Top 10 buyers' questions Answers to property buyers' top 10 questions covering issues such as settlement, the contract, title searches, conveyancing and more...
23 February 2010
1 - Do I have to pay GST on my home purchase? The purchase of an already established home does not attract GST. However, this is not as simple as it appears, so be careful – services by professionals do attract GST. Check with your professional adviser about GST before you sign the contract. 2 - Do I have to go to the settlement myself? No. You can have a representative at settl... read news item »
It takes 52 home inspections to find the right one
21 January 2010
OBSESSIVE house hunting is taking over buyers' lives as they inspect 52 homes - six times as many as their parents' generation - before finally making a decision. Property experts said home buyers were often wasting too much time looking online for properties, often overwhelmed by choice. Two decades ago a buyer took three to six weeks and viewed eight to 20 properties before ... read news item »
Jobless rate drops to 5.5%
14 January 2010
Australia's jobless rate fell last month as the labour market gathered strength, building the case for further interest rate rises. The unemployment rate eased to 5.5 per cent in December from a revised 5.6 per cent rate in November, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Analysts had expected the jobless rate to rise to 5.8 per cent for the month. The economy added 35... read news item »
Christmas Office Hours
19 December 2009
Our office will be closed during the Christmas and New Year festivities. Closed from: Friday - 8th January 2010 Reopen on: Monday - 11 January 2010 (Note: closed Saturday 9 Jan) &nbs... read news item »
House prices to rise further but they're worth it, says RBA
26 November 2009
WORRIED that $607,000 is too much to pay for a Sydney house? The Reserve Bank isn't and it expects prices to climb even higher. In a speech that amounted to a defence of Australia's historically high house prices the Reserve Bank deputy governor, Ric Battellino, told a housing conference yesterday to expect worse and to recognise home buyers were getting value for money. Prices would climb ... read news item »
Rental vacancies in Sydney remain scarce
17 November 2009
Finding a rental property in Sydney remains difficult with 1.3 per cent of property available. RENTAL property vacancies remain tight in Sydney with demand still far exceeding supply and maintaining high prices, according to the NSW Real Estate Institute. "In Sydney last month the available rental vacancy rate remained at 1.3%, which means the market remains very tight," said R... read news item »
Growth in home values flat in month of September; Quarterly result lowest in 2009
30 October 2009
RP Data – Rismark Home Value Index Release Australia’s housing recovery moved sideways in the month of September with national home values flat after quarterly capital gains peaked in the March quarter The RP Data-Rismark National Home Value Index results are based on the nation’s largest property database (rpdata.com), and includes nearly 200,000 sales in the ... read news item »
RBA lifts rates
06 October 2009
The Reserve Bank has raised its key interest rate, making Australia the first developed nation to reverse the cycle of cuts triggered by the global financial crisis. Today's 25-basis-point rise pushes the central bank's cash rate to 3.25 per cent and will add $40 to the average monthly payment for a typical $300,000 mortgage if passed on by commercial banks. The extra cost may stretch househol... read news item »
Renovators, investors drive property market
11 September 2009
THEY are the invaders from another property boom. First, there were the first home buyers, flush with government incentives driving NSW's property market recovery. Now, it's investors and home upgraders, who economists have christened "inv-aders", who are expected to drive the 2010 housing cycle. In its September Building Industry Prospects, BIS Shrapnel forecast... read news item »
Exclusive Spring Marketing Campaign
07 September 2009
We would like to present our Complimentary Exclusive Spring Marketing Offer for the first ten properties listed with us before the end of September. The offer includes a professional photo shoot and marketing services; 4 x digitally enhanced stills PLUS 1 x 360 virtual tour PLUS 1 x interactive floor plan PLUS professional marketing copy PLUS ... read news item »