Buying properties at a discount

One of the fundamentals of property investment is to buy at a discount. You build a safety margin when you buy at a discount. In fact, if you buy at a discount, you would have made money from the purchase already. On the other hand, if you paid higher than the market value, then you would have to wait for the price to rise before you can make money.
But of course, everyone knows this already. The problem is to find such a property. You have to search, and search hard. So, where can you find these discounted properties? One answer that leaps out is property auctions. As I have written about auctions before, I’m going to share another answer with you today – motivated sellers.
Motivated sellers
There are people out there, termed as motivated, desperate or distressed sellers, who are willing to sell their properties below the market value. Yes, some will even sell at a lower figure (at a loss) than the price they paid for the property. So, all you have to do now is to locate these sellers. Look a little bit harder at the classified advertisements in the newspapers, and you will find them.
Although it can be because the property is in a poor location, but often, there is nothing wrong with the property itself. There are a multitude of reasons why a seller becomes a motivated seller. For example, perhaps the owner had died and the children are selling the property to share the spoils. Perhaps the owners (husband and wife) are separating. Or perhaps the owner is facing a cash crunch and need to free his or her cash flow. The owner might be moving, migrating or may have lost his or her job. Whatever the reasons might be, the main thing is that they are willing to sell the property below the market value. A better way is to view the sellers as people who are in need of help. The sellers need to sell the properties to raise cash. And as long as the properties remain unsold, their problem remains.
At the same time, you have to be realistic as well. If the market value of the property is RM500,000, you should not expect to buy it for RM100,000 or even RM200,000 (unless the owner is really, really desperate). If you offer RM350,000 for it, there is a good chance the seller will agree. While that is not exactly a fire sale, you are getting a very good deal. In this example, you are getting a RM150,000 discount (30 percent off). That is a fabulous deal.
During a financial crisis, then it becomes a fiesta! There will be plenty of properties that will be going at prices well below the market value. Why? Because there will be thousands of owners who are unable to meet their financial obligations anymore. You will be doing them a huge favour by buying the property.

JB's nightlife takes a hit

JOHOR BARU: The opening of the two casinos in Singapore is hurting Johor Baru’s nightlife, with many entertainment outlets and massage parlours experiencing a drastic drop in business.
Johor entertainment outlet operators association president Tan Yam Meng said that many people, especially those operating pubs and discotheques, were complaining about the drop in business.
There was a lot of hype about the two casinos and how Johor would benefit from the spillover.
However, it has not been good for the state’s nightlife as locals now prefer to head to the casinos after work to gamble and enjoy round-the-clock entertainment, he said.
He hoped the state government would revise the 1am closing time to 3am.
Tan pointed out that Malaysians make up 70% of the clients frequenting nightspots while the rest were Singaporeans and tourists.
“Now with so many Malaysians going across, it is hurting our business. Why would someone want to enjoy in Johor Baru until 1am when he can do the same for 24 hours at the casinos?” he said.
He added that if the trend continued, many local entertainment operators would have to close shop.
Tan said there were about 100 entertainment operators within the Johor Baru district.
The cost of opening an entertainment outlet was high with anything between RM100,000 and RM1mil.
Some had experienced a 40% drop in business.
“While the hotel industry seems to be enjoying better business with people opting to stay in our hotels, many people are now heading to the casinos instead of frequenting our outlets.
“The market is getting bad and we hope the situation will stabilise within the next six months,” he said, adding that offering discounts or other promotions would not be able to lure the people back.
Soon said that extending business hours was a step in the right direction as businesses were surviving on their local customers.
The Marina Bay Sands casino started operations last month while the Resorts World Sentosa opened its doors in February.

Dal Tadka   Dal Tadka Ingredients Tur dal: 200 gms Turmeric powder: 3 gms Cooking oil - 1/2 teaspoon Water - 2 cups Coriander powder: 5 gms Red chilli powder: 5 gms Onion (chopped): 50 gms Tomato: 30 gms Ginger (chopped): 5 gms Garlic (chopped): 5 gms Green chilli (chopped): 3 gms Cumin seeds: 3 gms Desi ghee: 25 ml Golden fried onion: 1 tablespoon ( optional ) Fresh coriander (chopped): 10 gms Method Boil dal with water in pressure cooker by adding turmeric powder, oil and salt. Separately heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add ginger, green chilli and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onions and cook till light brown. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder and sauté for 45 seconds on low heat. Add tomatoes and cook till the ghee comes on the top. Add boiled dal to this tadka, mix well and adjust salt to taste. Garnish with golden fried onion ( optional ) on top and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

MTR Instant Rava Idli MTR Instant Rava Idli with Coconut Chutney Did you know Rava Idlis were first invented at MTR? During World War II, rice was in short supply. MTR experimented with wheat and thus was born the enormously popular "Rava Idli." Cooking Instructions Mix 1 measure of MTR Instant Rava Idli mix with 1/2 measure of sour curd. Add 50g of finely chopped coriander leaves to the mix. After 1 min, add 1 measure more of sour curd and mix well. After 2 min, steam batter in an idli cooker or idli vessel for 10-12 min. Serve with coconut chutney and potato sagu.

Paneer Recipes Paneer is an Indian cottage cheese. It resembles tofu in colour, taste and feel. Paneer is the vegetarian substitute to chicken. Palak paneer, mutter paneer, paneer butter masala, paneer tikka masala, paneer pasanda, chilli paneer, paneer kofta, kadhai paneer and shahi paneer are dishes with iconic status for most restaurant-goers. Even fast food chains now sell pizzas topped with chunks of fried or barbecued paneer. How to make it? Paneer is surprisingly easy to make, which perhaps explains its popularity with homemakers and chefs. After curdling hot milk with some lemon juice or vinegar, the whey is drained and the curd is pressed dry and cut into firm blocks. Softer varieties of paneer go into the making of sweets such as rasogolla. The cheese does not require maturing. It has a short lifespan: refrigerated paneer keeps for five days while frozen paneer stays fresh for a month. Paneer is nutritious, and not too high in calories. The calorie count depends on whether whole milk or skimmed milk goes into the making of paneer. It also depends on whether the milk is from a cow or a buffalo – typically, buffalo milk is creamier and higher in calories. A hundred gram of paneer contains 100-160 calories. This is not a high number: many dried legumes contain more calories. Rajmah, for example, contains 335 calories for 100 gm. Paneer is rich in protein: 100 gm contains around 12-14 gm of first-class protein comparable with the protein in egg white and meat. Fat forms only 5 gm out of a 100 gm block of paneer, but it is predominantly saturated fat. The food is rich in minerals, but there are only insignificant amounts of vitamins and there is no dietary fibre. Paneer’s weakness is the company it keeps during cooking. As with the potato, butter, ghee and large amounts of oil tend to make paneer dishes fattening. Low-cal paneer recipes are not as popular as the richer ones, but they are worth trying out because very few vegetarian foods contain the high-quality protein that paneer does. Recipe & Photo Credit - The Hindu & ITC Mumbai Try these recipes .. Paneer Tikka Ingredients Paneer - 50 gms Salt to taste Garam masala - 5 gms Red chilli paste- 8 gms Kasoori methi powder - 4 gms Ginger-garlic paste -10 gms Beaten hung curd - 30 ml Lemon juice - 3 ml Method Dice the paneer and marinate with the above mentioned ingredients. Keep aside for half an hour and cook in tandoor or grill on tawa or cook in OTG. Serve hot with mint chutney. Paneer Butter Masala Ingredients Paneer tikka - 10 pieces Ghee - 05 gms Tomato puree (fresh) -100 ml Butter 04 gms Cream -10 ml Onion (chopped) - 60 gms Salt - 05 gms Ginger (chopped) - 05 gms Green chillies (chopped) - 03 gms Garam masala - 03 gms Kasoori methi powder - 03 gms Red chilli powder - 03 gms Coriander (chopped) - 04 gms Sugar - 8 gms Yellow butter - 10 gms Method Heat the ghee and add chopped onions. Sauté till golden brown, then add chopped ginger, and green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Then add tomato puree and cook till oil comes out. Put all the dry powders, check seasoning, finish it with yellow butter and cream and serve garnished with chopped coriander. Palak Paneer Ingredients Desi ghee: 50 ml Cumin seeds: 5 gms Garlic (chopped): 10 gms Spinach (chopped and blanched): 200 gms Spinach paste (blanched): 250 gms Salt: to taste Green chilli paste: 10 ml Paneer cubes (fried): 200 gms Cream: 30 ml Butter: 10 gms Method Heat ghee, add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add chopped garlic and sauté. Add chopped spinach and simmer for two minutes. Add spinach paste and simmer till the moisture evaporates. To this add salt, green chilli paste, paneer cubes and cook it for a while. Finish the dish with butter and cream.

MSTB sets up RM11mil software testing lab

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB) spent RM11mil setting up its software testing lab in Puchong here.
Mastura Samah, president of MSTB, said the lab — called the Q Lab — has 50 certified software testers and has garnered interest from several local and foreign companies.
She declined to name the companies and said the lab would be officially launched in the near future.
Software testing involves detecting flaws and bugs in software before the products are released commercially, and the programs are also tested for ease-of-use.
The building of the lab dovetails with MSTB’s plan to position Malaysia as the regional hub for software testing. It also wants the country to be internationally recognised for software testing services.
Its plan involves offering state-of-the-art testing facilities and to attract software developers in neighbouring countries to employ the services of its certified lab testers.
“The fact that we speak English gives us an edge over our competitors. We believe that Malaysia can excel in software testing for the oil and gas, telecommunications, and financial services industries,” Mastura said.
The country has 600 certified testers and MSTB’s aim is to increase this to 10,000 over the next five years.
“Two years ago, we only had 90 testers. Malaysians are realising that software testing can be a very lucrative career because a certified tester could earn as much as RM50,000 a month,” she said.
MSTB also organises profile-raising events like the Software Testing Conference (Softec) 2010. The talk is themed Bridging the Gap and will run from July 19 to 21 at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel.
It targets software testing professionals, students and managers. MSTB expects 600 to 1,000 attendees at the seminar.
Among the speakers will be Dave Miller, vice-president of courier company FedEx, and Professor Jasbir Dhaliwal, head of the system testing excellence programme at the University of Memphis, in the United States.
Softec, now in its third year, will be introducing the Q-Merit Award, that gives recognition to individuals and organisations that have contributed to software testing in Malaysia.

Carrots for PHP on Windows developers

KUALA LUMPUR: Software giant Microsoft Malaysia in collaboration with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and PHP.net.my — a community of developers for the scripting language — have launched two new websites, PHPAcade.my and PHPmarketplace.my.
PHP.net.my founder and president Ahmad Amran Kapi said the two sites would help PHP developers get more proficient in coding PHP in a Windows environment, as well as market their PHP skillsets.
“Although Linux (an open-source operating system) is still the most frequently used platform for PHP deployments, PHP developers are increasingly choosing Windows as their platform of choice because many organisations require new applications to run in that environment,” he said.
In a survey conducted by the special interest group and Microsoft late last year, it was found that 70% of PHP developers would consider deploying PHP-based applications on a Windows platform.
PHP is a general purpose scripting language widely used to create web applications. Popular sites like Facebook and Wikipedia, as well as applications like WordPress are PHP-based.
Answer to a call
According to the survey, the local PHP developer community also wanted more training and awareness programmes on how to deploy PHP in a Windows environment.
“PHPAcade.my is responding to this request,” Ahmad said. PHPAcade.my is an online, self-paced training facility that will provide thorough but easy-to-follow instructions for deploying PHP on the Windows platform.
However, participants must have a basic understanding of PHP before considering the programme because it is not an introductory course to PHP.
Upon successful registration, participants get to download the PHP on Windows Training Kit, which is developed by Microsoft.
PHPAcade.my also provides virtual lab facilities required to complete the course online so that the developers won’t need to invest in a server of their own.
The lab allows students to install, configure and operate a complete PHP application on a full Windows platformm, as well as get the tools they need to complete the lab exercises in the training kit.
They will also be able to seek further instructions and ask questions about the assignments and the programme through a moderated forum.
Coming soon
Ahmad said the programme lasts for a week and organisers are now deliberating over the fees. The programme is expected to kick off next month.
After honing their skills on PHPAcade.my, graduates will get the opportunity to moneytise their skills at PHPMarketplace.my.
This is an online service that matches PHP on Windows developers to organisations looking for such expertise.
Companies and individuals can bid for jobs, and the job advertisers will select the winning bidders based on their credentials, experience and asking price.
Graduates of PHPAcade.my are automatically channeled to PHPMarketplace.my, but other PHP developers are also welcome to use the service.

New body making an impact against cyberattacks

CYBERJAYA: Countries can now react faster to cyberattacks, thanks to the establishment of The International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (Impact) Global Response Centre a year ago.
Prior to Impact’s establishment, there was a lack of co-ordination between governments, Internet service providers (ISPs) and antivirus companies in any reaction to cyberthreats.
Datuk Mohd Amin, chairman of Impact, said that when cyberattacks were launched against Estonia’s parliament, banking and newpaper websites in 2007, the attacks came from various places in the world, making it difficult for the country’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to respond effectively.
“The CERT struggled to call in the governments and ISPs from the countries where the attacks came from for a co-ordinated response,” he said.
Worse, Estonia did not have diplomatic ties with some of the other countries.
Thus, the idea for Impact, which comprises a cyberthreats resource centre, was born. An international organisation headquartered here, it is a one-stop contact point for countries that come under cyberattack.
“Impact bands governments all over the world against cyberthreats. It also works with prominent network security giants such as Trend Micro, F-Secure, Symantec and Kaspersky,” Amin said.
Expert help
Through Impact’s partnership with these security vendors, countries can get cutting-edge expertise.
Raimund Genes, chief technology officer at Trend Micro, said Impact helps governments better understand cyberthreats and to be better prepared to handle such attacks.
If Estonia were to be attacked today, all the CERT authority would have to do is call Impact, which would then organise and co-ordinate the response by the governments and ISPs in the countries where the attacks were originating from.
Genes also said that Impact provides collective intelligence on online security.
Syarisa Abubakar, director of policy at Impact’s centre of policy and international co-operation, said Impact has rolled out its services to 39 countries after just one year in operation.
“These countries include those in Africa, The Middle East and Asia Pacific. Some are developing nations where there are no cyberlaws or CERTs,” she said.
Impact also assesses the cyberneeds of some of these countries. “We have already done a needs assessment for Afghanistan and will be doing the same for East African companies at the end of this month,” Syarisa said.
“We will be reviewing the cyberlaws in these countries and their technical expertise requirements in the event of a cyberattack,” she added.

