It’s always a controversial when you talk about drug addiction and homelessness. It seems that some people are OK with sweeping it under the rug, just as long as it’s not staring them in the face. Harsh start to a blog; maybe.
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I’ve heard that there’s been a proposal submitted to the
Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) for the
redevelopment of
Freeman House on Crescent Street in
Armidale. There’s always been a need to provide real
community support for
Armidale locals doing it tough, so I for one am all for the
redevelopment as long as it’s done right, and controlled properly. I want to see people who need help, get it. I want to see long term solutions, not short.
There is a meeting on the afternoon of the 9th of March at the ADC Council Chambers to which local community members are welcome to attend. It might be worth going just to find out if the development plans are really what I hope they are. Click on the website link above for further details about this development.
If ever there were a great time to visit Glen Innes, it is during the Glen Innes Minerama Fossicking and Gem Show, which attracts thousands of tourists and serious gem enthusiasts to the region each year.
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This year, diarise the 11th to the 13th of March as your weekend away in Glen Innes. With tonnes of fancy sparkling gems to uncut ‘diamonds in the rough’ so to speak, you can be assured to find something that will take your fancy. Glen Innes really is a gem of a town, excuse the pun.
Whilst I’m not really a gem fanatic like some people, I do know a great community event when I see, read or hear about it, so I do encourage people to get to Glen Innes. Oh and you might be surprised to find that you can actually fossick for your very own gems, at a very minimal cost. I’ve read that over $14,000 worth of sapphires were found last year.
Apart from that you’ll find great stalls, activities, demonstrations and entertainment that’s sure to keep the whole family occupied and in awe.
Michael has been with us here at
Professionals Armidale now since 2008. He is one of the most award winning sales experts within Professionals and was recognised as the Top New Salesperson in NSW and Australia in his first year. This year Michael was named in the top 2% of sales agents in the country and is also a part of the Top Sales Team 2010/2011 that Professionals took out late last year. As with
Emalie, I asked Michael to answer a few questions and here’s what he had to say:
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Why did you join Professionals?
I joined
Professionals in mid 2008. The main reason I was attracted to the business was the energy and passion that existed within the office. At that time I remember the economy was being affected by the early stages of the GFC, high interest rates and generally poor sentiment within the international community, however I was impressed with the confidence in the property market that Luke conveyed, even in that type of depressed market. That was the reason I joined Professionals here in Armidale.
What do you enjoy most about working for Professionals?
The one thing that stands apart from anything else is the fact that the entire office works as a complete team to get the best results for all of our clients. This is supported by the fact that the large majority of our clients have continued to support us on an ongoing basis since the office has opened. That in itself is a testament to the culture inside our office.
What is your career highlight so far?
In real estate, every day is different to the next and that makes going to work each day exciting, especially when I live and breathe property 24/7. There have been a lot of great moments in my career so far that I will cherish. The National and State awards for Professionals that I have won both as an individual and as part of our Sales Team are certainly at the top of the list. Also, to be able to sell 10 properties in the month of December 2010 was a career highlight as well. But I would have to say that finding and selling a home for a client prior to advertising it, is still the highlight for me, because this is what real estate sales is all about, linking people to property.
Well fantastic news earlier this month with interest rates again on hold and the market responding to this with February being a fantastic month – probably the best February I have ever seen as far a sales go.
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Of course with the UNE back in full swing rental demand has been extremely high and rents have seen a steady growth, proving to investors Armidale is certainly and investment “hot spot”!!! This has been reported in several recent property investor magazines and to be honest I can not see it slowing down in 2011. With every interest rate rise we will see more “tree changers” moving to Armidale, not to mention Armidale being one of the first cities to roll out the National Broadband Network; I believe this will see Armidale grow industry wise with many companies seeing Armidale as a fantastic proposition.
On another note I would like to congratulate Michael Singleton (more on Michael next week!) for being in the TOP 2% of salespeople within the Professionals on the Easter Seaboard of Australia. This is recognition of Michael’s tireless resolve to be a fantastic agent and help people move.
My last blog was about the unpredictability of Armidale’s weather, and I wanted to write about ways in which you can efficiently combat nature’s extreme hot and cold weather.
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Obviously if you’re heating or cooling your house using electrical items such as air conditioners, or gas appliances such as gas heaters, then you’re using a lot of energy that may not be necessary.
Is your home insulated properly? You should have your insulation checked every few years to make sure that it’s doing its job properly. Having the right insulation installed properly can save you a lot in heating and cooling costs, and at the same time give your home a more consistent temperature throughout the year.
If you don’t know what sort of insulation your home has, or if it has it at all, then you should give your preferred insulation expert a call. We can give you a few local business’ details if you want to give us a call.
We’ve certainly had an interesting summer this year so far that it feels like we’ve had all four seasons in only one and a half months! From ferocious storms to searing heat, we’ve been hit by just about every type of weather in Armidale, and it makes us wonder, what’s next?!
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Armidale residents have sought out cool places to take the sting out of heat waves, and rugged up and sheltered during rain and cold snaps. It’s hard to keep up with the weather forecasts, and I wonder what is in store for Armidale for the last couple of weeks of summer?
