Mike Gray from First National Real Estate Nerang says the local property market is showing lots of potential for 2012, with signs already that a slow recovery is underway.

“In the last six months, the market has been falling, but this is expected to steady as 2012 begins as a result of increased stamp duty, lower consumer confidence in both the job front, national economic management and the continuing impact of global economies,” Mr Gray said in the First National 2012 Property Market Outlook released this week.

“The key challenge facing the region’s property market in 2012 will be maintaining a sense of optimism that values will hold and gradually return to a positive growth within the next 12 months.

“Interest rate drops will also prove a significant factor affecting the Nerang property market, along with the commencement of Commonwealth Games infrastructure projects, announcement of the Coomera City Centre project and the possibility of another rate cut.

“Job creation projects will help boost demand for accommodation and home ownership in the Nerang region.”

According to the Outlook, residential property prices in Nerang are expected to flatten in 2012 across all sectors of houses, apartment/strata and land with movements kept to below 1 per cent.

“A bottoming market and low consumer confidence may stifle activity, keeping prices stagnant in the short term,” Mr Gray said.

The rental market should see vacancy rates trend downwards in 2012, tightening by between 1 and 5 per cent due to inactive investors failing to add extra supply to the rental market and hesitant potential home buyers failing to free up rental supplies.

Weekly rent prices are expected to trend upwards, with increases of between of 1 and 5 per cent due to lower supply versus higher demand increasing competition for rentals.

Mr Gray expects investor activity in the Nerang region to increase by between 1 and 5 per cent due to low property prices and rising rents equating to stronger returns and yields on investment.

“But it is Upgraders I expect to represent the strongest growth in activity in the region with high end values suffering greater falls in value than the middle to low end properties, making it the most affordable time in years to upgrade,” Mr Gray said.

The Queensland government decision to double stamp duty through eliminating the Principal place of residence concession was a further suppressing blow to an already depressed property market.

“In that regard, should there be a change of government at the upcoming state election, their promise to re-instate the concession will be a substantial boost to affordability which in turn should stimulate buyer activity,” Mr Gray said.

“The announcement of the Commonwealth Games has also given Gold Coasters a renewed sense of optimism for the coming years.  Associated infrastructure and the much needed boost to tourism is an essential shot in the arm for the region.”

Interest rates are expected to decrease by around 0.5 per cent, combined with lower property values and increased affordability, should serve to stimulate buyer activity.

There has been some increases in default mortgages for the Nerang region and this trend may continue for the first half of 2012 as a result of the recessed local economy creating a fragile employment market and high unemployment levels.  This will mostly affect buyers that purchased at the peak of the boom some three years ago.

The introduction of the carbon tax is also expected to impact on the property market, further reducing consumer confidence.

Steve Tillston’s wife, Kathrina, receiving their voucher from First National Nerang sales associate, Shawn Barber

First National Nerang today announced that local resident, Stephen Tillston had won a prize in First National’s Queensland wide ‘Pimp Your Property Home Renovation Giveaway’ competition.

‘The prize sees Stephen pocket $500 in Bunnings Hardware vouchers to use to improve his home, or whatever he chooses’ said Mike Gray, First National Nerang principal.

Mr Tillston was very excited to receive a call from First National Nerang last week, inviting him to a presentation of the prize. At first, however, he thought that the call was a joke.

‘We bought our home through First National and we’ve been doing quite a lot of renovations and this will help to buy lots of extras needed to finish off existing projects” said Mr Tillston.

As registrations for the ‘Pimp Your Property Home Renovation Giveaway’ competition began pouring in from all over Queensland, Mr Gray’s hoped that one of his local residents would win the major $10,000 competition or at least one of the ten $500 draws.

‘When our administration contacted me on the 9^th January to tell me our client had won the last of the ten minor draws, I couldn’t wait to make the call to let Mr Tillston know’ said Mr Gray.

The competition closed in Late December and the names of all ten minor prize winners and the major $10,000 winner will be announced in the next month’s edition of the Property Book.

