Category: Investors
First quarter of the year sees home values stabilise
The recent release of the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Daily Home Value Index results for March showed that national home values rose 0.2 per cent in March 2012 – a potential sign that the Australian housing market is stabilising. The market has remained unchanged for the quarter ending 31 March 2012; this flat result is the strongest result since March 2011 when values increased by 0.7 per cent. According to the managing director of Rismark International, Ben Skilbeck: “While...Read complete post
A good time for buyers in the housing market
The residential property market can sometimes be a confusing space to navigate, especially with the media attention it often generates and receives. The views of property commentators, as well as the constant flow of data released, often appear to be conflicting, with the media conveying sometimes contradictory signals to buy, sell, or hold. I consider myself fortunate to be in the position I am, as I have access to our internal company data as well as the experience and opinions...Read complete post
Should you buy a house or an apartment?
It seems to be a very common question when it comes to buying real estate, particularly for first and second-time buyers – will it be better decision to purchase a house or an apartment? As a starting point, the factors that go into making this decision are mostly personal preferences. These include whether the property is an investment or to be your residence, the location that you’d like to live in, how many people will be living in the property, what types of maintenance you are...Read complete post
It's time to get serious about going green
From a real estate point of view, I think we can definitely say that the benefits of including green features in a property certainly go beyond the aspiration of owners to be environmentally friendly. From the data that has been coming out for a couple of years now, as well as the attitudes of buyers that our agents are seeing in the marketplace, I am becoming firmer in my stance that the inclusion of environmentally sustainable features in new buildings or renovation projects is...Read complete post
Home intelligence could add value to your property
It’s pretty hard to ignore the speeding train that is technology these days. And I’m the first to acknowledge the opportunities for business that technology offers – over the years CENTURY 21 Australia has been able to utilise and embrace various innovations to achieve considerable success in the Australian real estate market. Beyond the office though – what types of technology do people wish to incorporate into their homes? As real estate agents we definitely focus a lot on...Read complete post
Good news for the rural housing market
It is no secret that rural Australia has had a tough time of late. With the plethora of flash natural disasters experienced across the nation over the past few years, as well as extended periods of ongoing drought, it has been hard for our farmers to catch a break, as well as to encourage city-dwellers to consider a move inland. Australia is an incredibly urbanised country, with approximately 82% of the Australian population living in major metropolitan regions (Source:...Read complete post
Land Sales Volumes Down, Prices Rise
Those who have read this blog before will know that the continuing issue of housing affordability in Australia, and my concerns/frustrations in response, are not foreign concepts. Last year there were numerous publications considering the situation; September saw the release of the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s Deposit Power Housing Affordability Report, which recorded the sixth consecutive quarterly decline in housing affordability in Australia. Prior to that, the...Read complete post
Using Property Data to your Advantage
And we’re off! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and New Years and for those people who took time off work – had a nice, relaxing break. 2010 has now officially passed, and the team at CENTURY 21 Australia are gearing up for what we believe will be a very busy year for real estate in 2011. For one reason or another, people often find themselves making ‘life’ decisions around New Years. I think it ties into the idea of resolution-making - the start of another year...Read complete post
Banking reforms see Home Loan exit fees abolished
In a package announced last week which included a variety of different banking reforms, the Treasurer Wayne Swan revealed the Government’s proposal to abolish home loan exit fees. This package in its entirety was put together to afford Australian consumers greater flexibility and choice when it comes to their banking. Under the reforms proposed by the Treasurer, home loan exit fees will be abolished on all mortgages taken out from July 1, 2011. In many ways, the package...Read complete post
Investment property opportunities - student housing
I’ve noticed through my time in the real estate industry that people have varying ideas about what makes a good investment property. Some people like to buy in locations that seem to experience perpetual summers and are rented out as holiday accommodation all year round, while others like to purchase in up-and-coming trendy suburbs, so...Read complete post