Latest Property News from Ted Hanson

Friday 27 March 2009 Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mum and blowing white fluff you can wish on. When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back. When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm, so I sit self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own. When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing. When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mummy and Daddy." When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with. I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children! Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things. Well, dear friend, I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions! 1. Market responding well: REIA The Australian property market showed definite signs of stabilising in the December quarter 2008, according to a quarterly review of major residential property markets in Australia. The Real Estate Market Facts report, released this week by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) and Mortgage Choice, shows that market response to the actions of the Reserve Bank and the Government has seen property prices around the country stabilising in the December quarter 2008, propped up by buyer activity at the lower end of the market. Read More... The Australian property market showed definite signs of stabilising in the December quarter 2008, according to a quarterly review of major residential property markets in Australia. The Real Estate Market Facts report, released this week by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) and Mortgage Choice, shows that market response to the actions of the Reserve Bank and the Government has seen property prices around the country stabilising in the December quarter 2008, propped up by buyer activity at the lower end of the market. "It is at the top end of the market, in the so-called `blue-ribbon' areas, where there is a lack of demand and property prices continue to slide", said REIA President, Noel Dyett. The Report shows that four out of eight capital cities recorded no change or an increase in median house prices over the quarter. "This is a big improvement compared to the previous quarter when only one capital city recorded an increase in median house prices", Mr Dyett said. Overall, this quarter has seen the Australian weighted average median house price decrease by 1.3 per cent to $442,038, from $447,950. This is a decrease of 6.2 per cent when compared to the December quarter 2007. The Australian weighted average median price for other dwellings decreased 0.3 per cent over the December quarter to $353,575, from $354,700 in the September quarter. This was a decrease of 3.4 per cent when compared to the December quarter 2007 when the Australian weighted average median price for other dwellings was $365,977. Finance commitments have seen considerable rises in the number and value of loans for owner occupied housing and investment housing. In the December quarter, the value of housing finance commitments for all dwellings increased by 5.9 per cent. There was a steep jump in the number of first home buyers and first home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing finance commitments. The number of loans for the purchase of new and established dwellings plus construction of dwellings also showed a substantial lift. "There is also likely to be increased activity right across Australia as the June 30 deadline on the Boost to the First Home Owners Grant approaches", Mr Dyett said. "The underlying demand for housing will support the market once economic conditions begin to settle", he concluded. Top 2. Make Earth Hour your own! What will you be doing at 8:30pm this Saturday? If you choose to join millions of others around the world and make a vote for climate change by participating in Earth Hour, there's plenty more to do than sitting around in the dark! Earth Hour is about taking simple steps everyday to collectively reduce carbon emissions - from businesses turning off lights when their offices are empty to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. Read More... What will you be doing at 8:30pm this Saturday? If you choose to join millions of others around the world and make a vote for climate change by participating in Earth Hour, there's plenty more to do than sitting around in the dark! Earth Hour is about taking simple steps everyday to collectively reduce carbon emissions - from businesses turning off lights when their offices are empty to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. But there's no reason why reducing your carbon footprint can't be fun and interesting. Here are some ways to spend Earth Hour (or any other time you choose to `make a difference'): Attend a local Earth Hour event or organise your own by throwing an Earth Hour street party with your neighbours - quite a few restaurants are hosting Earth hour specials Gather family and friends for a night picnic in your local park and look at the stars Enjoy a candlelit dinner Organise a treasure hunt in the dark Take the dog for a night walk Have a candlelit bath Sit in the dark and share stories Organise with friends or family to play board games Share a romantic night in with your loved one Take some great photos or videos from your event, then upload them to Flickr or YouTube and add them to the Earth Hour groups on each! Earth Hour Executive Director, Andy Ridley, is encouraging people to participate in whatever way they choose and to think beyond the hour. "There are no hard and fast rules surrounding participation in Earth Hour," Mr Ridley says. "We only ask that you flick that switch and have fun doing whatever you choose to do during that time. "Make Earth Hour work for you. "Families with young children should feel free to turn their lights off earlier than 8:30pm and for those having too much fun in the dark during the hour, don't feel you have to limit yourself to one hour and switch back on at 9:30pm." To find out more about Earth Hour, visit the official website www.earthhour.org, sign up and join millions of people in more than 1,400 cities and towns in 80 countries throughout the world by turning off your lights for one hour at 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March. Top 3. Housing starts come to no good end Housing starts fell heavily in the December 2008 quarter, due mainly to a drop in demand for new apartment blocks, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The statistics show that multi-unit starts dropped by 21.4 per cent to 9,230 in the final months of the year. Read More... Housing starts