Richardson and Wrench Mosman and Neutral Bay Real Estate » 2011

Archive for December, 2011

RWM – Office Hours Over Christmas & New Year

Our office will be closed from midday December 23 until January 9 2012. For any parties wanting to contact one of our sales agents to arrange an inspection during the period that we are closed here are the contact phone numbers.
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Stephen Patrick – 0413 834 848
Richard Simeon – 0411 499 906
Robert Simeon – 0411 856 969
Mark Manners – 0403 032 700
Jacqui Rowland -Smith – 0411 714 442
Marize Bellomo – 0414 972 203
Andrew Blaxland – 0414 060 126
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We wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, a prosperous New Year, health and wealth in 2012 and beyond.

15.12.11Stephen Patrick2 Comments »

Don’t Worry, Be Happy – 2012 Is Looking Good!

2011 has been a year of ‘follow the bouncing ball’ and for some it has become an obsession. Our fixation and theories on things beyond our control has lead to short term paralysis! As a result, our long-term judgment is clouded. Our economy continues to track well with miners and households drive recovery as GDP growth exceeds Treasury forecasts. It actually grew 1 per cent in the September quarter and is recording near Asian rates of economic growth on the back of massive resource projects and strong household spending.

This week, we also had valid arguments as to why the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) should not cut rates although it makes better sense to read the October RBA – Monetary Policy Decision where the cash rate remained unchanged at 4.75 per cent. Next read the December RBA – Monetary Policy Decision where the cash rate was lowered another 25 basis points from November to now sit at 4.25 per cent. It is quite amusing that the RBA announced it would be effective from 7 December 2011. A bit of trivia: since December 18 1990 – the RBA has cut the cash rate five times and increased it four times at its December meetings.

Silence from our four big banks was deafening until one day after the effective date of 7 December NAB joins ANZ in matching RBA rate cut when (reluctantly) Westpac and the CBA brought up the tail. The reason why? It’s simple: by delaying the announcement to pass on the full interest rate cut, they receive an extra $5.6 million in pre–tax profit for every day of silence. A purely commercial decision (albeit short term) that gives journalists and social media a field day of ‘bank bashing’ that over time, can cause customer revolt.

BUY PRINT

It would not be a complete edition of Virtual Realty News unless we were spoilt by the brilliance of Tim Mooney who is in my opinion one of this country’s greatest photographers. He has made soaring through our skies and capturing amazing photographic images, an art form.

Australia is suffering from shark alarm syndrome. The alarm sounds and swimmers leave the water! The next day they are back swimming without a care. The difference with the economy is that the daily shark alarms are based on assumptions, not sightings.

ANZ shifts to monthly rates review where they are now set to sever the long–standing link between official interest rates set by the RBA and the rates customers pay on their mortgage. This decision questions the relevance of the RBA, if banks are to decide independently, what their cash rate will be. This has the potential to become very ugly and I see ‘bank bashing’ alive and well in 2012. On the one hand we will have bank advertising campaigns of those warm and fuzzy happy family moments and on the other, journalists and social media beating the living daylights out of their reputations. The latter will win hands down!

Funniest online fight of the week goes to Business Spectator when Alan Kohler wrote – Wake up and smell a budget stinker which brought on a reply by the ‘World’s Greatest Treasurer’ Not a shocker, not bozos. The conclusion I drew, is that what Wayne Swan says, bears absolutely no resemblance to what he writes. So Treasury must have written the response. I still believe Alan Kohler is on the money.

So let’s review the Mosman housing market for 2011 as compared to previous years. How do believe it performed, given all the adverse economic commentary. Before you read on, do you think it was up or down?

Source: Domain Property Monitors

Mosman House Results 2010

Total Number Offered – 289
Total Number Sold – 233
Total Value Sold – $499,283,500
Private Treaty – 193
Auction – 40
Clearance Rate – 25 per cent

Mosman House Results 2011

Total Number Offered – 307*
Total Number Sold – 248*
Total Value Sold – $515,676,000
Private Treaty – 198
Auction – 50
Clearance Rate – 29 per cent

*many sales yet to be recorded/registered so this will increase

Let’s now look at the median and average prices.

