Today, I thought I would give you an insight into my overview of the last 2 years and hope the information assists you to move on to smarter property sales and purchases.

The world changed post March 2008, and so has the local real estate market. Today’s vendors and buyers remain totally confused and understandably so. As two years on, sales trends are still so erratic, if you look for security in each short spike continuing as a trend, most will get it wrong.  The last two plus years have seen the most dramatic swings of opinions and sales volumes since the early 1990’s. Long periods of minimal sales have been followed by bursts of sales, reminiscent of the golden years. At least back then vendors and purchasers  alike, could make a calculated decision based on predictable trends and sales evidence, as to the most likely sale price and plan their lives ahead accordingly. Back then, many properties sold at the top of the price range, buyers had more income security and were more inclined to compromise on the perfect property (there is no such thing) and were more inclined to put the family’s happiness first, rather than to negotiate to the final dollar.

For two years the only consistent property trend is inconsistency, so stop trying to pick the market and focus on how the quality and genuine appeal of each property meets the criteria and desires of your family or yourself. Yes, price is always important and the evidence is that property prices have lowered and represent great buying for genuine buyers. However, many buyers are living in a false world and dreaming of a ‘property collapse’ and consistently missing out on well priced properties, which would have been ideal for their own needs.

The reality is that stock levels are down, around 30% to approx 330 house sales in Mosman for the last two years and buyers are fewer too. Prices are down and many buyers have less money. Sellers will understandably take less as most will re-buy for less. Buyers are patient as they are more inclined to wait for “A” grade stock, of which nearly all is selling.  However the biggest fact is more buyers than ever are regretting missed opportunities.  Personally, I’ve been fortunate to have sold a house every 10 days on average for 18 months, representing around $180,000,000 worth of property over every price range.  I feel like a walking research library of consumer sentiment, both buyers and sellers alike, positive and negative. I’m spending on average one day per week with potential vendors and buyers discussing when and how they should move in the property market.  The truth? There are many buyers and sellers who have made the best property transaction of their lives over the past two years.

BUY PRINT

Here are a few of my tips for buying and selling in this post GFC market:

Generally speaking, your preferred and most trusted agent and agency, should almost act as your informal property advisor and not just jump in for the listing or quick sales commission. Use them to analyse your property needs. They should be capable of mapping a purchase or creating the best selling strategies, which maximise your position within the current market.  In any property market there are winners and losers, so make sure your advice is well supported by third party data and evidence and not baseless opinions.

Buying – generally speaking this is the best market to purchase in if you are looking longer term. We have buyers that have been looking for the ‘impossible deal’ for years. Their families could have been settled in their dream house and financially better off years ago.

• Purchase “A” grade properties and not those compromised, as when the market strengthens the better properties will appreciate ahead of market. So, take a longer term perspective and don’t be swayed just by cosmetic beauty, as this is the easiest and the least costly attribute to rectify.
• Most fully-renovated properties represent better buying in this market than land value sales, as you cannot buy the land and rebuild for the same cost of a completed house
• Longer term settlements and special conditions such as ‘put and call’ purchase agreements  are becoming more typical , so don’t hesitate to present your terms and not simply disregard a property if the standard contract terms are not attractive to you.
• The selling agents must be capable to assist you to the most intimate level. If a property is not right then he/she should be able to source your preferred property. For example, our subscribers represent over 5,000 buyers in 53 countries worldwide and our subscriber sales drive our business. As at today we have sold $956,000,000 worth of property to our private clients.
• Don’t outsmart yourself and immediately discount a property falsely assuming that the price will drop. Recognise and accept that there is always sufficient demand for good properties and a fair price is reflective of a good property
• Be a smart and educated buyer so you can move quickly, which most often means using the agent to do your research and rationale for you. Understand what property credentials justify value and don’t simply group all properties as being much alike.

