Latest Property News
Australia Day 2012 – Celebrate what’s great!
Hello Everyone,
January 26 is much more than just another public holiday. It is when we unite to celebrate the founding of our nation, our diverse culture, remarkable achievements and anticipate an even brighter future. It is the day we reflect on the contribution of all immigration to the "Lucky Country" we call home and share the excitement of new citizens who will call themselves Australian for the first time. We also congratulate our local heroes who have been recognised with Australia Day Awards from our local councils for their outstanding contributions to our wonderful Northern District community.
The Better Homes Realty multicultural team is pleased to make the great Australian home ownership dream a reality for hundreds of families across the Northern District every year. So, whatever Australia Day means to you, or however you celebrate it, we hope you join with us and recognise what's great about Australia, being Australian and our future!
Next week, it's back to school. Don't forget, when you list your home for sale with Better Homes Realty we will donate $500 upon its sale to your favourite local education provider. This is our way to promote and support the Northern District's outstanding educational facilities - from early learning centres, to primary and high schools as well as tertiary institutions.
If you're not away, we look forward to seeing you this Saturday!
Betty and the team
PS - Stay tuned for our "Summer Sale" next week...if you're thinking of upsizing or downsizing there's never been a better time to sell!
SALES - PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
21 Bulkira Road, Epping
Offers over $875,000
A breath of fresh air
Solid full brick home in sought after Dence Park area, set on 888sqm with room to extend. With lounge/dining & meals area, modern kitchen & bath. Walk to train, bus, schools, shops & parks.
Inspection Saturday 12:00pm to 12:40pm or by appointment
Please click here for further details 21 Bulkira Road
Land sales improve
Sales of residential land continued to improve through 2011, lifting in September for the third consecutive quarter, according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA) and property analytics provider RP Data.
The HIA-RP Data Residential Land Report shows that the volume of land sales increased by 1.3 per cent in the September 2011 quarter.
Permits don't guarantee quality
Findings by the Victorian Auditor General's Office that 96 per cent of building permits issued do not comply with minimum statutory safety and building standards raise major questions for home builders and renovators, a building industry body warned this week.
Archicentre* Chief Executive, Mark Stewart commented that the findings show that people relying on building surveyor's reports to ensure their home is being built properly should clearly understand that a building surveyor's report will only cover the compliance aspects of the building, not the quality of the construction.
Not getting the work done
Building and renovation work slipped in the September 2011 quarter, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The figures show that the seasonally adjusted value of new residential building work done fell 1.9 per cent to $9,528.1m.
Wanted: Scammers
Have you been the victim of an online scam or noticed any new or persistent scams over the last year?
The Australasian Consumer Fraud Task Force (ACFT) and the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) are gathering information on fraud and scam trends in Australia through their annual online survey, AIC Principal Criminologist, Dr Russell Smith announced this week.
Selling? Get Feedback
Listen objectively, and if it turns out that the hot pink and mango colour scheme you've painted in the lounge room is repelling buyers, change it.
When better is not very good
Australia has once again achieved the dubious notoriety of having one of the least affordable housing markets in the world, according to the 11th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.
And that is despite the fact that the survey also found our affordability has actually improved over the past year.
Of the 325 urban markets covered worldwide, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth ranked among the 25 least affordable cities. Sydney came in third, behind Hong Kong and Vancouver.
To achieve the internationally-accepted standard of housing affordability, house prices should not exceed three times annual household income, according to the survey.