House Hunting in HCM

DRTGoodman wrote:

I think it's time to start a list of people/firms to stay away from when it come to house hunting in HCM...any thoughts?

Thats going to be a bloody big list!

Yes indeed, but I'm so tired of their scams. At least if we share those experiences we will have a better idea of how to respond. I had any agency try to scam me two months ago, only to find out that they were running the same scam (word for word) on a friend of mine just last week.

DRTGoodman wrote:

I think it's time to start a list of people/firms to stay away from when it come to house hunting in HCM...any thoughts?

I would discourage posting such a list, as it will in all likelihood be removed.  Defamatory posts about companies/individuals expose Expat.com to legal action.  Recommendations however are welcome in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 

Individuals concerned about doing any due-diligence about a company or person should Google them along with keywords "complaint", "scam" or something along those lines.

Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

Why am I not surprised...

I would welcome that list.  If any of you don't mind can you pm me such info as I will be moving to hcmc later this month?

We should seriously think about sharing those info on another platform such as Facebook.  Or is there such a group already?

forget the list. they say that the Xe Om is the most reliable source and in the know how. you'd also be surprised on what else they can help you find.   

romaniac wrote:

DRTGoodman wrote:

I think it's time to start a list of people/firms to stay away from when it come to house hunting in HCM...any thoughts?

I would discourage posting such a list, as it will in all likelihood be removed.  Defamatory posts about companies/individuals expose Expat.com to legal action.  Recommendations however are welcome in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 

Individuals concerned about doing any due-diligence about a company or person should Google them along with keywords "complaint", "scam" or something along those lines.

Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

You obviously have no idea how things work here in Viet Nam, due diligence on some shonky broker that operates from a cellphone, that's just laughable.

colinoscapee wrote:

romaniac wrote:

DRTGoodman wrote:

I think it's time to start a list of people/firms to stay away from when it come to house hunting in HCM...any thoughts?

I would discourage posting such a list, as it will in all likelihood be removed.  Defamatory posts about companies/individuals expose Expat.com to legal action.  Recommendations however are welcome in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 

Individuals concerned about doing any due-diligence about a company or person should Google them along with keywords "complaint", "scam" or something along those lines.

Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

You obviously have no idea how things work here in Viet Nam, due diligence on some shonky broker that operates from a cellphone, that's just laughable.

And even if you do find a halfway reputable broker, there is no guarantee that the vendor is honest; that the property actually belongs to them, that the property doesn't have debts attached to it ... The list of potential problems is enormous.

I watched my wife go through the torturous process of buying the place we live in now - she is very sharp indeed - as befits someone with 2 masters degrees - but she was exhausted by the sheer heaps and piles of B/S that she had to wade through and avoid. Simple things like the vendor simply not bothering to turn up to sign a document - ahhhh never mind, be happy, don't worry, just give us the deposit, it will all be OK....
Yeah. Caveat Emptor indeed!

My ex-gf used to go to court for the bank she worked for, the amount of fake paperwork, bribes, corrupt government officals and complete lack of morals was mind numbing.

What is  Xe Om?

Xe Om = motorbike taxi. The drivers know everything there is to know about everything - or at least have an opinion on everything.

They will charge you exorbitant prices to go somewhere if you're not careful. They will generally offer you a range of products,boom boom, dope,cocaine basically anything a tired traveler needs.

colinoscapee wrote:

They will charge you exorbitant prices to go somewhere if you're not careful. They will generally offer you a range of products,boom boom, dope,cocaine basically anything a tired traveler needs.

And pick their noses incessantly

You guys are funny ...lol

I'm here all week. Try the fried chicken.

You have to be very careful. The law in VN protect the crooks and thief. I put down payment for a three bedrooms condo, the seller said it would take a month, then she came back after taking my deposit and told me that there was a little problem but she would get over it in no time. Well one problem became two then ............ almost a year later she and the seller to me that they do not want to sell me the condo any more since it can be sold at higher price. I went to talk to a lawyer and I was told that all I can get is the double the amount I put down. There are decent Vietnamese but it seems hard to find them. Be careful.

As a new comer foreigner, I suggest you to find a reliable developer in Vietnam, such as Novaland and Everich, go direct to their office and look for the unit you want, don't look for agents who sub-sale for the condo and houses. A lot of hiding fees and things in the purchase, be careful before sign and pay deposit

Keep away from any company that is associated with the government, such as Petro Land, absolutely  disgraceful builders.

The problem is that if a situation is a one off and u then slander someone it could backfire.

As someone moving to HCMC in the next few weeks. This thread worries me.

Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated !

JipJam wrote:

As someone moving to HCMC in the next few weeks. This thread worries me. Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated !

This thread "House Hunting" is about buying real estate. Moving here in two weeks, that means you will be renting, yeah? Unless you are wealthy enough to risk loss of capital, renting is the way to go in any 'developing' country. 'Developing' meaning it is still developing how to implement rule of law, fair courts, consumer protection, foreign citizen investment, free press to report on shady stuff, representational government so citizens can kick out the crooks. And so forth.
Welcome soon! 

gobot wrote:

JipJam wrote:

As someone moving to HCMC in the next few weeks. This thread worries me. Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated !

This thread "House Hunting" is about buying real estate. Moving here in two weeks, that means you will be renting, yeah? Unless you are wealthy enough to risk loss of capital, renting is the way to go in any 'developing' country. 'Developing' meaning it is still developing how to implement rule of law, fair courts, consumer protection, foreign citizen investment, free press to report on shady stuff, representational government so citizens can kick out the crooks. And so forth.
Welcome soon! 

Good points. My Dad was an Architect, my step father was a General Contractor and I had a Heating and A/C Contractor's License in California in the 1980's. Structurally, most houses are reasonably well built. But, that is because the owners are watching like hawks while the work is being done. The electrical wiring is generally poor, but, much better than the old days when atrocious would be abject flattery. Plumbing is somewhat better than the electrical. I did buy a Vietnamese Electrical Code Book. The Code is somewhat like 1950's America but running 220v. Unfortunately, too many homes are wired ignoring the code. Watch out for incorrect color coding of the wires and multiple splices in conduit runs. In the house we bought, I found several splices with various colored wire in a single 10 foot conduit. Wound up pulling every wire in the house and completely rewiring.