2010 Mosman House Median Price – $2,250,000
2011 Mosman House Median Price – $2,240,000
2010 Mosman Average House Price – $2,684,319
2011 Mosman Average House Price – $2,658,123

If we go back to the RBA December Monetary Policy Decision, the Governor Glenn Stevens, said “Growth in the global economy has moderated this year after a strong performance in 2010.” So it is interesting to read the Economic and housing predictions for 2012: Craig James. “With the benefit of hindsight it is clear that our economic and financial forecasts were overly optimistic. “ That may be the case however it is not reflective in the 2011 Mosman house sales results.

I can’t emphasise enough that the pulse of our property markets is best defined by weekly sales activity and this week, twenty properties in Mosman found new owners. In mathematical terms, that equates to just 2.2 per cent of Mosman’s 4,900 (approx) houses on the market and that number is reducing on a weekly basis.

Source: Domain Property Monitors

MOSMAN – 2088

• Number of houses on the market last week – 118
• Number of houses on the market this week – 107
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 111
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 106

CREMORNE – 2090

• Number of houses on the market last week – 14
• Number of houses on the market this week – 14
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 30
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 25

NEUTRAL BAY – 2089

• Number of houses on the market last week – 14
• Number of houses on the market this week – 13
• Number of apartments on the market last week – 93
• Number of apartments on the market this week – 89

For this week’s sales in 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

For this week’s open for inspections – Click Here

Steve, Rich, I and our brilliant RWM team, thank you for your fantastic patronage to our Richardson & Wrench Mosman & Neutral Bay (RWM) business model. Our subscriber sales sit on $1,024,767,720, the Australian record for real estate online sales. It has been our absolute pleasure to have you join us each week, in what has been a most turbulent year.

However, I don’t believe our property market can compete with the expected turbulence in Canberra in 2012, with Julia Gillard and her totally incompetent government at the forefront. Kevin Rudd will challenge, so expect some amazing theatrics where self-preservation will come to the fore!

2012 will be our twelfth year of Virtual Realty News.

Have a relaxed and fantastic Christmas and New Year.

Merry-Christmas

My final Virtual Realty News thought for 2011. What a pity our economy doesn’t grow as fast as our children!

Virtual Realty News will return on January 20, 2012.

Cheers ^__^

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9.12.11Robert Simeon13 Comments »

Wayne’s ‘Swan Song’ – He’s Obviously Tone Deaf!

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I’m not sure which quote will go down as the dumbest in 2011. Our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, was the orator of the two that I believe win hands down. The first “there will be no carbon tax under the government that I lead” we all know what happened with that. The second is “the Government remains committed to returning the budget to surplus by 2012 – 13.”

The latter quote was succinctly critiqued by Future Fund chairman David Murray who hit out at the Australian government – Murray slams Gillard’s crisis response: report. Mr Murray told The Australian that the Labor government’s “surprise” carbon and mining taxes were putting Australia’s reputation with international investors at risk at a very delicate time, warning that Australia’s 20 years of continuous growth could come to an end. “I would have thought what’s going on with Europe – even what’s happened to the currency in recent times – would tell us that it can end. Yet there’s no entrenched realisation that this is a very risky position that we are in.”

The reason the Government remains committed to returning the budget to surplus by 2012 – 13 is simple. It doesn’t want the Opposition to run advertising campaigns prior to the next election in 2013, saying that the Labor government is incapable of managing our economy.

