From today onwards, in addition to food exploration, my exploration of Iskandar Malaysia area and housing will begin. I have always wanted to explore Johor Bahru's housing and I am going to explore the Iskandar personally before making the decision of getting my retirement home in Johor Bahru in the future.
Many of my peers thinks I am crazy and mentioned that Johor Bahru is crime infested, blah, blah blah..... To me, I think they think too much! Johor Bahru is like any other states I have visited, not as dangerous as you really think or made it out to be unless you are in Iraqi Warzone. Besides, if you really think Johor Bahru will not catch up in economic growth, you are exactly having the same mentally when people feel that Singapore has no future back in the 1960s. This, of course, is my personal take from my frequent travels to Johor Bahru, you do not have to agree with me.
Why the decision to retire in Iskandar in the future?
a) My prediction is that Singapore will continue to move up the ranks as an expensive city to live in (8th in the world recently). I really need to find an alternate place to retire for my old age at a more affordable price and yet be near my birth place unless I strike TOTO. :)
b) With my regular trips down north, I can personally see the landscape of Johor Bahru improving tremendously. The first step that the Malaysian government did correctly is to create a "wired" highway connecting all the flagship developments. This is an important step. No roads, no people, no development. The positive sentiments about Iskandar among the local people are very strong and this is a positive sign for a developing state.
c) A number of attractive developments like Factory Outlet (Joint venture between Genting and Chelsea), Legoland, Afiat Healthpark (Medical Centre) and Educity ( Newcastle University of Medicine (NUMed) and the Netherlands Maritime Institute of Technology (NMIT) campuses) are opening in Iskandar. Just imagine the huge potential that area will bring with their financial district (Medini Iskandar Malaysia) being in full fledged operation too.
Read more about it at http://www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my/
The main housing developments in Iskandar that interest me greatly are
I have personally went to Setia Tropika and Senibong Cove and was I impressed! The only issue, they are not at the desired area like the above mentioned.
More about the housing areas in future entries which mark my exploration of my future retirement home! Watch out for my blog on the housing soon!
You can consider renting a house instead . More cost effective and do not need to worry about hiking interest rates.
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