By THEAN LEE CHENG | Apr 10, 2010

An unexpected success
RENESIAL Leongs success in property investment was not something she expected or
sought. She went into it because of a need she was tired of being poor.
!"y father was a dedicated teacher and extreme#y passionate about his career. $ut we
were poor and I was tired of a#ways being in need.
!I went into property investment not with the goa# to become rich but to meet a need for
myse#f and my fami#y.%
Leong says she had severa# options to choose from. !&ou have to invest to grow your
capita#. &ou either go into business' buy stoc(s and hope for capita# gains' or invest in
properties.% She too( the #ast route because it was the most stab#e and tangib#e.
Leongs perseverance to de#ay se#fgratification has a#so he#ped her succeed in her fie#d of
wor(.
You have to invest to grow your capital.
You either go into business, buy stocks and
hope for capital gains, or invest in
properties. Renesial Leong
!I discip#ined myse#f. )hi#e my friends were going to the movies or shopping' I was
#oo(ing at properties. "y mother a#so gave me a #ot of strength to weather that period in
my #ife. I wanted to ma(e #ife better for her and that a#so motivated me tremendous#y.%
Leong has been in property investment for about *+ years now. In her ear#y days' she
wou#d buy a property' se## it and reinvest the proceeds in two or three properties. ,oday'
-+. of her property assets are commercia# whi#e the rest are #anded and high/rise
condominiums.
!In some ways' commercia# properties are easier to manage. $ecause the tenant has a
business to run' the onus is on him to up(eep and manage the p#ace we##. A business wi##
be there for 0uite some time. It is different for residentia# properties. ,he tenant may stay
for a year or so'% she says.
Leongs achievements have enab#ed her to divide her time even#y between wor( 1six
months2 and persona# deve#opment 1six months2. 3er experience in property investments
have he#ped her to thin( #ong term and she uses this princip#e when p#anning for her
persona# deve#opment. !Li(e my father' I put a premium on education. I rea##y en4oy
short courses' not 4ust to #earn' but a#so to experience the cu#ture and #ife in another
country'% she says' adding that she intends to (eep on #earning regard#ess of age.
Leong has been setting aside severa# months in a year for this purpose. She wi## be going
to $ritain to do a four/month course on psycho#ogy and mar(eting soon. She p#ans to go
to 5xford next year and subse0uet#y 3arvard.
Leong recent#y re#eased her fourth boo( tit#ed ,he "agic of 6roperty Investment. She is
current#y wor(ing on her fifth boo( with feng shui master 7oey &ap.
She says her fifth boo( wi## incorporate e#ements of feng shui as she be#ieves property
owners shou#d (now more about it.
!)hether one be#ieves in it or not is irre#evant. ,here may come a time when you want to
se## or rent out a p#ace. ,he buyer or tenant may 1subscribe to feng shui2 and there goes
your customer.%
8or examp#e' according to feng shui it is not idea# to have a house #ocated at a ,4unction
because on/coming cars wi## shine their head#ights into the house. 3ome owners a#so
have to contend with dust due to passing traffic and #ac( of privacy.
Leong says it is important that peop#e (now
when to ta(e a brea( from wor(. She says
peop#e often go on wor(ing without (nowing
when to s#ow down.
$ut whi#e her wor( #ife is on a different pace' it is by no means a s#ow one. She continues
to give ta#(s around the wor#d.
$e it European or Asian countries' the princip#es of property investment remains the
same and she wants others to benefit from it.
!Im g#ad I spent time with my father and though I am sad that he is no #onger with me' I
made time for him. And I than( my mother for standing by me when I started on this
investment 4ourney when I was in my *+s'% she says.
Note: 6roperty investment consu#tant &.". Leow' who is trained by Renesia# Leong' wi##
give a ta#( on ,he 9#timate 6roperty "astery today 1*.:+pm/;.:+pm2 and Apri# *<
1*.:+pm/;.:+pm and <pm/ =+pm2 at Leve# =' "enara 67' Amcorp "a##' 6eta#ing 7aya.
,e#> Liew ?+@?/@-<@A+=-/-*+/ B+:+
EXCERPT !ro" The Magic of Property nvest!ent>
3ere are severa# reasons why Renesia# Leong #i(es property investment over other forms
of investments>
C#s$ !%o& on # "ont$%y '#s(s / "a(e sure your renta# income is ab#e to cover
mortgage repayment' service charges and other expenses.
Le)er#*e / A =+. downpayment is e0uiva#ent to =++. ownership. $e carefu#
with the gearing though.
C#p(t#% #pprec(#t(on / )e## #ocated properties have good capita# appreciation
over time' especia##y #anded units.
C#s$ !%o& / 6roperty investment pays for itse#f over time If the renta# income is
sufficient to cover the month#y expenses' the property pays for itse#f over a period
of time.
Return on (n)est"ent + )e## thought out purchases' when put on the renta#
mar(et' genera##y provide a positive return on investment.
Contro% / &ou have contro# over what and where you want to buy' and the type of
properties you are comfortab#e with. It is a#so within your contro# whether you
want to rent or put it up for sa#e.
Hed*e #*#(nst (n!%#t(on / 5ne of the reasons why property appreciates in va#ue
over time is due to inf#ation. ,he price increase in new properties is genera##y
ref#ected in an increase in existing properties.
T$e 'ene!(t o! use / )hether it is a house' an apartment or a commercia#
property' there is a demand for it if the property is we## #ocated.