“Holidays are great times for criminals to get to work if they believe a home is empty.  It’s also a time when vacationers ponder their existence as they sit back and enjoy the relaxing lifestyle on offer in popular holiday spots,” Mike said.

“No one likes returning from their holiday to find dead plants, over stuffed mail boxes, or even worse, stolen or broken treasures from a burglary.

“But they do like to think about ways of making the holiday euphoria last longer than the few weeks away.”

Mike said with some careful planning and forward thinking, home owners can find they peace of mind they seek whether they are leaving for vacation or looking for ways to extend it.

“Anyone considering heading off for a well-deserved rest should start now to put some simple, cost effective measures in place for while they are away,” Mike said.

“Unattended homes and cars act as green lights for burglars, which is why it’s important to take as many precautions as you can to ensure you don’t return from your holiday to find you’re a victim of crime.

“Turning on security lights or alarm systems is a great place to start, but the best thing you can do is ask the assistance of a trusted friend, neighbour or family member to collect the mail each day, put out bins at collection times, park a car in the driveway or adjust curtains and blinds.

“This helps give an impression of someone still being at home and deters unfriendly and unwelcome visitors.”

According to Mike, a common trend for people on vacation is to fall in love with the holiday spot and look at purchasing in the area to either move into, or retire to, at some later stage in their lives.

“It is easy to get carried away with the relaxing lifestyle of a holiday home and many people want to either relive this time away, or adopt it as a new way of life,” Mike said.

“But, purchasing a holiday home should only be done after careful planning and consideration of all the factors, beyond the pleasant experience.

“A holiday home purchase comes with some financial considerations such as use or purpose of the home when the owner is not there. These matters have potential long-term impacts and tax implications.”

Holiday homes can attract capital gains tax on the difference between the purchase price and the later sale price, should the decision to sell ever arise.

“However, many holiday home owners neglect to expand their purchase cost base by adding the expenses involved with holding the property, including council rates and water bills, major extensions or repairs, strata levies, garden maintenance and interest on mortgage repayments,” Mike said.

“This can reduce the taxable component of the sale by many thousands of dollars, which is why it is important to ensure you keep all receipts for any expenditure on the house, including legal fees, stamp duty and any other costs relating to the purchase.”

Mike advises when looking to purchase a holiday home, to approach it in the same way you would any property investment and make sure it is in the right location.

“A holiday home may also double as an investment property, given it is vacant for most of the year,” Mike said.

“So it is important to ensure it is close to transport or employment opportunities, especially if it is in regional areas, otherwise it will be less desirable as an accommodation option for renters.”

There is a lot more holiday property advice says Mike and the First National Nerang team can offer help by contacting 07 5596 0055.

The Animal Welfare League of Qld takes care of approximately 10,000 strayed and abandoned animals a year throughout South East Queensland. The AWL receives no state or federal government funding, relying predominantly on the community for support.

This month we have two beautiful pets who are looking for new homes. We think they are too cute and would love to see them adopted!

Mimi is a 12 month young Cattle x Aussie Kelpie.  Her nature is very friendly, calm and highly sociable.  She loves to meet other dogs and after sniffing around at all the interesting scents, walks very nicely next to you. Mimi would be a wonderful family companion or second dog.  She is calm whilst in the car and can ‘sit’ and ‘drop’ on command, with or without treats.  Mimi has one daily request please: tummy rubs!!!

Mimi is $240 and is already desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and flea-treated.

If you would like to meet Mimi you will need to contact the AWLQ Gold Coast Centre on:
07 5509 9000 or visit our website: www.awlqld.com.au for more information.

Stunning, sooky and special sums up Scribbles .  A gentle soul, he is hard to part with and a real find for his lucky new owner! Possibly mistreated in the past, he is very timid initially, but does not hold a grudge. He is the most affectionate boy once he musters up the courage to come out from under the bed!  Coax him out and he becomes an instant teddy bear with a mission to snuggle in to you as close as possible!  His confidence grows beautifully as he becomes more familiar with his surroundings and people.  He is just 4 years old.