Selling – “Trust me, we’ll sell your home no worries”, doesn’t work these days. Reputations are being made and lost, with buyers finding many agents short on ‘detail’, as the verbal bluff is falling on deaf ears.  Does this mean that you shouldn’t sell? Well hell no! – you just need to ensure that you are driving the sales process and not taking any short cuts.

• The best agents act more as “property advisors” than hard selling agents, they work to appreciate your specific needs, and then deliver. 50% of my sales are to buyers who initially say no.  Once we analyse all the facts together via meetings and written documents, we realise that a particular property is more appealing than first thought, so keep an open mind.
• Some properties are perfect for auction, most are not. Prior to the GFC every buyer hated to compete at an auction, today most buyers relish the thought of going to an auction, so they can low bid it. Strategies that counter handing too much power to the buyers are the key.
• Purchasers will remember 80% of what they read and 20% of what they hear. The verbal pitch is critical but the best agents reinforce their sales pitches to good prequalified buyers as strategic emails.
• A post GFC successful track record is critical, as you know they are succeeding with sales in this market.  Some agents went on holidays last year for six months as they couldn’t sell, some spend all their time trying to co-list other agent’s properties. Most are complaining. This is a real market and the sales are being made, so look for the ‘real’ performers.
• Don’t co-list a property, as only one agent and agency can affectively represent your best interests. With a joint listing, buyers will contact both agents looking for the cheapest deal, so recognise that no agent owns a buyer and that buyers are not even loyal to an agent when buying. If they want a property they will deal with the selling agent.

I hope some or at least one of these points will assist you in this post GFC property market.  Stay tuned for an early Spring market with most properties launching mid-August. Stock levels won’t be huge, a fact that has been so for two years, but we expect many buyers will be looking to buy and secure their new homes and settle in for Christmas this year.

Richard.

This week’s sales Mosman real estate, Beauty Point real estate, Clifton Gardens real estate, Balmoral real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate, Cammeray real estate Click Here

30.07.10Richard Simeon6 Comments »

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Robert is on holidays and I will not even try to match his massive output.  I realised just how much preparation and research goes into his weekly column when I sat down and wondered where to start!

Robert will be doing his best work this week in Thailand (similar to Sir Les Patterson as the Australian Cultural Attache).   With the election looming, he will no doubt be explaining to the Thais what “budgie smugglers” are and what “ranga” means in the Australian vernacular.

Election … how will it affect our real estate market, you ask?  Well 10 years ago and beyond, people always sat on the fence until they saw which party was elected and how the result could possibly change their lives.  Three  months later (usually) things were back to normal!   However, today, many voters are not too concerned as they think both parties are closely aligned  in their business outlooks.

As one of our clients said the other day, “we have recently had 12 years of a Liberal Government so if they get back in we know how they operate”.  Too true!

We believe the election will come and go with lots of the usual stuff from both parties and then we will sit back and worry (as we do now) about the world economy and where it is going.

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BUY PRINT

This year’s real estate market has been interesting to say the least. It started very cautiously in Jan/Feb with positive news coming out of the USA.   This was reflected in March and up to Easter when quite a lot of property was sold as buyers moved in confidently to secure their family homes.

At the same time, while  people were away enjoying their Easter and School Holidays, Greece was in financial crisis and the Aussie Govt declared a new Mining Super Tax.

The Results were devastating!  The ASX fell through the floor (12-15%) in a week and the shutters were pulled down on the property market as everyone jumped back on the fence, to sit and watch.

My experience  selling real estate over the past 30 years has been that when there is a major setback in the market there is a three  month period of “wait and see”  before people jump back into the playing arena.  That three  month period is about up, as we have just had our July holidays, which, in our business, normally coincide with the quietest month of the year.

We have seen more buyers at our “opens” this week as some see this as a good time to buy when there is not too much competition around. The market presently represents good value and the bold buyers will probably be the big winners in the long term.

