“As sapping as high oil prices are to consumers, the real reason behind the retail slowdown has been the end to the earlier housing price boom. We therefore think that consumers spendthrift ways are in need of a Bex and a good lie down. And that process has a way to run yet. … If …
There’s a letter in our local newspaper from someone who’s not too happy with “the unrelenting building frenzy in our suburbs”. He says: “… it has turned residential areas into de facto industrial estates where townhouses, small-lot pseudo-Queenslanders and other trendy, money-grabbing, soulless architecture is manufactured.” I agree that there is too much ugly profiteering …
Lending to owner-occupiers buying existing homes has increased 12% in five months, prompting The Age newspaper to announce that “The housing boom is back”. I was working flat chat from September to November, so there is a lot of activity. But a boom? I don’t think so … it’s still taking a while to sell …
A real estate agent over in San Francisco has her own blog called “Organic Realtor“. It’s kind of interesting, though pretty heavy on the “contact-me-for-help-with-anything” stuff. Anyway, she’s included a question from a seller – “How important are property photos to selling my house?” Here’s what she says: “A picture’s worth a thousand words. Your …
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says that house prices fell across Australia during the September quarter. Here in Brisbane prices fell 0.9 per cent between June and September, although they have risen 2.9 per cent since September last year. That’s not too bad … it’s the overpriced Sydney market that is really dropping, with a …
According to a study released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australia has the highest prices relative to rental levels, the third-highest prices relative to incomes, and the fourth-highest levels of household debt relative to incomes (Source: The Age). No wonder people are finding it tough to buy at the moment, especially …
Four angry residents in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast have successfully halted the construction of a $25 million mansion. The neighbours have put $60,000 together to fight the court battle on the basis that it allegedly breached by-laws and affected their views. The designer of the home, Kate Dillon, isn’t happy about it: “It’s quite …
There was an interesting article in an early November issue of The Courier Mail’s Home magazine. It profiles a young first home buyer, and describes how she went about it: I spent a month researching, looking on the internet and getting up at the crack of dawn to get the paper and make a list …
A home in Beresford Tce, Coorparoo, sold a couple of weeks back for a record price for the area – $2.999 million. I photographed this particular home a couple of years ago, and it’s not too shabby. What sets it apart? I’m not sure … there’s no city view, no riverside location, no views over …
According to LJ Hooker and BIS Shrapnel, Sydney property prices have dropped just a tad, but up here in Brisbane there’s been a positive annual rate of growth of 4.3% for September 2005. I guess that just depends on where in Brisbane you’re selling, because some areas seem to be doing better than others. Just …