Hypnotherapy in hospitals

As hospitals increasingly acknowledge the therapeutic value of hypnotherapy, hypnotherapists are now looking toward putting their work under scientific scrutiny.
CLINICAL hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, may still be a new buzzword to many doctors here in Malaysia, but it is no stranger to Harvard Medical School associate professor of psychiatry Dr David C Henderson.
“While doing hypnosis is not a big part of what we do (in the Massachusetts General Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School), it is a component,” he says in an interview during a lecture visit to Kuala Lumpur recently.

Not asleep: When a willing person is guided into a hypnotic trance (a state of deep relaxation where she is relaxed and focused at the same time) the hypnotherapist can access her subconscious mind and give positive suggestions to help her change her behaviour or emotional response to one that is conducive to health and well being.

“For decades, we’ve used it in pain management in acute inpatient care. For instance, in the programme we have in the burns unit, it is a component in pain management.”
Dr Henderson’s “acquaintance” with hypnotherapy started when he was still in medical school.
“When I was a resident, I trained in psychiatry in the late 80s and early 90s. It was something I was taught how to do,” he says.
When he practised, hypnosis had helped him ease his patient’s pain. “I remember I had some patients who has been hospitalised for sickle cell anemia, and one of the things I did was hypnosis, to help them deal with the pain when they were in acute crisis,” he recalled.
However, as there is little evidence to support the efficacy of hypnotherapy in its other roles (such as smoking cessation, weight management, and overcoming phobia), even after it has been taught in medical schools and used for decades in US hospitals such as the MGH, the role of hypnotherapy is often limited to pain management and relief of mild psychological conditions such as depression.
“I would say that hypnotherapy needs to really catch up with other therapies ... it needs science to help us understand what it does,” says Dr Henderson.
To date, even hypnotherapists do not know exactly how it works. They have a rough idea: when a willing person is guided into a hypnotic trance (a state of deep relaxation where he is relaxed and focused at the same time), the hypnotherapist can access his subconscious mind and give positive suggestions to help him change his behaviour or emotional responses to one that is conducive to health and well-being.
So, whether it is coaxing a subconscious mind into reducing its perception of pain, or doing away with the irrational compulsion to shrink into a quivering ball at the sight of a spider, what hypnotherapy does is basically to equip a person, mentally, to overcome those physical and psychological challenges.
As the director of studies of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) Peter Mabbutt notes, “It is important to note that we don’t work with physical symptoms (like pain). We work with the psychological response to the symptom.”
In the United Kingdom, says Mabbutt, hypnotherapists are working in a variety of areas in palliative care. They are also looking at working with people with heart disease patients within the cardiovascular care unit. “We are helping them manage the emotional response they are having to their particular condition, and also the fact that they could be coming to the end of their lives.”
Beyond that, the possibilities are exciting. People with conditions that are linked to, or exacerbated by stress – like irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, or psoriasis, may benefit from hypnotherapy as it can help them relax.
Taking patients who have anxiety due to breathlessness as an example, Mabbutt says that they may benefit if hypnotherapy can help them change their response to the symptom. “By helping them change their response (from an anxious one to a relaxed one), we help them reduce their anxiety, and that helps them manage their breathing cycle more appropriately,” he explains.
Even skin disorders, like warts, appear to succumb to hypnotherapy. “There is good evidence that hypnotherapy is very good at clearing warts. But we don’t know how it works,” says Mabbutt. “(In hypnotherapy), you just visualise your wart and imagine it withering away. And it does.”
It does sound implausible, but Mabbutt attributes the phenomenon to the belief system that we all have in us. “I think when people have a strong belief system (that the wart will fall off), the wart does fall off.”
“So, we know that we are doing something that involves belief systems, but we don’t know the exact mechanisms on how it works yet.”
But with hypnotherapy finding its way to more and more clinical settings and medical schools, Mabbutt hopes this will change.
In Malaysia, we are doing some studies on pain control, and we are in the plan of carrying out a huge study in looking at the efficacy of hypnosis in smoking cessation, says Mabbutt. Studies to look at the use of hypnotherapy in other conditions, like cystic fibrosis, are also under way.
But the effectiveness of the therapy is not the only area hypnotherapists are interested in. As hypnotherapy does not work for everyone, hypnotherapists would also need to find out which are the best candidates who would benefit most from the therapy. “We’ve got to work out who it works for and why it works. And we’ve got to be open to other therapies that might work for somebody else,” says Mabbutt.
While properly conducted studies are planned and just about to start, Mabbutt foresees a strong future for hypnotherapy. “By working together with the medical community to quantify and research hypnotherapy, we want to work towards a situation where we fit in. We don’t want to be esoteric,” Mabbutt explains.

More foreign investors targeted for Nusajaya

UEM Land MD says good progress being made there
GELANG PATAH: UEM Land Holdings Bhd is targeting more international investors to participate in the development of Nusajaya this year.
Its managing director Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said the company was eyeing investors from China, India, Europe, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.
“Nusajaya is progressing well and moving on the right track and we are confident of keeping the momentum going as planned,’’ Abdullah told StarBiz.
He was speaking at the launch of “Green Programme”, a collaboration between UEM Land and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia at SK Taman Nusa Perintis 1, near here on Saturday.
The Green Programme is outlined under the Nusajaya Green Plan launched in December last year to ensure a sustainable development of the country’s first economic growth corridor.

Abdullah said the company was unfazed by the Dubai World saga and now the Greece debt crisis as the two were unlikely to affect the global economy.
“Even during the global economic slowdown in the last two years, Nusajaya attracted interest from both local and foreign investors,’’ he added.
Abdullah said the company believed there were always opportunitie,s even during times of economic uncertainty, as there were investors and individuals with funds.
He said the company’s high-end residential projects, East Ledang and Horizon Hills, a joint venture between UEM Land and Gamuda Bhd, had attracted a large number of foreign buyers.
Abdullah said foreigners made up 65% and 56% of the buyers at East Ledang and Horizon Hills respectively and that the projects had recorded good take-up rates.
UEM Land is the master developer of the 9,308ha Nusajaya, the key driver of Iskandar Malaysia which was launched on Nov 4, 2006.
Nusajaya comprises eight catalyst developments – Kota Iskandar (Johor State New Administrative Centre), Southern Industrial and Logistic Clusters, Puteri Harbour Waterfront Development, EduCity, Medical City, International Destination Resort and Nusajaya Residences.
Nusajaya is one of five flagship development zones in Iskandar. The other four are the JB City Centre, Western Gate Development, Eastern Gate Development and Senai-Kulai.
Abdullah said works on infrastructure and several development projects in Nusajaya were on schedule and were expected to be completed in the next three to five years.
These include the RM1.4bil Coastal Highway linking Johor Baru city centre to Nusajaya, Asia’s first Legoland Theme Park, Indoor Theme Park @ Puteri Harbour, Marlborough College, Newcastle University Medical Faculty and Pinewood Studios.
“On completion of these projects, Nusajaya will have enough content to attract investors and residents,’’ he said.
Abdullah said it would be much easier to convince and attract investors to Nusajaya as they could witness the developments taking place.
He said another contributing factor was that Iskandar received continuous support and commitment from the Federal and Johor governments.
“The support from the Federal and Johor governments is important to ensure the success of Iskandar, which in turn will ensure that Nusajaya succeeds too,’’ Abdullah said.
He said other stakeholders, namely Iskandar Regional Development Authority and Khazanah Nasional Bhd-backed Iskandar Investment Bhd, also played crucial role in determining Nusajaya’s success.
Abdullah said its close proximity to Singapore was another added advantage for Nusajaya as it would not only able to attract Singaporean investors but also expatriates and multinational corporations there.
“As the master developer, UEM Land has an enormous task to ensure that Nusajaya succeeds and looking at its progress, we are well on our way to achieving it,’’ he said.

