SHOPPING is made easier if you have many choices all in one place for ease of comparison and this is no different with house hunting.

?One of the best things about this property fair is that you get all the major developers under one roof,? said visitor Stella Goh in describing the Star Property Fair 2011 in Penang.

?I get to compare an array of new property launches, irresistible deals and great discounts,? she said.

Goh, 45, from Green Lane, was among the early birds at the four-day fair which opened at Gurney Plaza and G Hotel yesterday.

She was spotted browsing the real estate booths at Gurney Plaza minutes after the fair opened to the public at 10am.

Other early birds included retirees Michelle Ewe and Gwen Lim.

?We decided to come after reading about the fair in the newspapers.

?We are impressed by the layout of the exhibition which is both spacious and comfortable,? said the two friends who were looking at landed properties for investment.

Senior citizen Lew Yoon On, 71, and his wife Gooi Chai Meng, 68, also made it a point to be early.

?We want to look for a furnished condominium, such as IJM?s Pearl Regency, to stay because our semi-detached home on Lengkok Nunn, George Town, will soon be demolished to make way for three-storey bungalow lots.

?This is our sixth time visiting the Star Property Fair,? said Lew, adding that he found the information from the fair useful to make decisions on the property market.

Another early bird, who wished to be known as Kew, commented that prices of properties had increased notably as compared to last year.

?I normally make my purchases directly with developers but the fair gives me a good idea on opportunities available to investors,? said the 47-year-old factory manager whose previous investment included a landed property in Batu Maung some five years ago.

Early bird visitors also tried their luck in the ?Surf, Click & Win? contest sponsored by IJM Land, which offered RM30,000 worth of prizes.

Organised by Star Publications (M) Bhd in collaboration with Henry Butcher Malaysia Penang, the fair is open daily from 10am to 10pm at G Hotel and Gurney Plaza until Sunday. Admission is free.

SOURCE: The Star