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. 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. 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. 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. 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'):
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. |
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Latest Property News from Ted Hanson
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment