As more Australians reach retirement age many are considering retirement village living. Buying into a retirement village requires specialized advice, there is much to consider before making such an important life changing decision. Many of these considerations are different compared to buying a residential property. In recent times many people have signed retirement living contracts…
The launch of Yarraville’s new housing development is a good time to revisit the challenges faced by buyers when considering off the plan properties. Known as Bradmill Yarraville the former textile manufacturing plant is currently being redeveloped into a large-scale project that in its first stage over 1,400 dwellings will be built. Both townhouses and…
The Victorian Homebuyer Fund (HBF) is an initiative by the Victorian government to financially assist eligible home buyers enter the property market. According to the banks that are administering the scheme it is proving to be extremely popular. On first impressions the scheme appears to be generous as the government provides an interest free loan…
The state government commissioned a review into the Victorian property industry. All stakeholders were invited to participate by making recommendations as to ways of making the property industry better and fairer for everyone. I provided a submission, below are my 12 recommendations. 1. The regulators of the real estate industry in Victoria are Consumer Affairs…
Before signing on the dotted line buyers should make sure the property owner has obtained all the required building permits for works that have been completed. The new owner becomes responsible for any illegal works, this could mean costly rectification. If the vendor has undertaken works on the property as an owner builder that were…
Before purchasing a brand new property, buyers should always research what materials, products, fixtures and fittings have been used during construction. It is not enough to rely on the building drawings or even the specification document. A case in point is the cladding fiasco that has cast a shadow over the Victorian building industry. After…
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my small but loyal following of clients. I provide independent, unbiased property advice, your support has allowed me to continue to assist a wide range of people who otherwise would have made inferior property decisions. Quality property advice means you buy the best fit property at…
It certainly doesn’t pay to be over confident when it comes to the Melbourne property market. In a short period of time market conditions can change dramatically. It was November last year when I left a message with a real estate agent requesting an inspection of a property. The agent in question didn’t return my…
Donations to political parties by property developers should be banned. Successive Victorian governments have caved in to the powerful and affluent interests of those property developers that have lined their pockets through donations. I have always considered Melbourne one of the great cities of the world: sophisticated and consisting predominately of a combination of low-rise…
There are several different types of building reports available to property buyers. It is important that buyers commission the report that best fits the type of property they are considering. The most common report requested by residential buyers is the pre-purchase building and pest inspection report. This report is useful when buying an established class…