The principles of land surveying date back almost as far as the idea of land ownership. Ever since ancient man determined that one piece of land would belong toonegroup, and the other piece to another group, there was a need to mediate between land disputes. This is where land surveying came in, although today surveys are…
Green Housing Is Where We Need To Be Thinking
It isn’t the intent of this article to discuss whether or not global warming is a reality. To be completely honest, it really doesn’t matter either way where this article is concerned. The fact of the matter is that we need to figure out a way to live more harmoniously with our planet. Currently, the way humanity…
New Zealands Economy Still Shrinking Deeper Into A Recession
New Zealand’s economy shrank for a fifth consecutive quarter in the three months to March and recorded its first annual decline in economic activity since 1992. Figures published by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today show gross domestic product fell 1 per cent in the March quarter, following a revised fall of 1 per cent in…
Michael Jackson Dies Aged 50
I am sorry if this doesnt have anything to do with Real Estate but I have to share this sad day in Pop history. Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted “King of Pop” who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world’s most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a…
The Wave Of The Real Estate Cycle
The real estate market has been rising nationally the last few years and the media went hog wild over the frenzy and everywhere you looked there was someone or something telling you that real estate was HOT HOT HOT! Prices were going through the roof and there was unprecedented growth and people were becoming multi-millionaires…
June an July Real Estate Market Thoughts
June and July are usually very quiet months but what a difference in levels of stock this year compared with last! Here’s my take on it from a buyers and sellers point of view and then my own summary of what I think will happen – would appreciate everyone elses thoughts on what the future…
Unemployment And The Real Estate Industry
There have been many reports recently stating that “experts” are seeing a turnaround in several segments of both the commercial and residential real estate markets here in New Zealand. But I find it hard to see this and put credibility on these reports. I justify this by saying there is no other crux that is…
Home Hints – When Choosing An Agent….
Real Estate Agents….. Well most think that they can be done without but when it comes to seeling your house most of us although we dont like to agree with it couldnt have done without our agent. Now you will probably agree with me more if you had a good agent. This like in any…
June 2009 – OCR remains bottomed out at 2.5% – Is This The Turning Point?
The New Zealand economy has been on a downward spiral along with global economies since 2007. Butmany believe that we in New Zealand have reached a turning point. In terms of New Zealands Official Cash Rate I believe we have hit the bottom of the line. It started in June last year when the Official Cash…
Christchurch QV May Statistics With New Zealand Market Comment
Christhchurch Property Trends Property values in Christchurch declined by 8.1% over the past year (calculated over the three months ending May 2009 in comparison to the same period last year), an improvement on the 9.6% annual decline reported in April. The average sale price for the city decreased slightly from $342,929 to $339,695. These annual…
All The Best For The Future David Bain
Although this has nothing to do with Real Estate this is my blog and I actually think David Bain and his legal team and supporters deserve a big well done for their efforts over the last 14 years to try and bring justice to their cause. A few friends of mine down here in Christchurch…
Do You Actually Believe We Have Hit The Bottom Of The Market?
Well if you do I believe your being naive. There has been in the months of late a definite pick up in the market especially in the terms of sales volume which one could almost think that a bounce back is happening. There has been great activity, a lot of sales and new buyers emerging…
Home Hints – What Way Should I Sell My Home?
1. by offer and negotiation 2. by auction 3. by tender. Most people sell through an agent, but private sales are becoming more common. 1. Selling by offer and negotiation Most homes are still sold this way. You set an asking price, put your home on the market and if a buyer is interested they…
Home Hints – How Do I Decide What To Sell My Home For
It’s important to do your homework before you decide on the asking price for your home. There are several sources of information you can use to work out what your home might sell for. Your rateable value The rateable value (RV) provided by your local authority is not necessarily a good guide to what your…
Home Hints – Should I Sell It, Do It Up Or Rent It?
