Category: General

It’s time to surf the summer wave of buyers

Summer is here – and it’s the perfect time to put your property on the market. Price expectations among sellers remain strong after 21 months of successive value increases.  And the environment of mortgage serviceability remains consistent despite our disappointment in the failure of the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce interest rates. If you’ve…
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Make your home the smartest in the room

Imagine a home that anticipates your needs, adjusts to your preferences, and enhances your everyday life.  From voice-activated assistants to intelligent security systems, smart technology in homes is becoming more intuitive and efficient than ever before.  Technology impresses today’s buyers. They’re putting a premium on properties that have smart-home devices installed, as well as cutting…
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Eight tips for giving your home a facelift before sale

With the summer break beckoning, many homeowners will be planning to spend some time with a paint brush to give their home a facelift. Many of them will be doing so with the intention of putting their properties on the market for the late-summer and early-autumn sales season. With interest rates still at 4.65% –…
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How DIY work can impact property value

When it comes to home maintenance, owners tend to overrate their DIY skills, producing work that either doesn’t add value to their property or damages it. If buyers recognise poor work they will often seek a discount to pay for remediation or consider another property with no such issues. These home improvement tips will help…
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Does a pool give you that sinking feeling?

Traditionally, the “Great Australian Dream” has been a home on a quarter-acre block.  Today, we’ve shifted our standards, and many buyers will gladly swap the space for the luxury of a swimming pool. However, buying a home with a pool can be a tricky business. If you’ve found an ideal property that has an aging…
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Don’t get cold feet with a winter sales campaign

The idea of selling your home in winter shouldn’t give you the chills. Many factors play to your advantage when you put your property on the market at this time of year. As an experienced agency, we know you’ll enjoy less competition from rival sellers seeking to win buyers’ attention during the winter months. Why…
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Rate cuts spark up NZ market – and there’s more to come

Property values are starting their return to normal growth patterns, according to data released by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). Average prices rose 1.5% over the three months to the end of October. This is a welcome turnaround after seeing drops of -0.6% and -0.3% in the previous two quarters to July…
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Listings and sales rise in response to rate cuts

The real estate scene is on the move thanks to falling interest rates and reduced mortgage costs. Transactions were 7.7% higher in October than for the corresponding period last year, according to the latest Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) figures. The result suggests we can put aside any doubts that homebuyers would not respond to…
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Is the property market finally making a comeback?

Optimism for a big rebound in New Zealand property prices have increased with a third successive cut in interest rates. Our Official Cash Rate (OCR) has dropped a further 0.5% to 4.25% – the third successive reduction by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. While it’s too soon to see evidence of the latest cut,…
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What are today’s homebuyers thinking?

With today’s real estate market experiencing ebbs and flows on an almost monthly basis, sellers often ask me about the profile of a typical buyer. Usually, they’re seeking information that will help them prepare their home for sale and a guide for how long it might take to strike a deal. In our neighborhood, there’s…
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