Viewing by month: September 2010
Things may be looking up for the Australian property market
September has seen the release of various data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that could be suggestive of improving conditions in the Australian residential property market. In a report regarding approvals for the construction of new dwellings, most important given the large shortage of homes Australia is currently faced with, the ABS released data at the beginning of this month showing that after falls in April, May and June, there was an increase in the total number of...Read complete post
Tips to sell your home this spring
As the sun comes out and the weather heats up an opportunity arises in real estate to show a property to its fullest potential. Although your physical property will remain the same regardless of the time of year, there are certain features that people seem to be drawn to depending on the weather. With knowledge of what buyers will paying attention to, vendors can highlight or improve these aspects of their home. For properties in areas where the temperature can soar,...Read complete post
CENTURY 21 Celebrates 15 Years of Australian Ownership!
Fifteen years ago this month, our Chairman Charles Tarbey purchased CENTURY 21 Australia, which has grown into one of the largest real estate networks in the country. As such, I thought I'd publish our latest media release on this, with some guest blog comments from Charles himself!Read complete post
Plan to beat worsening housing affordability
At the risk of beginning to sound like a broken record, I will again turn to the topic of housing affordability this week. Since my last blog regarding the subject another report has been released which further highlights that housing affordability in Australia continues to worsen. The Real Estate Institute of Australia’s Deposit Power Housing Affordability Report recorded the sixth consecutive quarterly decline in housing affordability in Australia over the June quarter. ...Read complete post
Points to consider when hiring a builder
Constructing your own home, or renovating your current property or one recently purchased, could end up being the largest and most time consuming project you take on over the course of your lifetime. And while your dream property may be quite clearly defined in your head, it takes the expertise and skill of a good deal of people, including architects, builders and various other subcontractors, to make your vision a reality. As the physical layer of the bricks and mortar that will...Read complete post
The advantages of cooking outdoors
Who can believe how quickly this year is flying by? With the official arrival of spring, I am looking forward to the next few months of warm weather and all the activities that go along with the heat. One of the things that characterises spring and summer for me is cooking outside. With so many hours spent inside the office or the car, it is often enjoyable to spend evenings outdoors, surrounded by natural air instead of air conditioning. And with so many external cooking options...Read complete post
How to choose a block of land to build on
It’s an extension of the great Australian dream; as well as owning your own home, why not build it as well? After all, it is unlikely that any home will be more perfectly suited to yours and your family’s own tastes than if you had designed it yourselves, carefully planning the layout and selecting all the finishing touches. With some of Australia’s state governments offering various incentives for people to buy land packages (such as zero stamp duty on purchases of vacant land...Read complete post
It's time for a spring cleanout!
Every so often (ok, quite frequently!) when my desk at work becomes unbearably messy I have a complete cleanup. This includes throwing away all the stray post-it notes that are floating around, removing the papers from my in-tray that had once been relevant but are now long forgotten and filing everything else. On completion I usually feel a, very proud of how tidy I am, and quite relaxed because there is (literally) no more clutter that I must think through. It shouldn’t be...Read complete post
Decreasing housing affordability - will the new government act?
There are two things that I love about the buying and selling of residential real estate. One is the feeling of personal achievement as a real estate agent when a house is sold and a good price has been achieved for your client - it is quite satisfying to know that you have done a good job. The second thing that I enjoy is watching the excitement that many people experience when they buy a property (be it their first or their tenth). For a large number of Australians, the...Read complete post