buying a condo in pattaya

Hi. I am in Pattaya for a short visit and would like to explore the possibility of purchasing a condo or town house. I need a real estate agent...any recommendations? Thanks!

[Narakmak]

There is no cost to the buyer to use an agent. The cost is to the seller. If you contact the seller directly, you should at the very least demand a discount because they won't be paying a commission. There aren't many good agents.

[Narakmak]

My only advice: never, ever consider buying something off-plan. Look at things that have been around for a few years, and have not yet started to crumble.
I agree. Off plan has often translated to never built.

There is no cost to the buyer to use an agent. The cost is to the seller. ....

every penny of the transaction is comming from the buyer's pocket.

[Narakmak]

There is no cost to the buyer to use an agent. The cost is to the seller. ....

every penny of the transaction is comming from the buyer's pocket.
You could look at it that way. But upon sale, the seller pays the agent out of his proceeds.

There is no cost to the buyer to use an agent. The cost is to the seller. ....

every penny of the transaction is comming from the buyer's pocket.

How anyone could seriously think otherwise says volumes about some of those posting here.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

you don't need one agent..you need a dozen. There is so much building going up it's mind blowing.

You should hire a car and spend days driving around. For inspiration check out the Sanctuary development in Soi Pattaya-Naklua which has it's own beach. The magnificent building at the front is the Thai owner's residence.

I lived in this area a about 4 years ago at AA Villas which were considered too far out of town and in a village hamlet..now it's like a smart end of town with some beautiful developments designed by Thai architects. I have a Thai friend there whose humble little shop has become a hive of activity with him making a small fortune out of motor-cycle rentals, Internet cafe and so. The town is going to boom and when a condo is probably one -twentieth of the price you pay for back home..what's to lose ???

For inspiration check out the Sanctuary development in Soi Pattaya-Naklua which has it's own beach.

If you are referring to the development at Naklua Soi 14, this is not a private beach, it is part Wong Amat beach and regularly accessed from there.


The town is going to boom .... a condo is probably one -twentieth of the price you pay for back home..

"one-twentieth" - where exacly are these condos, and what country / city are you comparing them to (with condos of similar size, construction, amenities, location, etc) ?
Condos in Pattaya are around 50,000 to 100,000 baht per square metre (some more, some less); where in the world, even remotely comparable, are you going to pay 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 baht per square metre?


what's to lose ???

Whatever you paid!!!!


Out to Lunch, you seem to have forgotten "give me time I will get the figures" of 20 May. How long will we need to wait this time? An admission of error, for once, would be equally acceptable.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

what bloody figures are you talking about Gone Mad ???

and I consider a beach at your doorstep a "private beach" though it may not be strictly yours but it's actually not the most accessible spot for the general public nor would they be likely to be rushing down there.

New York, Belgravia..take your bloody pick you nitpicker.

and come back John Botting...pleasssse !!!!!

NB: oh yes I see the figures you are talking about but the answer is-do the bloody work yourself. I haven't got time to bother with a f**wit like you and spend an eternity going back and forth while you argue the toss about bugger all.

thank God for the ignore button-the first time I shall ever use it ..if you were mad you might be slightly interesting..you're just bloody boring.

what bloody figures are you talking about Gone Mad ???

The ones you said that you would produce, given time, after I had done "the bloody work myself", showing that you were wrong by a factor of 10 - you quoted 4-5%, whereas the actual figure was 52%.


I consider a beach at your doorstep a "private beach" though it may not be strictly yours

So do some of Pattaya's less reputable estate agents; elsewhere "private" means "private", not nearby.


New York, Belgravia..take your bloody pick you nitpicker.

Hardly nit-picking. Belgravia prices vary between $21,800 to 36,200; Upper Manhattan, New York are between $13,270 and 22,920. Pattaya is hardly Belgravia or Upper Manhattan; average prices per square metre in London are $2,400 and in New York $2,000 - pretty well par with Bangkok prices, where the average is 78,500 baht ($2,450). The South China Morning Post of 25 April 2008 put the average price paid for Grade A condominiums in Pattaya at 89,680 baht ($2,800), well above average London prices.


I see the figures you are talking about but the answer is-do the bloody work yourself. I haven't got time to bother with a f**wit like you and spend an eternity going back and forth while you argue the toss about bugger all.

Being wrong by a factor of ten previously and twenty now may be "bugger all" to you; it certainly puts the value you put on our own advice in a new light.


..if you were mad you might be slightly interesting..you're just bloody boring.

"boring" .... quite possibly, but I prefer that to being constantly proved wrong!

My experience is that the realtors will only show you the VERY overpriced stuff with a large sales commission, but that is just a part of human nature...greed. Take lots of time, talk to the guys in the bars, drive around and look at the for sale by owner signs. If you are diligent you can save 50%. Money talks and in Thailand it is very easy to buy and VERY VERY hard to sell.

