… and this at a time when most certainly you have other things on your mind. But should we panic and forget that life goes on?

Life, including things like the entire Corona pandemic business, which certainly is far from being over.
Yesterday the news where about two new strands of Brazilian virus, which seem to bring their Country’s Health system onto its knees. The WHO expects that these aggressive variants eventually spread to outside Brazil. Heavens, why don’t we get a break?

Did you get your first vaccine shot, maybe even the follow-up one already?
It is time to rethink, if you didn’t.

The three areas in Bali, which were designated to receive the first action for vaccination, including Ubud, already went successful through the program. For our customers, who read this and live in or near Ubud and who missed out so far, it is not too late.
In any of the larger Hospitals they will vaccinate you. Presently with Sinovac, which is said to be one of the most effective vaccines, processed by the Indonesian Company Biofarm. For hospital service you will have to pay.
As a holder of a Kitas or Kitap long stay permit, treatment in your banjar is free. Talk to your local administration to find out where you still can ‘get it done’.

Btw. Everyone in our Company is vaccinated. We owe this to the safety of our clients, our families as well as to the general population.

End of the serious stuff!

Over the Balinese Galungan holidays I visited the nearby islands Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. What a great time! May never come again.
According to tradition, I should have joined my dear wife to her far-away home village for the ceremonies. But I did so only two weeks ago and could not bring myself again to being immersed in a wall of Bahasa Bali of which I understand too little to enjoy a meaningful talk.

So it happened that I took the speed boat to the islands. The plan joining a diving and snorkelling tour there did not work out. Very few tourists to be seen and no tourist activities on offer. Instead this heavenly peace.
For some reason on those three islands the people are even more friendly than on mainland Bali, which indeed is one of the main reasons why I am still living here, instead going back to Kangaroolandia.
You would notice that now with the lack of tourists, the related boredom, maybe combined with the realization, that these foreigners are the basis of the local income, - this time every single person you meet on the roads and in shops has an extra warm smile for you.

Why not take the good out of the bad situation?
Reminds me of the saying: ‘Enjoy the little things, for some day you may look back and realize they were the big things.’

(Yes, some property talk will come up too - in case you wonder.)

If you ever go to Cheningan Island to stay for a night or two, maybe chose Avian Hotel and Beach Club at the eastern end of the Island. 14 clean and private bungalows, each one with own saltwater swimming pool, large open air bathroom, a good AC, (which I had to switch off to prevent frost bite… ), and from the public pool and restaurant a sunset view over the private Blue Lagoon which deserves the term spectacular.
(and please trust me- I am not saying this because of a commission agreement).

A few meters further along on the same dead end road there is a restaurant on the cliffs. ‘Amana’.
They charge 25.000 Rp so you can jump 15 meters down into the rolling surf right from the restaurants high set dining area. Because times are tough. I saved the money.
And because the view over the bay and towards Bali on sunset is truly out of this world. Try to remember: Eastern tip of Nusa Ceningan!

For the future traveller, who is waiting for the restrictions to end, which makes presently international flights so difficult, things may slowly ease up.
Regarding the quarantine upon entering Indonesia: I heard recently from several overseas visitors, who arrived in Jakarta in transit to Bali, that instead of the official 2 week’ jail time’ in special Government appointed accommodation, you will be soon tested for antibodies and present infection, and if negative, you are free to continue after three to five days. Well, that is what they said. Better again, google for more.

There is a religious doomsday group, whose slogan is:
“The End is nigh!” (meaning near).
All bull ! The end of the corona related social and economic consequences is now predicted to be about mid-2022, not nigh at all.

For most of us this is bad news. However, ask Lisa, a young lady from Belarus who I met on the island tour. For Miss Lisa the stay-home-drama is better not ending too soon. She has a rich fantasy and has been asked to develop computer game scenarios, at USD 10.000 a piece, for which she needs about 4 weeks.
The gaming scene is rapidly expanding. Now she travels, stays in the best places, and dreams up horror or fight scenes, nibbling on a glass of Sangria.
Should this not be within your talents and your line of lifestyle, let us think about something else, to make the best out of the corona dilemma:

Why not catch two birds with one swoop. You can reserve your slice of paradise on earth, and/or make a decent profit at the same time. We are not even looking at the fact that you would be saving your money from the approaching economic uncertainty of the West.

How to do?
Sell grandma’s heritage jewellery and buy a block of land.
Where?
Well, would I suggest on Fidji or Samoa, Cuba, Aruba, or Madagaskar?
Trust a man who has been around and chose to live and invest here in Bali.

