Property Hunter Magazine Property Hunter Magazine Issue 52 - March 2014 | Page 14

/// Cover Story Projects Lined Up for 2014 in Sabah Photo by Rustam Razali aka Ankol Tom B efore Kota Kinabalu became a property hot spot, shop houses block along Jalan Gaya or formerly known as Bond Steet were selling at around RM1.2 million and have shot up to figures in excess of RM7 million. The property market in Kota Kinabalu remained on-track for steady growth following the uptrend in the last two years. And real estate situated at prime locations continues to command high prices. Demand for purpose-built office space has been encroached by supply from signature office developments in fringe locations and suburban centres. And there has been some appreciation in the market value of these properties. The city’s retail sector will also remain stable with established retail malls. Due to limited new supply and hikes in land and building prices, new housing developments are getting more expensive. Landed homes with high prices are also beyond the range of most first-time home buyers. Hence, a lot of developers are switching gears and focusing more on developing affordable homes instead. 14 /// COVER STORY www.PropertyHunter.com.my The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) is also expecting to complete the final draft of its Kota Kinabalu Local Plan 2020 with the aim to transform KK City into a world class Nature Resort City. The rapid pace of development taking place the city also shows there is a clear need for planning approval processes and procedures to be more efficient and effective. The announcement of the Budget 2014 has caused the property industry a slight setback. But the market is expected to bounce back in the second half of the year with more property launches. Local giants like Kinsabina Group of Companies will be launching their Royal Kinabalu, Titanium Techonology Park, Riverside Residence, and City Point Shopping Mall & Hotel; Mah Sing Group which recently launched Sutera Avenue (The Residences), and the highly anticipated Kota Kinabalu Convention City has started construction work; and Wah Mie Group launching Setia Walk, located in Sandakan. High rise residential buildings are the current trend. Developers such as Jesselton Group, behind Jesselton Twin Towers and Jesselton Heights; Remajaya, the maker of Bay 21 TOO; and Pacific Sanctuary Holdings of Pacific Heights (Phase 2) are also in the scene. Other residential properties that are up and coming in Greater KK this year include condominiums in Bundusan by Fine Landmark, SC Land and Sara Timur Realty, a high end condominium in Sutera Harbour by Xing Asia Impel, and condominiums in Luyang and Kepayan by Wow Property. Mixed developments will also be a popular feature this year. Bestmart Development will soon have a mix development in Bundusan and Topwira Corporation will also have a new mix development in Damai. Other properties this year is Desa Heights in Putatan by CST Realty, Harrington Suites a premium condominium by Interland Properties, Greenfield Residences by Greenfield City, Jesselton Quay by SBC Corporation, Ria Jesselton by SBJ Corporation and Ashton Tower a condominium project in Kelombong by SCP Property. Furthermore T1@Bundusan; T2@ Tawau by TBMC Development, Park Avenue by Eco Evergreen; Jesselton View, 8 Avenue, and One Jesselton by Bina Puri; 360 Boulevard, Sky City in Karamunsing by Homesign Network; and C Park, Eco Park, and Business Suite in Labuan by Chang Cheng Realty. Many of the mention developers will be showcasing in the third edition of the Property Hunter Expo (PH Expo) held on March 7 to 9, 2014 (10:00am to 8:00pm) at the Sabah Trade Centre will showcase just that. With 10 new pr oject launches and 60 developers will be featuring their latest projects around Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. PH Expo strives to educate the public by presenting a variety of property investment opportunities available in the market, as well as to educate keen property investors and homebuyers with the latest information on industry movement. The Expo also aims to bring investors and home buyers to property developers with the ever growing demand in premium property.