Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Property Rentals Flooding In
Talking about floods, we have received a host of new rental listings in the last couple of weeks. After vacancy rate averaging under 1% all this year, suddenly our vacancy rate has shot up to 3.5%. But not to worry, Nicole will find tenants for them very soon!
Home Insurance Flood Cover
The rules have been changed for what insurers must provide. Part of the problem in the Queensland floods was different definitions of flood, meaning that many homeowners had their claims refused despite being knee deep in flood water while their next door neighbour with a different insurer was covered.
From now on all home and content insurance will include flood cover using one common sense definition: Flood means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: a) any lake, or any river, creek or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or b). any reservoir, canal, or dam.
I claimed last year when flood water came down off the street outside due to a blocked storm drain. That would not meet the new definition. Nor would the flood of the basement car park due to an old water main coming unplugged be covered.
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten says insurance policies will not go up because of this. He must mean that the insurance companies are taking on all this extra risk at their expense as a Christmas present to the people of Australia, which is very sweet of them. Or maybe they think all the new flood claims will cost less than places like mine that are no longer covered.
From now on all home and content insurance will include flood cover using one common sense definition: Flood means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: a) any lake, or any river, creek or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or b). any reservoir, canal, or dam.
I claimed last year when flood water came down off the street outside due to a blocked storm drain. That would not meet the new definition. Nor would the flood of the basement car park due to an old water main coming unplugged be covered.
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten says insurance policies will not go up because of this. He must mean that the insurance companies are taking on all this extra risk at their expense as a Christmas present to the people of Australia, which is very sweet of them. Or maybe they think all the new flood claims will cost less than places like mine that are no longer covered.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Changing Web Sites
Today the Visiontech website that Ray White Beecroft has used since May 2009 will be taken down and replaced by a new Ray White standard website. This common format will make it easier for Ray White customers to find their way around each RW Agency's site.
However it is with sadness that we see the end of our excellent Visiontech website, which has had 16,928 visits over the two and a half years, 7,821 of them unique visitors, with a total of 72,992 page views.
In that time Ray White Beecroft has evolved from a new-comer to Sales in the area to the dominant agency. In 2011 we sold more properties than any other local agent.
Thanks Visiontech for your assistance over this exciting period. We remain the dominant property management force in the area with more than 60% of rentals in the area.
However it is with sadness that we see the end of our excellent Visiontech website, which has had 16,928 visits over the two and a half years, 7,821 of them unique visitors, with a total of 72,992 page views.
In that time Ray White Beecroft has evolved from a new-comer to Sales in the area to the dominant agency. In 2011 we sold more properties than any other local agent.
Thanks Visiontech for your assistance over this exciting period. We remain the dominant property management force in the area with more than 60% of rentals in the area.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Rail Freight Line
A $1 billion rail freight corridor upgrade between North Strathfield and Newcastle would add to the number of freight trains operating on the Northern Line each day.
The upgrade, to be completed by 2016, was announced by Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese at a news conference with Premier Barry O’Farrell this morning.
The project would also lift the corridor’s capacity by 50 per cent, from 29 to 44 freight trains a day.
The upgrade was designed to increase freight train movements, reduce carbon emissions by more than 100,000 tonnes a year and take 200,000 trucks a year off the state’s roads.
“Sydney is the biggest bottleneck on the main line between Melbourne and Brisbane,” federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said.
The Federal Government would spend $840 million on the project with the NSW Government contributing $214 million.
The upgrade, to be completed by 2016, was announced by Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese at a news conference with Premier Barry O’Farrell this morning.
The project would also lift the corridor’s capacity by 50 per cent, from 29 to 44 freight trains a day.
The upgrade was designed to increase freight train movements, reduce carbon emissions by more than 100,000 tonnes a year and take 200,000 trucks a year off the state’s roads.
“Sydney is the biggest bottleneck on the main line between Melbourne and Brisbane,” federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said.
The Federal Government would spend $840 million on the project with the NSW Government contributing $214 million.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
RBA Cuts Interest Rates
RBA just announced the widely anticipated 0.25% interest rate cut. Let's see how quickly the banks pass it on.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Free Property Management
Do you have properties managed by other agencies? Want to consolidate your portfolio under one agency? Tell our property department what you want to do, and we will sort it out for you.
To reward you for your increased custom we offer three months free management for any such new properties that you give to us in this manner during 2011.
As well as properties in the Beecroft and Cheltenham areas, we manage properties in Artarmon, Carlingford, Cherrybrook, Dundas, Dural, Eastwood, Epping, Gladesville, Glenhaven, Gorokan, Gosford, Kellyville, Marsfield, Neutral Bay, North Rocks, Oatlands, Pennant Hills, Terrigal, Ultimo, and West Pennant Hills, so are happy to take over properties anywhere within this area.
