Now let’s think about this, your property whether it’s your investment property or your beloved family home, is your biggest asset, so choosing a real estate agency to either sell or rent it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once upon a time, it was a no brainer, there were a few big names in the industry and you pretty much chose the one with the most signs up in your area. Those days are long gone, with the progression of technology-independent and smaller brands are now able to compete on the same scale as the larger agencies. This is great for these boutique agencies, but it makes your job of selecting someone to deal with your biggest asset even more challenging and important than ever.Now there are more agencies than ever… Read More »
Investing Category
Looking at buying your first home? Or are you a keen investor looking for your next property? The main question both buyers and investors are finding themselves asking is, “Should I be buying a house or an apartment?”. There is honestly no correct answer to this question, it is completely dependent on you and your situation. However, here are some things to consider before purchasing a home or investment. PRICE In some areas apartments are more affordable than houses, however, if you are willing to sacrifice location, you may be able to find a small house for a similar price. The general rule of thumb is, those properties closer to the city centre are more pricey, and the further out you go the more bang you get… Read More »
It is actually hard to believe the year is literally flying by, we’ve blinked and suddenly the end of financial year is upon us. So that means it is time to chase that tax return. As an investor though, do you actually know what you can and can’t claim for. Well, we are here to share our knowledge and ensure you a claiming everything you can and achieving maximum return on your investment. First, What you should know about Capital Gains Tax (CGT) We’ve all heard this term, but it is important to understand what is capital gain? You achieve a Capital Gain when the proceeds from the sale of a property are more than the property’s cost base, and a Capital Loss is when the sale proceeds are less… Read More »
A vacant property is every landlord’s and agencies, for that matter, most vulnerable period. Whilst it is inevitable, at some stage when you own an investment property you will have to experience a period of time without tenants. This can be costly if not managed properly, each week without a tenant increases the financial pressure, especially if you have home loan obligations to meet. The goal though is to not only find a tenant but find a quality tenant that is going to pay their rent on time and look after the property as if it was their own. This must be achieved in the shortest time frame possible, to avoid unnecessary financial strain and stress. On the same note, if an agency isn’t doing their job to secure you… Read More »
Are you an investor who has decided it is time to sell your rental property? Or are you a tenant residing in a property that is on the market? No matter your situation, it is important to know your rights during the sale process. Ensuring that the entire sale process runs smoothly and no parties are upset or adversely affected is extremely important. Here are a few things you need to consider when selling your investment property, or even living in a property that is on the market. LANDLORDS Firstly, it is important to assess why you are selling the property and to thoroughly weigh up your options. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you need the money? – Is the cost of owning an investment property… Read More »
Whether it is our workplace or someone else’s home, risk literally lies everywhere. We’ve all heard nightmare stories of people being sued over something insignificant, but have been paid royally for someone else’s oversight. It seems unfair, but increasingly this is the world we are living in. A pot hole on the pavement is a lawsuit for a broken ankle, a wet floor is a lawsuit for a back injury, a car accident is literally worth thousands in compensation. I’m not discounting genuine instances where compensation is legitimately required due to negligence, laziness or stupidity, whatever the reason may be. However, never more than now have we had to keep our eye open for the risks associated with every day to day life. Litigation is at its peak and the… Read More »
It’s the one thing all property managers want to avoid, and no matter how big or small, conflicts or disputes are always the tasks that are pushed to the bottom of the list. To ensure you are addressing these conflicts in the correct manner, here is an action plan to keep on hand for when things go pear-shaped. DISPUTE RESOLUTION ACTION PLAN 1.THINKING, ASSESSING & PLANNING This is the stage where you take some time to think about what exactly the dispute is, how it occurred and how it can potentially be resolved. The more detailed information you can find about the issue, the easier it will be to help resolve it. 2. FOLLOWING THE RULE BOOK What is the legislation surrounding this issue, and what… Read More »
Squatters are every landlord’s worst nightmare. Strangely enough, the information surrounding how to get rid of the unwanted intruders in your rental property is vague, to say the least, even with the help of Google. The kind of damage and financial loss that squatters can inflict can be quite significant. Common sense would tell you someone living in your property without permission or knowledge is doing so illegally – but amazingly it’s not a criminal offence to squat in an empty house. Recently at iThink Property, we had two separate cases of dealing with getting rid of unauthorized occupants in a property. So, we thought we would share our experiences. In the first instance, the squatters had moved in under a high set house and set up extravagant living quarters… Read More »
It’s an ever evolving and changing world we are living in. Across any industry, it’s important to keep up to date with the latest trends in consumer activity, technology and market activity. While the business of real estate transactions ie buying and selling a home will remain the same in essence, there are major innovations and technological advances that are not only mind-blowing, but set to blow up the entire real estate tradition. The real estate industry has stood the test of time, until now. Some of the advances won’t happen overnight, but here’s a little look at what the future of real estate might look like. TOP 5 TECH TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE 1) THE CLOUD A few years ago, “the cloud” was seen as a mysterious… Read More »
Do we really know what will happen to the Property Market in 2019? Do we ever really know what the property market will do period? There are some indicators that allow us to determine some of the property trends for the coming year, but there certainly isn’t a crystal ball outlining exactly what will happen and where. As we launch into a new year there’s a lot of mixed chatter about the 2019 markets, some full of uncertainty and others full of hype, and there is no shortage of so-called ‘experts’ looking to predict the future. Buzzwords like property market predictions, real estate cycles, property hotspots are currently being touted, but how accurate are they and should we listen to them? Despite the uncertainty, there are a few similar key… Read More »