Monthly Archives: July 2011
This week many of Armidale’s residents have been celebrating the massive achievement by Cadel Evans, who just took out the winning title in the Tour de France, making him the first Australian to ever come first place in the famous French tournament.
Cadel Evans grew up in Armidale and it is even believed that Cadel credits our region as the inspiration for his sport.
I think it’s safe to say that everybody in the community is extremely proud of Cadel’s win and the Armidale Dumaresq Council have invited Cadel to attend a civic reception in his honour, when he next returns to Australia and his home town.
It’s extremely inspiring to see such great achievements coming from someone from our region and it goes to show that great things can happen from those who grow up in Armidale.
Congratulations to Cadel from everyone at Professionals Armidale, and we hope to see you back in your home town someday very soon.
When selling properties, it is often always for the same reason that a property doesn’t sell quickly. These reasons, which I’m about to list, can help to make or break a sale and should always be remembered to help make your home selling experience a little bit easier.
So let’s start:
1. Pricing – If you list too high or too low a price to what your property is realistically valued then you could be missing out on a lot of potential buyers. If your home is listed too low, people will be wondering what is wrong with it, and if it’s listed too high then homebuyers will simply go and find a property just like yours – only cheaper.
If you do want to hold out for more money though you will have to weigh up whether it will be worth spending more for marketing or perhaps some slight alterations, or whether you should hold out on selling until the market improves.
2. Presentation – Unless you’re selling your property as a doer-upper then most of your potential buyers will want somewhere they can just move into without any work involved. If a seller sees a house with cracked walls, an unkempt garden or stained carpets they won’t be too impressed.
Make sure that you present your home well – this means keeping the inside and outside clean and tidy and doing any repair or maintenance jobs around the property.
3. Timing – The property market is constantly changing, sometimes it’s a buyer’s market and sometimes it’s a seller’s. While there isn’t a lot you can do to change that, if you want to get the most value out of your home you might want to consider selling it at a time when the odds are stacked in your favour.
4. Marketing – How many people even know that your home is for sale? Has your real estate agent offered you marketing materials? If you have a good real estate agent they should be able to guide you through the different marketing options available for you.
Have you had a house that stayed on the property market too long? Why do you think it didn’t sell quickly?
Hello from everyone at Professionals Armidale,
A big news item this week, that has made national press, was of course talk of a possible interest rate cut. An interest rate cut would have a positive effect on markets Australia wide, however there is no guarantee of this happening.
A 1 per cent cut (over 12 months) would certainly see a huge influx into the market again though, especially from investors outside of Armidale. This is all very similar to what happened in the “boom years”, and again I cannot stress enough how many buyers are still kicking themselves that they didn’t buy back then, and beat the influx. That to me says that now may very well be a good time to buy.
With spring only around the corner NOW is the time to get sorted and ready if you are thinking of selling in spring! Many people wait until spring to appoint agents and then get a huge shock when they find out it can take up to 4 weeks before they see their property on the market, this has a lot to do with providing a contract for the sale of your home which needs to have a 149 certificate from council placed in it before any marketing can start. With so many people looking at selling in spring there is a back log at council, so my advice to anyone thinking of selling in spring is to at least contact your solicitor or conveyance company now and ensure that your contract is ready to go once you appoint an agent in spring!!
Thinking real estate? Think Professionals!
It’s tax time again and that means that it’s time to start thinking about your finances and what deductions you can make on your tax.
If you own an investment property then there are a number of tax deductions that can be made, and it’s very important that you claim on all of the deductions that are applicable to you so that you maximise the earnings from your investment property.
If you have incurred expenses over the last financial year from any of the following categories, then you may be able to claim these expenses back when you submit your tax:
- Accounting Fees
- Advertising
- Agent Fees & Commissions
- Bad Debts
- Boarder’s Costs
- Body Corporate Fees
- Borrowing Expenses
- Building & Structural Improvements
- Cleaning
- Commissions & Management Fees
- Gas
- Insurance
- Interest
- Land Tax
- Lease Incentives
- Legal Fees not associated with eviction
- Mortgage Insurance
- Municipal Rates & Taxes
- Office Supplies
- Postage
- Depreciation
- Electricity & Connection Costs
- Bank Charges
- Gardening
- Water
- Repairs excluding initial repairs
- Security
- Solicitor Disbursements
- Telephone
- Travel
The above is a non-exhaustive list, but as you can see there are a number of items from which you can make tax deductions if you have an investment property.
Tax laws change every year though, so it’s important that you get the most up to date advice on your investment property, before submitting your tax. You can check www.ato.gov.au for more information, but it may also be a good idea to talk to a tax professional.
Do have an idea that could help empower Armidale? Perhaps you can think of a project or a service that could help benefit the local community?
If you do have a brilliant idea for Armidale and you share it with the Local Government and Shires Association of NSW, then you could be one of 3 winners sharing in $6000 to help make your idea a reality.
The ideas competition is all part of the 2011 Local Government Week and to enter you simply need to write in 100 words or less what you could do with $2000 to empower the local community. There will be 3 winning categories – community group, residential and business. Ideas for the competition may be inspired by things such as sustainability, energy efficiency, or social responsibility as examples.
The competition ends at 5pm on Monday July 25, so get in quick! You can find all the information you need at www.lgweek.lgsa.org.au.
Do you have any ideas that could help improve the Armidale community?
If you’re about to get started on a new renovation than now is as good a time as any to start thinking about how you can make improvements that are going to help make your home more eco-friendly.
Environmental sustainability is a big topic right now and a lot of new home buyers are interested in the impact that our homes are having on the environment. Not only that, but generally environmentally friendly also equates with energy efficiency meaning that your home will be friendlier on your power bill too.
