Monthly Archives: May 2011
Calling all first time investors!
The thought of investing can sometimes feel a little bit scary, its unknown to many and those who do know about investing have probably done it a couple of times.
For the first time investors out there I have found a really interesting article that should help you out when it comes to looking for your investment property.
What a fantastic month May has been in the Armidale market with our team having a record month in sales for the month of May! Winter months are despite common belief quiet busy in the real estate world with many buyers again becoming active…. The reasons for this are many however mostly a lot of buyers may have been renting for the last 6months and now that they have settled in Armidale have decided to buy something rather than renting for another 6months and beating the spring rush, the other interest comes from investors as many accountants etc will tell clients they need to invest in something for tax purposes and with Armidale’s increase in rental returns in the last 12 months and our vacancy rate at 2% this certainly makes Armidale a viable option.
Also a big congratulations needs to go to our sales team who again featured heavily in our awards night last week, I know the entire team is proud of our achievements and to continually be regarded in the top tier of professionals agents on the eastern sea board is something we strive for continually however the biggest thank you for our success and continued success needs to go to the people who engage us to represent them in their real estate needs, without all of you these awards would not be possible.
June is shaping up to be a great month for professionals with several new offices joining our group this month which will only strengthen our referral network which in turn will benefit our clients and open there property up to more prospective purchasers.
Thinking real estate think professionals!
Hello from everyone at Professionals Armidale,
When selling your home advertising is essential. One of a vendor's biggest fears is without doubt opening the paper and seeing a horrible photo and a poorly written ad. When selling you want to achieve the highest possible price and having an ad that suggests you are desperate to sell says only one thing to the buyer…….. “I certainly won’t have to pay what they're asking then”, so that nasty ad could cost you 10’s or thousands of $$$$$$.
Many vendors also want to know why we can’t say certain things in our ads about their home, for example “easy walk to town”. This is simply against the property stock and station act because an easy walk to you may not be an easy walk to someone else, that’s way it is so important to engage an agent that has a marketing person dedicated to the marketing of your home, someone that actually sits down with you and explains the process and more importantly proofs the marketing before it goes to press.
We as agents are not script writers, nor are we photographers, thus appointing the correct agent that does offer these as part of their service is so very important. As some agents lack this service they entice you to deal with them based on cut price fees and over the top asking prices. This appears great to the client however like the saying goes “you get what you pay for”, only in this case it also has the potential to cost you 10’s of thousands of $$$$.
Think Real Estate think Professionals.
I know the title of this blog may seem a little far fetched, but when you consider all factors and know what you are looking for in a home whether it is your first purchase or not, it can be a pleasant experience.
Tip 1 – Know your budget, go to the bank and see what you are aloud to borrow. This will help keep you looking at homes which are within your price range.
Tip 2 – make a list, prioritise that list into what you want and want you need.
Tip 3 – Keep your communication lines open with agents. Let them know if you’re interested in a property. Housing supply is low in some areas, so it’s a competitive market amongst buyers. If you have everything ready before you find the right house, you’ll have an advantage over those buyers that don’t have their finances and requirements in order.
Tip 4 – Plan your move, there is a lot to consider when you do move if you are renting think about how much notice you need to give before moving out.
Hopefully these tips give you some things to think about when you’re looking to buy property, and maybe give you that competitive edge over other buyers in the market. Happy house hunting!
People who are looking for rentals generally have specific requirements, meeting these requirements is what will make your rental in high demand and rent quicker.
Here is a list to consider when setting up and advertising your rental:
- Include a dishwasher where you can (especially for families)
- Adequate heating/coolingl. Have you considered upgrading these items? A cold or hot house is uncomfortable
- How old is the flooring? Just because the carpet looks clean after they have been shampooed does not mean you don't need to update it.
- How are the condition of your eaves? Have you ever been at the house when there is a downpour of rain? Are they full of leaves? General maintenance will save you in the long run.
- When was the last time the interior was painted? A rental house should be painted every 5-8 years depending on the tenants. A fresh coat of paint will make all the difference!
Hello from everyone at professionals Armidale , great news last week with interest rates on hold, all indications show that this will increase sales activity of the winter months especially with many investors looking to buy before the end of the financial year.
Without doubt professionals is the most “go-forward” real estate brand in Australia so I would encourage all those with smart phones to download our free “mobi” website this will allow you to see all our listings and rental properties from your mobile phone and keep you up to date with all the new listings, to get this exciting product for free all you need do is from your phone log onto to www.armidalerealestate.mobi and then save to your home screen, an another technological note we are very excited to be giving away an “I-pad 2” every day for the next 40 days (from June 9) all you need to do to enter into this give away is get your property appraised for either sale or rental value and we will give you an entry card or we can enter you on your behalf…this give away also allows prospective buyers to enter… all you need do is attend one of our open homes and you will be given your entry card.
A big congratulations needs to also go to the organises of this years “New England expo” a simply great event for Armidale and the entire region!!
Until next week….Think Real estate Think Professionals
So you’ve decided to give DIY a try, but to get a taste for what its like to decorate your own home why not give interior painting a go?
You can make this as easy or hard as you want, it all comes down to what you want the end result to look like. If its something like a feature wall my advice would be to make sure you have a colour theme for the room and the feature wall compliments this colour. The good thing about a feature wall is that it can be done in one weekend so its not too much of an inconvenience.
If you are looking to paint a room or an entire house check out your local hardware/ paint shop, the friendly staff there will be able to help you choose the right colour, they also sell test pots so you can pain it on to a piece of paper and see how the colour changes in different lights. Once you have chosen the one you like the most you can grab a bucket and start painting.
Has anyone had a go at painting their interiors? Let us know how you got on!
Calling all car enthusiasts!
This Sunday Armidale will be celebrating the heritage of motoring, come along to learn and see cars from all throughout history. In Curtis Park from 11am to 1pm there will be a show of specialist cars which have been supplied by the Classic and Specialist Car Clubs of Northern NSW.
The display will include motorcycles, commercial vehicles, cars and there is rumours of an original WWII Vehicle. Its said to be a busy day so my advice would be to get in quick to see what there is on offer. So come along and see what all of the fuss is about, it is a great place to take the family and enjoy a morning together you may even learn something!
So you’re looking for a new home, the best advice I could give you is to make two lists.
List one is the must haves, what do you really need to have? This may be the number of bedrooms, bathrooms heating and cooling.
List two is the not so important things but things that would still be nice to have. Things like walk in robes, more than one living room, ensuites, and outside living areas.
Then I suggest you give this list to your real estate agent. This is a great way to communicate with your agent. It shows them you have really thought about what you want. A good agent will be appreciative of your enthusiasm and dedication. It saves them time showing you a property that does not match your list.
I suggest you finally have a checklist at home that you can use to evaluate the homes you have inspected.
With ever growing energy bills there must be a way to keep costs down?
Have you thought about Solar Energy? I have been reading up on it and thought I would share some of its benefits….
1. Solar energy is renewable you wont need to worry about running out.
2. Solar energy is environmentally friendly there for reducing your carbon foot print.
3. Solar panels are extremely reliable because there are no moving parts there is little maintenance.
4. Solar cells make no noise while collecting energy.
5. Solar energy is cheaper than buying it from the power company. There is a start up cost, but then it starts paying for itself. Once you break even, everything after that is profit.
Click on this link to read more of the technical stuff – http://www.solarswitchaustralia.com.au/solar-energy-benefits.php
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