Just wanted to send you an email now that the land has gone to exchange and thank you for all your help you have given us to get the property.
We have been looking for the right property for quiet a while now and we have come across many real-estate agents. Our past experience with agents has not been great, we have found that many agents conduct has deterred us from some properties. Been our first purchase we wanted to make sure that we were making the right decision, however many agents saw this as an opportunity to take advantage of us because we were new to the game.
From the very beginning you impressed us by the manner you conducted yourself in. We found you to be very helpful, upfront and honest, which has lead to a smooth transaction.
In the future if we are looking at buying or selling we know who to contact:) Keep up the good work Jason, us first home buyers need a few good agents out there that will help us not try and pull the wool over our eyes.
Lot 106 William James Dve Mt Kembla $595,000 Agent on-site Sat 17/7/10 11 till 1140 Large semi rural block of 2557sqm Set amongst quality & prestige homes North aspect with panoramic mountain views Enjoy the tranquiltyof Mount Kembla | To rent or buy… In the news this week, we weigh up both sides of the question; home lending gets a boost; and taking the comforts of home to a different plane… 1. 22 Secrets to discovering your dream and living it
One of the most important rules of happiness in life is to do what you love. But discovering that dream job and what you are meant to do in life isn't always so easy.
1.What are your hobbies? This doesn't just mean stamp collecting -- it means anything you do with your spare time. That could be collecting comic books, reading about history, programming Linux utilities, writing on your blog, writing poetry, cooking, whatever. As it's clear that this is how you like to spend your time, and that you're willing to do these things without pay, it's very possible that these are your passions. Give each of your hobbies some thought, and think about whether they're things you love to do, and that you'd love to do for a living.
2.What are your talents? It's been said that we each have at least one gift we've been given, and that the true purpose of our lives is discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world. There is much truth in that statement, and an important part of this process is discovering your gift. What are you good at? What talents do you have? What have you shown an aptitude for in your current and previous jobs, in school, in your personal life? Anything goes here.
3.Who do you like to work with? A dream job includes not only what you want to do, but who you are doing it with. You should truly enjoy working with these people. In this step, you can name specific people you love working with, or types of people (creative types, programmers, entrepreneurs, blue collar, etc.). Use your ideas here to help you envision your dream job (more on that below).
4.What do you like to work with? The tools of the job are very important. If you love working with computers (even a specific type of computer), that's a clue to your dream job. If you love working with clay, or paper, or people, or clothes, that's a clue. If you like working with a hammer, or a piano, you're off to a great start in discovering your dream.
5.What environment do you enjoy working in? An office, a college, a classroom, a construction site, the ocean, the forest? Where you work is also an important factor in your dream job.
6.When have you been happiest? Think back throughout all the previous times of your life, from childhood through adolescence, school, different jobs, different areas, different hobbies. Think about the happiest times of your life, and what you were doing, who you were doing it with, and where you were doing it. You may have dismissed some of these things for various reasons, but remembering that you were extremely happy during those times can make you realize why you were happy.
7.Try online tools. There are some great tools online for helping you find your purpose. Here are just a few :
-43 Things: A great way to see what goals others have, to list your own goals, to talk to others about common goals, to get ideas and inspiration. Also see their article, How to Choose Achievable Goals.
-Dreamminder. A site where you write down your dream, and it will send it to you at some point in the future. Use their dream wizard to discover your dream. Read the dreams of others to get inspired.
-One Question: Take a test with questions to figure out your one purpose in life. With articles to help as well.
8.List your top 5 passions. Now that you've given various factors some thought, and tried some online tools, make a short list of your top 5 passions. If you don't have 5, list as many as you have. Then compare your top 5 passions, and rank them from top to bottom. This will be the starting point your guide to making your dream a reality.
9.How can you turn your passions into your work? Of the top 2-3 passions on your short list, can any of them be turned into your life's work? What professions use those passions as a mainstay of their work? How would you get into those professions, and do you think you would love what you do if you did them?
10.Create a clear vision. Clarity of vision is the key to achieving your dream once you've discovered it. Take some time to think about exactly what your dream is, what your dream job would be, how you see yourself doing it, where you are, what you're surrounded by, who you're working with, what tools you're using, the benefits to you and others. Write it down, and try to make it as clear as possible. You should be able to visualize this dream in your head. The more real it seems in your mind, the more likely it is that it will become reality.
