Holiday Season is approaching. Have you ever thought of decorate your dining chair as well? Here's some idea on how to decorate your dining chair.

7 Ways to Decorate Your Dining Chairs for the Holidays
Refer from http://www.realsimple.com

Burlap Bow
If your style is more rustic and country than glitz and glam, wrap a burlap bow around your plain chairs. For a natural accent, add a small wreath or a grouping of festive greenery. Match the greens to your centerpiece for a more cohesive look.

Photo and idea from Thistlewood Farms. See more here.

Pinecones
Bring the outside in with this pinecone-and-ornament chair swag. Wrap a wide strip of burlap around the chair, then secure the pinecones and ornaments with a brown bow. For a special detail, you can fill the ornaments with feathers, pictures, or other small accents.

Photo and idea from Sophia’s Décor. See more here.

Simple Wreath
For a simple, yet elegant décor idea, try adding a small plain wreath hung from a burlap ribbon. It won’t overpower your chairs or take away from your table décor. Plus, your guests can take a mini wreath home once the meal is over—so it doubles as a party favor.

Photo and idea from Burnett’s Boards. See more here.

Ornament
If you can’t fit all of your favorite ornaments on the tree, don’t sweat it—use them to decorate your chairs. This idea is super easy to put together if your space needs some last-minute décor before the guests come. String the ornament on a ribbon and tie it to the chair in a pretty bow.

Photo and idea from Just a Girl and Her Blog. See more here.

Santa Hat Seat Covers
Kids will love this chair cover idea. Made from red and white felt pieces that are sewn together (don’t worry, the sewing is very minimal), these will fit perfectly over your chairs and will help disguise mismatched seating since they cover the whole back of the chair.

Photo and idea from Make It Love It. Get instructions here.

Rosemary Swags
These will add both eye-candy and a festive scent to your dining area. Tie branches of rosemary together with burlap and hang from the back of each chair. You can place a special, personalized accent on each finished product, like your guest’s initial, or an ornament they can take home.

Photo and idea from Perfectly Imperfect. See more here.

Chalkboard Sign
Write some holiday phrases on these chalkboard signs, or use them as place cards and put your guests’ names on each one. Take some metal chalkboards, decorate with chalk marker, and add some other festive accents like berries, greenery, or cutout shapes.

Photo and idea from The Inspired Apple. See more here.

A very good article on what a landlord needs to know. Just invest properties without knowing this could backfire an owner. Enjoy the article from the famous Chris Tan.