When liver meets cancer,

As the liver’s ability to regenerate itself makes it more difficult to detect liver cancer early, prevention is key.

IF the liver was a machine that exists in our modern world, it would be the embodiment of the perfect workhorse. It will be able to work 24/7 with little rest, juggle multiple tasks at the same time, and regenerate parts that are old or damaged so they will continue to work at peak performance, day in, day out.

And that’s not all. If there is a greater demand of its services, it’ll be ready to work harder to take on the challenge.

Datuk Dr Ibrahim Wahid ... While chronic infection with viruses such as Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the more common causes of liver cancer, chemicals that cause cancer (carcinogens) and alcohol can also cause it.

But while the liver’s ability to regenerate itself when damaged can be a blessing, it can also be a curse, because when it has trouble recovering from damage, or coping with the demands placed on it, you can’t really feel it.

“The liver is an organ that does not complain very much until it is very, very late,” says Malaysian Liver Foundation chief executive officer Datuk Dr Nor Shahidah Khairullah. Because of that, patients with liver cancer often see their doctors in late stages of the disease, where treatment options are limited.

“(Liver cancer) is dangerous because the liver is our powerhouse, when it comes to internal organs,” Dr Nor Shahidah says. “It stores all your energy and vitamins, nourishes you by manufacturing amino acids (building blocks of proteins), secretes hormones and bile, and helps to emulsify the fats in your body. So, it’s an organ that is virtually life itself.”

The good news is that many liver cancers can be prevented. However, not many people know that.

So, to create more awareness about the disease and its treatments, Dr Nor Shahidah and Malaysian Oncological Society president Datuk Dr Mohd Ibrahim Wahid shares with Fit4Life the following insights.

How do the cells in the liver become cancerous?

When the DNA of normal liver cells are damaged, cell mechanisms can repair it to some extent. However, when the damage is too severe, the cells will die, and new cells will be formed to take their place.

Sometimes these processes can go wrong, says Dr Mohd Ibrahim.

When they go wrong, the cells that are repaired or regenerated may contain DNA that is different from normal cells. So, unlike normal cells that grow, multiply, and eventually die in a tightly controlled manner, these new cells can now multiply freely. And when they get old or damaged, they don’t die, as they should. This will cause the extra cells to accumulate into a mass of tissue called a growth, nodule, or tumour.

While some of these growths, nodules, or tumours are benign (they do not grow and multiply aggressively, invade surrounding tissues or travel to other parts of the body), some of them, which are malignant or cancerous, do.

What are the types of liver cancer?

If the cancer starts in the cells of the liver, it is called primary liver cancer. However, the four types of primary liver cancer are categorised according to the types of cells that become cancerous first.

The most common form of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) begins in hepatocytes, the main type of cells in the liver. Others begin in the cells in the bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma), and very rarely, blood vessels in the liver (angiosarcoma or hemangiosarcoma). When it happens to children under the age of four, it’s called hepatoblastoma.

What are the causes?

Most of the causes of liver cancer are those that cause long term damage to liver cells. As acute infections such as Hepatitis A do not affect the liver in the long term, it does not result in chronic liver disease, hence it is not a risk factor for liver cancer.

While chronic infection of viruses such as Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the more common causes of liver cancer, chemicals that cause cancer (carcinogens) and alcohol can also cause it, says Dr Mohd Ibrahim. However, in most of Asia, chronic HBV infection is the main cause of liver cancer.

You will also have a higher risk of developing liver cancer if you smoke, are obese, diabetic, or have a history of cirrhosis (when your liver has been scarred by chronic disease).

Are there any early symptoms?

Before looking at the symptoms, it is good to note that liver cancer affects more men than women, usually in their 40s to 50s. Worldwide, men who are diagnosed with liver cancer outnumber women three to one.

Unfortunately, many people do not experience signs or symptoms in the early stages of liver cancer, says Dr Nor Shahidah.

But as the cancer progresses, some may notice some of the following symptoms:

·Weight loss
·An ongoing lack of appetite
·Feeling very full even after a small meal
·A hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage
·Pain around the right shoulder blade
·Yellow-green colour to the skin and eyes (jaundice)
·Discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen on the right side
·Unusual tiredness
·Nausea

As these symptoms are non-specific and can be caused by many health problems other than liver cancer, it is always wise to consult your doctor to have them checked out.

Are blood tests useful in detecting early liver cancer?

Blood tests, like liver function tests (which tests for proteins produced by the liver and enzymes found in the liver) and tumour markers can be used to detect changes in the liver that may indicate the presence of liver cancer. However, they are not very reliable, says Dr Mohd Ibrahim.

As the test results could be influenced by other factors as well, most of the time, a doctor needs to investigate the abnormal blood test results further with ultrasounds, MRI, and CT scans, or biopsies to determine the presence of a cancerous growth in the liver.

Who do you see when your blood tests are abnormal?

“It depends on the type of blood test,” says Dr Nor Shahidah. If they are liver function tests, all doctors should be able to advise you. But if they are serology tests for hepatitis infections, your doctor might refer you to another doctor who specialises in liver diseases (hepatologist).

Also, if your doctor suspects you may have liver cancer, he or she will also refer you to a cancer specialist (oncologist).

Nevertheless, your best bet is to visit your family doctor or a general practitioner first, because he or she will be able to treat you or advise you on which doctor to see next, whether it is a hepatologist or oncologist.

Are surgery and chemotherapy the only treatment options for liver cancer?

No. Although surgery to remove the cancer is still the main method of treatment, many liver cancer patients could not be operated upon. Often, when the cancer is diagnosed too late, the cancer has spread to a large area of the liver, or has occurred in too many sites. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of the cancer growing too close to an important artery.

For these patients, doctors may consider starving the cancer to death by cutting off the blood supply through a procedure called embolisation.

And if embolisation is not possible, doctors may consider killing the cancer by freezing (cryoablation), heating (radiofrequency ablation) or damaging it with chemicals (chemotherapy).

In the year 2008, the Malaysian Ministry of Health had approved the use of a drug initially licensed for the treatment of kidney cancer (sorafenib) as a treatment for liver cancer that could not be operated upon.

However, it is not easily accessible to many liver cancer patients due to its cost.

Therefore, to make sorafenib more accesible to patients, its maker has collaborated with the Malaysian Liver Foundation in a programme that allows eligible patients to purchase two months supply of the drug and get the rest of the year’s supply free.