11.Create a roadmap. Once you've clearly pictured your destination, what's left is creating a map for getting to that destination. Try backwards planning: what's the last step you'd have to do before attaining your goal? What would the last step be before that step? Keep going backwards until you get to the first step. Then focus all your efforts on that first step.
12.Brainstorm. Sometimes there are more than one road to get to a destination. Brainstorm a bunch of ideas for getting there, a bunch of actions you can take to move yourself closer to your destination. Then put them together into your roadmap. Even if you don't have a complete roadmap, having a clearly defined destination, and taking the first step, are enough to get you started.
13.Do research. Learn as much as you can about your dream. Check out some books from the library, do some web surfing, talk to others who are knowledgeable. Become an expert on the topic.
14.How are others doing it? Find others who are living your dream. Read about them, write to them, meet with them. Find out what steps they took to get there, what's required, how they did it. Then use that information for your roadmap.
15.Practice, practice. While you're taking your steps to realizing your dream, practice your passion as much as possible. Practice, of course, makes perfect ... and you want to be as good at what you want to do as humanly possible. This isn't an easy step, but it's worth it.
16.Get inspired. Find others who are trying to achieve the same dream, see what obstacles they've face and how they've overcome them. Put up photos from magazines to inspire you. Read motivational quotes. If you're inspired, you will have the energy needed to get there.
17.Get motivated. Along those lines, find motivation to keep you on your path. Motivation and focus are the keys to achieving any goal. What are your motivations? Making a public commitment, setting up rewards, inspiring yourself, tracking your progress, and joining a support group or finding a partner are great ways to motivate yourself.
18.Simplify: one purpose. Once you've defined your dream, focus on it completely. That means you need to put any other goals on the backburner for now, and have only one purpose in your life. Later, you can focus on other goals, but if you have multiple goals, you will become distracted and lose purpose. Focus. Simplify your life so that you are keeping your focus on that one thing.
19.Use a mantra. A great way to keep yourself focused is to use Guy Kawasaki's idea of creating a mantra instead of a mission statement. Boil your goal down to a few words. Guys' mantra: empower entrepreneurs. What's yours? Once you've defined your mantra, print it out, post it up, and say it several times a day.
20.Set aside time each day. You will not go anywhere if you don't devote time to your dream. Set aside an hour (or at least 30 minutes) each day for working towards your dream. If you can do more, great, but one step at a time is all it takes. Set aside time either in the morning, or in the evening, or some time when you know you will do it every day. Make it a habit, and you will succeed.
21.Pretend you can't fail. Imagine that you cannot fail, that you may slip up and fall, but that you will get up and learn from that fall. Take away all fear of risk and loss, and believe in your success. Now act as if you cannot fail. And by acting so, you will make it happen.
22.Live as you want to be remembered. How do you want to be remembered when you die? This is a common method for deciding how to live your life. If you want to remembered for realizing your dream, then don't start on it when it's too late. Start on it now. Live your life so that your dream actually comes true.
2. Longer to find deposit  It is now taking more than four years for first home buyers to save for a house deposit, according to a new report.
