Talk On Test Of Professional Competence for Malaysian Probationary Estate Agents (PEAs) - 30 Aug. 2008

To:
Principals, REAs, PEAs & Negotiators (of Malaysian Real Estate Agencies),

The 23 Aug 2008 "Talk On TPC" is now closed for registration.

Nevertheless, another "Talk On Test of Professional Competence" will be held on 30 Aug. 2008 (Sat) to take advantage of the long Merdeka weekend for the benefits of outstation participants based on feedback by some callers. This talk is to support and compliment similar TPC talks held elsewhere by others and to give PEAs more choices.

TPC Registration Form (Click this link) is downloadable at "My Links" of this blog. Details of the TPC Talk are as follows:

Topics covered:

How to prepare for:
1) Yearly Work Diary?
2) Record of Experience?
3) Practical Task 1?
4) Practical Task 2?
5) Professional Interview?

Date : 30th August 2008 (Saturday)

Time : 9:30am – 3:30pm (Lunch 12:30pm – 1:30pm)

Venue : Training Room
GT REALTY
22-B (2nd Floor), Jalan 19/36
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
(In front of SJK (C) Puay Chai Primary School, SS2, PJ)

Speaker : Mr. Douglas GT Tan - holds a B.Sc. (Bldg) degree from NUS, S'pore; passed his TPC in 1 sitting; practiced real estate agency more than 15 years since 1992; closed high-end & low-end properties; lectured part-time at HELP in 2003 & 2004 on "Real Estate Agency Practice", "Real Estate Agency Law" & "Principles & Practice of Marketing"; conducted 2 TPC talks in 2003. Secure your seats early to avoid disappointment!

Fee : RM250/person (RM220/person if register before Aug. 27 or group registration)
(fee includes notes, mints & bottled water plus lunch)

Payment : 1. Credit cash into Maybank Bhd A/c No.: 112763-020567 of TAN GEE TICK, or
2. Mail crossed cheque payable to TAN GEE TICK (to add outstation charges)

To Register: Please call Ms. Ester (017-6018 062) / Mr. Douglas (012-288 6993)

(Important Note: Participant shall not cancel paid registration but approved substitution is allowed; in the event of cancellation/rejection by organizer, full interest-free refund shall be given to the participant or his/her sponsor.)

Regards,
for Douglas.

For Sale: Residential Properties Across Malaysia (as at 20 Aug. 2008)

Hi Folks,

If you are looking to buy residential properties in any parts of Malaysia - from Perlis in the north to Johor in the south (of Peninsular Malaysia) or from Sabah to Sarawak (in East Malaysia) - Just click this link on Residential Properties For Sale In Malaysia: Yes, more than 1,000 housing accommodation, in different states across Malaysia, with pertinent information (location, property type, size and reserved price) nicely tabulated in 92 A4 pages for your convenient viewing. Click the link now to look for your desired residential properties!

Once you have interest - whether to buy or to view any one of them: Just email me at tanhalim1@gmail.com stating the 1) Property Ref. No. & Page No.; 2) Location (e.g. Selangor, Petaling Jaya); 3) Property Type (e.g. Terrace House) and 4) Its Reserved Price; and, of course, 5) Your Full Name & Contact Details.

Upon making the necessary arrangements with the Vendors on "best effort" basis, we will follow-up with you thereafter.

Cheers,
Douglas GT Tan (H/p: 012-288 6993)

GT REALTY, 22-B Jalan 19/36, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E., Malaysia.
Tel: 03-7958 8821 / Fax: 03-7958 7821

P/s: Lists of other types of properties (commercial, industrial & land) for sale across Malaysia will be out very soon - look out for them in my subsequent posts!

Home Buyers Guide (Part 5)

Hi Folks,

First Payment (10%) - No Payment Allowed Before Signing SPA.

Do you know:

• That the first payment of 10 per cent shall only be made by you upon signing of the Sales and Purchase Agreement? That the date of signing of the SPA and the date of first payment should therefore be the same?
• That under HDR Regulation 11(2): A housing developer is not allowed to collect any form of payment by whatever name called (whether as booking fee, earnest money, earnest deposit or what not) without a Sales and Purchase Agreement being signed?
• That HDR Reg 11(4) further states that the Purchaser’s solicitor is “entitled to a complete set of the contract of sale including…free of charge subject to the undertaking…to return…in the event…not executed by the purchaser within fourteen (14) days from date of receipt…”?

