Benefits of publicity

It's been interesting looking at the statistics of visitors to the Ray White Beecroft website. The day after Beecroft in Bloom, more people visited the website than ever before! Coincidence? Or evidence of the obscure way that charitable acts pay off?

Pensioner rents

The Federal government is making a fuss about NSW government proposals to increase rents by $7.50 when the new pension increase of $30 comes in. However apparently council rents have "always" been set at 25% of the pension, so the increase is consistent with that existing policy.

Auctions in Upper North Shore

Residential property sales by auction over the weekend achieved below average clearance rates of 55% this weekend for the upper north shore and northern beaches. Lower north shore achieved 63% and eastern suburbs 77%.

Website success

Our website, raywhitebeecroft.com.au, had 220 visitors to the site last week, half of them new visitors. We also advertise on Google and elsewhere, further increasing our visibility to potential buyers and renters.

Digital Display of Adverts

Ray White Beecroft used its four digital window displays to promote the recent Beecroft in Bloom event, showing who the early sponsors were, and thereby apparently encouraging a rush of new sponsors eager to appear on the display lists.

Kellyville house prices

Ray White Beecroft manages quite a few residential properties out to the west of Beecroft, including Cherrybrooke and Kellyville. The Spring Property Guide shows that house prices in Kellyville fell only 1% last year.

Property Price Changes

The Sydney Morning Herald published their spring property guide this last weekend. House prices in the Upper North Shore make interesting reading. House prices in Beecroft are shown as having dropped nearly 10% over the last year, but are forecast to increase 9% to 12% over the next twelve months. Sounds like a great time to buy! And for home owners, they have to decide how long they will hold onto their property waiting for this predicted increase.
Homes for sale in Cheltenham are reported to have dropped 6.7%, and are predicted to rise the same as Beecroft. Houses for sale in Epping dropped 10% last year. Homes for sale in Carlingford fell 8%.
Interestingly, houses for sale in Pennant Hills dropped only 1.3% last year, and in West Pennant Hills residential houses fell 2.8% while units rose 13% and are predicted not to gain value next year at all.

Another quick sale

Ray White Beecroft clocked up another excellent sale yesterday with Peter Raco driving off into the night to deliver contracts. All looks to be sewn up and I will publish details after the cooling off period.

Cocktail Party Success

Beecroft in Bloom got off to a great start with a cocktail party sponsored by Ray White Beecroft at the opening of the art gallery. Greg Smith, the local MP, attended and gave an excellent speech praising the work of the Lions Club.

About a hundred people attended the cocktail party, and numerous pieces of art were sold from the art gallery during the evening.

Beecroft schools attract

The Illawara Mercury reported recently that
"Parents are sharing houses, providing false addresses, renting and buying property in a fierce competition to secure a place for their children at some of Sydney's top comprehensive high schools. Schools including Cheltenham Girls, Burwood Girls, Epping Boys, Killara and Cherrybrook high schools perform well educationally and are being swamped with enrolment applications."
Ray White Beecroft is very much aware of this, a significant majority of applicants for rental property admit the attraction of living in Beecroft is the number of superb schools available in the area.

Ray White monthly meeting

This Friday the northern districts group of Ray White real estate agencies gathered for their monthly campaign meeting in the offices of Ray White Beecroft, Hannah Street, Beecroft, NSW 2119.

Presents from grateful clients

Our residential property sales department received some lovely flowers for selling Victoria Avenue, and the Property Management department received a huge tin of chocolates for sorting out problems with a tenant in North Sydney. The good thing about that issue was that the tenant was left happy too.

Rorke Street house finally demolished

Late last year Ray White Beecroft sold a very old house in Rorke Street. Although the Ray White Beecroft property management department had been managing a tenant in the property for nearly ten years it was obvious that the house was becoming unfit to live in. The tenant was happy but the owner decided the house had to go. The Ray White Beecroft house sales department took over and advertised the property for sale. Lots of people came and saw the lovely old house, but they saw the cracks in the walls and I don't think anyone considered renovating. The buyer made no secret of his intention to demolish and rebuild. Well now the house is gone.

Swimming pool repair

The Cherrybrook swimming pool repair is finally done. What a saga. The pool had been blowing bubbles out of its return pipe, but otherwise seemed to be performing fine. But investigating the suspected leak showed a leak under the bush near the poolside filter. Removing the bush, we found its roots had broken the pipe, and digging further we found a five inch diameter root from a tree near the pump had grown along between the two pipes, crushing them out of shape. Presumably the bush roots had caused the initial leak, and the water in the soil had attracted the other tree, which had grown the bigger root over the time since the first leak started. The moral is, don't have bushes or trees near your pool pipe work. And if you see bubbles coming out of your return line, investigate. Well done the Ray White Beecroft property management department for not ignoring this problem.

Art Gallery

The Beecroft in Bloom art gallery to be held this weekend in the empty offices in the module above Ray White Beecroft will feature some lovely paintings, photographs, ceramics, and other work from talented artists.

Beecroft in Bloom

Ray White Beecroft has been heavily involved in the preparations for Beecroft in Bloom this coming weekend. Lydia Merrill, proprietor, and Peter Hewitt, Business Development Manager, went to the Annual General Meeting of the Lions Club of Beecroft/Cheltenham, who organise the event. Since then Ray White Beecroft has been advertising on our digital display screens to promote the various sponsors. Sharon Aldrick, our Marketing Manager, who has had her artistic photography exhibited and has a long career promoting and curating artistic events, is assisting with the Art Galery.