colinrealestate

Not much to say here other than for every one of the past eight months, website enquiry for property in all sectors has exceeded any other corresponding month ever! What that means is that people are looking, are interested in and are researching property, but not buying.

When will they front up? There are a few old tales here: when school goes back; when the weather settles; when the interest rates drop; when …..?

The reality for all of us is that we sell and buy when we see the right opportunity for us and for each of us that occurs at a different time and following different stimulus.

So, as a vendor, be prepared, be in the market and be well presented. For a buyer, check the promoted properties in the magazines and on the web but more importantly, if you are tempted, go see the property that takes your attention…that way you’ll put it in the buy basket or turn it aside.

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At the moment there are real opportunities for buyers and vendors alike in this sector of the market.

Buyers, because there is little competition for semi-rural properties and vendors because there is in general, a dearth of good quality, well presented, well priced property on the market.

So, it’s the old adage…
until vendors and buyers come together, nothing will continue to happen

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o www.firstnational.co.nz for nation-wide property listings and Real Estate information
o www.powershop.co.nz Prices for NZ’s electricity compared. Can you save on your account?
o www.sorted.org.nz for all your finance queries
o www.interest.co.nz for the best mortgage rates from all lenders
o Looking to move to OZ?
See www.firstnational.com.au for Australia wide property listings.

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Following quiet growth in buyer activity in the latter part of 2009 the New Year has started with strong indications that buyers across the country and across all market sectors are “cherry picking” the best presented and competitively priced homes.

We are seeing similar trends, with our buyers conducting very thorough research before committing to purchase and then focusing on those homes in their chosen area and size bracket that are best presented…tidy, updated and with no repairs required.

This once again shows that prior to listing it’s always a good idea to spend time, effort and sometimes a little money on making sure your home is going to stand out from the others in its bracket.

First National works with Jennifer Manson, a Christchurch-based home staging expert, who advises on how best to present homes for sale and frankly that is often not the way we each live in the home!

And for advice on the last part of the equation and the one area most of us struggle with, talk with me about where your homes sits price wise alongside its competitors. Call now for an obligation free chat.

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If you traveled around the country over the Festive Season you might have seen some First National offices and signs that are, well, different!
That’s because, across Australia and New Zealand, we are changing the way we look! That means over 550 offices, tens of thousands of signs and well, gazillions of business cards plus all other stationery.

Look out for our smart, fresh exciting “new face” soon.

OR: Next time you pass our offices drop in and check out our new look, we’d love to see you.

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As the year starts and following increases in mortgage rates in the latter part of 2009, rates seem to have stabilised for the moment.

However, in view of the increasing cost to our banks of sourcing money offshore and higher investment expectations of Kiwis depositing money with their bank, it is likely that money is going to cost us more by the end of the year. How much more is open to debate, but certainly we can expect at least a 1-1.75% lift.

So what to do? There’s no doubt that for future-proofing household budgets, fixing some of your new loan for two or three years could be a strong move. Best to talk it over with your bank though, they will be able to advise and talk through the longer term scenario….where is the cost of money going to be in several years time?

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www.firstnational.co.nz for nation-wide property listings and Real Estate information
www.pricespy.co.nz Prices for NZ’s electronics compared
www.sorted.org.nz for all your finance queries
www.interest.co.nz for the best mortgage rates from all lenders
teuxdeux.com for a very handy and useful daily “to-do” activity list to keep on your screen.

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It’s a given that getting support from banks to purchase a home is more difficult now than it was two years ago. If we are being fair, this is probably a good thing.

However, when we have found the home of our dreams, a challenging Mortgage Manager can take the gloss off the occasion! So what to do? Well, our strong advice is that you prepare a written summary of what you are trying to accomplish.

In fact, we are seeing increasing numbers of people presenting strong, succinct papers to their banks and in almost all cases, gaining strong support. Talk about household income and the roles the earners hold at work and be sure to outline all other debts like monthly car and appliance payments, etc. Cover such areas as, details on any previous homes you’ve owned, the equity you are bringing to the proposed purchase, a brief summary of why you are looking to shift, the area selected and then details on the home, including price.

It’s always good to propose what you see as being able to be done to the proposed home to increase its value and even conjecture on how long you plan to be there.

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As 2010 gets under way it seems there are fewer vacant rental properties available and certainly better presented and larger homes are in hot demand.

First National Group’s latest quarterly property management survey has thrown up a number of trends, amongst them. First National General Manager John Stewart commented “Tenants seemed to be reacting favourably to the Government’s 2009 drive to upgrade home insulation by seeking modern or modernised homes.

Overall vacancy rates have halved since the middle of last winter, and a quarter of our offices reported occupancy rates of around 99%.

Stewart added “Higher quality homes were in demand overall, with “cheap and cheerful” rentals in excess supply. We have also Investor activity is also up notwithstanding nervousness over property tax changes.”

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I know this has nothing to do with Real Estate, but it’s still interesting!

The humble potato might be a staple of most diets, but the form you eat it in makes a HUGE difference to how many calories you are consuming. The issue is the surface area of the potato, which absorbs fat as it cooks, which increases calories. Here is the sad truth:
One potato cooked = 70 calories
Cut in half and baked = 150 calories
Cut into straight fries = 200 calories
Cut into crinkle fries = 240 calories
Cut into McDonalds style thin fries = 320 calories
Cut into potato crisps = 500 calories!
So if you want to start the year well and enjoy potatoes, eat them whole, ether baked in their jackets, boiled or mashed (but no butter)

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