To reward you for your increased custom we offer three months free management for any such new properties that you give to us in this manner during 2011.
As well as properties in the Beecroft and Cheltenham areas, we manage properties in Artarmon, Carlingford, Cherrybrook, Dundas, Dural, Eastwood, Epping, Gladesville, Glenhaven, Gorokan, Gosford, Kellyville, Marsfield, Neutral Bay, North Rocks, Oatlands, Pennant Hills, Terrigal, Ultimo, and West Pennant Hills, so are happy to take over properties anywhere within this area.
Shower Heads Scam Stopped
According to the Daily Telegraph:
SHOWER HEADS have been banned from the NSW Energy Savings Scheme by Minister for Energy Chris Hartcher.
The ban follows last week's revelations in The Sunday Telegraph that dodgy salesmen have been making millions selling energy-efficient showerheads.
Showerhead sales boomed following the end of the pink batts scheme last February, with green businesses shifting to the production of energy-saving certificates generated by the sale of showerheads. Under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme, the certificates are then sold to the state's energy companies. More than half the certificates created by the scheme are now generated from the sale of water and energy-saving showerheads.
"In true Labor style, the showerhead component lacks the appropriate monitoring mechanisms leaving it wide-open to manipulation," NSW Minister for Energy Mr Hartcher said. "We are now taking the responsible steps to close the program."
The Ray White Beecroft Property Management department awaits information on how this affects the new Water Efficiency rules coming into force on 1 Jan!
SHOWER HEADS have been banned from the NSW Energy Savings Scheme by Minister for Energy Chris Hartcher.
The ban follows last week's revelations in The Sunday Telegraph that dodgy salesmen have been making millions selling energy-efficient showerheads.
Showerhead sales boomed following the end of the pink batts scheme last February, with green businesses shifting to the production of energy-saving certificates generated by the sale of showerheads. Under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme, the certificates are then sold to the state's energy companies. More than half the certificates created by the scheme are now generated from the sale of water and energy-saving showerheads.
"In true Labor style, the showerhead component lacks the appropriate monitoring mechanisms leaving it wide-open to manipulation," NSW Minister for Energy Mr Hartcher said. "We are now taking the responsible steps to close the program."
The Ray White Beecroft Property Management department awaits information on how this affects the new Water Efficiency rules coming into force on 1 Jan!
Christmas Period Property Management
Ray White Beecroft will be closed from Friday 23 December 2011 to Tuesday 3 Jan 2012.
Emergency contact numbers over this period are:
Plumber - Peter - 0447 440 232
Electrician - John - 0418 649 115
Hot Water - Parramatta Hot Water - 9630 6683
Storms and Floods - SES - 132 500
If you need to talk to someone from the office - Douglas Macarthur - 0408 817 239.
We hope you all have a great Christmas and a happy new year.
Emergency contact numbers over this period are:
Plumber - Peter - 0447 440 232
Electrician - John - 0418 649 115
Hot Water - Parramatta Hot Water - 9630 6683
Storms and Floods - SES - 132 500
If you need to talk to someone from the office - Douglas Macarthur - 0408 817 239.
We hope you all have a great Christmas and a happy new year.
House Price Trends - Sydney doing best.
Capital city home prices nationwide sank 0.5 per cent, seasonally adjusted in October, from a downwardly revised 0.4 per cent fall in September, according to RP Data-Rismark. September's revised drop was twice the 0.2 per cent slide initially reported.
The median dwelling price in capital cities now stands at $448,500.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia's house prices are falling at an accelerating rate according to figures out today, with Melbourne and Brisbane reporting the steepest drops over the past year and Sydney among the most resilient.
In the ten months to October, seasonally adjusted home prices in Melbourne are down 5.8 per cent, second only to Brisbane's 7.5 per cent fall in that period, according to RP Data.
Sydney's dwelling values are down 1.4 per cent in 2011, while Canberra's are up 0.9 per cent to be the country's best performers. For the nation, seasonally adjusted home prices have dropped 4 per cent so far in 2011.
The median dwelling price in capital cities now stands at $448,500.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia's house prices are falling at an accelerating rate according to figures out today, with Melbourne and Brisbane reporting the steepest drops over the past year and Sydney among the most resilient.
In the ten months to October, seasonally adjusted home prices in Melbourne are down 5.8 per cent, second only to Brisbane's 7.5 per cent fall in that period, according to RP Data.
Sydney's dwelling values are down 1.4 per cent in 2011, while Canberra's are up 0.9 per cent to be the country's best performers. For the nation, seasonally adjusted home prices have dropped 4 per cent so far in 2011.
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