Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

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"Yesterday was the perfect day to try.  It was super hot and humid and I had just walked all over the mall with the two kids.  We are doing a family photo this weekend and they needed matching shirts for that.  I was super hot when I got home, so I popped this in the machine real quick.  I must admit, my older daughter was not a fan. Not sure why since my younger daughter and I loved it!  I threw a few carob chips on top for some crunch.  This recipe couldn’t be easier.  If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can pour the mixture into popsicle moulds"

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

2-3 large stalks of rhubarb
1 16oz package of strawberries
1/4 cup coconut sugar
Juice of 1/2 an orange
1 cup water

In a sauce pan, add the rhubarb, orange juice, water and coconut sugar.  Bring to a boil. Then turn down and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb has turned to a mush. Mine took about 10 minutes. Once it is mushy, turn it off the heat and let it get back to room temp. Once at room temp, place the mixture in a container in the fridge for a few hours. Once cooled in the fridge, pour the mixture into a blender with the strawberries. Blend until smooth. Take a taste test. Mine came out a bit tart. I liked that, but if you prefer a more sweetened sorbet, you can add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey and blend for another 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine. Mine took about 15 minutes to get to a soft serve consistency. If you like a harder sorbet, you can put it in the fridge for an hour before eating. My batch made about 4-5 servings. Enjoy!

Get creative and change the fruit if you like - peaches, blueberries, plums, citrus... oh the list goes on!!

Median strip not median prices

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FORGET median prices, a median strip in front of Melbourne properties could add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of a home. 

• Study has found a grassy outlook in the middle of your street added an average of between $33,100, in Flemington, and $1.2 million, in Parkville.... but of course like everything in life, research has found that median strip could detract an average of between $12,500, in North Melbourne, and $749,800, in East Melbourne.

• The research also showed that having trees in a street also enhanced property prices.

• Further research by the group found that a front garden may also be a solid way to ensure added value for your home, compared to those without.  Just two inner-suburbs showed a negative impact from a front garden: Cremorne, down by $23,000, and West Melbourne, $91,000 behind houses with a front garden.
  The rest enjoyed price premiums ranging from $11,200 in Collingwood and $980,200 in East Melbourne.
  On average there was a $230,000 benefit for properties that sold with a front garden.

Nature strips can add substantial value to a home.

Mr Osborne said the research had quantified a well-documented link between a green outlook and value, but noted the research could also benefit buyers looking at the cheaper end of the market.

``Without the vegetation it might make houses more affordable,''
``(Then) you can try to lobby your council to try to put more greenery in the street.
``It might help get the neighbours on side if you say it could add value to our street.''

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Melbourne home owners are in for a great Christmas gift, with the property market tipped to be back to peak values by then..

"On the current trajectory, the market has recovered ... we are pretty much there now ... and if we see another quarter like we have just seen, Melbourne will be at a new peak very soon."

Despite recent job cuts across Victoria, Melbourne's diverse economy will shelter the market from the workforce losses in manufacturing.

"The labour force is going to be softening, but at least Melbourne doesn't have as much exposure to resources like Perth and Darwin"

Early signs indicate Melbourne will have had a 2.5 per cent growth in values over the month of July

"A full market recovery by the end of the year wouldn't surprise me"

"My advice for anyone looking to purchase a property over the coming months is to arm yourself with information,"

The Commonwealth Bank-RP Data Home Buyers Index notes a rise in the number of home loan applications compared with properties listed for sale, hinting there is less room for home buyers to negotiate on prices, particularly in outer Melbourne - fringe suburbs like Epping, Cranbourne and Melton top the list, meaning those looking to buy in the more affordable areas of the market will struggle to succeed with lower offers as the demand rises.

For full article, click here

Sustainable tips for the kitchen

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Tips for the Kitchen

Don’t open the fridge door too often

Try to limit the number of times you open the fridge door, and never leave it open.

Don’t place hot items in the fridge (I didn't think about this one!)

Wait until a dish has cooled down before placing it in the fridge.

Get the temperature right

The recommended operating temperature for :

Fridge is 3°C to 5°C. 
Freezers is –15 to –18°C.

Switch off the second fridge

Turn it on only when you need it, such as for parties or when you have guests staying, and put the drinks you use on a daily basis in the main fridge. Did you know a second fridge can cost up to three cartons of beer a year to run???

Keep the fridge well ventilated

Ensure you leave at least 50mm of space at the top, back and sides to improve ventilation and let your fridge work at its best.

Place the fridge in a cool spot

Locate fridges and freezers:

- in cool spots
- away from direct sun 
- and other heat sources such as stoves.