Scribbles is $100 and is already desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and flea-treated.

If you would like to meet Scribbles you will need to contact AWLQ Gold Coast Centre on:
07 5509 9000 or visit our website: www.awlqld.com.au for more information.

The Animal Welfare League of Qld takes care of approximately 10,000 strayed and abandoned animals a year throughout South East Queensland. The AWL receives no state or federal government funding, relying predominantly on the community for support.

This month we have two beautiful pets who are looking for new homes. We think they are too cute and would love to see them adopted!

Beetle is a favourite at the AWLQ, having been one of our resident housecats for most of his life. With his best friend Elvis now in a home of his own, it is time for Beetle to find just the right family to spend the rest of his life with. Beetle is a long, lanky, handsome boy with impeccable manners and a very friendly and loving nature. He adores company but won’t be too pushy for attention and, although he’s not comfortable with strangers in his home, once he knows you he’ll love you for life. Although he is a little slower than other cats, and a little clumsier, he learns quickly and is extremely playful. Beetle needs a quiet home (just one human friend would be great but two would be ok too) and due to his limitations he definitely needs to be an inside cat only for the rest of his life. He takes a little while to adjust to new situations so this move needs to be his last. For further information on this beautiful boy please call
07 5509 9000 and ask to speak to Di or Michelle.

Beetle is FREE to the right home and is already desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and also comes with free new owner support from our education department.

Jenny is ideal for someone looking for the attributes of a medium sized dog in a compact body – she’s an Australian Kelpie crossed with Staffordshire Bull Terrier and she’s full of life and love! 3 year old Jenny needs good fencing and the activity these working breeds thrive on.  She’s great on the lead and very sociable with other dogs and she’s waiting to meet you at Stapylton AWLQ!

Jenny is $190 and is already desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, flea-treated and also comes with free new owner support from our education department.

Congratulations to Garry who won the last Brain Teaser competition.

First National Nerang has a $100 Pre Paid Visa to give away for the November competition. Like always to be in with a chance you must be a Gold Coast resident and answer the following three Brain Teasers correctly.

For every correct answer you will have one chance in the draw.

We will draw the Voucher on Monday the 15th of November, 2011

Brainteaser 1

I have teeth,
but cannot eat.
Will you tell me who I am?

Brainteaser 2

When I’m gone,
I never come back,
I can go slow,
Or fast

What am I?

Brainteaser 3

When you open the front door, you are in the back.
Where are you?

GOOD LUCK!

Brain Teasers

There’s never been a better time in years to buy investment property than NOW!!

If you’d like to know everything about getting starting or growing a Property Investment Portfolio, then this 1 hour FREE Information Seminar will answer all your questions.

Chartered accountant Owen Yong-Gee from Yong-Gee and associates, Solicitor Eric Payne from WP Lawyers and Investment Finance specialists will cover topic such as:

• Tax benefits and concessions
• Using superannuation to quire investments
• How to buy without needing cash savings
• How to keep growing a Investment portfolio through leverage
• Wealth creation strategies
• Risks and pitfalls to avoid?
• Legal compliance and processes
• What type of property to own – new, established, unit, house?
• Finance – interest only or principal and interest

There’s absolutely NO SELLING and no obligation. This initiative is a complimentary information service for the local community hosted by First National Nerang
This is the first a series of small personalised sessions limited to just 12 seats.

Seats will fill fast, so register now!

When: 9^th November, 5.15pm

Where: First National Nerang, Earle Plaza – Corner Price & White Sts, Nerang

How Much: Complimentary!

Congratulations to Monkia who won the last Brain Teaser competition.

First National Nerang has a $100 Pre Paid Visa to give away for the October competition. Like always to be in with a chance you must be a Gold Coast resident and answer the following three Brain Teasers correctly.

For every correct answer you will have one chance in the draw.

We will draw the Voucher on Monday the 17th of October, 2011

Brainteaser 1

What can you catch but not throw? A cold

Brainteaser 2

I can be cracked, I can be made.
I can be told, I can be played.
What am I? A joke

Brainteaser 3

I am where the sky is orange;
I am where the grass is red;
I am the land of violet bananas
and the home to blue oranges.

What am I?  A film negative

GOOD LUCK!

Brain Teasers

**** UPDATE****

The brand new $30 million dollar Masters Home Improvement store in Nerang is one of the first of 150 Masters stores in the country and 34 planned for Queensland.
Masters Home Improvement is  operated by a joint venture between Australian Retailer Woolworths Limited and U.S. Based hardware chain, Lowe’s. The Nerang Masters store is located just a few hundred metres from it’s arch rival Bunnings which is owned by the Wesfarmers group.

Construction on the brand new 14,000 m2 Masters Nerang store has been completed and Masters local staff are preparing for the store opening in mid to late October 2011.

The store features a Trade Area, Large Retail Area, Nursery Area, McDonalds and Administrative Offices on the second level.

As the Nerang Masters stores readies for its opening Australia’s first  Masters store in Braybrook, Victoria, opened just two weeks ago to the public.

The new Masters Nerang store differentiates itself from Bunnings in a few different ways:

• Staff will be trained for at least 100 hours
• Stores will offer over 35,000 products.
• Stores which are more brightly lit, more colourful with polished concrete, large colour signage and store displays
• Stores aim to place more emphases on attracting female shoppers
• Buzzers scattered around the store which when pressed, will send a nearby staff member to that location to help out a customer’
• Stores will sell more ‘non hardware’ lines such as whitegoods
• Stores will feature a McDonald’s restaurants.

Here  are some of the best ways to find the best real estate agent in your area to sell your property”

For Sale Signs

The amount of for sale signs in your immediate area that any particular agent is no guarantee of a successful agent at all.  In fact in the current market conditions there are plenty of agents not making any sales at all in any given month.  Consider that every property offered for sale with an agent that does not sell is actually a failed marketing campaign.  In short, you should not care at all if an agent has more “for sale” signs in your immediate area as there are better indicators of the best real estate agent.

Good Agents Educate You on the Market and Don’t Beg For Listings

Many agents will stuff your mailboxes with flyers, recipe cards, calendars or business cards all begging for your business.  The best real estate agent in your area will keep you up to date with real estate market including relevant news, property for sale and recent sales but they wont constantly beg for your  listing.  They get listings because of their success rather than dropping a flyer in your letterbox every week.

You Want an Agent that Sells Houses

You only need to be interested in what they sell so when you need to start paying particular attention to the sold signs. A sold sign is the best proof you need in a real estate agent and many successful sales over recent months and years is exactly what you are looking for .

Check Out Their Trophy Cabinet

Success leaves clues and often that translates into stocked trophy cabinet of awards.   When you are comparing two or more agents there are a few simple rules to remember

• Industry awards are across all real estate groups and franchises and are much more superior than an award from just one real estate group.
• Real Estate Awards for a real estate group are better from larger groups with hundreds of members than smaller groups.
• National Awards are better than state awards which are better than regional or city awards.
• Agency awards are better than awards for just one salesperson.
• An award that covers a whole year is better than one that covers a quarter which is again better than an award for a single month.
• Recent Awards are more relevent that old awards that may no longer be indicative.

Checkout their Website and Online Presence

A great agent will have a great website, one that provides more than just property for sale and property for rent. You could hardly expect an agent that has a stock standard template website provided by their franchise group to go that extra mile for you if they havent bothered to invest in their own website.

With online e-marketing playing an enormous role you can expect the  best real estate agent in your area to be maintaining a blog, an e-newsletter and to have a presence on Twitter and Facebook.

Quality Assurance

Many agents have documented policies and procedures but very few take it further and get those policies audited and approved to International ISO 9001 standards.

Visit Their Office

 To really get a feel for the office sometimes the only way is to visit the office. Interviewing agents in your home can only ever give you part of the picture.  An office visit can highlight vast differences in the location, size and professionalism of an office that is not so apparent in your lounge room.