We anticipate that August /September will see more turnover of stock at the current levels and then a steady run into Christmas. Interest rates rises, which are still a topic of conversation, will have a bearing  in Western Sydney, rather than on the Eastern Seaboard but will keep prices in check across the board.

Look forward to seeing you at the opens, in the Village or on the sidelines somewhere soon.  Now I am off to find an orangutan wearing speedos, so i can send a photo to Rob in Thailand.

This week’s sales Mosman real estate, Beauty Point real estate, Clifton Gardens real estate, Balmoral real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate, Cammeray real estate Click Here

Steve.

23.07.10Stephen Patrick4 Comments »

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Plenty of negative sentiment about the property markets at the minute – so try telling somebody who cares, given purchasers and vendors appear a thousand miles apart (for the moment anyway).

Last week, I wrote that July can be a lost property month as so many are away on holidays. This is echoed with website traffic where Unique Visitors are busily visiting other sites such as beach resorts and or snowfields. Sour outlook for house prices as investors are the only source of growth in market which is interesting given investors tend to only play when they identify a buyer’s market. Clearance rate slumps as supply surges where it was reported “Sydney’s auction clearance rate plummeted at the weekend with just 49 per cent of properties selling – the poorest result for 18 months.”

To confuse the issue further home loans up for first time in eight months which is a clear sign of market recovery. “The number of new owner – occupied home loans rose 1.9 per cent in May, the first increase in eight months. Lending to housing investors continued its recent surge, rising 2.6 per cent in value, and has now swelled by 35 per cent since early last year. No doubt investors are circling First Home Buyers who are feeling the strain of increased funding costs.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its lending finance approval data this week – lending remains subdued, easing bubble fears. The average in 2009 was $53.14 billion per month, compared to $65.67 billion per month in the pre – crisis year of 2007, meaning $12.53 billion less coming into the economy per month via lending institutions. At the current growth rate, total lending, at $51.58 billion in May, would take another six years to regain the high point of $70.63 billion reached at the end of 2007. I am not sure that we need to reach the high point anytime soon as borrowers told to pay down debt given the cash rate overtime will go up not down. In 2007 we saw borrowers lock and load debt where today, it is the complete opposite of lock and unload debt.

BUY PRINT

Business conditions hold steady given interest rates remain attractive as well as strong job growth, this identifies that Australia has solid business fundamentals. It should be noted that I am referring to businesses not governments. One of the biggest global bond managers Pimco rated Australia as a top investment destination so the outlook from a business perspective looks sound. Although that scenario could quickly change as banks face pressure over cost of lending and look likely to raise rates. Contrary to what the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) suggests, the banks are becoming increasingly triggered happy to reprice their mortgages – banks to cool on rate rises until after poll.

As a business we rely strongly on the Macquarie Economics Research data as an economic compass for our advice to purchasers, vendors and subscribers to Virtual Realty News. So let’s look at its economic forecasts, where the key issue is how long will rates remain on hold? Throw in a likelihood that banks could increase rates independently and the heat comes back into the market again.

The Macquarie Economics Research – Outlook for the September quarter 2010 identifies both calm and choppy waters ahead. The common denominator is quite simple (for me anyway) based on the above forecast, simply put: excessive debt is dangerous. This would explain why in our real estate market demographic we see bonuses being paid directly back into reducing debt levels. Leveraged lending on speculative investments is today a thing of the past, as households have all but ruled out those global financial crises – margin calls. A clear message: to borrow within not without.

Sydneysiders have always been proud that collectively our property markets are the benchmark for the Australian property industry, however for the very first time this is about to change. Our state Government – Fort Crumble (the most incompetent in Australia’s history) will show you why with the following graph.

