David's March 2011 - Market Comment.

2011 has proven to be a difficult period.

Sales volume is back by as much as 50%, with prices starting to press 10% under last years, represented by drops of $10,000 to $30,000. This is very significant, and depending on which side of the transaction you’re on, it could be good or bad.

For buyers, this is a real opportunity to secure some excellent property at very realistic prices. If you are selling and buying, it is an opportunity to reduce your changeover costs significantly and, potentially be fortunate to re-buy favourably - basically good either way.

The real difficulty lies with sellers forced to sell now through all sorts of circumstance such as job relocation, job insecurity, partnership split to name just a few. For many of today’s sellers the decision becomes a choice of, "do I want to lose $$$? What are the options?"

Within 5km of our David Deane office, 1200 homes are listed for sale, with around only 100 selling each month.  More precisely, 1100 don't sell. That’s 92%!

These homes are priced right across the price spectrum, so competition for buyers is fierce.

Homes that are selling are either extraordinarily well presented, neat, tidy and desirable, or, they have an obvious price advantage over the 1-200 homes they are directly competing against.

This means a very experienced agent with great marketing, communication and negotiating skills, working hard for you, is essential!

The truth is, most offices don't sell enough homes, or attract enough buyers, to make the grade, let alone be able to properly serve their client’s needs.

From the outside looking in, it certainly appears most agents are much the same. This is not the case, as you’ll discover, if you look at the sales results and the real numbers of each agency.

We as a team are working harder than ever on solutions and client focus.  We want the very best result that we can achieve by leaving no stone unturned for our clients, and especially, our sellers!

Our bright, new office is now fully operational and well worth a visit – just some minor finishing touches to go. As a result, we are attracting significantly more enquiry from buyers and tenants, and that is uplifting to us all. 

We have some friendly new staff on board to handle the load

We have a positive view of where we are and where we want to be – That is, to best serve our client base.

I personally invite you to call in and check us out.

David Deane

RENTAL PROPERTY - PEST CONTROL

Concerns about cockroaches, fleas, mosquitoes and rats increase over the summer months. But the issue of who is responsible for pest control is not clear cut.

The Act does not make a specific reference to pest control but a clause can be included in the special terms of a tenancy agreement.

Before signing an agreement with a special pest control clause, all parties should be aware of what it means and how it applies to the tenancy.

However, a landlord, property manager or provider can't specify a particular company or product be used to control pests or request a set fee for the pest control of premises.  Consideration should also be given to the standard of the property at the start of the tenancy and anything the tenant may have done to contribute to a pest problem.

Under the legislation, tenants have a responsibility to leave the premises in the same condition as it was when they moved in, with the exception of fair wear and tear, and landlords are responsible for ensuring the property is in good repair and meets any health and safety laws.

If the premises were pest free at the beginning of a tenancy and the tenant kept pets, the tenant may be responsible for pest control at the end of the tenancy.

If there is evidence that a property was pest controlled when the tenant moved in and it is included in the special terms of the agreement, then a tenant may also be responsible for pest control at the end of the agreement.

If the pests are there due to structural or environmental problems and no fault of the tenant, such as flooding, then it is generally considered the landlord's responsibility.

Some excellent advice here

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.  If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our
burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"