News Archive
31 August 2008
Magic millions lining city's top postcodes
Welcome to Sydney's most expensive suburbs. They almost invariably boast a harbour or beach frontage, are largely within 10 kilometres of the CBD and the properties that line their streets come with multimillion-dollar price tags. The inner-harbourside and eastern suburbs once again dominate this year's list of the top 10 most expensive addresses, with Darling Point coming in at No. 1, thanks... read news item »
25 August 2008
Look beyond the Big Five
You have to hand it to NAB's Ahmed Fahour. In breaking ranks with the other big banks and undertaking to deliver in full an expected quarter-point cut to the official interest rate next month, the NAB's Australian chief executive has pulled off a public relations coup. With the Big Five's image well and truly tarnished thanks to multiple unofficial rate rises, NAB's well orchestrated announceme... read news item »
23 August 2008
Council valuations can be good value
Anyone thinking of selling a house will find this indicator useful. Property owners are receiving council rate notices at the moment and, in addition to the size of the bill, a great deal of interest is generally shown in the value of the property. It is important to know, however, that the value ascribed to your property by council is not always the same as what you may receive if you were to... read news item »
23 August 2008
Spring ahead
Sellers hope it's not just the weather that heats up this spring. Traditionally, buyers become more enthused and gardens are at their best. More properties are for sale from September to the end of November than at any other time of year. But when price is all about supply and demand, this is not necessarily a good thing if you're a vendor. Angus Raine, chief executive of Raine & Horne,... read news item »
18 August 2008
Forget one big rate cut; expect two or three smaller ones
Even the dogs are barking that the Reserve Bank board is almost certain to cut the official interest rate in two weeks. But those expecting a cut of 50 basis points are barking up the wrong tree. You have to ask if Reserve governor Glenn Stevens looks like a 50-basis-point kind of guy. Is he the kind of guy who would go for the grand gesture? The kind who'd panic? Or is he the kind who defi... read news item »
05 August 2008
Who's listening to rates call?
HOMEOWNERS are waiting to see if any interest rate relief is in store over the next few months when the Reserve Bank today announces its latest interest rates decision. The central bank is tipped to keep rates on hold today at 7.25 per cent, but economists are expecting cuts before the end of the year. But even if official rates do come down over the next few months, there’s no g... read news item »
03 August 2008
Support for tougher rules on green housing
People who recently built, or are planning to build, a home, support greener home rules, a Government-commissioned report has found. The report, obtained by The Sunday Age under freedom-of-information laws, found that the State Government could improve the energy-rating scheme for new homes from five stars to six "immediately and with no major problems" and seven stars was &quo... read news item »
02 August 2008
Up or down? Next three months are crucial
People are understandably reluctant to talk of recession. After 17 years of growth, it's hard to believe it's going to end now. And there are at least four good reasons to think it won't. But there is a new sense of fear in the air. You could feel it this week in the spare, austere tone of the International Monetary Fund's latest update on the world economy. Once the IMF used such reports to ... read news item »
28 July 2008
Home sales jump in June
HOME sales posted strong growth in June but activity in the first half of 2008 was still weak as borrowers battled high interest rates, new data shows. A Housing Industry Association (HIA) survey of the nation's 100 biggest builders and developers found that house and unit sales rose by 4 per cent last month. Detached house sales increased by 2.6 per cent while volatile multi-unit sal... read news item »
27 July 2008
An answer for the asset-rich, cash-poor
It sounds too good to be true, but you really can extract funds from your home. Called a reverse mortgage, how much you can gain access to depends on the provider. IN REVERSE While the credit crunch has meant some big-name lenders have withdrawn from the reverse mortgage market, all the signs point to them continuing to be in demand. A relatively new product, reverse mortgages are just one... read news item »