Source: Australian Property Monitors

Senior Labor figures face annihilation – “Secret polling shows state Labor is facing a near wipe – out at the next election, with seven ministers and former Premier Nathan Rees among 28 MPs likely to lose seats. Polls by Labor and unions showed a 15 per cent swing against the Keneally Government statewide.” Fort Fumble due to their inability to provide infrastructure have driven residents to other States and Territories – Melbourne close to overtaking Sydney in price stakes. With annual population growth in Victoria running at 2.2 per cent, compared to NSW at 1.7 per cent, driving demand, it’s not hard to imagine Melbourne seriously challenging for the crown of Australia’s most expensive median priced city in the near future.

It will be a fascinating run into Christmas for both political and property voyeurs. The Colmar Brunton survey is always an interesting read Bubble – burst fears rise where investors are expecting house prices to remain flat or possibly fall. A very interesting read as well is show us your ticker, Gillard, before you force us to vote. Then our non – elect Prime Minister has to hose down the stoush where Paul Keating unleashes on Bob Hawke: I carried you through years of ‘Malaise’.

Julia Gillard announced that if elected the failed Emperor Kevin Rudd will sit on the front bench – I doubt she will hand him the Insulation Portfolio.

Steve and Richard have returned back from holidays so over to them.

I’m looking forward to road testing my iPad under my umbrella on the beach in Thailand as well as reading RISE OF THE RUDDBOT. Given what transpired at the Press Club yesterday PM Julia Gillard accused of double deal where it very much looks like the Labor Party is witnessing the Revenge of The Emperor – and it’s looking ugly.

Back in three weeks to cover the federal election which is taking more turns than a Winter Olympics.

Why is Mosman the strongest real estate market in Australia? Mosman is way out in front which, explains ladies and gentlemen, why, Mosman is Australia’s ‘numero uno’ municipality.

Just announced Federal Election – August 21.

Got a plane to catch,

Cheers ^__^

This week’s sales Mosman real estate, Beauty Point real estate, Clifton Gardens real estate, Balmoral real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate, Cammeray real estate Click Here

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16.07.10Robert Simeon7 Comments »

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With the benefit of hindsight, we ask, did the powers that be in Canberra get the stimulus spending right whilst addressing the global financial crisis? If not, what have they learned from it (if anything)? The answer would be absolutely nothing, given nothing has, or is, being done about housing. Construction activity falls in June which is a clue dropping 6.8 points in June to a 10 – month low. More construction equates to more homes which in turn, reduces house prices. The construction industry ‘is’ the third biggest employer in Australia (or  should that be ‘was’?)

The major problems attributed to Forts Fumble and Crumble is that economically, they confuse usage with wastage (otherwise known as “reckless and wasteful spending”). After all, Fort Fumble is still borrowing almost $100 million a day which is in direct competition with home borrowers and small business as Joe Hockey tells govt to cool spending.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) met this week and decided to keep rates on hold despite solid numbers. Of course the announcement was met with the usual rhetoric Wayne Swan welcomes interest rate decision citing “while we’ve fought off the recession and kept unemployment low, we know that a lot of people are still doing it tough and recent rate rises have stretched family budgets.” More Treasurer speak “we’re focussed on reforming and strengthening our economy with investments to harness mining boom mark 11 where the Liberals failed in mining boom mark 1.” Wayne is almost Shakespearean with his economic recitals and enactments although the RBA keeps saying Government must rein in demand growth: McKibbin.

Thought we would head south this week for a change of Sydney scenery

BUY PRINT

Let’s take a closer look at Fort Fumble’s mark 11 harnessing – mining tax changes had one purpose which was taking pressure off key marginal seats. Since the new deal was announced last Friday, it has been described as a compromise, a back flip and a monumental cave–in MRRT revenue loss to be double government estimate: Goldman.

The tax was reduced from 40 to 22.5 per cent a hard tax to swallow as Alan Kohler wrote on Business Spectator.”More than double the profit threshold above which it cuts in and reduce the number of companies being taxed from 2,500 to 320, and lose only one – eighth of the money. Julia Gillard is a prime minister who Gets Things Done – the Mary Poppins of tax policy.”