5 things a landlord needs to know
By Chris Tan / theedgeproperty.com

With rising property prices, many can only afford to rent a place to stay in nowadays. This is also true for new business startups where premise renting is easier on their budgets. It has also become easy to rent with the help of the many real estate agents around town not forgetting the online platforms that could easily matchmake a landlord with a prospective tenant without any third party help. With the abundance of rental transactions going on each day, the likelihood of tenancy disputes is also magnified. So here are some facts that you as a landlord or a tenant, have to know.
1 There is no specific law governing tenancies in Malaysia
There is no Tenancy Act in Malaysia, nor can the legal framework on tenancies be described as ‘pro-landlord’. A landlord has to accept the hard fact that Malaysia is pro-tenant in practice.
Before we get into the details, it is necessary to first be aware of the difference between a tenancy and a lease. A tenancy refers to an agreement for a rental period of less than three years.
The sole governing document of a tenancy is the tenancy agreement.
A lease is for a rental period of more than three years. A lease is what is called a ‘registrable interest’ on the title of a property. This means that when you conduct a land search on that property, you would be able to identify the lease on the title itself if it has been duly registered. This registrable interest protects the tenant by notifying anyone who is interested to charge or purchase the property on which the tenant has lease. To illustrate further the difference between a tenancy and a lease, a tenancy agreement is governed by several acts of law, such as the Contracts Act 1950, the Specific Relief Act 1950 and Distress Act 1951, while a lease is governed by the National Land Code 1965.
2 Because of (1), the tenancy agreement is really, really important
It’s worth mentioning again that the only binding document in a landlord-tenant relationship is a tenancy agreement which contains the terms agreed on by both parties. The most common question faced by legal practitioners is, “Is there such a thing as a standard tenancy agreement?” This question arises because some property agents claim to provide a full-package service, from matchmaking potential landlord and tenant, up to the signing of the ‘standard tenancy agreement’ prepared by their agency. The fact is, unlike the terms of a sale and purchase agreement that may be standardised, as provided for under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966), there is no similar regime for the tenancy situation. A tenancy agreement falls under the Contracts Act, which assumes that all parties have entered into an agreement of their own free will, based on mutually agreed terms. That said, how many of us have read through and agreed to all the contents of a tenancy agreement before signing on the dotted line?
Most tenancy agreements are a few pages long and take time to study. If you disagree with any term, it is your right to discuss this with the other party until you both come to what lawyers call ‘a meeting of minds’. Do not hesitate to do so even if someone presents you with a ‘standard agreement’.
Here’s a checklist of the major terms to look out for in any agreement before you sign it:
Checklist
•  Tenancy period and option
    to renew           
•  Deposit and rental         
•  GST (if applicable)         
•  Mode of payment           
•  Details of landlord and tenant     
•  Purpose of the tenancy 
•  Parties obligations and covenants              
•  Commencement date and
    yield up date    
•  Fixtures and fittings list
• Special conditions (if any)
3 Commercial tenancies are more complicated than residential ones
We have established that there is no such thing as a standard tenancy agreement. Do also note that there is a distinction between residential and commercial tenancy agreements, so you may not use one for the other.
The terms of a commercial tenancy agreement are much more complicated and impose more obligations on the tenant, especially when it involves renovations, business licences, any other applicable fees and also the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
4 The landlord has just two specific legal remedies...
In the event of a dispute between tenant and owner, the landlord is usually at a disadvantage, such as when the tenant defaults on rental, refuses to vacate the property, or overstays. In such circumstances, these are the landlord’s only legal remedies:
Distress action under the Distress Act 1951            
Upon the landlord’s application, a court of law can issue a warrant of distress for the recovery of rents due and payable to the landlord by a tenant of any premises for a period not exceeding 12 completed months of the tenancy preceding the date of the application.
Eviction Order under the Specific Relief Act 1950
A landlord must obtain a court order before he or she can recover possession of the property from the tenant.
...But you could try these self-help measures
When there is a tenancy dispute, the first thought that may come to the landlord’s mind could be to change the padlocks, disconnect the supply of water and electricity, and forcibly enter the premises.
But hold your horses, because these actions may result in unfavourable results. The better self-help measures to take in urgent cases are as follows:
a.   Lodge a police report;
b.  Break the lock in the presence of a police officer;
c.   Take as many photos of the interior to protect yourself in case the tenant claims loss of property;
d.  Place a notice on the front of the property informing the tenant that you have made a police report; and,
e.  Place a photocopy of the police report together with the notice.
This of course is the final resort. So, always pre-empt trouble by reading the tenancy agreement and make sure the terms are agreeable to you.
Chris Tan is a lawyer, author, speaker and keen observer of real estate locally and abroad. He is founder and managing partner of Chur Associates.

Career of a real estate negotiator is an exciting, challenging and rewarding one. This article is just one of the many successful stories been told. With a deal of RM500,000, you can get a minimum of  RM5,000 up to RM15,000 commission. Its not easy but its not tough either, its just the mentality. I believe almost everyone try before to give 120% effort for your job to your company. If you give this effort to real estate career, the return is luxurious and very rewarding.

If you would like to embark a new exciting life, click here to register know more.
Enjoy your reading...

The article is refer from theedgeproperty.com.my

Flight attendant changes career to become real estate agent
By Tan Ai Leng

CAROLYN Chin landed on both feet after her career as an air stewardess. Describing her days in airline travel as a good experience, the director and principal of CBD Properties (USJ) Sdn Bhd says it was good — not because of the opportunity to travel the world, but for all the lessons learnt about dealing with people, especially difficult ones, and handling unexpected situations with aplomb.

She recalls a long haul flight when one of the plane engines went idle. “The flight attendants had to stay calm and keep the passengers calm as well. We had to make sure they remained in their seats and not make them feel unduly worried.
“Flight attendants are trained to be calm and to always be prepared for everything. For instance, a passenger may choke while eating or have a heart attack — incidents that need immediate assistance.
“Strong customer service skills and time management are also very important as there are so many things that need to be done during the flight. We also need to deal with people of various nationalities and cultures. All these helped me a lot in building my career in the property industry,” says the 46-year-old from Teluk Intan, Perak.

Working as a Malaysia Airlines flight attendant for nearly six years in the 1990s when budget airlines have yet to take off, Chin had a life that was the envy of many girls and her peers.

However, after a life of jet-setting to cities around the globe, she found that she was missing home as she was regularly absent during family events and celebrations. That prompted her to think about changing careers.

“When you keep on flying, it’s very tough to maintain a relationship or family ties, so I decided to have a change,” she explains.

Her initial plan was to start a business related to children’s education but gave up on the thought when she found the cost. Then she met a real estate agent who was helping her brother rent out his property. Looking for a career change? he asked, and invited her to be a real estate agent. She decided to give it a shot.

