Hua Hin property professionals unite

[buksida]

A meeting was held on Monday June 2nd at Coco 51 restaurant on Naebkehardt Road between real estate agents, property developers and a small group of consumers. Its goal was to bring the parties together in an effort to increase standards, ethics and professionalism within the property trade in Hua Hin.

The property industry in Hua Hin has taken a bit of a beating by the media lately due to unethical practices by a few unscrupulous developers and a rising number of customer complaints. Little has been done to assist in these problems as some of the developers themselves are often in cahoots with local authorities who are reluctant to derail the gravy train.

Hua Hin’s popular public forum (HHAD) has been the outlet for many genuine complaints however it too has been forced to self censor and tighten its regulations due to pressure from heavy handed property developers. It seems that industry professionals in Hua Hin feel that it is time for change and customers feel that their rights should be protected.

The meeting itself lacked coherent organization but appeared to be very constructive and genuine with its goals. Representatives of some of the larger real estate agents in Hua Hin were there including Engel Völkers and Siam Property with a number of developers also in attendance. Three groups formed to discuss their problems and possible solutions with the overall outcome being an increase in standards, quality and information, all good news for the consumer.

This was the first meeting of hopefully many to come. An association is likely to be formed between those present to facilitate the adoption of higher standards from the developers which can then be relayed via the agents to the consumers. The aspired end results will be happy buyers, more sales of high quality homes, professional conduct and a brighter light shining on the property industry in Hua Hin.

Source: Hua Hin Report

[Big Boy]

Thanks for the update. Its sounds as if it was a good meeting, with positive moves being made in the right direction. I for one would like to read regular updates as this/these association(s) develop.

Good job guys

[Super Joe]

Yeah it was positive, everyone there agreed it needs to be formed.

It was a bit hectic at the start when we got in groups, but near the end we had some agreed principles.
They'll be a follow up soon where we will be able to put down some firm guidelines.

Despite there being some big personalities there everyone seemed to leave their egos at the door and I didn't see any protection of individual interests or the like in the developers camp.

I think Vaughan and co, deserve some credit for giving up their time to organise this.

SJ

[JimmyGreaves]

This was the first meeting of hopefully many to come. An association is likely to be formed between those present to facilitate the adoption of higher standards from the developers which can then be relayed via the agents to the consumers.

Source: Hua Hin Report

Doesn't sound very positive to me, an association is likely to be formed, and hopefully more meetings! Ok it was the first meeting but that sounds very inconclusive.

[JD]

Doesn't sound very positive to me, an association is likely to be formed, and hopefully more meetings! Ok it was the first meeting but that sounds very inconclusive.

At the beginning of this first meeting a vote was taken to acknowledge the need for an association to be formed for the betterment of the Hua Hin property industry. That vote was unanimous by all in attendance.

[Super Joe]

Jimmy,

I wouldn't focus too much on some wording, there was a lot of positive words in Buksi's post too.
We already have the minutes from this Monday's meeting and an action list to achieve in the next meeting. The people involved in this are very serious about it and will get it formed.

Cheers,
SJ

[crazy88]

JG

There WILL be more meetings .Forming an association with any clout will take time .The meeting was very positive in the sense that a number of business owners in direct competition with each other, including developers and agents that have been heavily criticised around town and on internet forums ,were able to get together with some very unhappy consumers and listen to each other in a sensible and civilised fashion .It is not just the conned consumers that have invested large amounts of money,although they have been hit the hardest by a few unscrupulous people ,the agents and developers have too .None of us want our investments compromised by a few rotten apples in the barrel .We will be meeting again in 2 weeks .Now that we have heard what each other have to say I am confident that more concrete progress will be made at the next meeting .

Crazy 88

[JimmyGreaves]

Jimmy,

I wouldn't focus too much on some wording, there was a lot of positive words in Buksi's post too.
We already have the minutes from this Monday's meeting and an action list to achieve in the next meeting. The people involved in this are very serious about it and will get it formed.

Cheers,
SJ

Hi guys

Reasoning behind the negative posting was the meat of buksi's posting i.e. what was achieved sounded very wishy washy to me. With a bit more information supplied above by SJ and others telling the forum that minutes and action lists have been agreed it seems as though alot was achieved and a good foundation has been laid.

I hope this exercise turns out to be a successful one, as already stated there has been much too much bad press and bad practices by some in the property industry and the more mechanisms in place to stop this the better.

[FishBoy]

As aq consumer who has viewed a number of properties with a number of "agents" I would say the first thing is that there be some professional certification program. I gather that therer is one in place as to have some government docs but it is not followed nor is it enforced.