No regrets over mining tax – Treasury Secretary Ken Henry whilst Martin Ferguson concedes: ‘We got super – profits tax wrong’ I can’t wait to see what happens with mark 111 as government ‘dishonest’ on revised super profits tax revenue as government sacrificed $35 bn in tax deal with big miners.

Time to move above ground where caution is being thrown to the wind (again) – which I might add is not a bad thing. Of course it would have been much better had Fort Fumble got their stimulus issues right which unfortunately was not the case as I have long argued – roads, infrastructure, housing subdivisions, hospitals – a long term future model. Fort Crumble was at it again also with another painful snub of Sydney transport, M5 set to be delayed and doodling as Metro plan burns $500m. Then on Thursday we had 50,000 Sydney homes without power again broken infrastructure in NSW.

Not one Sydney transport project has been listed as a priority for the federal Government’s (Fort Fumble) latest infrastructure funding targets. “Blasting the NSW Government’s failure to properly plan billion – dollar road and transport projects, Infrastructure Australia has instead selected a $4.9 billion Melbourne metro train project, an Adelaide freight rail line and a Federal Highway road upgrade in the ACT as priorities.” Work this out – the Pacific Highway gets an upgrade and Sydney gets absolutely nothing – Sydney has been placed in the too hard basket along with our politicians. No strings attached with Sydney anymore.

Great news for property owners who sit within a 5 – 10 – 15 kilometre radius of our CBD as evidenced when Jonathan Chancellor published this week in the Sydney Morning Herald – Top 20 Sydney house sales just the one recorded sale outside the radius – clue!

Mosman posted five of the top 20 sales.  Our very own Stephen Patrick had the highest sale and Richard Simeon had another in Warringah Road. This saw  Richardson & Wrench Mosman & Neutral Bay (RWM) record two of the five, which this week, took our Internet subscriber sales to $956,784,220.

So how is our Spring/Summer property market looking? Year ahead good, not great where Australia’s market economists declare there will be no double– dip recession here. Buyers expected to favour private sales over auctions as growth slows. We predict the Mosman market to shift (initially) in the upcoming market to online advertising – stage one as property markets stabilise. Why? It’s all about our real estate ring of confidence.

As Macquarie Economics Research explained:

• With more volatility in global financial markets, an increasing number of analysts are betting that this will force the RBA to leave rates unchanged over the next year. Certainly, if the credit markets dry up the RBA will not hesitate to cut interest rates. But with the Government’s deal with major mining companies over taxation, removing one of the clouds over investment, the RBA might actually have become more confident in the growth outlook.

Don’t forget rise in inflation to irk RBA where the annual reading of 3.6 per cent rate of inflation rose for the eighth straight month. This is well outside the RBA’s target of between 2 and 3 per cent. Rents will continue to drive inflation up given a six year wait to save deposit for first home in Sydney which is quite ironic given Infrastructure Australia is not investing in Sydney. IMF sees strong growth in Australia, but risks grow although I would add that government economic policy is an even greater risk on our shores.

Sydney needs a plan and it is obvious that  Forts Fumble and Crumble have absolutely no idea on how to address such complex issues. Sydney commuters can expect to see new signs on all transport systems – Turn around You Are Going the Wrong Way – no infrastructure ahead. When Fort Crumble has difficulty filling out Infrastructure Australia forms it’s no wonder NSW is a basket case. More back flips from Fort Fumble where Gillard eats her words over refugees as her options dwindle to six countries for east Timor alternative.

The Emperor may have gone however the art of the back flip remains the preferred exercise for a government that just two weeks ago, had lost its way. So what would one call the MRRT and East Timor? Must be a phase they are going through although we need more than promises to judge Julia. Maybe she has short term memory loss?

