News Archive
10 April 2008
Time and tiles
Is your bathroom trapped in a time warp? "Your bathroom shouldn't be some dingy space - it should feel as nice to go into as your bedroom or living room," says interior decorating consultant Mia Asker, of White Design. No matter what era it's stuck in, there are some inexpensive pick-me-ups for your bathroom. You hate the colour "Pick a colour that is in the bathroom already a... read news item »
10 April 2008
Time and Tiles
Is your bathroom trapped in a time warp? "Your bathroom shouldn't be some dingy space - it should feel as nice to go into as your bedroom or living room," says interior decorating consultant Mia Asker, of White Design. No matter what era it's stuck in, there are some inexpensive pick-me-ups for your bathroom. You hate the colour "Pick a colour that is in the bathroom already a... read news item »
09 April 2008
A twist on Hitchcock
ALFRED Hitchcock's obsession with beautiful blondes comes under the spotlight in a new production of the play Hitchcock Blonde. The play is being staged by Wollstonecraft theatre director Roz Riley at the Star of the Sea Theatre at Manly. "Behind Hitchcock's obsession with beautiful blondes lay a deep dark secret which is finally revealed in the play," Riley said. "It's a fasc... read news item »
06 April 2008
Mortgage exit fees a rort for
BORROWERS are set to benefit from increased competition following the release of a review highlighting the differences in fees on the various mortgage products offered by lenders. The Federal Government has released details of a review of mortgage entry and exit fees which it says will help boost competition in the banking sector and make it easier for unhappy borrowers to switch lenders. F... read news item »
05 April 2008
Difficult but not impossible
The REIV's latest statistical release on the residential rental market shows that vacancies are at a 25-year low of 0.9%. In what can be described as the tightest residential rental market for a long time, competition is intense. Here are some tips that may help you secure the right property. Firstly, consider your search criteria. Factors include location, features and price. If you can't ... read news item »
04 April 2008
Now for the off-the-peg rapid
This could be made possible with the help of a series of pre-set housing standards contained in an overhaul of NSW planning. The proposals, made public yesterday, would lead to the most significant changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act since it was written 30 years ago. The Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, dismissed claims they represented a "one size fits all&quo... read news item »
04 April 2008
Rents in Australian cities will soar in the next four years
RENTS in major cities will rise by 50 per cent over the next four years, a report predicts. Most major cities had seen double-digit percentage rises in house rents over the past year as advertised listings dropped to a five-year low, Australian Property Monitors said in its March quarter rental series. APM general manager Michael McNamara said rental supply was tight as a drum. "As Ge... read news item »
03 April 2008
Rental squeeze just got tighter
Rental vacancy rates in Sydney and Melbourne have plummeted below 1 per cent for the first time on record . Sydney and Melbourne both recorded vacancy rates of 0.9 per cent in February, according to figures from the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) and the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV). The REINSW says February was the first time all of Sydney, from the inner to the... read news item »
03 April 2008
House prices up 14 per cent
The Australian property market has proved resilient in the 12 months to February despite interest rate rises, according to data from RP Data and Rismark International. The median house price across Australia’s capital cities climbed 13.8 per cent to $498,000 over the year to February, according to the companies’ Hedonic Index . Growth in the three months to the end of February was... read news item »
03 April 2008
Are you in the dark about depreciation?
Many property investors still haven’t heard of claiming tax depreciation on their investment properties, meaning they’re missing out on the opportunity to inject thousands of dollars into their annual cash flow, according to BMT and Associates quantity surveyors. BMT says it often comes across investors who don’t know about the significant deductions available to them or who ... read news item »