Viewing by month: March 2011
Important rooms to focus on when selling your property
In my experience the property presentation debate can be fought both ways. Some people will argue that presentation and tactics like home staging have the potential to add significantly to the selling price of a home, while others will disagree. Regardless of which side of the argument they fall on, I think that when selling, most people and their agents will try to make a property look its best. And while ideally you’d like to be able to ensure that every room in a house or...Read complete post
There are good opportunities for first home buyers available in the market
The presence of first home buyers in the residential property market has done somewhat of a back flip over the past couple of years. In 2009 we saw a peak in first home buyer activity – according to RPData first home buyers made up 28.5 per cent of all owner occupier finance in May of that year. This was a period where the effects of the Global Financial Crisis could still be seen in lowered interest rates and government stimulus efforts. 2010 however was a different...Read complete post
Why it is important to attend an open house before buying a property
Although they can sometimes be a great deal of work, the open house is one of my favourite aspects of the real estate selling process. In most cases, much preparation will have gone in to ensuring that the property shines on the day, and owners are proud of what they are offering to the public. With property being one of the largest purchases that the average person will make over a lifetime, I am usually quite surprised to hear of situations where acquisitions are made by people...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
What to do if your property is passed in at Auction
It can be a very frustrating experience to have your property passed in at auction. The lead up to and auction themselves are often emotion-charged experiences and after all of that it can be hugely anticlimactic if the property does not sell at all. Realistically, the possibility that your property may be passed in should be a consideration when you are initially choosing an agent - you need to feel confident in the agent’s ability to negotiate the best deal on your behalf...Read complete post
Relief as RBA keeps interest rates on hold
In a move that was not too surprising, the Reserve Bank of Australia decided to leave the official cash rate on hold at 4.75 per cent when it met last week. This was the third meeting in a row that the decision to keep rates steady has been made. In his statement following the announcement, the RBA Governor Glenn Stevens seemed to indicate that rates would remain at current levels for awhile yet, saying the Board judged that the mildly restrictive stance of monetary policy remained...Read complete post