What are your options? Before you decide to sell, here are a few things to think about first could you get the home you want by renovating or extending instead? how much more will you have to pay to get the home you want – can you afford it? would it be a good idea…
The State of Real Estate Around the World: No Signs of Stabilization
Our Housing marketis in worse shape than Australia’s but is also likely to avoid as deep a correction as in the U.S. and Europe. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut 575bp since July 2008 to 2.5% in April 2009 but longer-term, fixed mortgage rates have recently begun to rise again due to expectations…
Home Hints – What Legal Stuff Needs To Be Done
Your lawyer’s job is to protect you by checking contracts, explaining your rights, and making sure the property’s title is in order. They also do the legal work to transfer the property to you (the conveyancing) and register your mortgage on the property title. They’ll provide advice on things like different ways to own the…
Home Hints – Getting That Loan
Buying a home is a big financial commitment and is going to impact your life for a good part of your adult life. And usually we don’t have enough money to go out and buy a home. So we need to finance this. What’s this? It’s a loan. When you buy a home you usually…
Home Hints – What Do I Do When I Want To Buy My Home In New Zealand
Well by now hopefully you have chosen what you want. Done your research and found what you need to find and are able to make an educated decision when it comes to buying your home. There are three main ways to buy a home 1. by offer and negotiation – you make an offer and…
Home Hints – Things You Need To Look Out For Before Buying Your Home
When you have decided on a house you need to take a good look at it and make sure that you are going to be buying it in a reasonable condition (do a building inspection) – this is where every dollar counts because there are some things that can be a disaster for you…
Home Hints – What Are The Things To Keep In Mind When Buying Property
Once you’ve found a home you’re interested in you’ll want to check it out carefully. It really is a case of buyer beware. You don’t want to end up with a lemon, or costs you hadn’t planned for. Here are some ways you can check out the place you’re interested in. 1. Check the…
Home Hints – Where Do You Start When Looking To Buy Real Estate In New Zealand
How do you find a home? Once you know what you want and can afford, you want to get a ‘feel’ for the market. You could start by • searching the Internet – try trademe.co.nz or realestate.co.nz • reading the papers – weekend papers often have lots of adverts • driving around areas you…
Home Hints – How Much Can You Afford?
How much can you borrow? The amount you can borrow depends on • the value of the home you want to buy • how much equity or deposit you have to contribute • how much you can afford to pay towards your loan. These things all need to balance, so if you can afford a…
Home Hints – What Type Of House Do You Want To Live In
After you think about the area you want to live in you need to decide what type of home you want to live in. Sometimes this can change the area you will need to look in so you need to get this step sorted out relatively early so that you can get it right so…
Home Hints – Where Do You Want To Live?
By now if you’re looking to buy a property you will have been told about the saying, Location, Location, Location. But why do people go on about this so much? Why is it so important? Well your home is one of the biggest assets most people will ever buy in their lives. It is therefore…
Has The Recession Hit!
I am not going to harp on about any statistics or any comments made by the so called experts. All I would like to see here is a real discussion on what you actually think and what your actually seeing out there on the streets. For several months now I have speaking directly to business…
Internet Marketing For Real Estate – Is It Worth The Fuss?
Internet marketing is a tough question on its effectiveness and if it actually works or not. For some people it works wonders, and for some its just not worth the time you put into it. I believe in internet marketing and I believe that it will play an increasing part in the way Real Estate…
Twitter (This One's 4 U Peter) – "And Max It Will Help You As Well"
Twitter is more than three years old, (quite an oldy actually) and it’s been featured everywhere from the New York Times to ABC News and is being used for so so many uses its not funny. Now Peter this is why you should be using Twitter – here are four reasons, off the top of my head: …
Reserve Bank Of New Zealand Lowers OCR To 2.5% April 30 2009
New Zealands Official Cash Rate has been cut again to 2.5% which is a further sign that the Reserve Bank is trying to stimulate the economy. Dr Alan Bollard this morning said to the people that he sees the Official Cash Rate being low for around the next 18 months as the economy is finding…
200th Post Milestone Finally Reached
What a ride. Its been great. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to this blog and who continues to read it. Traffic is increasing steadily with now over 500 unique views per day and over 40,000 unique views in the 11 months of writing this blog. Lets go for the next 100 and upward of…