Check the age of your fridge

If your fridge is over 10 years old it may pay to consider replacing it as fridge efficiency has improved considerably in the past 10 years. 

Eg: The NSW government runs a fridge buy back scheme which many councils have signed up to. The scheme provides free collection of your old fridge by professional removalists and a $35 rebate.

Check fridge seals

• Check and clean seals on your fridge to make sure the door closes securely. You can do this by putting a piece of paper or even a $5 note between the door and the fridge cabinet. Close the door. Try to gently pull the paper out. 

• If it slips out easily with no suction of the paper you may need to take a closer look to see if cool air is escaping. If so replace the seals or adjust the door hinge. 

• If there is some “drag” on the paper the seal is working.

• Regularly remove any frost build-up in the freezer.

• Replace the seals: Go to the national fridge seals website to find the seals that are right for your brand of fridge and model. You can then order them on line and follow the instructions yourself. For an installation service as well contact a local fridge seal installer.

Save rinsing water

Rinse vegetables over a bowl and tip the water on the garden or a pot plant. You can also buy tubs with a handle and plug, which fit snugly in the kitchen sink to make it easy to transport water to the garden.

Boil the water you need

Use an electric kettle instead of the electric stove top to boil water. 

Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need.

Run a full load in the dishwasher

The less the dishwasher is used the more energy is saved. And wait until the dishwasher is full before running it; cleaning a small number of dishes is a waste of water. 

Connecting the dishwasher to the hot water tap so it doesn’t have to heat its own water will save on running costs.

Scrape rather than rinse

Scrape dishes rather than rinse before washing where possible, or use less water by not rinsing dishes under running water.

Cooking toast

Cooking toast in a toaster instead of under the grill reduces energy use by up to 75%.

Cooking with gas

• If possible, use gas for cooking. Gas is generally cheaper and it’s less damaging to the environment than coal-fired electricity production. Turn the gas down to keep flames under the pot rather than up the sides. Gently simmer pots with the lid on rather than boiling vigorously. 

• If you have to use electricity to cook, use a microwave where practical. 

• Ensure you leave at least 50mm of space at the top, back and sides to improve ventilation and let your fridge work at its best.

Cooking with electricity

If you use electricity to cook, use the microwave where practical (some models come with a browning element) 

Use an electric kettle instead of the stovetop to boil water for tea and coffee. Make sure you don’t overfill the kettle with the minimum amount of water needed.

Install tap aerators

Aerators can be fitted to taps to reduce water flow. They can be fitted inside or on the tap. Check with your landlord before installing.

A note for renters: you will need your landlords permission for this check. See our Rent Smart Guide for information

Buy the fridge that you really need

Make sure, as with any appliance, that you buy the smallest appliance that can do the job comfortably for you. This saves purchase cost and running costs, as well as reducing resource depletion and embedded energy for the appliance itself.

Choose energy and water efficient appliances

In Australia and New Zealand it is now mandatory that most products feature an “Energy Rating” label with up to 6 stars. Depending on the star rating, standby power usage can be reduced by up to 50%. 

The Australian consumer watchdog, CHOICE, provides data on “standby to wake scores” for certain products, indicating that consciousness is indeed growing and people are wising up.
 
The Energy Rating label enables you to compare the energy efficiency of domestic appliances in a fair and balanced way. It also provides incentive for manufacturers to improve the energy performance of appliances. The higher the “stars” the better, especially with high energy appliances like fridges; the extra cost can be recouped within the first year of ownership. 

To compare specific appliances such as Air Conditioners, Clothes Dryers, Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerator/Freezer, Televisions visit the Energy Rating website .When it comes time to replace fridges, microwaves and other appliances, buy the most energy and water efficient one. Buy the right size for your needs.

Out-of-date by-laws mean pet bans will stay

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VICTORIA

1. The default rule (by-law) on pets basically says if you have a pet and it’s a nuisance and you’re told to get rid of it then you have to do so. 
2. Changes require a special resolution vote --> 75 percent of votes at a general meeting have to be in favour.  (However, if more than 50 percent of votes but less that 75 percent are in favour and not more than 25 percent are against, the motion is passed as an Interim Special Resolution.)
3. Postal ballot system in strata which can pass Special Resolutions and change rules on the same basis but without having to hold a physical meeting.  

NEW SOUTH WALES 

1. By-law (or ‘rule’) changes require a special resolution vote which means 75 percent of votes at a general meeting have to be in favour.  However, if more than 50 percent of votes but less that 75 percent are in favour and not more than 25 percent are against, the motion is passed as an Interim Special Resolution.

ACT

1. By-laws can be changed by a special resolution --> less than one-third of people present (including proxy votes and absentee votes) have voted against the resolution, and more votes have been cast in favour of the motion than against it.

Note that subtle difference – it’s not fewer than one third of people actually voting, it’s one third of people at the meeting either in person or represented by proxy or by postal vote.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Finally we can take a deeeeeep breath and relax. It's a lot simpler in South Australia..  

1. Here, you require a special resolution to change a by-law but it has to be supported by two-thirds of all owners, not just those voting at a general meeting.

QUEENSLAND 

1. You need two-thirds of votes cast at a general meeting to be in favour of the change, provided those who vote against represent no more than 25 percent of the lots.

This is how it might work – you have a block of, say, 100 units and they all turn up or send votes to a general meeting (yes, this IS hugely hypothetical).  A by-law change is proposed and 67 owners are in favour.  So far, so good.  But the other 33 percent all vote against, representing more than 25 percent of owners so the motion fails.
If, however, only half the owners turned up or sent votes to the meeting (a much more likely scenario) and 34 of them voted for the change (68 percent) and the other 16 voted against, the motion would pass because only 16 percent of the total owners (rather than voters) had said no.
Add in complications like limits on proxy votes, lot entitlements and voting by email and you have a system that, like NSW’s can be easily manipulated by an active and organized minority, especially one resistant to change

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1. By-laws are divided into Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. 
2. Schedule 1 appear to be about basic rights and responsibilities – everything from how to elect your committee to being allowed to decorate your own home – and they require a vote “without dissent” to pass them. A vote without dissent in WA means that nobody who turns up at the meeting or sends a proxy vote, has voted against the motion.
3. Schedule 2 By-laws in WA cover things like parking, children playing on common property and drying laundry and can be changed by special resolution. A special resolution in WA is passed when votes in favour represent ownership of  no less than 50 percent of the lots or unit entitlements AND the votes against represent no more than 25 percent of ownership.
4. In WA the Schedule 1 and 2 by-laws apply to all strata schemes but with exisiting by-laws that are additions to or changes of these by-laws also being accepted.

To take that fictional 100-lot block again if only half the owners vote and even one says “nay” then the motion fails because it didn’t reach the 50 percent threshold. But if 75 owners vote and 24 say no and the other 51 say yes, then it’s passed (but only just). Best of luck to our WA readers when you get a couple of massive blocks mostly owned by overseas investors – try getting your required 50 percent of informed and engaged owners then.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

1. You can change ‘articles’ by special resolution, which requires that two-thirds of owners voting are in favour but no more than 25 percent of unit entitlements are held by those voting against.

TASMANIA

1. By-laws can be created or changed by a simple majority at a general meeting.  Tassie is also one of those states where, if a by-law (or ‘article”) doesn’t exist in a specific strata scheme, then the one in the standard scheduled by-laws applies

Hope I've broken it down enough for you peeps! But here's the full article and more links!! 

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Pet bans stay despite law change

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• The by-laws currently in place in your existing building will stay exactly the same, regardless of any changes in the standard by-laws. 
• The new by-laws will apply only to strata schemes created after the law is changed.
• It's up to you and your neighbours to change your current by-laws but that requires an overwhelming majority of owners, voting on the basis of their unit entitlements at a general meeting, to agree. Their stated hope is to make strata schemes more self-regulating, with by-laws that reflect the lifestyles of current residents, rather than being stuck with out-of date, one-size-fits-all rules that suit only a minority.
•  Right now, even if 70 per cent or more of owners are in favour of pets, for instance, just a quarter of those who turn up and vote at a general meeting – or, significantly, own a quarter of the real estate of all those voting – can block changes to anti-pet by-laws.
• Even worse, a highly motivated minority can slip by-law changes past frequently disengaged and apathetic owners – a low turnout at a general meeting is the norm rather than the exception – then block any return to the status quo when their neighbours wake up to what's happened.

 

But that's NSW...

For the full article, click here

Stay tuned for more information on how states and territories deal with strata by-law changes....

SYD: One city, so many different storeys

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From terraces to low-rise blocks to high-rise complexes, Sydney buyers are spoilt for choice..

  

• Townhouses - can offer courtyards or gardens at both the front and the back, which is particularly good for young families. Also, it's the kind of design attractive to empty-nesters who are more used to houses and feel this is a good compromise.''

• Strong demand for apartments in a new 20-level, 160-unit high-rise being built as part of the Village Quay development at Rhodes. Part of a complex that will eventually include two 24-level towers and two five- to six-storey blocks, adding up to 750 units, VQ: Shores, with views over Homebush Bay to the Blue Mountains, has been proving extremely popular.

