Rail Freight Corridor Guest Speaker

A representative from Transport NSW will speak at the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust AGM on 26 March to explain intentions for the third rail track through Cheltenham and Beecroft. Cheltenham Recreation Club, 7:30 pm start.

Parking in the Module

Last Friday someone complained they couldn't find a parking spot at the Module. An hour later there were 26 spaces, showing how many shoppers use the spot. Given that the shops in the module pay with our rents for that car park, it concerns some shopkeepers that so many staff from shops elsewhere in the Village park in the Module car park. There is talk of restoring the council rangers, and enforcing the two hour limit, but it's probably more important to restrict access to those working or shopping in the module. Perhaps a ticket system that you can validate in Module shops?
However the problem isn't that bad, a survey all this week has found that during shopping hours there were an average of 31 space available, with never less than 14 free spaces. Don't be put off by the bottom two rows of spaces being full, there are always places up the hill and round the corner. Compare that to trying to park in Carlingford shopping arcade!

RWB Web Site

Visiontech, who were hosting our raywhitebeecroft.com.au web site, has gone into liquidation.
The old website has been replaced with a new Ray White Corporate format website with much more flexibility. It's worth recording that in just under three years the website had been visited 17,365 times by 8,192 unique visitors, with 76,539 page views!

Rezoning Blitz in Push for Housing

According to an article in today's Sydney Morning Herald, the NSW state government is moving to bypass councils and rezone sites nominated by developers as suitable for tens of thousands of new homes.
Mr McMahon of Wollondilly Shire Council points out that "we don't want just residential". Any such new tranches of housing need to be associated with commercial development to give local job opportunities, as well as shopping, schools, etc.
One of the big complaints registered by Beecroft residents against the Uniting Church's Development Application 1305, for 51 new residential units between Hannah Street and Copeland Road, is that there is no supporting infrastructure. No places for entertainment, no room in local schools, no room on the roads. It's not good enough for state government to hand a "licence to build" to developers without also providing the infrastructure needed by the new residents.

House Prices Emerging from Doldrums

Simon Johanson of SMH Business Day gives an optimistic report "after almost two years of gloom house prices in Sydney are showing some signs of improvement, and real estate agents hope lower interest rates will accelerate the trend."
Data from Australian Property Monitors suggests median house prices were up marginally across Australia in the December quarter, the first time since a year earlier.

New Digital Display Screens

As part of our constant technological improvement, Lymlive have just upgraded our digital screen computers to provide improved clarity and reliability.

DA1305/2011 High Rise Development on Hannah Street

A number of locals have been into our Ray White Beecroft office asking for information on the Uniting Church's Development Application to build 51 residential units in two tower blocks between Hannah Street and Copeland Road. We appreciate that relevant DA information on the Council's website is not easy to find or follow, so are happy to help local residents to find the information they require. Please call in and ask for Peter Hewitt, our Business Development Manager.

Break Lease Clause

A lot of applicants don't seem to know about the optional Break Lease clause brought in last year. This allows tenants to break a long lease (less than 3 years) paying rent of only 6 weeks if been in less than 6 months, or 4 weeks rent if in the property for more than 6 months. Obviously this makes taking out a long lease much safer for the tenant.
The clause is officially optional, but because it so clearly benefits the new tenant Ray White Beecroft includes it as standard in our Lease agreements. It helps the owner too, because it gives new tenants courage to sign up for long leases even when their future is not completely clear.
Of course signing up for even a six month lease says nothing about how long the tenant will stay in residence, we have several tenants who have been in a property on a 'continuing lease' for over ten years after signing a six month rental agreement.

What a week for rentals!

Ray White Beecroft opened on 3 Jan, whereas many agencies stayed shut for that week. We were inundated with requests to see rental properties, and got lots away over the next week. Vacancy rate had shot up to 3.5% at end of the year, due to all the new vacant properties listed with us, but is already back at 1.8% with a number of applications still being processed. Our average vacancy rate last year was 1.1% and we should be back there soon.

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!