That is why from the very beginning, it is very important to make sure whether the 'residence' you are buying is on residential land or commercial land. If the former, then above stipulations apply. As for 'residence' on commercial land such as service apartments, the terms of the Sale & Purchase Agreement need not be those that are prescribed in Schedule H or G of the HDR 1989.

In fact, I can show an actual S&P for a 'serviced apartment' near Mont Kiara which terms are significantly different from those of the standard S&P under the HDR - more of these in my subsequent posts.

Douglas.

Talk On Test of Professional Competence For Malaysian Probationary Real Estate Agents (PEAs) - 23 Aug. 2008 (Sat)

To:
ALL Malaysian REAs, PEAs & Negotiators,

Kindly let your friends and colleagues who are PEAs (Probationary Estate Agents or Negotiators who have just passed their written examinations in "Diploma In Real Estate Agency") know that there will be a talk on "Test of Professional Competence (TPC)" on 23 August 2008 (Sat). This talk is meant to support similar talks held elsewhere and to give PEAs more choices.

Details are as follows:

Topics covered - How to prepare for:

1. Yearly Work Diary?
2. Record of Experience?
3. PracticalTask 1?
4. Practical Task 2?
5. Professional Interview?

Date : 23rd August 2008 (Saturday);

Time : 9:30am – 3:30pm (Lunch 12:30pm – 1:30pm);

Venue : Training Room , GT REALTY, 22-B (2nd Floor), Jalan 19/3646300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. (In front of SJK (C) Puay Chai Primary School,SS2, PJ)

Speaker :

Mr. Douglas GT Tan (holds a B.Sc. (Bldg) degree from NUS,S'pore; passed his TPC in 1 sitting; practiced real estate agency more than 15 years since 1992; closed high-end & low-end properties; lectured part-time at HELP in 2003 & 2004 on "Real Estate Agency Practice", "Real Estate Agency Law" & "Principles & Practice of Marketing"; conducted 2 TPC talks in 2003. Secure your seats early!)

Fee : RM250/person (RM220/person if before Aug. 16 or group registration - fee includes notes, mints & bottled water plus a surprise)

Payment :

• Credit cash/cheque into Maybank Bhd A/c No.: 112763-020567 of TAN GEE TICK, or
• Mail crossed cheque payable to TAN GEE TICK to reach by 20 Aug 08 (add outstation charges)

Enquiry : Ms. Ester (017-6018 062) / Mr. Douglas (012-288 6993)

(Important Note: Participant shall not cancel paid registration butapproved substitution is allowed; in the event of cancellation/rejectionby organizer, full interest-free refund shall be given to theparticipant or his/her sponsor.)

Register early to secure seats!

Regards,

for Douglas.

(TPC Registration Form is downloadable at "My Links" of this blog - at the left)

Malaysian Home Buyers Guide (Part 4)

Hi Folks,

When you are buying a "home" or residence in a housing development built on residential land and therefore governed by the HDA & HDR, it is important that you get the Brochure not just because it usually given free by the developers but more because the law (the HDA & HDR) stipulates that certain information must be included in the brochure.

Do look out for the following information:
1. The Housing Development’s Licence number and the expiry date;
2. The Advertisement and Sales permit numbers and the expiry dates;
3. Name and address of:
· The licensed housing developer;
· The authorized agents (if any);
· The holders of power of attorney (if any);
· The project management company (if any);
4. Land details: tenure – freehold or leasehold expiring when? Land mortgaged to bank?
5. Development Description:
· Location;
· Building material specification;
· Size of the property;
· services/amenities.
6. Name of Housing Project (if any);
7. Expected Date of Completion;
8. Price of each type of home;
9. Number of units for each type;Reference number of the approved building plan and the name of the local approving authority.

When you don't see any of the above information, check whether the so-called "home" you have in mind is built on commercial land in which case you cannot rely on HDA & HDR for safeguards and protections (e.g. claiming LD for delay in delivery of vacant possession by the developer before the Housing Tribunal) - your recourse would have to be based, among others, on what you have signed with the developer in the context of Malaysian law (e.g. filing a civil suit under the Contracts Act based on a contractual clause in S&P that allows claim for LD for the delay in delivering vacant possession - this civil suit would not be subject to the limitation on the quantum of LD being claimed since it is not a claim before the Housing Tribunal and the service of a lawyer may be engaged unlike an LD claim before the Housing Tribunal).