So if you are going to be making renovations to your home definitely consider how you can make improvements that will help save on energy and the impact your homes has on the environment.
For some tips to help you get your environmentally friendly renovation underway you can look at the advice at www.yourhome.gov.au/renovatorsguide/index.html
When moving to a new area, one of the biggest considerations for a lot of families is the schooling that is on offer nearby.
If you’re moving to Armidale, luckily there are plenty of schools in the area that can help meet your child’s educational needs.
To help parents in the area who are trying to find a suitable school for their child, here is a list of schools in the area:
Primary Schools in Armidale:
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87 Douglas St
Armidale, NSW 2350
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Faulkner St
Armidale, NSW 2350
- Erskine St
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
Rusden St
Armidale, NSW 2350
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Kellys Plains Rd
Armidale, NSW 2350
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Bona Vista Rd
Armidale, NSW 2350
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1-15 East Galloway Street
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
80 Chapel St
Armidale, NSW 2350
- Crest Road
Armidale, NSW 2350
- Erskine & Niagara Sts
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
Uralla Road
Armidale, NSW 2350
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156 Rusden Street
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
278 Rockvale Road
Armidale, NSW 2350
Secondary Schools in Armidale:
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87 Douglas St
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
Butler St
Armidale, NSW 2350
-
Crest Rd
Armidale, NSW 2350
O'Connor Catholic High School
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Kirkwood Street
Armidale, NSW 2350
- Uralla Road
Armidale, NSW 2350
- Crest Road
Armidale, NSW 2350
Based on what we have heard from local residents, all of the schools in Armidale are outstanding and have wonderful teachers, so your choice may depend on the school’s proximity to your house, or the specific educational needs your child might require.
For parents looking for more information about Armidale schools, you can either click on the website links used above, or visit www.myschool.edu.au where you can view facts and statistics about schools in Australia.
Hello again from everyone at Professionals Armidale.
One of the most common questions a vendor will ask their real estate agent is ‘Should I stay for inspections?’
There is no right or wrong answer for this; some vendors have reasons that limit them from vacating their home for sales inspections and if they can't make it to an inspection the agent should never insist that they do.
An inspection can be stressful enough for vendors especially if the property has been the family home for decades.
From a buyer's perspective, it is likely that they will feel more at ease if the current owner is NOT there for the sales inspection – the major reason for this being that they may feel as if they are intruding and hurry through the inspection.
Regardless, before marketing begins, consult with your agent and work out together how inspections will be conducted for your home.
On another note I’m very excited to announce that our property management team has reached a record number of new managements for the month! We are very proud of our property management team. If you are thinking of changing managing agents please see what our award winning team can do for you
Thinking Real Estate? Think Professionals.
We see stories on TV all the time about secret shoppers catching employees out all the time, so why not with the biggest transaction you’re ever likely to make, selling your home!
Any property seller would know that there is a lot involved with selling their home, least of all is appointing the right real estate agent for the job. There are a number of things that you should be aware of when appointing an agent, like:
* Do they have a good reputation?
* Does their company have a good reputation?
* Are you comfortable with your agent?
* Has your agent demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of the area and the current real estate market?
* Is your agent honest about the property value regardless of your price expectations?
* Does the agent have a good marketing plan for your property?
* Does their company have a good reputation?
* Are you comfortable with your agent?
* Has your agent demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of the area and the current real estate market?
* Is your agent honest about the property value regardless of your price expectations?
* Does the agent have a good marketing plan for your property?
The list could go on. But how do you that once you’ve appointed the agent that they’re doing everything they say they’re doing? One way to find out is to ‘secret-shop’ your agent with a friend or family member posing as a potential buyer at a property inspection. As a buyer, an agent should:
* tell you everything there is to know about the property;
* point out all of the features;
* be professional and courteous;
* get your contact information;
* ask for feedback on the property;
* pay personal attention to you when showing you through the property;
* ask what your property needs and wants are;
* make it easy for you to contact them after the inspection;
* follow up with direct contact with you after the inspection.
* point out all of the features;
* be professional and courteous;
* get your contact information;
* ask for feedback on the property;
* pay personal attention to you when showing you through the property;
* ask what your property needs and wants are;
* make it easy for you to contact them after the inspection;
* follow up with direct contact with you after the inspection.
As a seller, your secret shopper can tell you if the agent did all of these things and how they found the overall experience with the agent. It’s up to you if you let the agent know whether you’re about to or have already secretly shopped them at a property inspection, but by giving the agent constructive feedback, you may find that their future inspections are more to your satisfaction.
It can be hard to sell property in harder markets, but where there’s a will there’s a way and it always pays to know whether your agent is doing right by you and performing to high standards and meeting your expectations.
Getting fit and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Armidale both sound pretty good right? Well both are easy to do if you join one of Armidale’s walking groups.
There are so many benefits that being part of a walking group can provide – you can get fit and healthy, all while hanging out with your friends and enjoying your local neighbourhood.
One of Armidale’s walking groups is run by the Armidale Athletic Club and their walks will be taking place over winter for walkers, joggers and runners of all ages and abilities. The Armidale Athletic Club will be taking their walkers on a number of different courses through Armidale and if you would like to find out more about their walks follow this link to the Armidale Express website.
Another popular walking group is the Armidale Amblers Walking Group, who meet at 9.30am at the picnic shelter near the Armidale Visitor's Centre car park every Wednesday.
There are also bushwalking groups in the area, and I’m sure many streets and neighbourhoods have started walking groups of their own too!
So this winter, forget about the cold weather and join one of Armidale’s walking groups or maybe even start up one your own!
Are you part of a walking group in Armidale? Do you enjoy taking part in it?
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