We’ve all heard this one before: the would-be investor who spends years “thinking about it,” only to never buy a single property. That’s not a mistake this Malaysian real estate investor made: if anything, he jumped in almost too fast. This week, we sat down with John to talk about what he’s learned from investing (and working as a property agent) in Malaysia, why he sticks to Johor Bahru, and what he wishes more people knew before they sign on the dotted line: The first home: quick decisions, big lessons John’s property journey started while working in Kuala Lumpur, and it was driven by plain old math. “The rent I was paying was about the same as a mortgage installment,” he recalls. “So I thought, why not just buy it?” Now, for the record, we don’t think it should be that straightforward: we understand John’s point of view, that rental is pure overhead, whereas a mortgage leads to ownership....