Property News - 29 January 2015 
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FROM THE EDITOR |
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The Real Estate industry and South Africa in general welcomes the decision by the Monetary Policy Committee meeting (29 January 2015) to hold the repo rate steady at 5.75 percent. Commentators in the market feels that the decision will bring some relief, particularly at a time when as a nation we are coping with ongoing power cuts which impact negatively on businesses and individuals alike. For more of this article, read Benign inflation and interest rate environment positive for home ownership.
According to First National Bank, the property market appears to be strengthening after a "lull" in the residential sector in the first half of 2014.The FNB Estate Agent Survey's activity level ratings suggested that 2015 would see a broadly strengthening market, However, stock constraints remain significant, albeit possibly diminishing slightly, and one point for minor concern is the apparent perception by agents that residential affordability may just be in the early stages of deterioration. See an article titled Property market strengthening for more of this story.
In other news, Izak Petersen, Dipula Income Fund CEO, of SA's commercial property sector in 2015 warned the market to expect massive competition in the scramble for good property and tenants. According to the report, Izak foresees a year that will bring heaps of hard work for the sector, with only select opportunities of good assets available to the market. To read the whole story, scroll down to an article titled Listed real estate to outperform bonds, cash and equities in 2015.
We then take a closer look at Ballito, a rapidly growing town in KwaZulu Natal, northward of Durban. This town was founded in 1954 as a private township in an area that used to be the sugar cane farm. Today Ballito has turned into an elegant suburb. To learn more about this interesting town, check out the Focus On section of this Newsletter.
Enjoy!
The editor |
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In the News this week |
Benign inflation and interest rate environment positive for home ownership |
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While generally anticipated by commentators in the market, the decision by the Monetary Policy Committee meeting (29 January 2015) to hold the repo rate steady at 5.75 percent is most welcome - particularly at a time when as a nation we are coping with ongoing power cuts which impact negatively on businesses and individuals alike...
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Property market strengthening |
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The property market appears to be strengthening after a "lull" in the residential sector in the first half of 2014, First National Bank said on Tuesday...
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Murdered Stellenbosch man had extensive business interests |
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Martin van Breda, 54, who was found murdered at his home on an exclusive golf estate in Stellenbosch on Tuesday along with his wife and eldest son, was a successful businessman who had directorships in at least 25 companies...
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Listed real estate to outperform bonds, cash and equities in 2015 |
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Expect massive competition in the scramble for good property and tenants," says Izak Petersen, Dipula Income Fund CEO, of SA's commercial property sector in 2015...
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Industrial property still giving better returns than office or retail properties |
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In SAPOA’s October 2014 industrial vacancy survey, they reported that for the six month period between 1st January to 30th June 2014, industrial property generally outperformed both office and retail property asset classes...
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The cost of Eskom’s three power station headaches |
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Eskom is quick to blame lower than applied for electricity tariffs for its financial woes and doesn’t hesitate to remind consumers of this fact. It’s urgently looking for R3 billion extra to augment its depeleted diesel budget...
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Property value goes way beyond the garden fence |
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It’s no coincidence that the best neighbourhoods with the best property values are generally the best kept, says Laurie Wener, MD Pam Golding Properties (PGP) in the Western Cape metro region. “Raising values can be as straightforward as co-operating with your neighbours to keep the street clean, or not flouting the by-laws...
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Pricing your home to sell |
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With stock shortages increasingly prevalent in the residential property market in South Africa – particularly in sought after metro areas and popular hubs, some may believe that with a return to a sellers’ market, pricing a home to sell in the quickest possible time is a simple matter...
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Steps for holding successful AGMs or SGMs |
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It will soon be time for sectional title schemes to hold their Annual General Meetings, and while many body corporate members will often want to avoid attending, seeing it as a long drawn out event and often something they would rather avoid, there are ways of controlling the time spent on each item...
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Is R2 million enough to retire? |
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In this advice column Rick Briers-Danks from Veritas Wealth answers a question from a reader whose mother needs advice on what her R2 million of retirement savings can get her...
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Focus On |
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Welcome to Ballito, a rapidly growing town in KwaZulu Natal, northward of Durban. This town was founded in 1954 as a private township in an area that used to be the sugar cane farm. Today Ballito has turned into an elegant suburb...
View properties in Ballito |
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In The Area |
The areas we are going to take a closer look at this week are;
Buying a Lifestyle in East London |
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Founded in 1872 East London is not only home to one of the countries’ largest manufacturing centres but also to a number of stunning beaches; offering those who live and work there the best of both worlds...
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Tshwane electricity theft spirals out of control |
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Electricity theft, meter tampering and faulty meters cost the City of Tshwane R416 million in the 2013/14 financial year. This is an 83% increase over the previous year. Together with technical losses, the municipality lost income from electricity to the value of R819 million, up from R622 million in the previous financial year...
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