fell heavily in the December 2008 quarter, due mainly to a drop in demand for new apartment blocks, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The statistics show that multi-unit starts dropped by 21.4 per cent to 9,230 in the final months of the year. Detached house starts dropped by 4.4 per cent to 23,175, with the result that total housing starts fell by 9.9 per cent in the December 2008 quarter following a fall of 8.9 per cent the previous quarter. Hardest hit was Queensland, with a 25.4 per cent drop in commencements. This was followed by South Australia (showing a drop of 13 per cent) and Western Australia (down 8.8 per cent). The number of housing starts in the December 2008 quarter fell by 3 per cent in New South Wales, 5 per cent in Victoria and 0.8 per cent in the Australian Capital Territory. Starts jumped by 93 per cent in the Northern Territory and increased by 1 per cent in Tasmania. Top 4. Population booming: ABS Australia is continuing to record high population growth, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A total population growth rate of 1.8 per cent was recorded for the year ending September 2008, up from the 1.2 per cent recorded five years ago. Top 5. Aging protest-rocker still causing a stink Something else is blowing in the wind outside rock legend Bob Dylan's Malibu house. Once known for putting out the noses of establishment figures, the aging rocker is now reportedly causing a stink amongst his neighbours. The Malibu breeze that usually blows fresh air and sea salt in and around local houses has been carrying odours from the outside `portaloo' used by Dylan's staff - a smell that is said to have made a young neighbour sick. Reuters reports the Mayor has left the matter to the enforcers of the city's code on objectionable odours. Top 6. Paradise - where everyone knows your name What more could you want than an oceanfront property in the Bahamas? Perhaps having the street named after you, as well. The developers of a local property venture, Paradise Is Mine, are offering people who `have achieved success within their respective professional careers' the ability to purchase oceanfront property in a tropical paradise, and a street named in their honour. The catch? Besides having to live amongst picturesque coconut groves, crescent-shaped harbours and white sandy beaches, you also need to have been a resident there for a whole year. Life could be so hard. Top

Latest Property News from Ted Hanson

An Enriching Action A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that they can get along without it, and none is so poor, that they can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad and it is nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen - for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as no one needs a smile so much as those who have no more to give. Author Unknown 1. Home lending lifts in January Housing loans increased in January 2009 for the fourth consecutive month, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS figures show that for the month of January, total loans increased by 3.5 per cent on December last year. Read More... Housing loans increased in January 2009 for the fourth consecutive month, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS figures show that for the month of January, total loans increased by 3.5 per cent on December last year. Loans for construction rose by 2.5 per cent but loans for the purchase of new dwellings eased by 1.4 per cent following four consecutive rises. Lending for established dwellings, net of refinancing, was up by 5.6 per cent, the fifth straight rise. The number of first homebuyers as a percentage of the total value of January's housing finance commitments was 26.5 per cent, the highest proportion since the series commenced in 1991. This was up from 25.7 per cent in December and 23.6 per cent in November. Loans for the construction of dwellings (2.5 per cent) and the purchase of established dwellings (3.9 per cent) also continued to show significant improvement, though growth in investment housing-fixed loans (-3.8 per cent) and in the purchase of new dwellings (-1.4 per cent) dropped over the month. Over the three months to January 2009 the value of lending for construction of new rental dwellings dropped by 46 per cent compared to the same period through to January 2008. In seasonally adjusted terms the number of loans for existing and new dwellings by state increased by 2.4 per cent in Victoria, 5.3 per cent in Queensland, 6.4 per cent in South Australia, 4.2 per cent in Western Australia, 5.9 per cent in Tasmania and 6.3 per cent in the Northern Territory. The number of loans fell by 0.4 per cent in New South Wales and by 7 per cent in the Australian Capital Territory (to a level that was still the second highest in 18 months). Top 2. Great Australian dream within reach now The number of Australians planning to buy their first house this year has almost doubled, a survey revealed this week. The 2009 Mortgage Choice First Homebuyers' Survey found first homebuyers regard historically low interest rates and low property prices as key motivations for purchasing a first home before 2010. Read More... The number of Australians planning to buy their first house this year has almost doubled, a survey revealed this week. The 2009 Mortgage Choice First Homebuyers' Survey found first homebuyers regard historically low interest rates and low property prices as key motivations for purchasing a first home before 2010. The nationwide survey of 1,012 people planning to purchase their first home in 2009 also found that the number of those planning to make financial sacrifices in order to purchase their first home has fallen by over 22 per cent to 71 per cent, which suggests they are in a better position to buy. A surprising trend towards owning a larger space has also emerged, with over three quarters (76 per cent) of respondents looking to purchase a house as opposed to a unit/apartment or townhouse, compared to 54 per cent in 2008 (this is a 22 percentage point rise or the equivalent of a 40 per cent increase). Although 45 per cent of respondents said that the increase to the First Home Owners Grant was `too good to refuse', the main motivation to purchase property this year was historically low interest rates (65 per cent). Of the respondents, 49 per cent said that low property prices influenced their deciding to buy this year, while a further 35 per cent said rent is too expensive, making now an opportune time to purchase. Mortgage Choice Senior Corporate Affairs Manager, Kristy Sheppard said that with low interest rates and relatively stable housing prices top-of-mind for those interested in the property market, it is intriguing to see the change in attitude and inclinations of today's pro-active first homebuyer. "Australians who are about to buy their first home appear to be entering the market with more confidence than their predecessors," Ms Sheppard said. "We are living with rapidly evolving conditions, but it appears that many potential first timers are finally coming out of their shell and are determined to snap up a bargain. "Recent ABS data shows nearly 30,000 first homebuyers have purchased property from October through to December 2008, taking advantage of improved affordability conditions," she said. Other key findings of the survey include: 71% plan to buy an established home despite extra Government incentives for new dwellings 12% are planning to turn their first home into an investment property Generation X# represents the majority of first homebuyers planning to buy by 2010, at 51%. 