Posts Tagged ‘Investors’

Window and Balcony Safety for Children

An alarming number of children present to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead each year as a result of falling from windows and Balcony. Children may fall out of a window which is open more than 10cm, even if a fly screen is present.

How common are these injuries?

Over the past 10 years there have been 91 children admitted to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead after falling from windows. Almost all of … Read the full post »

High rents fuel NSW granny flat boom

Granny flats are becoming increasingly popular in NSW with high cost rents forcing more and more adult children to remain at home.

Applications to NSW councils for new granny flats increased to 1521 in 2009/10 compared to 1365 in 2008/09.

The figures, released by NSW Planning’s Local Development Performance Monitoring Report, show a growing trend across the State.

Climbing rents, particularly in Sydney, are forcing adult children to stay longer in the family … Read the full post »

Goodbye Torrens Assurance Levy

You will recall that on 1 July 2010 the former NSW Labor Government introduced the Torrens Assurance Levy, which is an ad valorem tax payable on the registration of a transfer of NSW property where the purchase price is more than $500,000. The greater the purchase price, the higher the levy payable. By way of example, the tax amounts to $204 on a property with a price of $600,000, and … Read the full post »

Sydney delivers stellar rents

Sydney suburbs are dominating when it comes to rental returns, new research has revealed.

According to RP Data, Sydney regions accounted for 23 of the 35 best performing capital city rental markets over the past 12 months.

Woollahra in Sydney’s highly coveted Eastern Suburbs topped the list recording a 22.2 per cent increase in the median advertised rental price for houses from $900 in March 2010 to $1,100 in March 2011.

Burwood houses … Read the full post »

25 Ways to Increase the Value of your Home

Spruce up the yard. Get rid of trash and yard waste. Keep your lawn in good condition and mow it. This includes using a weed whacker to get in the tight corners and along the edges of sidewalks and the house. Trim the hedges, get rid of weeds, and mulch the flower beds. If you don’t have much to work with, plant some flowers or install some landscaping appropriate for … Read the full post »

Strata Schemes – Part 4

We hope you have found our Strata Scheme series helpful. If you missed any of the previous posts, you can read them here – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

To conclude the series, we have listed some of the questions that we are frequently asked by owners and tenants. If you have any to add, comment below and we’ll answer them for you!

Can I keep a … Read the full post »

Strata Schemes – Part 3

Maintenance Responsibilities – Owner or Owners Corporation?
One of the most confusing aspects of owning a lot within a strata scheme is understanding who is responsible for the maintenance of certain elements within the lot. This can become even more confusing because not every strata plan is the same and some owners corporations may pass specific By-Laws, which change or absolve the owners corporation’s maintenance responsibilities. This will be discussed in … Read the full post »

Do you have a spare $70,000 up your sleeve?

If so, we have the perfect rental for you! The whole principality of Liechtenstein is now available for rent from $US70,000 a night. This tiny, historic and picturesque patch of Europe is made up of just 11 villages and has about 33,000 inhabitants. They get to stay, by the way.

The starting price of $US70,000 a night, is for two nights’ minimum and for up to 150 people. That includes catering, … Read the full post »

Strata Schemes – Part 2

Owners Corporation and Executive Committee
The owners corporation is the body made up by all the owners in the strata scheme and is considered the governing body of the strata plan. An owners corporation is defined as follows;
The owners of the lots from time to time in a strata scheme constitute a body corporate under the name ‘The Owners – Strata Plan No. X’ (X being the registered number of the … Read the full post »

Strata Schemes – Part 1

What is a Strata Scheme?
A strata scheme is a building or collection of buildings, where individuals each own a small portion (a lot) but where there is also common property (eg. external walls, windows, roof, driveways etc) which every owner shares ownership of. Strata schemes are effectively small communities where the activities and attitudes of residents can have a significant impact on the satisfaction and enjoyment of others.

Whilst strata living … Read the full post »

Accidental Damage vs. Wear & Tear

A common query we often hear from people including Landlords and Tenants is “What is accidental damage and how is this different to malicious damage, deliberate damage and/or Wear and Tear?”. 
This is a great question! 
Accidental Damage
In the marketplace, some Landlords have unrealistic expectations that their property will remain in exactly the same condition at the end of the lease … Read the full post »

Developers and Investors Take Note

A master plan to cater for a forecast 40 per cent jump in Sydney’s population by 2036 has been unveiled by the New South Wales Government. The plan is based on projections that the population in the nation’s biggest capital will grow from 4.28 million in 2006 to nearly six million in 25 years. And the number of Sydney homes will increase from 1.68 million in 2006 to 2.45 million … Read the full post »

Big Changes ( that affect both landlords and tenants)

The new Residential Tenancies Act 2010 came into force from 31st January 2011. There are number of changes that affect both landlords and tenants:
Tenants Get More Time to Move Out
If a tenant is no longer under a fixed term agreement and the landlord wants the tenant to move out ‘without grounds’, the notice period increases from 60 to 90 days. If notice is given by a landlord just before the … Read the full post »

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