Issue #16 WM RM1.00 • S’pore $1.00 KDN PP17702/03/2013 (031992) 2 | Issue #16 | propertytimes.my ISKANDAR INVESTMENT FOCUS A time to harvest Editor’s he challenge when choosing currently available there. scape, but its early investors are al- THOUGHTS to write about Iskandar Ma- One market consultant I spoke to ready looking at healthy rental Tlaysia is to find something to said that Malaysians have become returns of between 5% and 7%. say which hasn’t already been said. so used to speaking about Iskandar Another common misperception With so much discussion in the in the future tense, that we are fail- about Iskandar is that there are no market centred on this mega eco- ing to see that the time for invest- mid-priced housing options for ho- nomic endeavour in the south of the ment has already arrived. And with meseekers. Granted, opportunities peninsula, it seems almost like an land prices escalating in the state, are not abundant (see page 16 for impossible task... which is why I the argument to “buy now” is be- more on this), but there are options have chosen, instead, to say some- coming more and more potent. if you know where to look. thing that perhaps hasn’t been said Currently, market reports point One place worth looking is under enough. out that transactions in the residen- I&P Group’s umbrella. The develop- More than a decade ago, we tial subsector are being driven by er has been active on the Johor fron- hatched a plan to give Malaysia a the upgrader market, but when you tier since the early 1980s and is one new economic focal point, one that consider the existing and incoming of a handful of developers that con- would spur national growth and ca- supply of residential stock for Johor, centrates much of its efforts on the desirable margins. talyse greater foreign investment it is obvious that future supply will mid-priced sector. This, among other reasons, is why into the country. In the mid 2000s, surpass the current volume of buy- Some of its current township we’ve put together this special issue we further refined this plan under ers. projects include Taman Pelangi In- on Smart Shopping in Iskandar... the moniker Iskandar Malaysia, set- But this high volume is because dah, Taman Perling and Taman Rint- and for the first time, this being de- ting out clear geographical vicinities Iskandar is designed to appeal be- ing offering properties that broadly livered to you in the all-new gloss within Johor that would drive spe- yond the local market, and reach out range between RM45,000 and RM2.3 and compact PropertyTimes.my, cific sectors of growth and we began to investors on both a national and million. But a large portion of its designed to offer better convenience in earnest to plant seeds that would international level. products are priced from the and provide a more striking read. someday bear lucrative fruit. However, on the national front, RM450,000 mark. What better way to seek out po- In the years that followed, we investors from the Klang Valley and Market observers are quick to tential investment prospects in Is- watched these concepts grow and other regions are only just beginning point out that the limited supply of kandar? Happy reading, and happy materialise into appealing attrac- to see the yield potential of some of mid-priced homes actually makes shopping. tions on both a local and global plat- many of the existing properties in this type of housing a smart buy, form. But the time for “watching” Johor Bahru, which in some cases is with high rental potentials and ex- has ended, and many of us have higher than what can be expected in cellent appreciation prospect. failed to notice that some “fruits” Kuala Lumpur. For now, many of these units are now ripe for the picking. Take the popular Seri Austin Resi- come in spacious layouts, but with While there has been steady dence apartments in the award-win- land prices continually rising on the growth in the volume of property ning Seri Austin Township located southern tip of Johor, developers transactions in Johor, industry pro- to the north of JB, for example. Not will soon have to choose between fessionals agree that buying market only has it proven that high-rise concentrating on higher priced has not yet tapped into the full po- projects can find success in a tradi- products or extremely high density CHRIS PRASAD tential of investment opportunities tionally landed residential land- lower priced units in order to obtain Editor MANAGEMENT EDITORIAL ProdUCTION MARKETING/ COLUMNIST TEAM COORDINATION/ Pavither Sidhu Kent Tan Sanusri Mohan CIRCULATION Dr Daniele Gambero Features News Graphic Designer Issue #16| Chris Prasad KDN PP17702/03/2013 (031992) Editorial Roznah Abdul Jabbar Prisca Teh Aiemax Madehi Shaun Murugaiyah Gunaprasath Bupalan Issues Copy Editor Photographer Marketing Coordinator PropertyTimes.my, is published by Terra Value Sdn Bhd (Co. no 662001-M) Operations / Marketing Viknesh Ashley 33-5-6, BLOCK C, JAYA ONE BC Tiang Clarence Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Reviews T: 018. 