According to
weather.com.au,
Armidale is in for a bit of a wet week this week and possibly a couple of thunderstorms. Temperature wise, it’s all over the place, ranging from low 20’s to low 30’s. We could be in store for another four seasons between now and the end of summer, and I’m sure that following weeks will continue to keep us on our toes.
What do you make of the variety of weather types we’ve had in Armidale of late? Just a run of interesting weather, or is there a bigger force at work causing our unseasonal weather patterns?
Fires can occur any time of year, and fire safety is often overlooked in many households, so this is a little reminder of the fundamental fire safety rules you need to know in case you do find yourself in an emergency fire situation.
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• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Replace smoke alarm batteries annually.
• Have several escape options avoiding areas of probable fires starting (such as the kitchen).
• Keep house and car keys in an easily accessible place, hang near the door if you use a deadlock.
• Buy fire retardant products (or at least, non-flammable products) such as pyjamas and bedding.
• Unplug electrical appliances that could be potential fire starters.
• Always keep matches, candles, lighters and other fire hazards out of reach of children.
• Supervise open flame sources such as barbeques and gas stoves.
• Have heating and cooling appliances tested annually, especially if stored for long periods of time in the off-season.
• Teach children to “Stop, Drop and Roll”.
• Keep a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in your home, and ensure all household residents know where they are and how to operate them.
• Keep your gutters and escape routes clear of debris that may fuel a fire (such as dead leaves or timber furniture).
In the scheme of things, life is the most precious commodity in your home, so ensure that everyone in your home knows what to do in the case of a fire. Keep Armidale fire safe, and remember these important rules. Please add any more that you can think of to the comments section of this post.
If there’s one thing I love to hear about, it’s that organisations like the Armidale PCYC which helps hundreds of local youths each year get a break every now again, and the financial support they need to remain up to date and operational for the young people of our community.
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I was
delighted to read recently that the
Armidale PCYC will be receiving substantial financial and physical hands on support, to upgrade the facilities to include basketball court improvements, full-time child care area, café, vegetable garden, graffiti and street art gallery, youth conference room, recording studio, in-house cinema, workshops, hip hop dances and a multi media centre.
This in itself will be a huge boost to the younger people of our community and provide them with a modern facility that caters to their needs. I do look forward to seeing the works in action when Paul Harrigan, NRL personality formerly of the Knights leads a team of people in the transformation of the Club.
The working bee will be held on the 18th and 19th of March, and community members are urged to pitch in. If you’ve got time and ability, please contact the PCYC directly on 02 6772 1023.
One of the highlights of my career is being the Chairperson of the REINSW (Real Estate Institute New South Wales) for New England Region. My roles are many in this job, from consulting government on various reforms for our industry to organising training sessions and industry updates for the REINSW member real estate agencies in New England. It has its rewards, and I’ll tell you why.
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The biggest highlight of my time with the REINSW, and indeed my real estate career thus far has been the fundraising we do through the New England Novice Auctioneers Competition. This competition was held last year in Armidale and has been the first time in many years this event has been held in New England.
It was a great event, with Auctioneer Tim Richards winning and representing the New England region in the NSW state final where he did extremely well and I was proud to be there supporting him. We were able to raise much needed funds for our charity “Angel Flight” and I am looking forward to a bigger effort this year.
A special “Thank You” needs to go to Raine and Horne Armidale, Armitage and Buckley, Ray White Armidale and of course my office Professionals Armidale for making this event such a success. I urge anyone thinking of making a real estate related transaction this year, to do business with companies that support the local community.
In total there are eight member agencies of the REINSW across New England and you can rest assured that doing business with an REINSW member means that you are dealing with a professional and a community minded business.
Over the next few weeks I would like to take the opportunity to introduce our award winning professional sales team to you by sharing a little bit about them and why they’re such great people.
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Emalie Hurcum has been with Professionals Armidale since 2007 and has won awards including Marketing Executive within Professionals. I asked Emalie a few questions, and here’s what she had to say:
I joined Professionals because they were a young team with great passion and skill for the industry. When the office opened in 2007 it was a great opportunity to learn and also help establish the company within Armidale as a leading agency.
You constantly meet new people and have a great network of friends and associates. It is a very satisfying feeling knowing that you are assisting people in all different types of circumstances.
What is your career highlight so far?
I don’t know if I have one particular moment that has been better than another. Winning the Top New Sales person for NSW and MVP award for the Professionals network were both really exciting moments. However there have been times when you have helped people with their first property where no one else would help them or when people are just so happy with the work you have done that makes those moments really stand out.
Here’s a little note that Emalie received after helping this family with their real estate needs…
“A huge thank you to you and the team for everything you have done for us. Your professionalism and expertise has been greatly appreciated and knowing dad's house (which was so important to us) was in such competent hands was a huge relief and a big reassurance for us. We had peace of mind every step of the way with your team” – Jo & family
I do have to say that having Emalie in our team certainly helps make this a great working environment and atmosphere for us all at Professionals Armidale. I do look forward to introducing more of our team in coming weeks, so stay tuned!!
On a different note, don’t forget our information night on the 23rd of February where you can hear about the changes to the Residential Tenancy Act. If you are a landlord or thinking of becoming one you must attend this free event. To RSVP, please call our office on 6772 4549.
