It is very exciting that the NSW Government has announced a grant specifically aimed at regional NSW. With Lennox Head, Bangalow, Ballina and the Hinterland all falling under this umbrella we can look forward to more interest being geared to the sales in our area. The scheme is designd to encourage buyers to purchase in [...]

Simon Rawlins our Property Manager based in Bangalow has recieved yet another testimonial to his hard work and dedication – please read on…………………………… For hard working, nothing too difficult, willing advisors, I thoroughly recommend Simon Rawlins and the Lois Buckett team. They understand our needs as property owners and have matched tenants brilliantly. Above all [...]

The clouds of economic gloom gathering over the US and Europe could have a silver lining for Australian borrowers – a double rate cut is now predicted for next month.After global shares sustained $2.5 trillion losses last week and US government had its credit rating cut by Standard & Poor’s late on Friday (US time), [...]

It’s tax time and property investors should show caution when preparing their returns. Here are some tips:All rental income from your investment property must be included in your return. Your rental property’s rates, interest, insurance, agents fees, depreciation and capital works can all be claimed as a deduction. Repairs and improvements are totally different and [...]

According to Life Rick Management in a recent flyer recieved at Lois Buckett Real Estate in Lennox Head, “the appetitie investors have for risk has significatnly fallen since late April, which has seen global sharemarkets fall by around 18% (at 9th August am).” However, with the Australian Federal Government maintining its AAA credit rating we [...]

You have to hand over your phone number and can be told to take off your shoes. Now visitors to open homes for sale across Sydney could find their every move scrutinised by security guards.Sales agents will soon offer the security personnel to vendors ”for as little as $995” a month to prevent items being [...]

Balancing lifestyle desires with budgeting necessities is a greater challenge as living costs rise and the economy looks uncertain. How are you preparing to cope with tougher times?Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice suggests thinking hard about making changes to your home loan situation now to reap rewards over the long haul. Spokesperson Kristy [...]

It is always refreshing to hear good news and it is with great pride that I publish this testimonial, revieved from a happy renter.  For me, as a principal and licensee, it is extremely heartening to hear that that culture and environment within our office is something that infiltrates into the larger community and affects [...]

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has launched an online game created by ad agency BMF to allow would-be investors to simulate life in the property market.   The announcement:“Commonwealth Bank today released Investorville, an online simulation tool for budding property investors. Investorville helps users de-mystify the often complex world of property investment, including simulating ongoing costs, without [...]

ONLINE real estate voyeurs may notice Australia’s capital cities looking greener, cleaner and generally more attractive.After 18 months touring in cars with roof-mounted cameras, and then blurring the scenes it recorded for privacy, Google this week updated much of the Australian imagery it uses for its Maps and Street View technologies.Google’s upgrade – the first [...]

New home sales posted their biggest monthly fall in five years in June, amid weakening confidence in the economy and worries about higher interest rates.New house sales dropped sank 17 per cent in flood-disrupted Queensland and 10 per cent in Victoria. New South Wales saw a more modest drop of 1.8 per cent for the [...]

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has spared borrowers an interest rate rise, leaving the cash rate at 4.75 percent in a widely expected move. The Reserve Bank last increased the overnight cash rate in November 2010 to 4.75 percent from 4.5 percent and most economists still expect a rate rise this year. “We expect [...]

Australia is in the throes of a renovations boom, with estimates $10 billion of renovations will take place in NSW this year alone and even our television schedules are being remodelled by a plethora of DIY shows. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has watched the value of large alterations to houses in NSW reported, or [...]

Almost ½ of Gen Y buyers will purchase for investment first43% of Generation Y’s upcoming first-time property investors are putting aside the traditional ‘Great Australian Dream’ of a home for now and instead buying an investment property as their first purchase, according to the country’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker. Not only will they ignore the [...]

THE Australian dollar has reached an 11-week high, benefiting from weakness in the US dollar and growing uncertainty surrounding America’s debt crisis. At noon (AEST), the Australian dollar was trading at 108.83 US cents, its highest value since May 11, and up from 108.13 US cents on Monday afternoon.The domestic currency reached 110.11 US cents [...]