The second annual Bankwest "First Time Home Buyer Report" shows that housing affordability has continued to worsen over the past year, with first home buyers needing 4.5 years to save for a house deposit, up from 3.7 years. It is now taking more than four years for first home buyers to save for a house deposit, according to a new report. The second annual Bankwest "First Time Home Buyer Report" shows that housing affordability has continued to worsen over the past year, with first home buyers needing 4.5 years to save for a
house deposit, up from 3.7 years. The report also found thousands of young Australians have been forced to rent or live at home with their parents for an extra ten months as they pull together a house deposit. The research shows a first time buyer couple needs to raise an $85,800 deposit to purchase the median house, and $76,900 to buy a median unit. There are 26 Local Government Areas (LGAs) - in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth - where it would take a first home buyer couple on average earnings more than a decade to save a house deposit. Bankwest Retail Chief Executive, Vittoria Shortt said this was the stark reality of a strong Australian property sector. "Increasingly we are seeing an entrenched two-speed market emerging with property owners on one side and a growing army of first home buyers seemingly locked out on the other," Ms Shortt said. She added that first time buyers now need on average four-and-a-half-years to save a conservative 20 per cent house deposit. This drops to four years for first time unit buyers. 3. Booster shot for housing finance The number of loans taken out by homeowners and investors to buy homes rose in May, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Loans for the purchase of new dwellings grew by 4.7 per cent in May; however, the number of loans for construction fell by 2.2 per cent. Overall, loans for new housing dropped by 0.2 per cent to be 20 per cent lower than six months ago. The number of loans taken out by homeowners and investors to buy homes rose in May, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Loans for the purchase of new dwellings grew by 4.7 per cent in May; however, the number of loans for construction fell by 2.2 per cent. Overall, loans for new housing dropped by 0.2 per cent to be 20 per cent lower than six months ago. Over the 3 months to May 2010 total number of housing loans dropped by 26.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2009. Loans for first home buyers were down by 56 per cent, while trade-up buyer loans fell by 10 per cent. The Housing Industry Association (HIA) estimates that the underlying demand for housing in 2010 is currently 190,000 dwellings per year. HIA Chief Executive - Association, Graham Wolfe, warned this week, however, that housing starts in 2010 are forecast to total only 165,940. In seasonally adjusted terms, the total number of owner-occupier loans in May 2010 increased 2.3 per cent in New South Wales, 0.4 per cent in Victoria, 3.8 per cent in Queensland, 1.9 per cent in South Australia, 0.3 per cent in Tasmania, and 7.7 per cent in the Northern Territory. Total owner-occupier loans fell by 3.8 per cent in Western Australia and by 2.4 per cent in the ACT. 4. Put herbs to work in your garden  Growing herbs makes sense in so many ways. They smell good, taste (possibly) even better, are incredibly easy to grow, and although a herb garden may be a relatively small landscaping addition, studies have shown that well maintained and landscaped gardens can increase your home's value considerably.
Herbs can be grown in gardens, pots, tubs, in full shade or sun so are easy plants for any conditions. It is simply a matter of choosing the right ones for your situation and needs.
Many, such as rosemary, lavender, thyme, lemon grass and wormwood, require very little water. Growing herbs makes sense in so many ways. They smell good, taste (possibly) even better, are incredibly easy to grow, and although a herb garden may be a relatively small landscaping addition, studies have shown that well maintained and landscaped gardens can increase your home's value considerably. Herbs can be grown in gardens, pots, tubs, in full shade or sun so are easy plants for any conditions. It is simply a matter of choosing the right ones for your situation and needs. Many, such as rosemary, lavender, thyme, lemon grass and wormwood, require very little water. In fact, they not only thrive in dry conditions but are more effective and stronger when their essential oils are not diluted by over-watering. Lemon grass is a fragrant alternative to other decorative grasses which have become popular with landscapers in the past few years. It grows in clumps so will not spread too far, but is easy to propagate and just needs regular clipping to flourish (pop the clippings into a pot of hot water for a refreshing tea). Unlike many other plants, the foliage of herbs is always fragrant. Who can walk past a row of lavender bushes along a path without touching them to release the perfume? Other herbs that can be grown as aromatic shrubs or small trees include the ever-popular rosemary or the pungent lemon verbena, both of which can be used in teas and cooking. For visual contrast in the garden, try planting a few silver-leaved wormwood or southernwood bushes. These plants are drought-resistant and require very little attention, except for regular pruning to make them flourish. When it is time to trim them, dry the leaves well and place them (with some of your lavender) in bags in drawers or cupboards to keep away moths. If you want to grow herbs for cooking, eating or drinking, there are a few easy essentials, such as mint, parsley, basil, chives and thyme. These will grow happily in the garden or pots on a balcony - the main thing is to have them in easy reach of the kitchen. Some, such as parsley or the mint family, prefer shade and lots of water, while others thrive in hot, dry conditions. It is best to experiment - the plants will soon let you know if they are not happy where you've put them. Other culinary herbs such as coriander are notoriously difficult to grow consistently and tend to `go to seed' quickly. To grow these successfully, try putting them in a place where they can drop their seeds and grow again - after a while you will find you have a constant supply. Many nurseries now stock perennial strains of the more popular annuals like basil and coriander. They tend to be hardier, woody shrubs but will grow all year round as long as the flowers are cut back when they appear. For those more serious gardeners amongst us, herbs are often used as `companion' plants, as their essential oils repel insects and encourage growth in certain plants. Basil grown amongst tomatoes makes them healthy and increases yield; pyrethrum, garlic and chives defend roses from aphids; marigolds are said to kill root nematodes in the soil. Fennel, pennyroyal and chamomile can all be used to deter flies, mosquitoes and ants.