The UbudProperty staff know Ubud like the back of their hands. The strong recommendation: Check out the properties, which just have been listed or existing ones, reduced in price. Ask for the good deals, which saves on your time and taps into our professional knowledge, it’s free.

You could claim that it doesn’t seem right to exploit the price stagnation or –drop, to your
advantage. Right you are. But then local families here are beginning to suffer seriously, because of the lack of welfare structure. Many entire family clusters have now problems to put more than rice onto their table, pay for the school fees, repay debt, etc.
If they do not find a way of receiving funds now, the misery will get worse. Even purchasing a villa from a foreign owner may have a similar background.
This has nothing to do with ethics any more. In the fight for survival, selling an asset has to be part of the available tools.

Let us examine an example, fresh from our range of listings:

P.281 (USD 134,150 for 7.11 are = 711 sqm)

Land for Sale in North-West of Ubud

A nice and handy block, suiting even sub-division

Melinggih Village is located near the Payangan Market, north of Ubud. It is from here 12 km to Ubud, and about 40 km to Ngurah Rai International Airport. To the south, the land is bordered by gardens, to the north and west by rice fields. A pleasant location with asphalt road access. Because of the ideal dimension, the plot can be divided into two or three building units. A good choice for a residence, commercial accommodation, or just long-term investment

To be conservative in our estimate, we assume that the property price has not been negotiated down, which usually would reduce the buying price by 5 – 10 %.

The buying expenses will look like this:

A) Freehold certificate (Indonesian buyer), for this you would use a local nominee.

Notary fee 1% USD 1.342.-
Buyer’s tax 5% 6.708.-
Tax validation 230.-
Change of ownership docs. 270.-
Zoning 270.-
Tax mutation (change of tax subject) 96.- Total buying expenses = USD 8.915.-

B) Freehold certificate under Right to use (Hak pakai) - the foreign buyers name is on the certificate.
- please read up about regulations on our website, section: ‘how to buy’.

The additional Government fees and notarial expenses will result in
total buying expenses = USD 12.761.-

However, is fair to assume that upon purchase you were negotiating the price down, let’s say to USD 125.000.
We add an estimated USD 10.000.- as average of option A and B, as total buying expense, and the property is yours now for USD 135.000.-.
That results in a price per are (100sqm) of USD 19.000.- (E 270.000.000 IDR).

It is also safe to say, that the present slump/stagnation in property prices will be over
in 2022. Based on the low buying price for the area, this property then will likely sell for about 30 to 40 % more. You would earn almost USD 50.000.-. (minus inflation, minus sales tax, but still enjoy an impressive gain).
And more so, if sold as three lots or subdivisions. (Smaller lots means a higher price per are)

Tell me, even if, if the re-sale price upon what is called ‘flipping’ in the industry, would be slightly less than projected above, -in the time after 2022, you’d beat all other known investments. We are talking about the ones which guarantee safety of the initial outlay.

Gold?
Check out the stagnant prices over the last years.
Nowadays Crypto currencies are looking like increasingly replacing Gold as storage medium for wealth.

The stock market? Maybe. But with the US economy being threatened by their monstrous foreign debt and the increase of interest rates, consequently followed by higher inflation, - stocks, although doing well right now, are not the safest long term bet.

Those Bitcoins, Ethereums and the like?
I am dabbling a little bit myself. As a hobby. Hobby! Whoever is 100% certain that Government regulations, or mood changes of greedy investors may not burst the bubble at some time, please tell me about your secret knowledge.

Husband to wife: “Why do the bad things that happen to stupid investors always happen to me?”

Back to your land or villa purchase in Ubud.
The way Ubud develops, and will increasingly become more popular once the crisis is over,
the boom in retirement accommodation demand is sure to continue. The people who already made their money, all they want for the remainder is a good life. Makes sense? Or is it just me?
Is therefore any reason to believe that a smart property purchase at this time will not bear rich fruit in more than one way?

As always, I invite our readers to comment. If you think I am nuts, please say so. I like to learn ;o)
However, if you also see merit in securing your future here in Ubud, I urge you not to wait.
Almost all of us said at one point in our lives: “if only I would have…”

Hey – ask your questions, check out what is on offer and compare. Be critical, ask for professional advice and do it now. Today is best, before your daily tasks take over and the chance is gone. And we love to get you going!

With kind regards
from the Team of UbudProperty,

Yours, Ray