How do I prevent liver cancer?

As chronic hepatitis B infection is the main cause of liver cancer here in Asia, the best way to prevent it is to get vaccinated against it, says Dr Nor Shahidah.

But what if you are already infected with the HBV or HCV? The answer is to get your liver monitored regularly (about every six months) by your doctor to detect liver cancer early if it develops. (Not all people who are infected with the viruses develop liver cancer.)

Of course, by reducing all other risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption, you will also reduce your chances of developing liver cancer.
TELU take note.....
> For more information about liver cancer, please visit the Malaysian Liver Foundation website at www.liver.org.my.

Concern over rising prices of houses









Speculators believed may be taking advantage of easy financing



PETALING JAYA: The jump in home prices lately has raised concern that speculators may be taking advantage of the easy home financing scheme.



Since the introduction of the scheme early last year, property sales have improved considerably while prices in some locations in the Klang Valley and Penang have edged up by between 10% and 20%.



Under the housing facility, buyers only need to fork out a small deposit of 5% or 10% of the property price and do not need to make any further payment until after their property has been delivered to them.



Developers are absorbing the stamp duty, legal fees and interest cost during the construction stage.



While some industry players agree that there is cause for concern, most feel the housing facility is still needed at least over the next 12 months until the market is back on a stronger footing.





Ireka Development Management Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Lim Ech Chan said easy-payment schemes had its pros and cons.



With the low entry cost, such schemes enabled those who have difficulties buying a house to put down the initial 5% or 10% downpayment and have their own roof over their heads two to three years later.



“When SP Setia first came out with the scheme, it helped the mass market a great deal,” Lim said.



He said the drawback was that since buyers did not have to pay anything for the next two to three years, they may sell their units when the project was completed.



“If the project is handed to them during a boom, they can sell it. But if the project is handed to them during a weak economic environment, they will have to pay for the mortgages.”



ECM Libra head of research Bernard Ching said the recent 25 basis point increase in overnight policy rate had prompted more buyers to buy and lock in at the current interest rates as they might expect the cost of fund to rise further.



“This is the best time to buy a property for own occupancy as entry cost is at an all time low. As seen in the high buying interest in the past six months, many buyers are buying to hedge against rising inflation down the road,” Ching told StarBiz.



According to Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector president James Wong, developers need to catch up with “lost time” when launches had to be deferred for more than a year as a result of the global financial crisis.



“Buyers were facing cashflow problems then and needed to watch their spending. Buying big-ticket items like a house is the last thing on their mind. There are merits in the scheme as it has lowered the entry cost and make house purchase more affordable for buyers.



“Such financing schemes require a lot of resources and only the big developers with strong financial resources can afford to adopt them. In a way, it is a variant of the build-then-sell concept,” Wong said.



He said there was still no risk of overheating in the market as the double-digit rise in property prices was registered only for very niche projects in very-sought-after locations where demand far surpassed supply.



“Property prices on the whole are still much lower compared with those in other countries. While there is still upside potential, prices will not spiral out of control,” Wong said.



Since buying interest recovered in the past few months, developers are no longer offering the housing facility across the board but only for selective projects.



“Besides, Bank Negara is very stringent and only eligible buyers who have the required minimum income level will be able to sign up for the housing packages,” Wong added.



On its downside, he said while the scheme might had drummed up sales, it could give the wrong indication of the real or effective demand for houses.



Admitting that there would always be speculators in the market, SP Setia Bhd president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin said as long as speculation was not rampant, it was actually good for the market as it demonstrated confidence and would improve market liquidity.



“The key is for banks to be vigilant in their credit assessment to determine the borrowers’ ability to service the loan. They should also be selective in terms of the projects and developers to whom they extend the scheme.”



Liew said the higher prices reflected insufficient supply to meet the strong demand for projects in good locations and there was ample room for further price appreciation for good landed residential property.



Since the scheme was launched early last year, SP Setia’s monthly sales averaged more than RM190mil between January and July 2009, which was a new sales benchmark for the company.



Mah Sing Group Bhd president Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum said of the company’s RM727mil sales recorded last year, 51% of the buyers signed up for the easy financing facility. The sales was much higher than its target of RM453mil.

Massive sub-urban development in next five years, says ­­Abg Johari

April 5, 2010, Monday

KUCHING: The government has drawn up a massive planning for the substantial development of sub-urban areas throughout the state within the next five years to tackle congestion arising from urban migration.

PROMOTING UNITY: Abang Johari presents a souvenir to the appointed ‘Penghulu’ Sani Resi (right) as Semariang assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman (left) looks on.

The sub-urban development is still in the planning stages and the state has submitted a RM2 billion request to the federal government for the fund to be incorporated under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
The potential sub-urban areas to be developed include areas in Betong, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and here itself in line with the state planning to manage the migration issues.
Speaking to reporters after ‘Kursus Bela Nusa’ closing ceremony at Kem Permai in Santubong, Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said for a start Kuching City’s sub-urban would be the main attention.
“There is a lot of urban migration taking place especially between Kuching, Sri Aman Division and Samarahan Dicision. The 600,000 population here is increasing significantly by the day as the city has been providing for the people throughout the state to earn their living,” Abang Johari added.
Abang Johari who is also Satok assemblyman continued: “In fact, the government has to change (extend) its housing policies here to cater for the migration needs. At the moment, we are developing Matang and areas leading up to Telaga Air.
Referring to the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib’s recent comment on the possibility of developing areas between Telaga Air and Lundu into a new division, Abang Johari said that the possibility to bring in lots of development was there, probably in the next 20 years.
He stated that roads linking up Damai and Telaga Air were available and probably the surrounding areas would be considered for development. This included creating new suburb settlements that would go all the way to Kuching.
When asked to comment on the growth rate in the last 20 years, Abang Johari said it was “quite significant”.
“That’s why areas such as Petra Jaya and Semariang have to be opened up and developed extensively. This is to cater to the migration demand of the people who are coming into the city. At the same time, it is also to meet the city’s growth in terms of extended families here.
“That is why more focus has been given to the city especially in opening up new housing areas. At least till 2015,” he explained.
In addition, he added that the city also had to tackle squatter problem which he estimated to stand around 1,400 houses at the moment.
Abang Johari also mentioned that the priority now was to create as many suburban areas as possible, otherwise the city would become very congested like Kuala Lumpur.
He also said that an excellent public transportation service would make it easier for the government to develop new townships and sub-urban areas further from the city as people here would not worry about mobility issues.
About 50 village heads and community leaders from the Semariang area attended the three days and two nights ‘Kursus Bela Nusa’ programme.
The course, organised by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Semariang branch, was aimed at getting together all the community leaders together in a move to promote unity all the way to the grassroots level.