Whether you just have a few culinary herbs near the kitchen window, some shrubs near the front door for perfume, or decide to cultivate a traditional herb garden, you'll find they are relatively low maintenance. Most require little more than to be used constantly, as they will all flourish when cut back. Remember when you cut them back, that most of your herbs can be dried for use in fragrant sachets, teas, or as seasonings year round. Hang them up or place them on paper in a warm dry room out of the sun and wind until they are brittle and completely dry. Then put them into bags to hang in your closets, or store them in airtight jars until you are ready to use them in the kitchen. 5. Is it time to leave the rental roundabout? Rising rents and lack of available rental properties is a cause of concern for many Australians. Could buying a home instead provide a solution? It may not be as difficult as it seems. Buying your own home requires careful thought and planning, covering a wide range of aspects including what, where, how and how much? When considering the option of buying versus renting, there are a lot of issues to take into account. Rising rents and lack of available rental properties is a cause of concern for many Australians. Could buying a home instead provide a solution? It may not be as difficult as it seems. Buying your own home requires careful thought and planning, covering a wide range of aspects including what, where, how and how much? When considering the option of buying versus renting, there are a lot of issues to take into account. Mortgage broker Mortgage Choice discusses the rent-versus-buy equation. Company spokesperson Kristy Sheppard says that, with housing affordability concerns rising, it is no surprise many renters turn their back on home ownership. "However, those who are determined to achieve their goal and know they need to be dedicated to the cause over a period of time often find it is attainable", she adds. "Owning a home is not, and was never, a matter of instant gratification. It's a serious commitment. "Tenants who are keen to escape the rental roundabout need to contemplate their future wants and resist temptation to live only in `the now'. With the housing undersupply issue looking to continue while population growth and rents rise, rental vacancy rates fall and housing prices trend upwards, some may find that now is a good time to set a property purchase plan in action. "The median asking rent in the March quarter for a residential dwelling other than a house - such as flats, units, town houses, etc. - in Canberra, Australia's most expensive capital city was $445 per week or $1,928 a month*. For Sydney it was $1,777 per month and for Darwin it was $1,681. Brisbane and Perth stood at $1,517, while Melbourne was at $1,473 and Hobart was at $1,170. The average Adelaide `other dwelling' rented for $1,127 per month. "In comparison, a 30-year $300,000 home loan at 7% is $1,996 per month in repayments. "Of course, ownership costs such as land tax/strata fees, council rates, maintenance and water consumption need to be taken into consideration, but the similarity in cost between monthly rent and loan repayments within some areas is encouraging for potential buyers. "Today, lenders have much tighter home loan approval assessment criteria but there is still a broad range of options available. For example, more buyers are taking up family equity loans. These allow a borrower to retain sole ownership while having the financial assistance of a family member acting as a loan guarantor by offering their property as security. "The trend of purchasing property with another via co-ownership is another option that helps borrowers enter the market sooner than expected. "A reputable mortgage broker can help would-be buyers explore a wide variety of lenders and loan options and give guidance on the entire process of becoming a mortgage holder. "If the thought of paying your own mortgage instead of your landlord's is appealing, then save hard, get professional assistance, make the commitment and stick to it!" *REIA Market Facts Report March quarter 2010 6. What's buried out back  You may laugh at the thought of a friend or family member heading out into the backyard with a metal detector, but you never know what treasures may be lying around.
After traipsing through a field with a metal detector, a UK man has found a stash of over 52,000 Roman coins in a field, the BBC reported recently. When the detector made an irregular noise, the man dug 35cm into the earth to find one tiny bronze coin, leading to a further discovery of more than 52,000 - one of the biggest coin finds in Britain. 7. On a different plane, entirely It's not often you get a good night's sleep on a plane, but Jumbo Stay has big plans to change that with a decommissioned Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet, a grassy hill near Sweden's Stockholm airport, and 25 comfortable rooms. The recycled hulk now offers accommodation for one to three adults in each quarter, with a dormitory option available for backpackers and traveling groups, all with separate shower and toilet facilities. There's also a luxury suite where the cockpit used to be, offering panoramic views of the airport. |
No comments:
Post a Comment