BUY PRINT

Budget predictions turned from bad to worse when the ‘World’s Greatest Treasurer’, Wayne Swan, released his Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) where the forecasts of a $22.600 billion blister predicted in May had blown out to $37.100 billion in November. This prompted an avalanche of attacks (understandably) at the government’s economic credibility. Swan’s pursuit of surplus branded ‘madness’ to put this into perspective after the May budget Alan Kohler wrote on his Business Spectator website BUDGET 2011: On a wing and a prayer. As quick as a flash I eagerly awaited Mr Kohler’s response to the MYEFO: Budget for a fool’s paradise and Wake up for a budget stinker – I loved this observation “Economic growth for 2012 – 13, about which nobody has the faintest clue, has been reduced by 13 per cent to 3.25 per cent. Revenue for that year has been reduced by just 1.7 per cent.”

Over to the ‘World’s Greatest Treasurer’ – Surplus sends message to world: Swan “At a time of heightened global instability, our fiscal discipline here needs to send a message to the world” – the treasurer is now delusional. What is missing is that if the budget is not in surplus by 2012 -13 a resignation will be immediately tendered – no chance of that happening. The graph below identifies Wayne Swan’s bread and surpluses trick I take exception to being treated like a fool.

Stephen Koukoulas wrote on his economics, financial markets and politics blog: Fascinating Fiscal Facts – Who’s addicted to spending and taxing?

Total government receipts (tax, dividends, fees and the like) was 21.6 % of GDP in 2010 – 11, the lowest since 1973 – 74 when Frank Crean was Treasurer.
The tax to GDP[ ratio fell to 20.0% in 2010 – 11, the lowest since 1978 – 79 and is a whopping 4.2% of GDP below the record tax to GDP ratio raked in by the Howard government in 2004 – 05 and 2005 – 06. That’s a lesser tax take of around that was taken tax payers during the peak period of the Howard government. As mentioned elsewhere, it is easy to register a budget surplus when you tax the living daylights out of the population.
Real government payments> (spending) will rise by an average of less than 0.1% per annum in the 3 years to 2012 – 13, the weakest 3 yearly spending growth since the mid to late 1980’s under the Hawke/Keating Government. Never once did the Howard Government deliver a cut in real government spending – in fact real spending grew by a thumping 3.5% per annum for the last five years of the Howard government.
Payments ( spending> will be 23.6% of GDP in 2012 – 13 around 1.5% of GDP below the average of the last 30 years. In the 12 Howard Government Budgets, spending to GDP averaged 24.2% of GDP: and only in 3 years out of 12 of the Howard Government was the spending to GDP ratio lower than the Gillard Government is projecting for 2012 – 13.
The 4.3% of GDP turnaround in the Budget balance in the 3 years to 2012 – 13 (from a deficit of 4.2% to a surplus of 0.1%) is the most rapid turn in the fiscal position on record.

We keep reading house prices at risk from Europe crisis so no relief for the 8 biggest losses on Mermaid Beach’s Millionaire’s Row show no post – GFC recovery in sight. A home in Hedges Avenue (sold in 2007 for $17.500 million) has resold for $7.700 million, meaning the price dropped by about $50,000 each week over the four year ownership. In Mosman Billionaire Oatley wine family snaps up Kahala for the best of Balmoral’s boating facilities. The owner paid $22.500 million for the home in 2007 and we estimate it would have re – sold for approximately $18.500 million.

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In the boom (n) times the top – end properties show the fastest price appreciation where today – It’s an affluent housing correction: Christopher Joye. Mosman is no exception to this rule although we are observing some interesting property market machinations. Another very strong week of sales evidence in Mosman and we can expect this momentum to continue through to Christmas. If we then look at the number of houses in Mosman on the market there is an interesting pattern emerging.

On September 29 2011, there were 106 houses on the market, so watch the weekly pattern since then. 115, 133, 147, 147, 168, 136, 134 and this week 118.

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This shows finally, that demand is meeting supply which, in my humble opinion, is a most positive sign. Prices can’t go down if stock levels continue to decline. That can only happen when supply far exceeds demand and we are not seeing that as the numbers indicate.

Source: Domain Property Monitors