Cheers ^__^

This week’s sales Mosman real estate, Beauty Point real estate, Clifton Gardens real estate, Balmoral real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate, Cammeray real estate Click Here

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9.07.10Robert Simeon5 Comments »

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Australians love acronyms although one that never applies to the real estate industry is POETS day – Pi$$ Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday! However, for the month of July, it applies simply because (traditionally) it is seen as the month for ‘resting’ properties. Then when August arrives and the weather starts to warm, it is Game On again, for the final run through to Christmas. In July, Aussies chase the ‘S’ word – Sun, Snow and school holidays. Of course, property deals are still transacted thanks to the availability of excellent technologies.

We are at the start of a new financial year and by all accounts it will be another interesting one the fizz has gone, but it will be a wild year. ‘The past financial year has been one of contrasts. It began with such vigour and such optimism. By Christmas almost every major commentator was predicting that not only were we out of the mire, but that we were witnessing the dawn of the greatest bull run of all time. That rocky period between late 2007 and early 2009.Hah! That was merely a hiccup.”

BUY PRINT

Clear waters ahead; keep swimming between the flags or stay in the pool?

Greece and Europe face another 48 hours while the world worries about recovery as fears grow over health of the global economy. Quite fascinating given that house prices up but buyers wary of interest rates going the same way although many believe that the economy faces long grind out of crisis.

At this juncture, property markets can easily be confused with what is occurring in the share market, as was the case with red lights are flashing in fragile economy where “the end – of – quarter window dressing held the Australian stock market together yesterday but there are red lights all over the place. The market recorded its worst result for the financial year, an 11.8 per cent fall for the three months. The problems in short, are no signs of a domestic– led bounce with an election due to be called any day, weak US economic numbers, European sovereign debt and a slowing China.” So why then do property buyers wait for a booming market to pay over and above in what is otherwise known as a vendors’ market? When they find themselves in what is considered a buyers’ market, they freeze, which is probably more a casualty of economic data overload. Unless you are a property developer, the purchase of a home is considered an emotional acquisition and we all know that sometimes, our emotions can get in the way with our feelings.

Given IMF chief rules out double – dip recession one of the greatest concerns facing the Australian economy is that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is at odds with Treasury and Fort Fumble which keeps spending. Some believe that the RBA raised rates too far while others believe (with a federal election pending) the Gillard Gauntlet is borrowing and spending too much in an attempt to buy the upcoming election. Retail sales rose by a modest 0.2 per cent in May while residential building approvals fell 6.6 per cent.

Housing starts set to stall: HIA which is a leading indicator that construction is expected to jump in 2010 but drop to just 3 per cent growth in 2011. Currently Australia has a 200,000 house shortage despite an underlying growth in our population. This, of course, places enormous pressure on rental markets and yet the federal government has no strategy in place to address these concerns. Makes one question just what exactly the Housing Minister does, aside from a failing to understand basic construction economics. The combined real estate industry is the largest employer in Australia and yet, we are being told that Australia is adopting a ‘tool down’ policy. So what we are witnessing is a government attempting to stimulate votes and ignoring basic economics.

Julia Gillard insists on building classrooms (with plaques) and nobody is building Australia. The BER (Building Education Revolution) with the benefit of hindsight, should have been BAR – Building Australia Revolution. After all, who lives in a classroom?

Someone should have told them you can’t sell a classroom but you can sell a house – even in July!

Her first back-flip with the RSPT announcement today, is somewhat confusing given the tax rate dropped from forty to thirty per cent. A lot of argy bargy for just a ten per cent compromise. Either the miners are poor negotiators or Fort Fumble’s revenue estimates are incorrect – no surprise for guessing the answer.

Miners: 1 Fort Fumble: 0

Fort Fumble will call it an own goal thinking they scored too!

Cheers ^__^

This week’s sales Mosman real estate, Beauty Point real estate, Clifton Gardens real estate, Balmoral real estate, Cremorne real estate, Cremorne Point real estate, Neutral Bay real estate, Cammeray real estate Click Here

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2.07.10Robert Simeon3 Comments »