49% decided to purchase this year because of low property prices while 45% said the First Home Owner Boost is `too good to refuse' 28% plan to contribute 20% or more deposit, and borrow the remaining. Top 3. Time to pay up It doesn't matter who you are, everyone gets bills. A German mathematician was recently sent a letter by GEZ, Germany's broadcast fee collection office, demanding he pay long-overdue television license fees - it didn't even seem to matter that the man had been dead for over 450 years. Reuters reports the current residents at the deceased's former address returned the letter with a note explaining the request had come too late, as Adam Ries, an Algebra expert, had died over four centuries ago. Nonetheless, a reminder still came in the mail a few weeks later. Top 4. What sort of spender are you? Are you a Big Spender? Do you buy on impulse? Or maybe you would describe yourself as an everyday spender - even an habitual one. In its latest report on credit card ratings, financial research services firm Canstar Cannex has attempted to narrow the choice for card holders by adopting four different credit card user profiles, covering the majority of card usage and payment patterns. Read More... Are you a Big Spender? Do you buy on impulse? Or maybe you would describe yourself as an everyday spender - even an habitual one. In its latest report on credit card ratings, financial research services firm Canstar Cannex has attempted to narrow the choice for card holders by adopting four different credit card user profiles, covering the majority of card usage and payment patterns. Habitual Spenders Do you struggle to pay off your credit card and carry over the debt from month to month? Habitual spenders routinely use their credit card and regularly spend more than they can afford. This results in them not being able to repay their balance in full at the end of the month and so they consistently revolve an outstanding balance. Your best bet is to go for a low rate card with a very low or no annual fee. If you can get a card that offers instant rewards or discounts at places you regularly use, that's even better. Don't, however, be swayed by cards offering big rewards, as these usually come with big monthly interest rates and/or large annual fees. Everyday Spenders Everyday spenders use their credit card for the majority of their spending but keep their habit in check. The everyday spender spends a fair bit more than the habitual spender does and strict budgeting ensures that the outstanding balance is fully repaid each month. If you use your card for regular purchases such as groceries and petrol and pay off your balance in full each month then you have a bit more breathing room since you don't have to worry about interest rates. Your challenge will be to find the card that provides the features you're interested in at the lowest cost. As you stick to a budget and are disciplined enough to pay in full, you can afford to check out what rewards programs are on offer. Impulse Spenders Impulse spenders use their credit card mainly for emergencies or impulse shopping (e.g. Christmas shopping or vacations). This translates to a cycle of binge spending followed by complete repayment of their outstanding balance over the following months. Since the impulse spender's outstanding balance is eliminated relatively more quickly than that of the habitual spender, rates and fees are slightly less important, but still dominate their choice of card. Features are a consideration, but because they use their card so infrequently, rewards programs are not very important. If you only use your card for emergencies and impulsive buying then spend the next few months paying off the balance, try to find a low rate card with a very low or no annual fee. Big Spenders The big spender is usually also a big earner. As the name suggests, this card user spends significantly more on credit cards than most credit card users, but then pays off the outstanding balance at the end of the month. They have access to very high credit limits and like the everyday spender are not as concerned with rates and fees. If you earn and spend a lot of money on your credit card each year and nearly always pay off your balance, you might be in the market for a card that provides features and perks that you use frequently. These may include free travel insurance, concierge service and rewards program. Top 5. First impressions count If you are selling an apartment, the communal areas are invariably the first impression a buyer will have of your property. So it can be wise to go for a walk outside and take note of what you see. Some things - such as maintaining the gardens, changing light bulbs and cleaning the stairs - may need to be brought to the attention of the owners' corporation, but as they can be notoriously slow at attending to such things, it may be worth your while to take to the lobby yourself with a mop and some glass cleaner just before prospective buyers arrive. Top 6. Playboy feels the pinch The man who has spent most of his life squeezing scantily dressed women is now experiencing a different kind of squeeze. Read More... The man who has spent most of his life squeezing scantily dressed women is now experiencing a different kind of squeeze. With his Los Angeles Mansion now on the market, notorious playboy Hugh Hefner has been affected by the credit crunch, according to a recent report in the LA Times. Originally bought for AU$10.1 million in '98, the mansion that features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three fireplaces, library and huge lawn, is now on the market for AU$42 million - not a bad turnaround in 9 years. Top