 

• A lot of people look for security these days, and high-rise can offer that, as well as good views

• The Chinese market in particular prefers high-rise, as that's what they're used to historically.

• Younger people also don't want to have to mow lawns every weekend, they want to enjoy themselves in their spare time rather than doing chores, while downsizers like being able to lock [their homes] up and go off on holiday without worrying.

• High-rise developments can have the bonus of lower strata levies, as communal costs for shared facilities, such as pools and gyms, are shared over a much wider base of apartment owners.  

For more, click here

WA: Perth to eclipse Sydney on rental prices

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Median falling or really in stagnation in every other Australian state/territory except for rental prices in Perth.

Solid trend that could see Perth become the most expensive place in the country for renters. House rent prices rose 1% and unit rent prices shooting up by 13.3%

"It's interesting times ahead for Perth and not a great time for people who are renting"

For the nation..... weekly asking rents for houses fell by 0.5 per cent in the quarter, while unit rents managed to crawl up by 0.5 per cent, as renters in some states turned away from houses in favour of more affordable options.

Lags and a disproportionate number of first home buyers per capita could explain why prices have continued to rise across the Perth market despite recent increases in unemployment and a softening in resources development.

"Those job seekers are still looking for accommodation and the first port of call is the rental market and that has shown enormous growth over the past 12 months and we don't see that easing."

"Perth really has the highest amount per person of first home buyers and part of that is affordability driving because of high rent it remains cheaper to buy than rent in some places."

For more of the article and video, click here

More ideas

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Secret Garden

Simply Magnificent. Personal hot springs? Sounds good to me!

Resort like pool :) Peace and tranquility

Making use of the beautiful Australian landscapes and backyards

Treetop inspired house

It's unanimous: Sydney property on the rise

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As a new financial year dawns, independent experts now agree that Sydney's home values are growing.

Improved equity market conditions in 2013 had led to an increase in dwelling values in Sydney’s prestige suburbs. The strength of the Sydney market was due to a sustained period of underbuilding, which had led to low vacancy rates and strong rental growth since 2007. Large numbers of investors were flooding the market. Low interest rates were also helping.

‘‘Sydney’s most expensive suburbs have seen dwelling values rise by 4.8 per cent over the past six months compared with a 3.2 per cent rise in values at the most affordable end of the market and a 4.6 per cent gain across the broad middle-priced segment of the Sydney market.”

"The Sydney residential market now appears to be gaining some momentum after being weak for the best part of the last decade,"

"We are forecasting total price growth in Sydney over the three years to June 2016 to be 19 per cent, or a moderate 5.9 per cent per annum."


Some information/opinions about our states:

MELBOURNE: Less optimism going around because of an oversupply of apartments and weakness in the local economy.
"Median house price growth in Melbourne is forecast to be minimal, totalling 5 per cent over the 2013 to 2016 forecast period," "And accounting for inflation, prices are actually forecast to fall by 4 per cent in real terms."

BRISBANE: By the end of 2015-16, rising interest rates will begin to impact on prices, but only after a forecast total rise of 17 per cent in the median house price over the three years to 2016, representing an average rise of 5.2 per cent per annum,"

PERTH & DARWIN: About 15 per cent growth is forecast for the three years in Perth and 10 per cent in Darwin.

CANBERRA: Total rise of 3 per cent (a decline of 5 per cent in real terms)

HOBART: A rise of 4 per cent (a drop of 5 per cent in real terms)

ADEALAIDE: 6 per cent growth (or a 3 per cent decline in real terms).

Was purchasing or renting a property part of your New Years' Resolutions??

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Upgrades and eco-overhauls

Home improvements were also high on the agenda, with 27% planning a kitchen renovation and 28% a bathroom overhaul.

Sustainability measures figured in people's goals, with nearly 30% intending to get a quote for solar panels on their property, 37% looking at installing a water tank, and a huge 67% intending to grow their own vegetables and herbs.

Security and savings

Diversifying investments in on the cards for 7%, who say they are looking at investing in a commercial property.

 

Saving money remains central for Australians this year, with 76% saying they're committed to saving more, and 55% of respondents said they'd put extra money on their existing mortgages.

Housemates need not despair, as 86% of people who have one said they have no plans to move out on their own at this time.

Defying softening job statistics, 75% of those surveyed said they felt secure in their current job.

Confidence on the rise

Results show the realestate.com.au community are doubling down on their futures - saving for deposits, getting into the market in new or strategic ways, and paying off their mortgages.

Property is still an important priority for Australians, and there is a growing sense of confidence about the market.