349. 5422 | 03.7629.8120 / 21 / 23 / 29 | Production E: [email protected] Hotline: 03.7629.8120 Hotline: 03.7629.8120 Hotline: 03.7629.8129 Hotline: 03.7629.8123 4 | Issue #16 | propertytimes.my ISKANDAR INVESTMENT FOCUS Developing with distinction Dynasty View’s renowned Seri Austin enclave is raising the standard of township living The Seri Austin township provides an oasis of serenity, with ever-welcoming homes alongside outstanding natural features. by PAVITHER SIDHU can deliver on its promises, or to be from the East Dispersal Link and minutes’ drive away. depended upon to hand over a prem- within easy access from the North- Spanning across 500 acres of n a property market where buy- ises that feels as good, or even better South Expressway through the Dato’ freehold land, Seri Austin promises ers need to part with a substan- than what their words had painted. Onn interchange lies a robust resi- tranquil living, away from the hus- tial amount of their savings be- One developer that understands dential enclave that is built with na- tle-and-bustle of city life and within Ifore they get to see even an inch this perception is set to make good ture as the inspiration, with beautiful a convenient distance from various of their purchase, one of the markers its name. and scenic lakes among lush green- amenities. DVSB under the helm of buyers rely on is the developer’s rep- Dynasty View Sdn Bhd (DVSB), a ery, against a backdrop of rolling its CEO Wong Kuen Kong believes utation. wholly-owned subsidiary of United hills. in creating a township that incorpo- A convincing salesperson, a Malayan Land Bhd, is the name be- The township is also easily ac- rates quality and values within a glossy brochure and a sample house hind the Seri Austin development in cessed via the Pasir Gudang High- natural environment. Wong took may give good impressions, but even- the epicentre of the southern corridor way, Tebrau Highway and Malaysia- this opportunity to execute his pas- tually the trust is based on the devel- of Iskandar Malaysia, Johor Bahru. Singapore Causeway. The Senai sion and determination into the en- oper’s track record–on whether it Located a mere 12 minutes’ drive International Airport is a mere 20 tire planning process of this en- ISKANDAR INVESTMENT FOCUS propertytimes.my | Issue #16 | 5 Seri Austin Residence which offers 420 units was launched in 2013. clave, and the result has borne fruit to his efforts. Through his leadership and char- ismatic persona, the Seri Austin township is now a thriving residen- tial hotspot in Johor and has be- come a model for other developers to learn from. Catering to a current population of 12,500, this residential hub is sur- rounded by amenities such as the Austin Hill Country Club and Golf Resort, with the AEON shopping mall, Tesco and Giant hypermar- kets within a few minutes’ drive away. Also in the vicinity are a num- The three-storey shop-offices comes with its own private lift. ber of healthcare facilities and in- stitutions of higher learning. Among the units that have been 3,172sq ft. The double-storey terrace units What makes this development sold in Seri Austin are the Ametrine Under the Citrine phase featur- called Amethyst come in built-ups unique is its blend of different types 1, a range of double-storey bunga- ing double-storey semi-dees, the of 2,106sq ft, while the Iolite phase of houses. These include double- lows with land areas of 46ft by 90ft units comes with a built-up of comes in sizes of 1,949sq ft and storey link units, cluster houses, and built-ups of 3,150sq ft. Ame- 2,630sq ft while the built-ups for the 2,027sq ft. bungalows, semi-detached units trine 2 comes with land areas of double-storey clusters range from In 2013, DVSB launched another and serviced apartments. 46ft by 90ft and a built-ups of 2,411sq ft to 2,419sq ft. phase called Olivine consisting of 6 | Issue #16 | propertytimes.my ISKANDAR INVESTMENT FOCUS Since its launch in 2005 and with 3,000 units sold thus far, this residential enclave is an epitome of quality, sophistication and luxury as well as a mark of distinction in Johor, says Wong (far right). double-storey semi-dees and clus- ft for intermediate lots and 8,629sq mands, the township is equipped around RM200,000 with monthly ter homes with built-ups of 3,030sq ft for corner units.