Viewing by month: August 2010
Have you considered refinancing your home loan?
Home loans can be quite interesting. They are often a topic of interest in the media and most people know of their existence even if they don’t actually have a mortgage themselves. However the finer details of what a home loan involves and how they work are often misunderstood, even to people who are mortgage holders. Did you know, for example, that even if it takes you twenty plus years to repay the amount you originally borrowed to purchase a property, you do not have to stay...Read complete post
Settle on inclusions before buying at auction
It’s a realization that can be incredibly frustrating, sometimes tarnishing the experience of moving into a fantastic new home – “But I thought they were leaving the dishwasher/shutters/built- in heater…” Many people often assume the inclusion of various fittings, fixtures and appliances in their purchase of a property. In some situations, it only comes to light upon moving in that various household items which were present upon earlier inspections have been removed and taken...Read complete post
Professional property inspections - should you have one before buying?
It is a question that we often hear from buyers who are considering the purchase of a property - should I have a professional property inspection conducted before buying? While I can’t speak for every real estate agent in the business, from my experience I can tell you that arming yourself with the knowledge from a property inspection usually puts you in a much better position. The purpose of a building inspection is to determine any issues that may exist in a property that you...Read complete post
The importance of scent to the sale of your home
It is widely recognized that your sense of smell is an incredibly powerful tool. As the only sense hardwired to our brains, smell has the power to create associations, often causing reactions to particular scents. Smell influences us to the extent that companies often use additives to enhance the smell of food products, drawing us in. So what does this have to do with buying and selling real estate? More than you would think. In the process of preparing their homes for...Read complete post
Good news for home owners as interest rates are left on hold again
For those home owners with a mortgage, or prospective buyers looking to purchase real estate soon, last week’s interest rate decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia was good news and brought some relief. After almost a month of speculation that interest rates would be increased in July, the RBA decided to keep rates steady at 4.5 per cent, making this the third consecutive month that interest rates have been kept on hold. The RBA’s decision came off the back of...Read complete post
Real Estate and The Election
It won’t be long until August 21 rolls around and all Australians will be asked to make a decision about who is to lead our country for the next three years. From the perspective of the property industry, this upcoming election holds a number of key issues, including increasing population growth, interest rate uncertainty, housing affordability and taxes. From my position as General Manager of CENTURY 21 Australia, regardless of who wins the election, I see very clearly...Read complete post