Property owners don't have to fear being bankrupted by new property rates to be implemented in most municipalities in July next year.

While owners expect to pay more, as rates are to be charged according to the market value of the property and not just the land value, the metropolitan municipalities say the rate in the rand to be paid will actually decrease...

Lanice Steward, MD of Anne Porter Knight Frank, says that it continues to surprise her that some Cape property analysts talk of a significant slow-down, stabilisation or “normalisation”.

“Our experience at Anne Porter Knight Frank does not bear this out – but, more importantly, neither do the latest RPPR (Residential Property Price Ranger) figures.”

Steward said that the RPPR figures for Cape Town’s southern suburbs show that there was an 18% rise in average house sales prices between October 2006 and October 2007 – from R1 675 000 to R1 996 000.

South African residential building costs inflation slowed further in the third quarter of the year, measuring 11.1% compared with 38.8% achieved in the same quarter last year, the FNB Commercial Property Finance Residential Building Cost Index showed...

If you are one of that growing number of people who are now having difficulties paying your mortgage bond, Tony Clarke, MD of Rawson Properties, has some advice for you.

“In most cases,” he says, “problems arise because people fail to realise that it is very definitely not in the bank’s interest to take over the home on which the bondholder is having problems meeting his payments. Such people must accept that in nine cases out of ten the bank will prefer to be flexible and accommodating – provided that you go and talk to them and make an arrangement...

Pretoria - Despite billions being pumped into the construction of low-cost housing, the backlog persists at close to 2 million units, says Industry Insight, the construction industry information supplier.

However, there has been an improvement in the percentage of people living in informal dwellings, according to the firm's fourth-quarter report on the state of the South African construction industry.

It says the policies applied so far have not helped the broad mass of people. The housing needs of low- to middle-income home buyers were often ignored by developers in the recent boom period.

The property market is still on track for a recovery possibly as early as the third quarter in 2008, notwithstanding the latest interest rate increase.

That’s the view of Gerhard Kotzé, CEO of the ERA South Africa property group, after canvassing analysts and commentators in the industry.

“The general consensus is that the market will move sideways for about 12 months but thereafter, it should start to recover and gradually build up a head of steam going into 2009,” he says...

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The Rivonia property market has entered a new phase which will leave it more commercialised with greater densities and a much changed residential character.

That’s the view of Chris Reid, principal of leading local agency of Homenet Leck Reid, who has traded in the area for more than 30 years.

“We are seeing the beginning of the process with the active sale and refurbishment of existing office buildings in and around the Rivonia Boulevard, against the background of a freeze on the conversion of residential properties for business use,” he says...

Makeover apartments sell well

There is significant potential for developers in the refurbishment and upgrade of older apartment buildings, while for buyers they offer a solution to the problem of housing affordability.

A classic example is a circa 1950s development in Beyers Park on the East Rand which has been brought to the market by the original owners, a syndicate established decades ago.

Cell Phone enquiries from the public

Buyers driving past your advertising boards will be able to see an unique Internet Number allocated to the specific property. They will then SMS that number to 35476 and will receive an SMS back with all the details of the property. At the same time the agent / agency will also be informed of a potential buyer. How's that for technology working for you! The cost - mahala! Free to all CyberAgent subscribers.

Here's a diagram on the way this process will work...

1. Agent captures the details of the property and pictures into CyberAgent
   
2. Agent updates the property to the Internet
   
3. The Internet server sends back a unique number for that property
   
4. Agent puts up his "For Sale" board together with our SMS board
   
5. Potential buyer sees the "SMS" board and SMS's the unique number to the Internet server
   
6. The Internet server sends back an SMS with all the property details and a link to the website where he/she can view pictures on the propert

If you would like to know more about the above features and benefits that CyberAgent offer, visit: www.cyberagent.co.za or email: sales@cyberprop.com

For Sale Property:
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To Rent Property:
Eastern Cape Gauteng Kwazulu Natal North West Western Cape

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