Last week saw the beginning of December – who can believe how quickly the year has gone by? In real estate terms December marks the end of the spring selling season, and is also often a time where many buyers and sellers pick up the pace and work to have any relevant inspections and property transactions finalised before Christmas and the end of the year.
Now it is certainly no secret that the Australian residential property market has experienced somewhat of a downturn this year, with the heightened activity usually seen over spring not as marked this year. Although Century 21 has seen that levels of enquiries from buyers about properties are still high, prospective purchasers continue to remain understandably cautious about acting, due in part to ongoing uncertainty surrounding global financial markets and concerns about housing affordability.
Having said this however, there still remain strong opportunities in many areas of the housing market for those looking to buy a property before Christmas.
Century 21 Chairman and Owner Charles Tarbey recently said that with interest rates down and a good deal of high-quality properties spanning a number of price brackets on the market, conditions look to be fairly attractive for many of those people who are positioned to buy and would like to do so before the year is through.
While prospective buyers may have read recent reports of low auction clearance levels across the country, these need not necessarily be a deterrent from making a property purchase. In fact, the passing-in of homes at auction can often give a serious buyer increased purchasing power or even the possibility of securing a property through post-auction discussions.
"In today's market many pleasing results can be achieved with parties working together after a property has been passed in at auction to reach a mutually beneficial sales agreement," said Charles Tarbey.
Charles also said that buyers should not make the mistake of thinking that properties are not selling at all. Those dwellings that are at a good price point, promise safe rental returns and are well located don't usually stay on the market for too long.
So for those readers who are considering a property purchase, there is a good possibility that there are promising buying opportunities available in the current market for you to look at, giving you time to act before Christmas and allowing you to look forward to moving into your new property in the new year.
For more information about suitable properties available in your area, please feel free to stop by one of the hundreds of Century 21 Australia real estate offices across the country, to speak with an experienced property professional.