Friday, March 11, 2011
Fairfax Says, Don't Trust Real Estate Agents
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Investing in the Brisbane Property Market?
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Dishonest Real Estate Agents
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Bubble?
"There are fewer buyers out there. When houses are selling the best way to sell is at auction. But in a slower market, that's not the best way because you're not going to get as good a result."
"There are listings everywhere. We're in a situation now where buyers are backing away, but there are still people trying to sell. They're not going to get the prices they had hoped for, and it's going to be disappointing for them."
Christopher says that over the rest of the year, there will be an oversupply of stock in the market, which will put downward pressure on prices.
Additionally, he says property investors wanting to sell should have made their move in the first four months of the year. Now, he warns, they may have missed their chance."
See Property Market Has Cooled from SmartCompany
Friday, January 8, 2010
Google Search - Shows Less Interest in Real Estate
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Onsite or Offsite Real Estate Agent?
If you own an apartment, and wish to rent it, there is often a choice between using the onsite building manager (who will often have a real estate agent license) or an offsite real estate agent. There are positives and negatives of both. This is the view of Chris Hinds, an offsite agent, as set out in a recent mailing from him:
"In this day and age, the majority of On-site management offices can provide generic Property Management services. Inappropriately trained staff are usually placed within minimal staffed offices and a heavy reliance is placed on technology and computers to deliver the required service. The business owner is normally no-where to be seen whilst the management of your property is generally handled by unaccountable staff that do not even own an investment property themselves. Sound familiar? Common concerns that generally arise from the above are…
- The Caretaker/Building Manager condoning backpackers or short term letting.
- Poor or unsupervised tenant selection.
- Overcrowding and increased wear and tear contributed by the excess of students, back packers & short-term lets within the building
- Is the most appropriate amount of rent charged to the tenant based on rental market conditions.
- Levies and bills attended to and paid on time.
- Entry and Exit Condition reports completed and done so thoroughly.
- Caretakers/Building Managers wanting an extension could signify their desire to sell out!
- Watch out for those Hotel operators, they are well known to reduce the value of your property."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
RP Data - Rismark Index
"The falls in Brisbane property values witnessed during 2008 appear to be a thing of the past. On an annual basis dwelling values in Brisbane are still down by -3 per cent during the year with house values falling -2.9 per cent and unit values declining by -3.4 per cent. Over the first four months of 2009 Brisbane has begun to once again show positive growth. During the first four months of the year house values climbed 1.9 per cent whilst unit values fell by -0.2 per cent despite the fact Brisbane is home to mainland Australia's most affordable unit market. Rental returns for houses have softened slightly and currently sit at 4.6 per cent whilst unit rental yields continue to improve and are now recorded at 5.4 per cent."
Home values continue to recover, recording a healthy 2.8% increase over the first four months of 2009
The RP Data/Rismark Australian Home Value Index out today confirmed that housing values around Australia rose by a healthy 2.8 per cent over the first four months to April 09—virtually wiping out the price falls seen in 2008 according to RP Data National Research Director Tim Lawless.*
Unlike the Australian Bureau of Statistics House Price Index, which excludes terraces, semi-detached homes, and apartments, the RP Data/Rismark International hedonic methodology, which is reported by the Reserve Bank of Australia, includes all dwellings. In addition, RP Data benefits from the largest sample of early property sales and property attributes (such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms and land area) of any index provider in Australia.
Over the first four months to April 09, every mainland capital city apart from Perth recorded an increase in home values with the most significant gains in Darwin (+5.3 per cent), Melbourne (+4.4 per cent), and Sydney (+3.9 per cent).
According to Rismark International Managing Director Christopher Joye, “Our analysis demonstrates that home values are rising in around 80 per cent of all suburbs with only the top 20 per cent of suburbs ranked by price suffering material falls.”
The return to capital growth comes as weekly rental rates start to level. Mr Lawless said, “Rental rates across Australia have powered ahead over the last three years, providing the best gross rental yields investors have seen for a long time. We are now seeing growth rates for weekly rents start to level due to decreasing rental affordability which is causing many renters to consider buying a home instead of renting. Gross rental yields are likely to peak over the coming months suggesting that now is probably the best time for investors to roll up their sleeves and become active,” he said. In terms of housing stock, units are continuing to outperform houses where over the first four months of 2009 values increased by 3.3 per cent while house values increased by 2.7 per cent. In closing Mr Lawless said “The stronger performance of the unit market is due to a number of factors. Comparing median house and unit values nationally, the price gap between is just over $90,000, so the value proposition of a unit is very compelling. Additionally, units are generally located closer to the city and along transport spines which is very appealing to many Gen Y and Gen X buyers,” he said.
See www.rpdata.com/news/rp/20090529_media.htmland Tables
Monday, May 4, 2009
Real Estate Investment Books
- What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
- After the Fall: Opportunities and Strategies for Real Estate Investing in the Coming Decade
- The Complete Guide to Locating, Negotiating, and Buying Real Estate Foreclosures: What Smart Investors Need to Know - Explained Simply
- Short-Sale Pre-Foreclosure Investing: How to Buy "No-Equity" Properties Directly from the Bank -- at Huge Discounts