Soft home value results over April
According to the recently released RP Data-Rismark May 2012 Home Value Index, capital city dwelling values were down -0.8 per cent in the month of April following the stability witnessed over the first quarter of 2012, leaving national home values down -0.7 per cent year to date. Property values across the combined capital cities of Australia showed renewed softness in the latter half of April with dwelling values falling by -0.8 per cent after a stable first quarter. Over the...Read complete post
Have you considered a property manager for your investment?
With reductions to interest rates, subdued value growth and an array of attractive residential real estate purchase opportunities available, current conditions are certainly looking favourable for property investors. What many investors may not understand however is that the investment process doesn’t necessarily stop once a purchase is made – a property must be effectively tenanted and maintained for your return to be maximised. For many busy investors, the most cost effective...Read complete post
Claiming depreciation deductions on your own home
In difficult economic times, many property owners with spare rooms in their homes may be able to generate additional income by renting these unneeded rooms out to tenants (where appropriate), including family members and friends. For those readers to whom this option might be of interest, I thought I would share the following piece provided by BMT Tax Depreciation. It is an excerpt of an article which appeared in the April 2012 issue of CENTURY 21’s Property Investor. ...Read complete post
Lower interest rates may spur property market
At its monthly meeting last week, the Reserve Bank of Australia elected to reduce the official cash rate by fifty basis points to 3.75 per cent. This decision was welcomed by CENTURY 21 and we expect that it will help to encourage growth in the national property market. Charles Tarbey, Chairman of CENTURY 21 Australasia, said of the decision, “Should the banks pass on the rate cut, this decision should be an...Read complete post
Maintain a garden even if you’re living in an apartment
When comparing the pros and cons of apartment living, a drawback that usually tends to arise is that apartments generally don’t allow for occupants to have a garden. While many won’t see this as an issue at all, others might be making the transition from a property with an outside area and could mourn the loss of their gardening time. Living in an apartment, however, doesn’t have to mean the end of outside space or your gardening hobby. There are a variety of housing features...Read complete post
Fire safety at home a must this winter
Fires that occur in the home can be truly tragic events. In many cases much of the heartbreak lies in the fact that the episode potentially could have been avoided altogether. As the weather gets colder and the risk of household fires escalates, I encourage all home owners and tenants to be aware of the dangers of fires in the home and to take preventative steps to protect family members, property and possessions. Charles Tarbey, Chairman and Owner of CENTURY 21 Australia,...Read complete post
A finance health check could save you thousands
The home loans market is a competitive one, with a plethora of lenders offering various incentives and low rates to encourage you to borrow from them to purchase a new home or investment property. And while property purchasers will likely dedicate a good deal of energy to ensure they have secured the best mortgage, it can then be easy to put a home loan to one side once finalised, without checking regularly to see if there are improved, more cost effective options available. ...Read complete post
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
Rate hold accompanies stabilising housing market
At its April meeting held last week the Reserve Bank of Australia elected to keep the official cash rate on hold at 4.25 per cent for the third consecutive month. From our perspective at CENTURY 21 Australia, this move will help to create ongoing stability for those Australians considering the purchase of a property. According to CENTURY 21 Chairman and Owner, Charles Tarbey: “This move suggests that the Reserve Bank of Australia is...Read complete post
Get to know your new neighbourhood before buying
There are several features about an individual property that can influence your decision to purchase it. It is for this reason that many prospective buyers will visit numerous properties, and then a property of interest on a few different occasions, before finalising their purchase decision. And while the attributes of a home are very important, so too is the area in which it is situated. After all, they don’t say ‘location, location, location,’ for nothing. The area...Read complete post