TO make the right investment decisions and profit from a property purchase, buyers and investors should be property savvy and be educated on the fundamentals of property investment.

According to FIABCI Malaysia national committee member Steven Lim, besides getting the location right, buyers should check out the reputation of the developer and the demand trends for a certain property type before confirming their purchase.

''Buying a property is an important decision, and for some, it may involve their life savings. As such, it calls for prudence and equipping oneself with the right knowledge on various matters from financing packages, withdrawal from the EPF to legal and tax matters,'' Lim told StarBiz.

''With so many financing packages available today, it is worthwhile checking around for the right package.

Steven Lim.

''Unless one does his homework and checks around, one could end up with an unfriendly package,'' he added.

Lim said those seeking tips on how to ensure good returns from investment in their property purchase can look forward to the third FIABCI Smart Invesment In Property seminar to be held in Kuala Lumpur on May 7.

The one-day seminar would provide insight into the hottest locations for investment, tax aspects in property purchase like real property gains tax and types of exemptions available, legal recourse and rights of purchaser and innovative financing solutions, said Lim, the organising chairman of the seminar.

The speakers include Henry Butcher Lim & Long Sdn Bhd research and consultancy director Fahariah Abdul Wahab, PricewaterhouseCoopers tax and business advisory division executive director Jennifer Chang and legal expert Sin Siew Kuen of Sin & Associates.

Source :15/04/2005