankaran in Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA'S trade surplus hit a 20-month high in November, signalling a pick-up in global demand.

According to figures released by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) yesterday, exports grew 6.7 per cent in November over the previous corresponding period, down from a 9.6 per cent rise in October, and less than the street's estimate of 10.3 per cent.

Despite the slower growth, the leadership is likely to be heartened as it bodes well for economic growth this year. During the last five years of relatively slack external trade, it had been strong domestic demand that had kept the country's growth story alive.

The current recovery is timely as fiscal consolidation - the government's new economic focus - could very well crimp domestic demand. Indeed, Chua Hak Bin, a senior economist at the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, said in a report yesterday that he expected growth in 2014 to reach an export-led 5 per cent from an estimated 4.6 per cent in 2013.

The lower-than-expected growth was mainly due to a contraction in palm oil exports (-12.2 per cent) and crude petroleum shipments (-8.2 per cent). But a new development was a 76.4 per cent rise in metal exports, primarily copper.

Meanwhile, machinery and appliances (22 per cent), and tech products (14.5 per cent) also grew at a faster pace in November compared to the previous month.

Imports, however, grew a slower 6.4 per cent in November, from 13.9 per cent in October, led by a fall in capital goods (-16.9 per cent). As a result, the trade surplus widened to RM9.7 billion (S$3.75 billion), its highest level since March 2012.

Overall, Malaysia's total trade from January to November rose 3.7 per cent to RM1.247 trillion from RM1.203 trillion in the previous corresponding period. Exports during the period rose 1.4 per cent to RM654 billion while imports expanded over 6 per cent to RM583 billion. Miti said in a statement yesterday that it expected export growth to continue at between 3 and 4 per cent this year.

The first 11 months of the year saw a trade surplus of over RM61 billion. The fairly impressive amount should quell all doubts that the country could once again post a current account deficit on its balance of payments - a phenomenon that last occurred in 1998 and which led to the ringgit free-falling against the US dollar.

The stronger growth and resulting inflation from all-round price hikes this year could see a more hawkish monetary policy. "We expect Bank Negara to stay on hold at this month's meeting, but are pencilling in a 25 basis points hike in the second half of 2014 (to 3.25 per cent) given our expectation of a pick-up in inflation pressures," Mr Chua predicted.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/premium/ma...gh-nov-20140109

Malaysia's economic growth is expected to be quite healthy this year, at the back of global economy recovery. Where will the earnings be invested?

Outlook for the Private Residential Market in 2014
ST701 Editorial Team - January 3, 2014
By: Elizabeth Choong
http://www.stproperty.sg/articles-property...n-2014/a/148888

This post has been edited by BTimes: Jan 9 2014, 11:40 AM

Parents n savings will take some care of downpayment. Spouse salary will take some care of monthly installments. Together, there is still room pay for houses.

Market up or down doesn't really matter to me as I'm not selling or buying. I'm just expecting upward pressure for prices to rise in good areas. Less accessible areas with oversupply of apartments could see a minor correction.

Good for u to trawl e showrooms regularly if u have e intention to buy at discount. Subsales might open up better opportunity, although u have to accept that e first buyer has already made some profit.

I suspect it is mainly due to cheap/devalued money. The $1 u see now is not e same $1 u see a few years ago. Its purchasing power has been stolen by central banks tt print money.

The house is e same, and physical attribute/utility might have gone up a bit due to surrounding development. But more dollars r needed to buy this house becoz its previous purchasing power has been lowered.

Where did e purchasing power go to? It has simply been stolen by e countries such as US, China, Japan etc tt have been printing trillions of dollars. It allows their government n citizens to use e purchasing power to buy goods n services to lower e impact of recession.

The countries economy has been improved n life of their citizens r doing better, at ur cost. Now u have to work harder to earn more dollars to buy e same house. Effectively u r working harder so tt e life of those in US, China, Japan etc can become better.

Is there a way to get back e purchasing power of e $1? It has been used up n I doubt so. In another words, high prices r here to stay.

You could have mis-read. I'm saying that the value of money is dropping. It is pure economics and applies to almost everything you can buy around you. For more idea about money, you can watch the documentaries below.

The Truth about Money
Money as debt I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_x626joik0
Money as debt II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_IgcmsqnVM
Money as debt III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxZhtGeRa-M

It appears overpriced because the previous paper money you have in the bank has lost its purchasing value and some developers/sellers also do get greedy

You can wait for prices to crash before buying, but it becomes a probability game. You may need a house sooner than it crashes. If it is the other way round, then I congratulate you on your foresight But based on your (emotional) posts here, I think you are quite keen on getting a lovely house soon.

I have already mentioned that they are meant to be held in perpetuity

Any launch in H2 2014 shd start to experience e price increase as property takes 2-3 years to develop. Full impact shd be felt in Q2 2015.

I think the Gini coefficient in Malaysia has been increasing rapidly in recent years. The government has not managed the taxes collection and re-distribution well.

Very good guidelines