News Archive
31 January 2009
War of the worlds
The gloves are off in the age-old battle of prestige between the north and the east - Mosman and Woollahra. Forget the bitter NSW-Queensland rivalry of the State of Origin, the clashes between the State Government and the City of Sydney mayor and even Oscar-tipped Mickey Rourke wrestling his demons. For the thrills and spills of a good fight over money, influence, power and ambition, there'... read news item »
11 January 2009
Property prices: bargain or slump?
Is it the best or worst of times for real estate? Andrew Carswell sifts the evidence. MANY property fanatics are proclaiming 2009 as the best year in decades to buy a new home. But others vehemently disagree, arguing that house prices are due for a sharp correction. At the beginning of 2008, 68.9 per cent of respondents for the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia/Bankwest Home ... read news item »
04 January 2009
Bull or bear: what's hot and what's not in 2009
As prices in Sydney's prestige suburbs spiral down, a question prevails: will 2009 be a bear year or have the prices dropped enough to prompt a bull run? Australian Property Monitors economist Liam O'Hara is a "bear for the short-term", predicting further falls of up to 14 per cent in areas such as Bondi, Mosman and Palm Beach, which come on top of steep declines last year. Prelimin... read news item »
02 January 2009
New year 'perfect' time to buy into the property market
AUSTRALIANS could find 2009 an opportune time to buy property, but they should not expect a swift recovery in housing prices. Loan Market Group executive director John Kolenda says low interest rates and subdued property prices combined with Government initiatives have made entering the property market easier, particularly for first home buyers. Australian policy makers have provided stim... read news item »
16 December 2008
Top Tips For Home Buyers
With Canberra claiming some of the highest rental rates in Australia, Edwina Knight and her partner Dylan Spanos decided to beat the rental rut and make the move to become fully fledged home-owners. After a lengthy house hunting process the couple recently bought their first home in the capital after living together with two others in a share house. For a young couple, buying a home is a sign... read news item »
16 December 2008
Lawyers given permission to serve debtors with default judgement through Facebook
TWO friends who defaulted on a six-figure loan are about to find out through their Facebook page a mortgage lender's lawyers are on their trail. In an Australian and possibly world first, two lawyers have won a court order to allow them to serve a default judgment through Facebook. After failing to serve the court documents personally, lawyers Mark McCormack and Jason Oliver tracked down the... read news item »
03 December 2008
Real estate's temple of doom
THE economics of Australia's $3.3 trillion housing market is widely misunderstood, with sensationalist claims that a housing bubble caused the global credit crisis and that Australian house prices will fall by 30 per cent to 50 per cent. In fact, the latest RP Data-Rismark Index results show that Australian house prices declined by just 0.8 per cent in the 12 months to October this year, and ... read news item »
03 December 2008
How to avoid reno rip-offs
Home renovators need to watch out for rip-off artists who’ll resort to almost anything to scam money out of homeowners, according to building advisory service Archicentre. “A famous one was the burglars who dressed up as termite inspectors,” says Archicentre Queensland manager Ron Tanton. “They evacuated the household – an elderly couple – and then looted t... read news item »
03 December 2008
Landlords warned over public liability
Public liability insurance isn’t enough to protect property owners from legal action if they don’t keep their properties safe and in reasonable repair, a legal expert has warned. Paul Angus from specialist law firm TurksLegal says most household insurance policies include public liability but insurance isn’t the only consideration. “When someone injures themselves on... read news item »
03 December 2008
Dear bank, cut my repayments
Many mortgage holders may be "oblivious" to the fact they have to ask their bank for an upfront interest rate saving, according to consumer group Choice. When interest rates go up, banks automatically reset repayment levels higher. But when rates come down, borrowers need to contact their bank to instruct them to reduce repayments. "You have to notify them for the [repayment] ra... read news item »