Believing that the world is becoming smaller and tastes are melding into a universal theme, we picked some foreign stories that might turn into Malaysian headlines one day (well, some are already headlines in Malaysia – decide for yourself which ones)

Condos Cheaper Than Cars

According to reports, some US cities have condominium listings selling for US$50,000 or US$25,000, and some even for less than a new Toyota Corolla. These are homes in move-in condition and located in nice neighbourhoods.

The housing meltdown in the US has caused drops in prices that scream 70% Discounts/Sales/Auctions. No wonder the Chinese from China are flocking into the US with wads of cash for their shopping sprees for houses.

In Sacramento, California, condo prices have fallen by 50% since 2007, while those from Miami and Las Vegas have plunged a whopping 65% and 66% respectively. A condo in Deerfield Beach in Florida now lists for US$25,000, a jaw-dropping 80% plunge. No self-respecting property shopaholic should have missed out on that.

Free- Cow-for-House Scheme

A developer based in Rajkot city, Gujarat State, India, outsmarted his rivals by offering a free cow for every newly-built bungalow.  Not only did buyers sucked up to his offer in droves, the deal also freed the roads of cows which were a constant source of traffic disruption in the jammed roads in India.

As an additional sweetener, buyers get to park their cows in shelters specially built for them, called “Cow Parking Space” with cowherds to take care of them. At a monthly maintenance charge of only 5,000 Indian rupees, the house owners also get their names dangled on the cows as well.

A by-product of being a cow owner is that buyers get to enjoy free milk and other dairy products. Not surprisingly, sales topped 80%, trumping most of their rivals who could only offer the usual gold jewellery and cars as incentives.

All-In-One Laundry Rooms

Some Americans are willing to spend US$30,000 for an all-in-one laundry room where in addition to the washer, dryer and cabinet, there is a folding and ironing station. There is also a specially designed sink where hand-washables can be washed by water jets. The dryer should also be special drying cabinets that can dry sweaters and delicates in  a few hours rather than several days. Perhaps we in tropical Malaysia are luckier. We can still count on natural drying due to our hot and humid weather.  

Islands to Call Your Own

If you already owned some super luxury and super pricey houses/condos, what else is there to own? An island. Many celebrities apparently think it’s the ultimate status symbol. Johnny Depp, Celine Dion, Nicholas Cage, Diana Ross and nearer home, the late Hong Kong star, Leslie Cheung was rumoured to have owned an island off Thailand.

What many don’t realize is that it’s not just the domain of the rich. For a mere US$29,000, you can buy a piece of Nova Scotia in Canada. The northern neighbour of the US has many private islands for sale – in fact about 100 to choose from, according to reports.  Some of them include Snug Harbour Island, off Ontario, at a price tag of merely US$1,057,000;  and Cove Island at Howe Sound, British Columbia, between Whistler and Vancouver. Price? A mere US$2,950,000.

And if cheap islands are too plebeian for you, then you could consider the US$110 million 90-hectare Cave Cay in the Bahamas.  As long as you are aware of the risk of being kidnapped, robbed or possibly murdered, it’s paradise on earth.