I will cover a few more points in my next few posts. Thereafter, I will provide a summary of all the points for the benefits of those preparing for the diploma of real estate agency examinations and the Malaysian Home Buyers at large. (Of course, reliance on my notes are at your sole discretion and risks. I undertake no warranty of any kind whatsoever for the the view honestly expressed in good faith to the best of my knowledge and for public interests.)

Have a great weekend,

Douglas.

Malaysian Home Buyers Guide (Part 3)

4. Check on The Home: Is It A “Landed Home” or “Strata Home”?

This check is important because the Malaysian housing development law (the HDA & HDR) imposes different periods for completion and standard Sales & Purchase Agreements:

• For “landed homes” (such as bungalows, semi-detached houses and terrace houses) the legally expected date of completion is 24 months from the date of signing of the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) as per Schedule G of HDR 1989; whereas,
• For “strata homes” (or sub-divided homes, if you like, such as condominiums, flats, apartments and townhouses) the expected date of completion is 36 months from the date of signing of the SPA (as per Schedule H of HDR 1989).
  

Your rights as a buyer of Malaysian home or housing accommodation must be understood as contained in the Sales and Purchase Agreement as per either schedules G or H of the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulation 1989, whichever is applicable.

Douglas.

Malaysian Home Buyers Guide (Part 2)

Hi Folks,

3. After Checking Land, Check Developer: Track Record, Development License, Sales Permit & Advertisement Permit

Yesterday, it was said that a Malaysian home buyer should 1st check whether the home (house, bungalow, semi-detached house, apartment, condominium apartment, apartment above shop or office, townhouse or simply any residence) he intends to buy is indeed sited on residential land and not commercial land - just to ensure whether the protections and safeguards under the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act (Act 118) apply.

When you do the above check on the land, obviously you will also check on whether it is a:

• leasehold land, or
• freehold land - if leasehold, how many years left? If you are non-Malay, check also that it is not
• Malay Reserve land.

Once you are satisfied with the land, the next thing to do is to check on the developer:

• developer's track record - experience of past customers? any stalled projects? delayed completions? finished products fell short of legitimate expectations? refusal to pay Liquidated Damages for late delivery of vacant possession?
• developer's license for the development - yes or no? still valid?
• developer's advertisement permit - yes or no? still valid?
• developer's sales permit - yes or no? still valid?

In my next post, i will talk about the time for completion of the home as per the standard Sale & Purchase Agreements of the HDA Act. Stay tuned.

Douglas.

Malaysian Home Buyers Guide (Part 1)

Dear Folks,

Guidelines for Buyers of Malaysian Residential Properties (Part 1)

In the next few weeks, I will be sharing in a few postings what every malaysian home buyers should know about buying residential properties in Malaysia. Whether you are 1st time home buyers or expat home buyers under or outside the Malaysia My 2nd. Home (MM2H) programmes, the posts should be of value to you.

First thing first, two basic questions:

1) What is a Malaysian home?

A Malaysian home is a "housing accomodation" that is developed under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act (HDA Act 118) and Regulations (HDA Regulations). It includes "any building... which is wholly or principally constructed...for human habitation or partly for human habitation and partly for business premises" such as bungalows, semi-detached houses, terrace houses, townhouses, apartments, condominium apartments, soho apartments, shophouses all of which are built on lands (in Malaysia) that are designated or approved for residential use.

2) What is not a Malaysian Home?

A Malaysian Home "does not include an accomodation erected on any land (in Malaysia) designated for or approved for commercial development" such as service apartments, condotel, apartments above shopping podiums or complexes, resort apartments or chalets that are built on commercial land.

It is important to know the difference because a Malaysian Home is governed by and enjoy protections under the HDA Act while a residence on commercial land is protected by Malaysian common law.

Therefore, the 1st thing Malaysian home buyers should determine is whether the so-call "home" is built on residential land or commercial. If residential, then the safeguards and protections for Home Buyers under the HDA Act 118 shall apply

What are the safeguards and protections? Well, more in my next post tomorrow.

Douglas.