“The adjustment was tough. In my previous job, my salary would be credited to my account on the same day every month, but now I had to work very hard to get my pay cheque. If I do nothing for the whole month, I get nothing,” she says.
There were times that made her wonder whether she should return to her old job. But she didn’t give up.
“I consider myself a perfectionist, whenever I do something, I make sure I am giving my best,” she says.
She gradually learnt the rules of the game and painstakingly built up her customer base. She also moved from the sub-sale residential market to marketing property projects, which gave her more opportunities in commercial and foreign property sales.
Chin says the airline and real estate businesses share some things in common. “Both are people-oriented, and both require integrity in fulfilling the promise of service,” she offers.
“To serve her customer well, a professional real estate agent needs to understand the transaction process, the product, as well as market conditions. Being an agent is not just about making appointments, opening the door for the customer to view the property and negotiating the price. There’s more work to be done behind the scenes,” she explains.
In order to turn her job into a profession, she studied to become a registered real estate agent, paving the way to her own agency, CBD Properties (USJ) Sdn Bhd, which she opened in early 2013 after obtaining her real estate agency licence. Now, instead of selling property, she helps others build their careers in the industry.
Managing an agency needs more commitment than usual. Besides recruiting agents and training them, she must provide them back-up and look into administrative matters.
“Many newcomers may perceive the real estate industry as a place to earn a lucrative income — which is true, but it depends on how hard the agent ploughs in. There’s no easy money,” she says.
Newcomers to the industry are often attracted to it because of the opportunity to organise their own time. Here’s what Chin has to say: “Agents may have flexible working hours but this means they do not have to show up for work during routine office hours. What it means is that agents work beyond normal working hours, even during weekends, to bring customers to view properties or to take part in property fairs to get business.”

CBD Properties currently has about 30 agents and negotiators. Chin continually comes up with new ideas to keep the team spirit positive because their success as agents decides the fate of the agency.

It’s been 17 years since she took that leap of faith from the airline world, and she has no regrets. She describes the real estate industry as a game of survival offering high-risk with good returns. “You will not get bored in this line and, if you find your current life boring, maybe you should consider joining the real estate industry,” she quips.


If you would like to embark a new exciting life, click here to register know more.

We can't tell how accurate this ranking is but from our view and opinion it is quite true. Let's see where our beloved country Malaysia rank in the world. 

10 Most Expensive Countries to Buy and Own a Car in the World
by Soma Dutta
Refer from http://www.insidermonkey.com

If you think you have it bad with the gas prices on the ever increase, the list of the most expensive countries to buy and own a car in might just make you think otherwise. Compared to these countries, if you are in US or Australia, you actually have it pretty easy. Purchase prices of cars can be notably higher in some countries than others. A Scion FR-S or a Mercedes can end up costing you a bomb. But, the initial investment is just the beginning of the string of spending you will be making as a car owner, because even the maintenance costs are sky high when you are in these countries.

Some countries have particularly high taxes in place on cars while some other make up through registration charges in order to control traffic and discourage general increase of cars causing congestions on roads. Taxes for ordinary cars also sometimes match up to the taxes levied on luxury cars in other countries. And then the higher petrol and gas prices also add to the overall cost tag that a car owner ends up with at the end of the year. Which means public transport can be a better idea than investing in a personal car for natives and expats equally.

For now, let’s take a look at which the most expensive countries to buy and own a car are, where expenses can be a tough deal for car enthusiasts and speed junkies!

10. Cuba,
Even though Cuba’s market had been “liberalized” in 2011, little progress has been made in the automotive market. The state still holds a monopoly on new car sales and sets prices at insanely high levels. A Peugeot 508 can end up costing $2, 62,000. While the overall low-incomes doesn’t make the situation any better.

9. North Korea,
Cars in North Korea are not only scarce but only a luxury that only the elite can have access to. If you have a good standing in the political party, you can own a Pweonghwa car. But even then imports of spare parts might be restricted by sanctions.

8. St. Kitts and Nevis,
The two-island country in the West Indies imposes high taxes on import of cars and hence the prices can end up at a scary figure. However, car rentals are a good idea for transport; also, consumers can have an alternative – buying second-hand cars that are relatively more feasible.

7. United Kingdom,
Car prices in the UK are over 50% higher than elsewhere in Europe. The extra-cost is somewhat attributable to the British Specification, sky touching insurance and the high value of the pound. Volkswagen and Audi cars are priced the highest.

6. Brazil,
Brazil’s ridiculously high car prices are owing to taxes, high labor costs and scarce availability of raw materials. Prices can be double of what Mexicans end up paying with maintenance costs being no joke either. A $16,000 Corolla in the USA can very well be priced at $25,000 in Brazil.

5. China,
The Chinese car market is a relatively new one but has been doing exceptionally well. Even then car prices are especially high in the country making it one of the most expensive countries to buy and own a car in. For an Audi A6 2.4 you could end up paying over $62,000.