[quote="Soi 10 Tom":35ktpah8]My experience is that the realtors will only show you the VERY overpriced stuff with a large sales commission.

The sales commission is a standard 3% on second-hand properties. So if a property is priced at 10 million but worth only 8, the commission is the same as for a property that's priced at 10 million but worth 12.[/quote:35ktpah8]

And your point is??????? :drunken:

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

my advice David is that you don't really have enough time to look properly if you are here for a short time so I would spend no more 2 days doing the rounds--grab a as many realty brochures as possible-look up all the realty websites and do lots of research and take no notice of the doomsayers that will tell you not to buy.

The only rule I believe is that one should rent for a year or so as it's so cheap you can get a much better feel of what you want-if you intend to live here in Pattaya permanently. If it's an investment, just do your research and look for the few condo building that do pay for themselves while you are not there..View Tallay etc.

But spend money you need to call on in a hurry. : I meant of course money you DON'T NEED IN A HURRY !!!

And for all the those who say you lose money-take a good look around and you will see plenty of people who are making a good living out of real estate if they hold onto it long enough...bizarrely enough..just like everywhere else !!

( save your time Gone Fishing..this one ain't biting..ignore is a wonderful feature )

If it's an investment, just do your research and look for the few condo building that do pay for themselves while you are not there..View Tallay etc.

Do your research from the point of a potential renter, not a potential investor; you will find that you get a very different picture - I certainly did, with exactly the condominium recommended (not a reaction to Out to Lunch, as you can verify if you find my posting made some time ago on just this subject).

DELETED

It must be wonderful to be so fucking intelligent and knowledgeable on EVERYTHING Gone Mad?

..he's got a big head to accommodate his big brain :drunken:

It must be wonderful to be so fucking intelligent and knowledgeable on EVERYTHING Gone Mad?

..he's got a big head to accommodate his big brain :drunken:

Come on guys, there is no need to feel intimidated, just because another member repeatedly displays that they have an intelligence that is far superior to your own. :p


George.

I look too many times but always decide to rent even for retirement. Pattaya rentals very cheap. Big selection to choose.
Pattaya is one industry city, sex. Little economic diversity. Sea water very dirty compared other resorts. Drinking water even big problem. Real estate cycles are long. Thailand is not Switzerland.
Real estate not always going up. Many time total collapse without recovery for years or never. Bangkok going under water soon as example, scientists say 15 to 20 years. Bad for investment.
Thai laws may change regarding sex. Now much tighter and with more problems even 10 years ago. If law against selling body (prostitute) enforced then Pattaya go kaput overnight. You think this will never happen maybe? Dinosaur also die laughing. Me too! He-he :cheers:

[colmx]

Hi David
I did a lot of research into buying Condos in Pattaya/Jomtien before my last trip in April

See the following thread for some useful information:
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 13793.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/where-would-you-buy-in-pattaya-jomtien-t13793.html)

In the end i didn't even give more than 4/5 hours thought into actually buying when i got there...

So what put me off buying a place?
Saturation - so many places for sale,so many places at 20/30% "discount"

Incompletion - so many places half completed and abandoned, or even worse still not even started - despite their supposed completion date looming

Communist Architects - who designed the view talay blocks etc

Communist Nationals - who occupy the "cheaper"places in pattaya (the market that i can afford)

Non-central locations - so many of the more reasonable projects in Pattaya are so far off the beaten track to be any good to anybody without own transport... and of course so few are completed

Where impressed me:
City Garden (at back of welcome plaza/Avenue shpping centre) - long way to go to completion but with great finishes on show apts...slightly over priced (in my opinion) but great location

Hyde park - on Thrappaya rd, great location behind the Old Icon showbar, on baht bus route and easy walking distance to walking st or Soi Sunnee (by back streets soi yensabai)

I should add that neither BF and I are beach lovers - so proximity to Jomtien doesn't matter to me... we are nightlife people - so being near he action is what matters most

If i ever decide to invest it will definately be in the South Pattaya/Thrappaya rd area...

Until then i'm happy to keep renting BFs apt on 3rd rd - near Body languange and Happys Boys... 5000B per month... Fully firnished with Air/Internet/Hotwater/8th floor views over pattaya bay and "mountain"

A bargain!
Don't think i'd ever mangage to buy a place so central and new/clean for that kind of price!

Hi David
I did a lot of research into buying Condos in Pattaya/Jomtien before my last trip in April

See the following thread for some useful information:
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 13793.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/where-would-you-buy-in-pattaya-jomtien-t13793.html)

In the end i didn't even give more than 4/5 hours thought into actually buying when i got there...

