News Archive
28 September 2009
Ceiling the deal
One strata resident's ceiling is another apartment-dweller's floor but when it comes to changing things, who owns what?
Question 1
I own a unit in a block of flats where the annual accounts have just itemised almost $1000 to repair a sagging ceiling in another unit.
My understanding is that repairs to the internals of an apartment are the responsibility of the individual unit owner, no... read news item »
24 September 2009
New house sales soar
New home sales soared to a new high in August, as a wave of first home buyers rushed into the market.
The national tally rose sharply - despite a sharp fall in sales in NSW, where the economy continues to struggle.
Nationally, the volume of new houses jumped 11.4 per cent in August, from a 0.1 per cent rise in July, the Housing Industry Association said, as first time buyers hurried to take... read news item »
07 September 2009
Pressure on as first-timers make tilt
First-home buyers were feeling the pressure to buy at yesterday's auction in Potts Point as the deadline for the $14,000 government grant looms.
The one-bedroom deceased estate at 4/2 Tusculum Street attracted a large group of would-be buyers who slowly battled it out to reach the $353,500 selling price – well above the mid-$200,000 guide.
Agent Simon Polito, of Laing Real Estate, was... read news item »
02 September 2009
The low-down for gardening on high
Plants can flourish where once there was no soil, writes Michael Green.
Nicholas Faiz's high-rise garden is about to shoot. Last year, he moved into a city apartment with a large, hot, north-facing balcony.
"I'm on the top storey of a building and there's bare concrete and glass towers all around me," he says. But now he's got greenery for company, including jacaranda, lemon, m... read news item »
01 September 2009
House prices up but bargains remain
CAPITAL city housing markets have shrugged off the global financial crisis, with values rising 5.9 per cent in the first seven months of the year, surpassing the last market peak in February last year.
The Australian reported Darwin led the growth with values increasing 10.8 per cent to a median price of $466,903, while Melbourne values rose 8.5 per cent, taking prices to $454,524, and Syd... read news item »
01 September 2009
'Fragile' economy helps keep interest rates on hold
HOMEOWNERS can probably rest easy for another month after the Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate unchanged for a fifth straight month after its monthly board meeting.
The central bank left the cash rate at a 49-year low of 3 per cent, as widely expected by economists.
RBA governor Glenn Stevens said the "accommodative setting'' of monetary policy was appropriate for... read news item »
27 August 2009
Outta space
Our tiny terrace is like living inside Spanx underwear – it's supposed to stay streamlined but we bulge out the edges. We need more space!
Space in Sydney is as rare as children that pick up their own mess. Architect Ellen Woolley has glorious, well-thought-out ways of harvesting more space in small areas. She suggests creating flexible spaces that can perform more than one task, fo... read news item »
23 August 2009
City set for property boom
THE average price of a Sydney home could rise by $100,000 in the next two years, according to an investment group.
A shortage of homes and a growth in population will cause the property boom, The Investors Club says.
Kevin Young, president of the group, which has 90,000 members in Australia, says the last spike in Sydney property prices occurred between 2002 and 2004 when the media... read news item »
21 August 2009
Hidden treasures
Homeowners who have lived in their property for some time can overlook some great opportunities because they have fallen into a regular pattern of everyday life. Areas of your home that have been written off as utility or storage can be remodelled to provide great value for a potential homebuyer.
A recent talkback segment on ABC radio had callers telling of their own discoveries of treasure... read news item »
12 August 2009
Australians believe the worst of the financial crisis is over
POSITIVE news about house prices has consumers feeling their most optimistic about the economy in nearly two years, a survey says.
This confidence has been further fuelled by neutral labour market news.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index rose 4.0 index points in August to 113.4 points.
The 3.7 per cent increase in the month lifted the index to its highest level sin... read news item »