MY view is that the restricted comments, censorship, by HEAVY HANDED people/jurisitc persons spells out simple issue like agents/developers take out ads so HHAD can bite that hand that feeds them.

I will tell you that from the standpoint of a buyer 75% of the agents are dodgey at best and ALL of them step back when they find out you already have a lawyer and that lawyer is not from Hua Hin!

As to the meeting I hope it was qan attempt to self regulate rather that just orgainze further.

Geeezee, from reading here I have learned that 1 in 3 are robbed, 50% of the houses yo buy predeloped are problemmatic, post develop need to be carefully looked at asthere is no data speaking to the durability and preowned houses are sold for many rasons, most of which are not good.

That is what I read here but not so much of what I have found to be the case whilst I do my own on site viewing...... GThe picuture is less doom and gloom. I viewed a number of preowned homes and few had any sigs of damage from break ins nor did the neighbors have iron bars!

Must be the internet. Oh well, I don't buy ads here. Look, I had an agent tell me that Thai companies were the best option, rather than leasehold beqause of the legality of the contracts...... Rubbish, BTW, he runs a strong advert here... Business is business and the net is the net so remember one thing.... Buyer Beware!

[buksida]

Fishboy, you haven't previously had accounts on this forum before have you? Some with the initials HJ? ITK? Hound? ring a bell?

To the others that article was just posted here by me from www.huahinreport.com it was just an analysis of what happened on the day and a bit of background - nobodys knows what the future will hold but it looks a bit more positive than it did a couple of months back. Things are moving in the right direction and there are no brown envelopes present!

[JD]

I will tell you that from the standpoint of a buyer 75% of the agents are dodgey at best and ALL of them step back when they find out you already have a lawyer and that lawyer is not from Hua Hin!

HEY EVERYBODY, JIMMY'S BACK

Honolulu Jimmy has found his way back to HHAD. How ya doin' Jimmy, still tuggin' it I see.

[crazy88]

"ALL of them step back when they find out you already have a lawyer and that lawyer is not from Hua Hin!"

Thanks Jimmy

looks like I should be the busiest in town as I have no problem with people using a decent lawyer from anywhere,in fact I recommend it strongly .

Happy trolling



Crazy 88

[hogus]

Well, Gents,

I observed, read and was very interested what's going on about this real-estate-thing without any comments by myself!
No, I don't want to be involved in this discussions too much again anymore.

To be honest, the good old fights with Burger (:cheers:) were more impressive, than all the statements, complains and suggestions I could read here in the past.

Please, allow me to be a little bit sarcastic now....
There is a group, which really has the idea to certify each other to be a "nice, fair and good" developers/agents/whatever, right?....great!
No protection from the government, no regulations by law, no neutral organization....wowowow...that will makes things really better more!

I spoke with some bartenders (some are also involved in this real-estate business) and we got the idea to certify each other to be "good boys"...never ever to sale overpriced drinks or to cheat with the bills....being a good customer, too, paying for what you've to pay without any complains...never ever cheat the girlie, pay your bar fine, of course....being nice and polite to each other...
Flower-power is coming back, perhaps, someday!
Of course, we are not sure, how to create a worthy symbol for everybody, but we're working on it....hahahaha

Back to seriously arguments....WTF, all of these good-hearted developers/real-estate agents/pissed or happy customers are thinking about future, without any official/neutral support ? ....
So long the Thai-government doesn't change the law in regards of foreign ownership, so long there is no neutral organization (means, you can't make any corruption), all is just a province-farce, IMO!

Yeah, the idea to create a new standard privately is nice, because the real estate thing is coming down terribly all over TH!
On the other side, who believes, that these "provincial self-agreements" are working for long time????

Wake up guys...try to create a nation-wide association, which has power enough to set the administration under pressure to liberate the law...
THAN things will be working, perhaps & hopefully....but, what you're trying to do is "nothing"....just good will!

[Big Boy]

From little acorns, great oaks grow.

There is currently very little protection for buyers. These 3 groups have good intentions. Should they fail, we're not going to be any worse off. However, if they should succeed, the scheme could be used as the prototype to resolve the national embarrassment.

Give these guys a chance before getting too negative please.

[hogus]

Yesssssss, BB, please, don't misunderstand me...as i said...the idea is nice...but IMO there is no chance without a protection/law/whatever by government!

Of course, I hope all is working fine in future, because I'm like you, very interested to buy my "dream-home" here...someday!