4. Nicaragua,
Owning a car is certainly risky business in Nicaragua. Even second-hand cars can cost you a fortune. But it is the roads and safety issues that also pose a major difficulty for car owners who are generally targeted by vandals.

3. Indonesia,
Cars in Indonesia fall into the luxury category and are charged to a higher tax rate. Importing of cars can attract customs up to 300% on original value.  Car prices are also exceptionally increased and a Scion FR-S can cost around $60,000.

2. Malaysia,
High maintenance costs, high duties and taxes contribute to the high cost of owning a car in Malaysia. But it is also the initial investment that people in Malaysia end up making on cars that are absurd. The high prices of international brands are in lieu of boosting local players.

1. Singapore,
A Prius in Singapore can cost you a whopping $154,000. Strict regulations by the government through 100% taxes and requirements of the certificate of entitlement make it extremely cumbersome to own a car in the country. Singapore is undeniably the most expensive country to buy and own a car.

House Price not coming down, here's WHY!
Here's whats the expert say, the property price remain as it is due to few reasons which is quite true.
Sadly, it is unlikely that prices will come down in the short term.


Refer from http://www.starproperty.my/index.php/articles/property-news/why-house-prices-remain-high/

Why house prices remain high
Posted on December 5, 2015 

THERE are two questions floating around the property market today: why do house prices remain as high as they are, and what affects these prices? Both are interlinked.

According to Jordan Lee & Jaafar executive director Yap Kian Ann, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur have a population of 7.5 million with 1.85 million residential units. Migration from other states and foreign purchases will enhance demand.

“It is a matter of whether the properties are developed in the correct location, at the correct pricing, type and size,” says Yap.

As for why prices continue to hold, the property market is unlike the stock market. It takes time to buy and sell a property, and while there are many investors out there, a roof over one’s head is considered a necessity.

It is only as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis that property became a sought-after investment asset.

Yap says there are some 30 broad factors which affect prices. Each of these can be further broken down, but fundamentally, it boils down to just demand and supply.

At the very top of the list is location. Says Yap: “Property is always about the location. This is then further divided into proximity and distance to the city centre. Usually, areas nearer to the city centre will have better accessibility and are able to fetch better prices.

The second factor is interest rates. “There is an inverse relationship between interest rates and property prices,” says Yap.

This was clearly seen after the 2008 global financial crisis. In Malaysia, prices began to rise exorbitantly from end-2009/2010 onwards. Prices have started to ease this year, but continue to remain high.
The financial crisis resulted in central banks around the world propping up their respective economies and monetary systems by releasing more cash into the system. This resulted in low or negative interest rates.
“The low cost of financing pushed up demand for property investment. At the same time, low interest rates discouraged savings, with savers opting for alternative investment modes such as property,” he says.
Continuing low interest rates, coupled with various marketing schemes which require only a minimal initial outlay, have resulted in speculation. To balance this, various measures have been introduced to cool the sector.

“We have seen several of these today. The aim is to reduce demand and subsequently pricing,” says Yap. Singapore, for example, had about eight rounds of cooling measures over a six-year period. This situation is clearly seen there, as prices of private residential properties have decreased by 1.3% in the third quarter of 2015 compared to the 0.9% decline in the previous quarter, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Some measures will be more effective than others, but the end aim would be to reduce prices to a level deemed satisfactory by the Singapore Government.

In the case of Malaysia, despite the weak market, prices remain high. So, although the Government wants to encourage house ownership, it has to balance this against debt levels. The rate of the non-performing loan growth is expected to go higher next year, as the household debt-to-gross domestic product ratio is a lot higher now at about 88% versus previous years.
Yap says although the weakening economic climate will affect demand, the weakening ringgit can be a double-edged sword.

Foreigners can buy Malaysian property at a cheaper price in foreign currency terms, but may also worry about further depreciation of the ringgit.

He says property is viewed as one of the best inflation-hedging tools because high inflation erodes net interest returns on fixed deposits and bonds. Over the longer term, property investment offers better gains.

This and the weakening ringgit has prompted foreign investors to actively monitor residential property in Kuala Lumpur.

But due to the current political climate, they are still cautious, says property consultancy VPC Alliance director James Wong.

Although young people continue to bemoan affordability issues, it is unlikely that prices will come down in the short term.

There may be some respite over the longer term if both developers and the Government are prepared to take certain measures.

Probably, the most fundamental issue that needs to be addressed is to have quality and current information to enhance planning, says Khong & Jaafar group managing director Elvin Fernandez.

Right now, state and local authorities are giving approvals. Often, one local authority does not know what the other is doing. Although there is a National Property Information Centre, there is a time lag to these numbers. Continual references have been made to Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority and how they stay on top of the public housing challenge.