Property Hunter Magazine September Issue 2014 | Page 100

/// Contributor

Our Bank Negara had a conservative reserve of close to
RM500 billion in its vaults and we were in fact booming with
all the hot currency – the USD – pouring in from the west.
The GDP was healthily growing every year and the ETP was
on the run.

Michael Yeoh
The Mortgage Expert

With over 15 years of experience in the
mortgage and investment industry and
working with prominent companies
such as Standard Chartered Bank,
Hong Leong Bank, HSBC and Hwang
DBS Unit Trust, Michael has helped
thousands of loan borrowers by
providing comprehensive mortgage
advisory and solutions.

reduced the interest rate to BLR6++
that brought the mortgage interest
rates down to between 4 – 4.5%pa,
which was the lowest in Malaysia’s
financial history record.

Michael regularly conducts mortgage
courses and has produced many
graduates. He is also a regular
columnist and also has being featured
in New Straits Times Press, The Star,
Property Guru and also Property
Hunter magazine. He speaks regularly
in Property Exhibitions, Seminars and
also for developers.
You can get in touch with him at
Website: www.michaelyeoh.com.my

Property Investment:
A Game of Chance
D

o you remember the board game called
Monopoly that we used to play during our
childhood in the 1970s and 1980s? The last man
standing wins. But now we are living the reality
of a Monopoly game. Whether you like it or not,
or want to play or not, you don’t have a choice
because you are already in the game.
What paradigm shift in the real estate investment
market can we expect next from the government?
The government has been giving investors a
hard time entering the market by imposing
restrictions and new rulings to cool off the
perceived threats in the property market. Here’s
a simple explanation of how I look at the market
sentiments based on my understanding and
experience in the real estate market.

While the author makes reasonable
efforts to present information which
he believes to be reliable, the author
makes no representation that the
information or opinions contained in
this article is accurate and complete.
Readers are advised to seek specific
professional advice before acting on
the views.

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www.PropertyHunter.com.my

If my memory serves me right, before 2007 the
RPGT was all the while 30% over capital gain and
interest rate was around 6%+pa. However, during
the 2007 Euro debt crisis and the USA subprime
market crash, market shares in the west came
tumbling down and caused real estate prices to
depreciate by 20%-30%. The domino effect kept
on coming – currency fluctuated, manufacturing
short-