Future trends in property market

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PETALING JAYA: High-rise living, security and proximity to amenities and other conveniences are current trends in the property markets, while green buildings are the way to go in the future, several speakers at a seminar said.
Contrary to what many believe, Mont’Kiara will continue to grow as a popular condominium enclave after Bangsar, Klang Valley’s first condominium hub, said Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd managing director Ho Chin Soon.
Ho was speaking at the “Future Trends in Property” seminar organised by Sunway City Bhd here yesterday.
The three main condominium enclaves in Kuala Lumpur are KL City Centre (KLCC) area, Mont’Kiara and Bangsar.
There are today a total of 390 buildings or 24,200 high-rise residential properties (serviced apartments and condominiums) in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur which includes KLCC area; Mont’Kiara, Damansara Heights, Bangsar, Ampang and Sentul.
Despite the thousands of units in Mont’Kiara, the area would continue to grow as it has been doing the past three years, said Ho.
“Once a favourite among the expatriate community, Mont’Kiara today is increasingly being occupied by Malaysians who have decided to make that location their home,” he said.
Because of security issues and the unwillingness to live in further places like Rawang and Nilai, people would opt to live in high-rise, he said. This would be the trend in thecities and other parts of the country like Penang.

Ho said as the economic recovery took off, developers preparing to launch must take into consideration three main factors - location, timing and branding.
“Demand and supply are not everything about land economics,” he said, adding that the other change to note in Mont’Kiara was the trend towards commercial.
“People doing buinesss will want to go into that location,” he said.
Veritas Architects Sdn Bhd principal founder and chief executive officer David Mizan Hashim said “green” elements were the other trend in the property market.
“Places which have low energy consumption, sanitaryware and faucets which promote efficient water consumption, and sustainable features are increasingly become popular.
“People will increasingly want flexibility to convert a three-room unit to two or vice versa. This means the introduction of screens to support the desire and need for flexibility,” he said.
He said the popularity of gated and guarded projects would continue to grow and spill over to places like Johor, Perak and Penang.
“Even within a high-rise residential development, increasingly buyers will want new elements and features that set it apart from the rest,” he said.
Older projects will become the casualties in this demand for better and more innovative residential developments.
Not forgetting the need for innovation and technology in today’s lifestyle, Research Inc (Asia) Sdn Bhd managing director Datin Adila Lim Lay Ying cautioned against allowing designs to be defined by technology. She said past examples overseas showed that futurish designs emulating science fiction did not work.
“Buildings of the future should allow us to express ourselves, how we want to live and work,” she said.
On the KLCC and the various projects ongoing, she said the number of projects there would continue to grow and prices continue to rise, with certain projects to hover between RM2,500 and RM3,000 per sq ft.
SA Architects Sdn Bhd director Richard Sau said “green” features would continue to add value to projects.

Mistakes made when buying a house

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A Registered Estate Agent with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Malaysia, Ai Cheng also served in the capacity of Council Member of the MIEA 2006/2008...  AI CHENG

A home is a place of residence or refuge and comfort. It is usually a place where an individual or usually a family can rest and relax, communicate, share, feast and be able to collect and store their personal properties. Therefore it is important that when you consider a place to call your home, it must be a safe and pleasant place to be in.
Buying a house is more often than not, the single largest investment most people ever make; yet all too often it's a decision made in rush without adequate thought and preparation. In this article we will explore some of the house-buying mistakes to watch out for in your property hunt.
Solo Mission
Buying a house is a complex transaction and should not be undertaken alone. You need to enlist the help of these individuals early in the buying process : Real Estate Agent, Banker, Lawyer and Property Inspector. It is also wise to get referrals and advise or tips from family and friends. When assembling your team, select rightly. Lack of experience in the person who’s suppose to be your guide can make your property hunt a frustrating experience.
Love At First Sight
You may be in love with the house at first sight, but you have to ask yourself if the house fit your family’s needs and budget. You have to make sure that you make a list of your needs and wants and also check whether the house fits your requirements. Besides that, you should check out the neighbourhood and the communities before you buy by visiting at different times of the day and week. Even if you do not have kids, you should also check out the local schools to make sure your resale value will be good. Get past the love at first sight to consider what it'd really be like to live there.
Pre-qualified and Pre-approved Financing
Being pre-qualified gives you a general idea of how much you can afford to borrow. It is a good idea to get in touch with your banker or mortgage officer early in the buying process so that you are aware of the amount you can borrow as this will determine your budget for the home. The mortgage officers will also be in a position to advise you on aspects of financing i.e. the possibility of having joint borrowers to strengthen the application or to lengthen loan tenures should a need arise.
Being pre-approved means your banker has verified your information and credit rating and agreed to provide you with a specific amount of money. You are in a better position to go house hunting knowing exactly how much you can afford and that you have the financing ready.
Over-Buying
You may qualify to borrow more, but you have to ask yourself again whether you can afford it or not. Borrowing more would mean higher monthly loan commitments for just the purchase of the house. You have not considered the cost of improvements on the house i.e. renovations and furnishings. What you need to do is analyze your monthly costs – food, transportation, entertainment, car loans and other commitments. Therefore you have to be sure to budget enough to cover closing costs (often two to five percent of the purchase price), plus moving and maintenance. Beyond mortgage payments, there'll be costs like insurance. You don't want your house to deprive you of your lifestyle.
Misplacing your trust
Remember that buying a house is a business transaction. Your decision is binding. You should do your own research and know your support team’s roles and responsibilities and not just depending on what one says 100%.

Verbal Agreement
Get it right and get it in writing. Written agreements almost always trump verbal ones when it comes to contracts. Don't set yourself up for surprises when you move into that new house and some of the items in it are now missing. There are many details that make up the purchase contract that governs the particulars of your house purchase. It is not unusual for an item to be missed; especially those requests made by you of the seller or seller’s agent. If you ask for a toilet to be repaired or a chipped tile to be repaired, don’t simply take someone’s word that the item will be repaired prior to transfer of the property. Make sure every item that you agree on is put in the purchase contract.
Verbal agreements are hard to prove and even harder to enforce. They can lead to an ugly “he said, she said” situation. Once the property transfers to your name; problems or issues that you thought were going to be repaired are now your responsibility. Don’t let miscommunication or failed promises ruin the purchase of your dream home. Get all commitments - no matter how small - in writing.
Fine print
You need to understand what you’re signing. As soon as possible, review the documents you'll be signing. You must always ask for documents in advance, make time to read them and ask questions, where necessary. Don’t just skim through the purchase contract. Real estate contracts are long and dense, but you need to know what you're committing to. Wrong assumptions, poorly written or missing clauses, and not understanding how the clauses affect the purchase can lead to increased costs or a void contract.
Do not sign documents in a hurry. Do not rush the closing.
Resale
You should avoid buying a home that costs much more than neighbouring homes and think before buying the most expensive house in the area. Your neighbours’ lower house values will weaken yours. Remember, markets change. If you buy intending to flip your investment and the market falls and you have to sell, your selling price may not be enough to even cover your mortgage.
Wrong Price
Many home-buyers forget that the market value of a house is affected a great deal by its neighbours. The best way to gauge a fair offer price is to get your real estate agent to pull prices that comparable homes nearby recently fetched. The listings will show not just the amounts but how long the house has been on the market and its condition and size. Note that the nearby houses will affect your house's value. That means the most expensive house on the street may be pulled down in value by its cheaper neighbours, while a low-end one will benefit from posher surroundings.
Conditional Offer
It is good practice to have your offer to purchase the house conditional upon securing financing. The last thing you want happen to you is the forfeiture of your deposits for backing out on a purchase transaction because of it. One thing is being pre-approved, the other is the property itself. The banks will do a valuation on the property to confirm the market value and then to determine the margin of loan they are willing to offer you. There may be other conditions are well that you might want to add in at this point.
House Inspection
It is well worth your money engaging a House Inspector to check out the house before committing to the purchase. These Inspectors know what to look out for and can advise you accordingly on the state of the house, whether it is in need of repairs so that you are fully aware of the additional expenses needed. Don't take the word of the seller that certain repairs and maintenance has been made to the home. A formal inspection of wiring, plumbing, and general structure of the home is needed to avoid nasty surprises.
Inspection reports are great negotiating tools when it comes to asking the seller to make repairs. If a professional home inspector cites specific repairs in the inspection report the seller is more likely to agree to them than if you simply try to negotiate based on your observations. As we mentioned above, make sure that any last minute items that arise based on the inspection report or your own visual inspection during the walk through are addressed in writing and completed before you take ownership of the property. If the seller agrees to make repairs, have your inspector verify the work is completed properly. Do not assume that everything will be done as promised.
If you're buying a new house, off the plans from the developer, they will offer the Defect Liability Period upon Vacant Possession, where they will rectify problems, if any, with the house during Handover.
Buyer’s Remorse
No place is perfect. There will always be surprises. Don’t let a few initial blips spoil the whole ride. And don’t miss a great house waiting for the perfect one! Failing to jump on an opportunity, I believe, is a mistake. Too much shopping around can backfire. When you have done your homework and when you see something you that matches, go for it.

