Property Hunter Magazine Property Hunter Magazine Issue 51 - February 2014 | Page 26

/// Hot Topic /// HOT TOPIC Why are Top Developers and International Developers Still Jumping Into Iskandar Malaysia? The Astaka at Bukit Senyum peaking at 70 storeys high ISKANDAR, DON’T KILL THE GOLDEN GOOSE There is a saying that one should not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Iskandar Malaysia (IM) has been the golden goose for the past two to three years/ OM has brought huge investments into Johor. According to data from the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, some RM128 billion has been committed, of which 44% has been realized. As investments poured into its infrastructure, people began to realize its potential as a much cheaper and attractive alternative to Singapore across the Straits of Johor. With its well-planned theme parks and educational, residential, commercial and industrial hubs, IM was beginning to look like a good place for Malaysians, Singaporeans and foreigners to live, work, and play. Due to both foreign and local buying, property prices have doubled over the past two years. Land deals of all shapes and sizes have been done and new launches snapped up. However, the two most recent launches tell a very different tale. UEM Sunrise launched Almas Suites, a SoHo (small office/home office) development in Puteri Harbour, comprising 546 units. It is the first of four blocks that includes apartments, offices and retail outlets. The net average selling price was around RM800 psf, although it was listed as RM895 psf. After one week sales booking stood at 15%. Identification of Iskandar flagship zones 26 www.PropertyHunter.com.my