So what put me off buying a place?
Saturation - so many places for sale,so many places at 20/30% "discount"

Incompletion - so many places half completed and abandoned, or even worse still not even started - despite their supposed completion date looming

Communist Architects - who designed the view talay blocks etc

Communist Nationals - who occupy the "cheaper"places in pattaya (the market that i can afford)

Non-central locations - so many of the more reasonable projects in Pattaya are so far off the beaten track to be any good to anybody without own transport... and of course so few are completed

Where impressed me:
City Garden (at back of welcome plaza/Avenue shpping centre) - long way to go to completion but with great finishes on show apts...slightly over priced (in my opinion) but great location

Hyde park - on Thrappaya rd, great location behind the Old Icon showbar, on baht bus route and easy walking distance to walking st or Soi Sunnee (by back streets soi yensabai)

I should add that neither BF and I are beach lovers - so proximity to Jomtien doesn't matter to me... we are nightlife people - so being near he action is what matters most

If i ever decide to invest it will definately be in the South Pattaya/Thrappaya rd area...

Until then i'm happy to keep renting BFs apt on 3rd rd - near Body languange and Happys Boys... 5000B per month... Fully firnished with Air/Internet/Hotwater/8th floor views over pattaya bay and "mountain"

A bargain!
Don't think i'd ever mangage to buy a place so central and new/clean for that kind of price!

colmx... YES! 100% correct study of situation. Maybe too practical for pretense artists.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

"colmx... YES! 100% correct study of situation. Maybe too practical for pretense artists. "

maybe about 80% in my opinion. No need to be near a beach in Pattaya unless you are on a beachfront block. Getting to the beach can be half the fun and unless you go every single day-which no-one ever does when they live in place, colmx is correct.

And you never buy and think that wonderful view will stay as many have discovered.

And getting in the back blocks you could pickup a real bargain.

I still think renting for a year first is the way to go.

And getting in the back blocks you could pickup a real bargain.

I still think renting for a year first is the way to go.

No bargain to own can compete with colmx 5000/month bargain rent or even 2 or 3 times that rent. Maybe rent for rest of life is good idea too.
Also if bad things happen you can get out quick if renting. Reread conclusion to article from The Economist in other thread, not to mention personal problems very often.

[ceejay]

Well, I've strapped a parachute on in preparation for getting shot down, because my experience of Thailand is pretty limited compared to most of you guys. Stll, it doesn't seem to be against the law to make posts here on subjects you know little about.

A little background. In my mid 50s I already have some arthritis. I will need to move somewhere warm when I retire in 6 or 7 years time (at least for the English winter) and Thailand is one of the places I am considering.

What David does not say is if he is looking for a holiday home (now or in the future) or a retirement home. Personally, I would not buy a holiday home at all - you have to look at that at least as partly an investment and the volatile economy and equally volatile political situation in Thailand say, to me at least, don't spend money on a holiday property that you can't afford to lose. You may have to walk away from it.

If it's for retirement - well, that's different. Then you are looking for a place you can afford, somewhere you want to live. I'd still rent for a year or two at least - I'd want to be pretty certain I really wanted to live in a place before I locked myself in to it by buying property there.

Which brings us to the question - why Pattaya? Like, I guess most farang, my first experience of Thailand was a holiday in Pattaya. It's where I got my set of rose tinted spectacles. I still love the place for a holiday (I call it Sodom by the Sea :cheese: ) but to live there? A week or two in Boystown or Sunee makes me happy. I rather guess though that a year there could make me unhappy - I know myself and I would probably end up drowning at the bottom of a bottle.

Pattaya is not Thailand, and I am going to make a point of looking at other places. Last year I spent a week in Nong Khai (which I liked very much) and a few days in Bangkok (which I didn't like much at all) and this year I will maybe visit somewhere like Nan or Phetchabun. Over the next few years, if Thailand stays on the list of countries I might want to retire to, I shall build up a list of places in Thailand where I might actually want to live. I will still almost certainly rent for a year or two and when, and only when, I am sure I have it right (which will include whether I want to stay in Thailand long term) will I even consider buying. The other advantage of renting in this situation is, of course, that I could keep my property in England. That means that I could both get rental income from that and would also still have it available to me if I decided I had made a mistake, and that I wanted to return to England.

Pattaya and Bangkok? I could still visit them whenever I wanted to - much as I can spend a few days in Blackpool or London now, if I feel like it.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

Ceejay-I know quite a few farangs who are basically retired in Pattaya who never go near Sunnee of Boyztown just as they would probably not go out to gay clubs in London.

I always like the piece from actor Rupert Everett's biography where he said-he didn't want to end up as an old queen in a pair of sequined hot pants whirling around some gay nightclub completely unnoticed.-and sure if he set himself on fire ,queens would simply light their cigarettes on him. !!

but it's nice to know its all just around the corner !!..

and yes..that weather and the arthritis..I know what you mean. :shaking: