If you've always dreamed of owning a home but have been unable to afford one thus far; the PR1MA scheme may be exactly what you want and it includes property in Johor, Malacca, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur and Kedah. If you're interested to get your paws onto one of these rather well-priced pieces of real estate; read on for a quick guide on how PR1MA works.
What Is PR1MA
The PR1MA or Perbadanan PR1MA body was formed under the PR1MA Act 2012 to plan and build affordable housing units for the middle-income Malaysian. The new scheme which is aimed at easing end-financing, will allow PR1MA home buyers to gain access to a higher loan amount compared to conventional loans to boost the increase home ownership among the bottom 40% and middle 40% of Malaysian households. The houses build under PR1MA will be in selected prime urban locations and will cost between RM100,000 - RM400,000 with RM250,000 being the most common price.
Who Can Apply
The scheme was created to help middle-income households buy property. As such, it's not open to everyone. In order to score yourself a bid to buy one of these lots; you'll have to first be eligible to bid.
Eligibility is decided based on income and a few other factors as per below:
1) You must be Malaysian.
2) You must be above 21;
3) An individual (if single) or combined (if married) household income of between RM2,500 - RM10,000;
4) One or both of you collectively own no more than 1 other propert .
If you fit in with the criteria above, you can safely call yourself middle-income by PR1Ma standards and apply!
How to Apply
Once you know you are able to apply; you will need to register an account with PR1MA on their website. You will need to provide them with your EPF number, LHDN number, employment details of your spouse and other property owned if you have any of those things. The latest month's payslip and a copy of your IC will need to be scanned and appended. Once you've successfully applied on site; you will then be notified if any new property launches happen (like the one going on now!) and if you see any you like you can cast your ballot!
Casting your ballot doesn't mean you will automatically get to purchase the house you've chosen. Once PR1MA has verified your eligibility; a balloting process will be conducted and if you are successful; you will then be free to select the bank of your choice to provide you the loan you need to buy the property.
Financing method
Although you are free to choose any bank you like; PR1MA does have a panel of appointed bankers offering special promotional home loans to help you pay for your new home. PR1MA traditional Financing scheme was SPEF scheme to improve loan eligibility. Under the SPEF scheme, home buyers are required to start repayment of the borrowed principal amount beginning from the sixth year. For the first five years, the home buyers are only required to pay loan interests via instalments.
Interested PR1MA home buyers can also opt-in for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Account 2 withdrawal option, allowing them to qualify for a larger loan amount. Upon the opt-in by interested home buyers, future contributions into the Account 2 will be used to complement the monthly house loan instalments. The option comes with a “ring-fencing” rule which locks the Account 2 from withdrawals for other purposes, until the maturity of the house loan.
PR1MA says SPEF is suitable for the M40 group who may need to re-structure their finances. In the first five years of the scheme, borrowers pay the loan interest only, which can be as low as RM880 a month.
After SPEF scheme still applicants not qualify to get loan due to these three reasons.
- Low disposable income coupled with high financial commitments,
- Failure to provide complete documentations required by banks, and
- Overdue PTPTN (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional) payments.
Rent-to-Own your home
A solution has been found for applicants of the PR1MA affordable housing scheme who cannot secure a bank loan. They will be able to rent their homes with the option of purchasing it later. Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia has introduced the Rent-to-Own (RTO) scheme, specially for successful balloted applicants of PR1MA homes whose loan applications were rejected by banks.
Applicants will be able to rent the PR1MA homes for up to 10 years, before deciding to buy them at the end of the fifth and tenth year, at a pre-determined price.
There are two options for applicants of the RTO scheme – the Basic RTO and the Zero RTO.
Basic RTO
Under the Basic RTO option, the applicant’s monthly rent will include a savings amount that will be put into a “Buyer’s Savings Account”, which can be withdrawn and used as down payment for a bank loan at the time of purchase.
Zero RTO
For those who opt for the Zero RTO, the rental will not include any savings element and if applicants choose to purchase the property, they will have to secure full-end financing from banks.
Things to keep in mind
Before you rush off into the sunset with your application, here are some other tidbits of info you should know:
- There is no registration fee as such to buy PR1MA property, so if someone is asking, they're likely lying! Don't bother with an 'agent' or third party where PR1MA is concerned.
- Yes, you can buy PR1MA property as a SECOND Home!
- If you are a couple applying to buy the PR1MA property collectively; only one of you need register and cast a ballot
- PR1MA properties can be either Leasehold or Freehold depending on the land upon which it is built. To be sure, do read the details of the property carefully!
Brief Details
Program Name |
PR1MA RTO |
Objective |
Provide affordable home to the lower and upper middle class family residing in Johor, Malacca, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur and Kedah |
Target Applicants |
Any Malaysian |
Project Cost |
RM 100000- RM 400000 |
Income Group |
Under RM 2500 – RM 1000 |
Selection Method |
Ballots |
Who Can Apply |
|
How To Apply |
|
Required Documents |
|
Constraints |
|
Agency |
Perbadanan PR1MA |
Website |
https://www.pr1ma.my |
