Viewing by month: August 2011
We love our castles - Australian homes remain the biggest globally
The great Australian dream of home ownership is constantly evolving. In previous posts on this blog we have explored the notions that both our houses and lot sizes are decreasing in size, with kitchens growing in importance and outdoor living becoming more prominent. We’ve also seen that many Australians are moving to downsize their property dreams with a large number choosing to purchase smaller dwellings such as apartments and townhouses to combat affordability issues. ...Read complete post
National Workforce Development Fund good news for property industry
The Federal Government recently announced its National Workforce Development Fund – a $558 million package that aims to develop the sectors of the Australian workforce that are deemed to have a shortage of skilled labour. And it looks as though the residential property market is set to benefit from the funding, with $25 million of the funds committed to support training in the construction industry. This should be a good step for the construction industry and in preparing the...Read complete post
CENTURY 21 Property App hits over 10,000 downloads
If the download rate of CENTURY 21 Australia’s iPhone Property App is anything to go by, it is fairly clear that Australians are embracing technology to gather information in a timely fashion when buying real estate. Since the App was launched in June, it has been downloaded over 10,000 times. These users are not restricted to Australia – it has also been downloaded in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, China, Ireland, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and France. ...Read complete post
Ensure you use a qualified property inspector when investigating a property
Carrying out a pre-purchase property inspection is one of the most important tasks in the real estate buying process. These investigations have the potential to save you from needing to make significant further outlays by ensuring you are aware of major faults in properties of interest that could prove expensive to fix. It is therefore also important for buyers to be able to have complete confidence in the inspection company hired to investigate a property, which has become...Read complete post
CSIRO to conduct study into home energy use
Given the price rises we have seen in electricity of late, many Australians will understandably be looking for ways to best reduce energy consumption at home. Although there are the obvious solutions that we are all aware of such as lessening the use of heaters/air conditioners and clothes dryers, it would certainly be of interest to find out more regarding other less obvious but equally as practical measures that can be applied to decrease energy use. To this end, the CSIRO...Read complete post
Kitchen more important to home sale than ever
It is not surprising that with the recent popularity of lifestyle and reality television cooking programs such as Master Chef, many Australians have been inspired to brush up on their culinary skills. It logically follows then that the gourmet centre of the home, the kitchen, has risen in significance as an important property feature, especially when it comes to selling. According to Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects, thanks to...Read complete post
Smartbook now available on iPhone and iPad
It’s hard to go anywhere these days without seeing somebody engrossed with the content on their Smartphone or tablet. I am thus very pleased to report that CENTURY 21’s exclusive property search technology, Smartbook, is now compatible for use with the iPhone and iPad. Launched last November, Smartbook is an online system that allows users to create an eBook, accessed by an individual URL, containing all available CENTURY 21 property listings that match their certain requirements. ...Read complete post
Rate rest continues for borrowers in August
Last week saw the Reserve Bank of Australia elect to keep the official cash rate on hold at 4.75 per cent for the eight consecutive meeting, a move which no doubt had home owners and prospective buyers sighing in relief. I am hopeful that the move will help to provide some stability for home buyers and investors in what is otherwise a time of economic uncertainty. While rates have been steady for some time now, it was quite possibly this decision that attracted the most...Read complete post
ABS releases inflation data for the June quarter
Last week saw the Australian Bureau of Statistics release its official inflation figures for the June quarter. And in the words of Tim Lawless in his RPData Research Blog, “I can’t recall a time when the quarterly CPI figure had been so eagerly anticipated.” As I’ve discussed in this blog before, the consumer price index is a key indicator that the Reserve Bank of Australia considers at its monthly meeting where interest rates are decided. And with interest rates having been on...Read complete post
CENTURY 21 launches Australian first real estate game ‘Property Mogul’
CENTURY 21 views technology as an integral part of the real estate industry. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of developing innovations that allow us to give our agents and clients easier ways of achieving their property goals. On that note, following on from the successes of Smartbook and our property iPhone app, we are excited to announce the launch of Property Mogul – a free online game that we believe is set to change the way Australians think about real estate. ...Read complete post