Property millionaires share their secrets

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It has been done over and over - making money out of property investment, but it is not without its share of peril. At a recent Property Millionaire Convention, four property millionaires shared their journey towards financial freedom.
The convention was organised by Paysolution Technologies Sdn Bhd. The company’s founder, Michael Tan, 34, channeled positive energy and vibes through a “motivational” approach by eliciting “I” from his questions. “Who wants to be a property millionaire?” and the crowd goes “I”. “Do you want to be financially free in five years?” And the crowd hollers, “I”. You get the picture.
The convention was also interspersed with stretching exercises and participants giving one another high fives. Additionally, each participant was given an egg to take care off. So right off the bat, it was an eye-opener for many participants.
Tan’s financial advice
Tan has been involved in property investment for approximately four years, with wealth accumulation of more than RM2.28 million. Through his mortgage broking firm, he has taught more than 220 students within 8 months and has helped them purchase properties worth more than RM8.07million.

He also advised all to find out how much one can borrow, to find out how much one is worth. “If you currently have rentals, then your income (level) goes up. For example, if your monthly pay is RM10,000 and rental income is RM2,000, the amount that the bank will calculate is based on RM12,000. Therefore the (borrowing) limit goes up,” Tan explains.
 Tan also provided a few formulas. One included determining one’s Finish Line, which translates to determining how much you need to have in order to retire within your limits. Not surprising, all 150 participants’ figure ran up to the millions.
“Last time, to be a millionaire is a privilege. Now, it is becoming a necessity due to money inflation,” he explains.
Tan’s formula – calculate your required Pension Fund
Pension Fund (PF) is the amount you need when you arrive at your desired retirement age, in order to receive your Desired Monthly Income (passive income).
DI (Desired Income)  =  Ideal passive income monthly
CA (Current Age)  =  Current age, rounded down to closest 5 years (e.g. 48 becomes 45)
RA (Retirement Age)  =  Ideal retirement age, rounded up to 5 years (e.g. 48 becomes 50)
POA (Passing On Age)  =  Age of passing, rounded up to 5 years (e.g. 81 becomes 85)

PF  =  DI  x  (POA-RA)  x  12 months
For example:
PF = RM10,000 x (75 – 45) x 12 months
= RM3,600,00
Which means, I would need to have RM3,600,000 in savings, so that I can retire by 45 years old and enjoy a passive income of RM10,000 per month (assuming that I pass on at age 75)!
Chin’s investment strategies
One of Tan’s convention co-sharer, Juanita Chin, 39, became a property millionaire in less than five years. She currently owns RM5.6million worth of properties comprising resort condos, shop offices and office suites. She cautioned would-be-investors to be rational and not emotional. It is all about money and sense.
All her properties are in Penang and her first property was with a low downpayment of RM5,000. The property was in Gurney Drive. Chin said, “It was a balance unit. On the 4th floor. Facing a graveyard. Leasehold.” After the chatter of amazement eased, she added that she did research and discovered that Japanese community favoured living in the area and preferred the lower floors. The first unit was rented out and fetched a positive cash flow of RM400. She has since purchased two more units and is getting a total of RM3,000 in rental from the three units.
 Some of the strategies that she employs include:
• Knowledge - the more you know, the less mistakes
• Leverage on assets – refinance properties for extra capital to reinvest
• Joint-loans with family members
• Know your banker
• Look out for discounts and early bird specials from developers
• Find a group of people and negotiate for a “bulk" discount

Yee’s practical approach
Dr Peter Yee, a guest speaker at the convention, has benefited many times from property auctions. So far, he has purchased 14 properties, including terraced houses, bungalows and shop offices. Rental income and the sale of six properties have earned him profits of more than RM1million.

His straightforward candour and funny anecdotes during his sharing session were more than well received. He is perceived to be like a family’s funny uncle. His area of expertise is in the auction and secondary markets. He mentioned that he has paid tens of thousands in “tuition fee” – monies lost from bad purchases. As the years progressed, he stopped paying tuition fee, but instead made a tidy sum.
He also shared that it is important to know what’s going on. “See this shoplot. Beside the two lots owned by the same person. The owner of the two lots beside mine, did not know the next lot was going to be auctioned. I bought it and then the owner purchased it from me. I like people like this. Busy, hardworking people who don’t know what’s going on,” he said cheekily.
Yee also added that it is important to know an area well and adopt a wait-and-see approach. Look out for signboards at properties. If the owners are desperate, the prices will drop in time. Or if a piece of land is priced at a low value, due to the owner’s mistake, then it is to Yee’s benefit.

Doshi’s principles
Milan Doshi, a Singaporean residing in Malaysia and the convention’s second guest speaker, has been involved in investment property for more than 10 years. Currently, he has 19 properties, with one in Singapore. The loans amount to RM11million, with a positive cash flow of RM15,000 to RM20,000 per month.
“When I started working, my friends were driving second-hand cars. Two to three years later, they were driving new cars and I was still taking the bus and LRT. I knew something was not right,” Doshi shared.
“My first job was as a commodity trader. My boss told me that the sooner I learn that the four years in university is nothing but rubbish, the earlier you become useful to me,” he continued. It was years later that he found out what his boss meant because everything he learnt was theory, not real-world practical learning.
When he began investing in units in HDB flats in Singapore, he was doing well, until one friend told him to buy the most expensive property that he cannot afford. It made sense at the time, because the more the asset appreciates, the bigger the gain. But alas, as values can increase, it can also nosedive.
He has since moved on and has made many good purchases. To date, he has more than a handful of shoplots at Berjaya Times Square. Some of these lots are lesser than 1,000sq ft and were purchased for a price tag of more than RM1million each.
The six principles that he strongly advocates are:
• Learn as much as you can –  from sales people, the market, entrepreneurs, experts
• Network – it’s who you know
• Earn as much as you can, as fast as you can
• Savings – invest in yourself e.g. save RM200 and spend RM200 on books, etc.
• Borrow – as much as you can and invest to gain returns that are more than interest rates 
• Invest wisely, as much as you can
The gurus’ seminars
This property millionaire quartet conducts seminars and workshops throughout the year – individually and together with a few other speakers.
Tan, Chin, Yee and Ho Chin Soon (the maker of Malaysian maps that pinpoint the exact geographical location and information on properties) will be conducting a series of seminars titled “The Millionaire Start Up Programme”. Call 03-2283 1740 for details.
Property Intensive, a 3-hour seminar preview by Doshi, will be held on 9 and 10 April. For more information, call 1700 800 178.
The egg
Back to the egg. What was it all about? It was to represent a loved one and the reason one is striving financial independence for. In short, be grounded and remember loved ones and those in need even when one joins the millionaire club.

