First National Nerang Real Estate

Analysis or scaremongering?

Mike — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:16:43 +0000

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, is calling for scaremongering real estate analysts to be held accountable, after predicting a ‘housing bubble burst’ or ‘affordability crisis’, amidst claims Australia has the most

Read the full article here Analysis or scaremongering?

Related blog posts:

Property Remains a Sure Bet – 2010 Mid Year Property Outlook

Mike — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:53:04 +0000

As property punters across Australia hedge their bets both ways, Mike Gray, Principal, First National Real Estate Nerang is bringing some much needed clarity, predicting property prices’ growth will slow but that the market

Read the full article here Property Remains a Sure Bet – 2010 Mid Year Property Outlook

Related blog posts:

First National Introduces Online Training Academy

Mike — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:11 +0000

National Communications Manager – Stewart Bunn

It’s all academic, or that’s what First National Real Estate is saying about its new on-line training and support system, called Academy.

The system is designed to

Read the full article here First National Introduces Online Training Academy

Related blog posts:

Old market psychology

Mike — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:04:35 +0000

Australian newspapers appear to be engaged in a bidding war as they frighten consumers with increasingly absurd claims of asset bubbles, overvalued homes and potential impending doom. There’s always someone who can’t

Read the full article here Old market psychology

Related blog posts:

July Brain Teasers

Jacinta — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:50:33 +0000

Congratulations to Rebecca Forsythe who won the June Brain Teaser competition.

Nerang First National has $100 fuel Voucher to give away for the July competition. Like always to be in with a

Read the full article here July Brain Teasers

Related blog posts:

Upgrade to Property Video Over Still Images for that WOW Factor!

glennbatten — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:35:56 +0000

When selling property on the internet first became popular most properties only had a few low resolution photos at best. These days with advances in internet speeds, data storage and digital cameras a

Read the full article here Upgrade to Property Video Over Still Images for that WOW Factor!

Related blog posts:

Home Ownership Still Within Grasp

Mike — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:19:37 +0000

Home owners and buyers are once again feeling the pinch to keep their dreams of home ownership alive as housing affordability returns to the property market agenda. But, First National Real Estate chief executive, Ray Ellis says it’s a matter of rethinking options and developing creative strategies. Impending future rate rises, along with tightening lending conditions and increasing mortgage stress concerns have started to take their toll on home buyers’ ability to own their own home. According to Mr Ellis, home buyers need to take action on an individual level to tear down the wall of housing affordability in any way they can. Recent research has found a decline in the number of home loans with a high loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 95 per cent or above. LVR refers to the amount of money borrowed for a property, compared to what the property is worth. Mr Ellis says while lending criteria has toughened in recent months, there are still lenders willing to negotiate a better deal around a number of factors such as fees or rates or the actual LVR itself. “Lending institutions need to be willing to negotiate and be a little more flexible,” Mr Ellis said. “And there are plenty of lenders out there who are willing to do just that, if home buyers are willing to shop around a little and do a bit of homework themselves. It’s up to the individual to take matters into their own hands and ask. “But they need to have the facts that support their case as well.” Some key tips for overcoming housing affordability concerns include: · Time your purchase for when there is a lull in the market, such as Winterwinter, when the market generally slows and lower demand can potentially tip the balance in favour of buyers. · Calculate what you can afford to spend, factoring in any interest rate increases, probably 2 per cent higher than current levels. Match this to your list of preferred suburbs and concentrate on properties that are genuinely within your range. · Be flexible and adjust expectations as required. You may dream of buying a home in a particular area, but consider a smaller home, or even a unit or apartment, with a view to upgrading later. Alternatively, consider an area a suburb or two removed from your where you would like to live. · Start a disciplined saving strategy immediately. Set realistic savings goals and set up an achievable budget for household expenditure. Mr Ellis also had some sage advice for home owners currently experiencing mortgage stress. “Home owners can consider extending the life of the mortgage,” Mr Ellis said. “In recent years, all the focus has been on how quickly a family can pay back the mortgage and then move another rung up the ladder

Read the full article here Home Ownership Still Within Grasp

Related blog posts:

The Higher You Go, The Lower The Price

glennbatten — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:56:24 +0000

Published in last weekend’s Gold Coast Bulletin (Page 4 of the Property Section) was this article written by Lucy Ardern about unit prices around the Gold Coast. It is not surprising to anybody that

Read the full article here The Higher You Go, The Lower The Price

Related blog posts:

Timber Homes – Rising In Value and Beautiful Too

Mike — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:48:01 +0000

Timber homes hold a strong place in the hearts of many Australians, from the traditional Victorian-era weatherboard to the ultra modern designs now appearing in many suburbs and bush land settings. And the good news for owners, according to a range of experts, is that both older and new timber homes are more popular than ever and increasing rapidly in value. “It wasn’t necessarily always the case but it’s now very clear that timber homes retain or increase in value at a similar rate to those constructed from masonry,” First National Real Estate national communications manager, Stewart Bunn, said. “Appropriate care and maintenance is obviously important, as it is for all property and this would include periodic building and pest inspections conducted by qualified, licensed inspectors.” Mr Bunn said the strong popularity was driven by an increased understanding of the special warmth created by timber, the environmental benefits delivered by timber construction, and, in many cases, the superior flexibility timber offers when it comes to additions and renovations. “Generally home buyers are far more aware of sustainability factors and many recognize that in terms of using a renewable building resource and a low greenhouse gas emission product as well as practical issues such as insulation a timber home can be sound choice,” he said. “With renovations, a timber home means stud walls can often be altered without significant expense and the lightness of timber often enables upper level additions to be created without the need for significant, expensive steels reinforcements to the lower level.” Sydney-based Neeson Murcutt Architects have won several Australian Timber Design awards for their timber–based designs and construction solutions on a range of urban and country properties. According to principal Nick Murcutt, the use of timber externally and internally can add strong textural interest to a building, with the special material quality of timber complementing a property’s surrounding landscape. “We are certainly seeing clients wanting to invest in not only a timber design and structure but in wood as a decorative veneer, allowing for the integration of doors, windows, shutters, joinery and stairs. In modern design, timber has a unique versatility and warmth that can allow for this integration and detail.” Mr Bunn said the basic value timber could add to a home was evident in the immediate return on installing quality timber flooring. “Research indicates installing quality wooden floorboards adds three per cent to the value of a house,” he said. “It’s one of the few renovations you can confidently undertake knowing you’ll get your money back if you put the house on the market tomorrow. People love the look and feel and elegance of timber flooring.” Ric Sinclair, spokesperson for the Wood. Naturally Better program, which assists professionals and consumers in understanding the environmental benefits of using wood, said timber homes are a logical choice for people driven by a strong sustainability agenda.

Read the full article here Timber Homes – Rising In Value and Beautiful Too

Upgrade to a Feature Property to Boost Exposure and Enquiries on Your Property For Sale

glennbatten — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:17:46 +0000

There are not too many people in Australia looking to purchase property for sale that would not use the Realestate.com.au property portal. Over 95% of all properties for sale at any given moment are

Read the full article here Upgrade to a Feature Property to Boost Exposure and Enquiries on Your Property For Sale

Related blog posts: