What to do when your property doesn't sell? :

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http://discover.realestate.com.au/selling/how-to/7-things-to-do-if-your-property-doesnt-sell

(1) REFRESH YOUR ADVERTISING
Photos are one of the most important ways buyers connect with and spark interest in your house. Rotate them around and hero a different shot for people to come across first.

Think carefully about your target market (if you don't have one, that's your first problem to solve...)

If you had a picture of the inside, try a shot of the facade from the street. Refresh them several times and test the impact on different people, including some you know and trust to give you an honest opinion. 
 
(2) CHANGE YOUR PRICE

You'll pay the price if you end up stubbornly attached to one.
The three most important factors - location, presentation, and price.
Price points are psychological triggers. One to five thousands dollars in the right direction can spark interest and make a buyer feel a purchase is possible.
In a stagnant or depressed market, price is incredibly sensitive, and can stop an interested buyer from clicking on your listing or lodging that enquiry.
.......................................... what would YOU pay if u were the buyer?

(3) TAKE A BREAK FROM THE MARKET
3 things that happen when your property is on the market for too long -

Buyers will make a mental note to avoid it, fearing something is wrong OR use it's time on market as a negotiating tool, trying to leverage your desperation OR tune out your property altogether, skimming past it in listings because they've seen it so often they're blind to it.

(4) MAKEOVER YOUR PROPERTY

 

Look at low cost, quick facelifts, like a new coat of paint, a better clean up inside, or some attractive plants in the garden. Remember!! To weigh up your investment on your property and how much more you actually get back. Sometimes, big renovations aren't worth it.. often small changes are enough. Contact us today at 88776688 for some advice :)

(5) GO COMPARISON SHOPPING

Don't just compare the property itself. Have a snoop at how those homes are bring presented, how their open inspections are being run, whether they're being sold at auction or by private treaty, and anything else that jumps out at you. See what's popular and what people are talking about.

Comparing doesn't mean making your property conform to everyone else's.

(6) BE OPEN TO ADVICE

But let's be honest.............. You might not be listening, especially if they're telling you things you might not want to hear.
Ask for advice (if you haven't yet, now's the time), and truly be open to it; from your agent, from property experts, from potential buyers and those you trust

 (7) DONT LAY BLAME (especially yourself)

Refocus............... take a breath........... then re-arm with any new tools or support you need to get back out there. There might only be some small changes to your home and your strategy standing in the way of you and the finish line.

Stay positive and you're half way there.

How to make the most of a small kitchen

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http://discover.realestate.com.au/renovating-building/how-to/tips-for-making-the-most-of-a-small-kitchen

As a room, it's got some of the biggest expectation baggage in a house. It's got to be functional and enable regular meal preparation. But beyond that, it's meant to inspire the resident chef, weather endless foot traffic with aplomb, work as a waystation for members of the household, and embody hearth and home.

(1) KEEP IT COOL

Cool, pale colours help you make the most of limited kitchen space

Ensure bench or countertops are lighter coloured, and avoid stark colour contrasts which break up the flow of the eye. The more you can cast your eye around the room feeling uninterrupted, the larger you'll feel that room is

(2 ) STORE SMARTLY

- Consider investing in cupboards with smart storage, such as corner racks that hold 360 degrees worth of stuff.
- Add shelving to walls where possible, remembering to keep your choice of materials simple and in line with the overall colour and design aesthetic.
- Look at adding cubby holes for coffeemakers, toasters and other appliances that let you stow out of sight.

(3) BE TRANSPARENT

You can also remove some cabinet doors, or integrate more open spaces within cupboards and benches. This lets the room breathe and gives the appearance of walls being further away.

(4) LET THERE BE LIGHT
- Under-counter lighting can brighten countertops, and in cabinet lighting can offer function and valuable accents.
- Ceramic tile and stainless steel also amplify the effects of light.
- Overhead lighting can be showy, pulling the eye up and making the room feel bigger and more grand.

(5) WIDEN UNDERFOOT

diagonal patterns

adding a car space or alcove creates a sense of openess

(6) GROW INTO THE NEXT ROOM
(see picture right above)

Super Funds: from shares to investment in bricks and mortar

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http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/building-for-retirement-20121116-29fhm.html

Many people who embrace DIY super are choosing to escape the sharemarket allocations of retail and industry funds and want to find stable income streams.

Issues to consider when deciding to hold a property in a self-managed superannution fund:

(1) A key benefit of buying property through super is that once you're on a pension, you can sell capital gains tax-free - ''It has to be a properly documented loan and actual funds have to be paid over by the lender,'' says Peter of Townsends Business & Corporate Lawyers. No paper transaction!!

(2) If you or a relative live in a property purchased by your super fund this will breach the ''sole purpose'' test and make your fund ''non-compliant''. ''Some of these smart owner-occupiers [buying apartments at Haven] are purchasing through their SMSF and renting out the apartment,'' Mr Yates says. ''They get to move in during pension phase capital gains tax-free and also sell their family home CGT-free.''  

(3) An income stream and a solid capital gain from a super-held property may not always be possible. Best to concentrate on rental income. If someone approaching retiring age holds a property for only six or seven years they may generate little capital gain. ''We are more focused on getting the income into the fund, so the rent goes in with contributions from the employer,''  

(4) Think like a tenant when purchasing your investment property. That will be your exit strategy ''You have to look for blue-chip assets that attract the right type of tenant and maximise rental return.'' Ms Monkley agrees that buying something with strong tenant appeal is vital, but favours residential properties in regional centres priced below $350,000. 

 

Question: Open plan or closed plan?

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The spaciousness of an open plan, with natural sunlight brightening up the whole house and everyone being together sharing one big area or more private, secluded and tranquil environment..??

new type of open plan! interesting :)

more home-y feel :)

YES! for me anyway

Kitchen ideas

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To me, the kitchen is where i am at peace, organised, calm and just enjoying that moment of preparation and cooking for my loved ones. Watching them eat my home cooked meals and seeing how much they enjoyed it! So yes, kitchen is pretty important part of the house to me. It is my "Zen". Do you agree?

Very modern and contemporary

very clean and my kinda kitchen

Modern yet tradtional

Is Darwin the next "booming" state??

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Darwin is oozing property potential, which will be tapped as the “gateway” to Asia evolves. 

Vacancy rates being 0.5%, average rent about $600 for a decent 3 BR house, not very high capital growth but volume sales are very good.

“Darwin has great opportunities to become a world-leading centre for engineering, financial, medical and education services" - via the education market to Asian students and the booming natural resources sector. Projects such as the $34 billion Inpex gas plant site are boosting its economy and population and, combined with a low housing supply, have caused a tight housing market and high rental yields.

The only thing hindering prices from rising through demand is the Northern Territory government to grant stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers on properties up to $530,000. However, they do expect house prices to grow steadily. Especially with parents purchasing more units for high entry point to the market and scant number of rental homes.

For a full read : http://firstnationalnews.com/

Let your home survive a long and hot summer :D

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Australia having hot and windy summers makes us prone to bush fires. So many homes are destroyed in summer because of the rapid spreading fires. There just aren't enough fire crews and trucks to protect every home, every neighbourhood, every suburb.

Most of these are natural and out of our control...... So what can you do about it? Don't sit back and let "nature" take over your homes. There are precautions that you can take to minimise the chances of this happening!!

First National Real Estate recommends some simple precautions householders can take to reduce the threat of fire destroying your home.  These include:

• Clear gutters of leaves, bark and twigs on a regular basis
• Keep grass areas around the home well trimmed, and regularly rake up and clear leaves and twigs
• Clear scrub and undergrowth around your property as they are potential fuel for a fire
• Keep garden hoses connected to taps and ensure you have adequate access to a hose and reserve water supply such as a swimming pool, tank or drums filled with water
• Install fire resistant mesh screens to doors and windows to help prevent  embers from entering the home
• Store all flammable items such as wood, boxes and other recycling materials such as newspapers, flammable liquids and gas bottles well away from the house
• Install a sprinkler system around your home

A little reminder and tip about chlorine levels in your pool this summer

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http://firstnationalnews.com/category/news/

Longer daylight hours and stronger sunlight can wreak havoc with chlorine levels in your pool. Strong sunlight strips chlorine and this increases the risk of your pool turning green as algae levels build up - Don't want that happening!!

If your pool requires you to add chlorine liquid or granules --> make sure you maintain adequate levels of chlorine otherwise your filter will struggle to work efficiently and that’s just more power wasted.

If your pool is salt water chlorinated  --> you’re at increased risk as the amount of chlorine in your pool relates directly to the length of time for which your pool filter runs each day (and the percentage of salt in the water).

If your pool is salt water chlorinated, running the pump at night can help you save on energy consumption as the chlorine produced is not immediately affected by sunlight and you may be able to reduce your running hours slightly.

The best advise is to check chlorine levels regularly with your test kit and make sure Ph levels are kept in balance. That way, your pool will stay clear, healthy, and require no more than the minimum number of pump running hours to stay crystal clear.

Reduce power generation and maintain sparkling clear pool and plunge right away :)

Speak to your property manager about the recommended number of hours your pump should be running each day in your climate. 

Renewed enthusiasm for property!

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http://firstnationalnews.com/category/market-updates/

Interest rates cuts has significantly improved consumer confidence. The number of Australians that think now is a good time to buy a home has jumped 10 per cent since March.

A recent report by BIS Shrapnel confidently predicts that Perth house prices should grow 20.4 per cent over the next three years, that Brisbane should experience strong growth, and, that Sydney’s modest upward trend throughout 2012 should strengthen.

Have you been unfortunately convinced that Australia is at where USA was in 2008? Reconsider it again because RP Data says otherwise...
Australian dwellings construction is 21% below the 10-year average, according to RP Data. This is almost the complete opposite of what was occurring in the US property market in the lead up to the GFC. Our market is chronically undersupplied whereas the US market was chronically oversupplied. Secondly, Australia did not and does not have a sub-prime mortgage issue and our banking system is much more tightly regulated. This is what also helped our market avoid the correction that was inevitable in the US in 2008.

All over Australia there are well priced properties ripe for the picking.Come into JM Chase First National today and let us help you find a property for you!

Are you as optimistic as today's Gen Y about the housing future?

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http://discover.realestate.com.au/buying/news/gen-y-optimistic-about-housing-future

Yes they say property prices in the future is gonna be extremely high. Yes, some have said there will be more apartments than houses. Concerned about your accessibility into the housing market? Are you panicking that you might not be able to afford one? Well, don't.

Why not take a leaf out of today's Gen Y? Most of Gen Y believe very strongly that they will be financially capable of achieving housing goals despite fewer savings and less long term plans.

72% of Gen Y respondents said they would consider purchasing a property with a friend or family member in order to enter the property market - becoming innovative and creating new ways to attaining a house.

SHARING is the "new black" towards property and ownership. Not a compromise at all!

Collaborative consumption is a rising trend in Australia, and young people are particularly at home with a sharing economy that helps everybody win more in the long term.

are you a real estate fanatic? VIC's property outlook

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With Australia's two speed economy, there has been rather big price differences in prices of properties in different states. I'm sure some of you are planning to sell, curious as to how much your property is worth or planning to buy.. so you need to know how well is VIC doing to make best decisions and judgements.

Here's a link to VIC's property outlook : http://www.firstnational.com.au/?pagecall=content&ContentID=103270&MenuItemID=76802&subject=Property_Outlook

I highly recommend as it's a good read - covering economic & market outlook, property prices (residential, rental market and activity growth), trends, commercial property market, rural estate business outlook...

For a more summarised version for quick overview of what's going on in Victoria & Australia, check out our November newsletter.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND & MELBOURNE CUP PUBLIC HOLIDAY!! :D

What is tax depreciation?

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Are you a newbie to the real estate industry? or just need refreshing as to what tax depreciation is?

Every investment property owner needs a capital allowance and tax depreciation report. As a building gets older and items within it wear out, they depreciate in value. The ATO allows property investors to claim a deduction related to the building and plant and equipment items contained within it.

It can be claimed by any owner of an income producing property. This deduction essentially reduces the investment property owner’s taxable income – they pay less tax! There are usually thousands of dollars to be claimed in depreciation deductions on any investment property. 

There are many benefits for investors when claiming tax depreciation, some include:

• More money in your pocket at tax time
• You can adjust your previous tax returns – get your money back from the ATO!
• Double our fee or its free Guaranteed: If we cannot find double our fee worth of deductions in the first full financial year claim, there will be no charge for our services
• The fee for a tax deprecation report is 100% tax deductible
• BMT find investors an average of between $5,000 and $10,000 as a first full year deduction
• BMT work with your accountant

Great website for you to estimate your depreciation potential for your investment.. go go go go check it out!!

http://www.bmtqs.com.au/other/depreciation-calculators/CustomDepreciationCalculator.aspx?company=firstnational&cookieCheck=true&cookieCheck=true

Home ideas

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Home brilliant home ideas.. investment property? holiday house? .... or just simply mind-boosting ideas?

WHAT A MANSION!!

Something a lil more realistic but still magnificent!

Open Kitchen and a shaded outdoor dining area. High ceiling. Spatious.

Tropical inspired

This is taking outdoor dining to a whole new level..

To sell or not to sell????

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Such a big decision when it comes to selling.. when is the perfect time you ask?

Your decision to sell your property may not coincide with the perfect market conditions. Therefore it is important to know what is happening in the property market and the economy as a whole, as the real estate market generally reflects the current state of the broader economy.

What to consider:
- your own personal objectives
- your ability to finance a new property and meet ongoing repayments and capital gains tax implications for selling an investment property. 

But here's a website to check out your suburb's profile!!
http://www.rs.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=sp

Register for JMChase Nov eNewsletter:

http://jmchase.com.au/index.cfm?pagecall=content&contentId=79944&menuItemID=80732