Traps at property auctions

I have written about the opportunities available at property auctions a few weeks ago. I revealed that there are huge opportunities, but I must add that there are huge traps too. Any investment that comes with an opportunity to make lots of money also comes with the possibility of losing lots of money too!
So if you want to make money from property auctions, you must know what you are doing. Otherwise, you could lose it all and get a major headache in return!
The first trap is of course poor location. Now some of the properties being auctioned off are dirt cheap. I have seen them, and I’m sure you have as well, properties being auctioned off for less than RM20,000! That is less than the price of some second-hand cars!
However, and this is a big however, just because it is cheap does not mean that you should be buying it. Why not? Because the price may be cheap for a long time! So yes, you can buy it cheap, but then no one will be buying it from you until years later!
The second trap is if the property is occupied. You are buying the auctioned property as it is. So if there are people occupying the property, it is your job to get them out. This is easier said than done. How are you going to get them out? They are not in most of the time. Even when they are, they refuse to open the door. You can get a court order to evict them but that will equal to time, cost and money. Sometimes, they may still not budge even with the court order! So in short, if the property is tenanted, and the people living there are not willing to move out, forget about it – no matter how cheap the property is. Move on to the next property.
The third trap is outstanding bills. This may include electric, water, maintenance and even assessment taxes. The cost may run into tens of thousands! So it is important to discover all these before bidding for the property. Otherwise, you could be buying a property and unknowingly have thousands of Ringgit in bills to be settled.
However, this does not mean that you should shy away from a property with outstanding bills entirely. The point to note here is that you must know about them before bidding. That way, you can calculate your costs and figure out if it will be a worthwhile purchase.
You must also take repair costs into consideration, and hence include them into your budget. The budget will obviously depend on the condition of the property. If the property is good, then the budget will be lower. However, if the property is in a poor state, then obviously you will have to set aside a higher figure. And because of the potentially vast difference in cost here, you would do well to inspect the property first. That is the only way to get an accurate costing.
These are just four of the traps that await an unwary bidder at property auctions. There are more of course! To reiterate, any investment that comes with an opportunity to make lots of money also comes with the possibility of losing lots of money!
So get educated on the subject matter first. Buy the relevant books, and only then, buy the property.

How to squeeze your housing loans to maximise your returns?

First things first. Decide whether you are planning to make money or save money from properties. If you answered “Save money from properties”, this article may not be suitable for you. I’m here to share with you how you can use your property loan to make money for yourself. In fact, I know some people who have such proficiency of earning via this method that they have retired within 5 years of starting!
Some will disagree with the information that I am about to share with you. If we were to  take all potential variables into consideration, it would be an endless task. However, should you use this method with care, you should be able to maximise the returns from your loans and make lots of money from your property while still keeping it!
To understand how this works, let’s go through a couple of basics. In general, does a property appreciate or depreciate in price? Now, how about a property loan? The answers are quite obvious. A property should, one hopes, appreciate in value whilst your regular monthly payments will reduce the amount outstanding on the loan secured against it.
So looking at the diagram above, how can you make money from your loan? As your property appreciates in price, and your loan reduces, the amount of equity (in other words, cash) in your property increases. In this situation, there is an easy way to access that tied-up capital: refinancing. The banks will also be aware if your property has increased in value, and majority of them will be more than happy to increase the loan amount, assuming that you can demonstrate you can afford the increased loan, and there is sufficient equity in the property. This way, you still own the property and are able to cash out some money from it. Ideally, it would be best not to increase the loan tenure whilst refinancing, even if the new monthly payments are a little higher, as this will end up costing you more in the long run.
Here’s an example of how this works. Let’s take a property worth RM300,000, with a loan of RM270,000. We assume that the property does NOT appreciate with time. The illustration below is with a fix loan of 6% p.a. (per annum).
Looking at the table below, you can easily take out RM20,000 every five years. However, you should only do this for your investment properties which are bringing you good rental yields. If you are able to rent your property out for seven percent and above, you can be rest assured that your tenants will be paying for your profits while you cash-out on your property at least every five years.
However, there is never a guarantee that property prices will ALWAYS go up, so it is unwise to overextend yourself completely. The clever investor will always keep a rainy-day fund to ride out dips in the markets.
With that in mind, happy investing!

Property Details	0 years	5 years	10 years	15 years	20 years	25 years	30 years
A. Property value	300,000	300,000	300,000	300,000	300,000	300,000	300,000
B. Down payment (10%)	30,000	30,000	30,000	30,000	30,000	30,000	30,000
C. Balance (A – B)	270,000	270,000	270,000	270,000	270,000	270,000	270,000
Financing Details
D. 25 years' loan	270,000	243,000	206,000	157,000	90,000	0	-
Unrealised Capital (C – D)	0	27,000	64,000	113,000	180,000	270,000	-
E. 30 years' loan	270,000	251,000	226,000	192,000	146,000	84,000	0

Get the right mortgage

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When you have located the right property and paid the necessary deposit, you need to hunt for the right mortgage loan. Before you visit every bank in the city, it is advisable to sit and think about your loan requirements. Ask yourself these questions.
• How long do you want to borrow?
• What is the margin of financing you want?
• What is the amount of monthly instalment you can afford?
Choosing the right mortgage loan is not just about choosing the loan with the lowest interest.
Key mortgage considerations for a property investor
An investor does not want to have a long lock-in period as he or she will flip (sell) the property within a short duration of time, when the time is right.
Although it is difficult to find zero-entry-cost package deals these days, a property investor can opt for the loan legal fees to be included into the loan amount. This is known as Finance Entry Cost (FEC).
Advice for first-time home-buyers
• Loan tenure
If your income is not enough to support a housing loan application, do not despair. This is where you, the borrower, can apply for longer loan tenure to lower the monthly instalments. A professional or graduate can stretch the loan tenure between age 65 and 70 years old. When your income improves, you can make extra pre-payments to reduce the loan’s principal amount. It is important to find out if there is any penalty for extra pre-payments.
Another alternative is to apply the loan under a joint name. The bank will assess the income from all borrowers in the loan application.
• Properties under construction
For properties under construction, some banks allow you to pay the interest only without having to serve the principal amount. Once the property is completed, only then do you start paying the regular monthly instalments. The money saved during the construction period could be used for other things such as paying your existing rental. It may not be much for some, but a Ringgit saved is a Ringgit gained.