State Of The Nation Compiled By Kevin Lee of Smart Property Adviser

www.smartpropertyadviser.com.au E: kevin@smartpropertyadviser.com.au T: (02) 9980 1311 M: 0416 083 995

Disclaimer: This document is a compilation of recent articles published in the media. The media sources are quoted beneath their respecti ve article

capture. Smart Property Adviser does not claim to be the author of any articles included within this document.

Quality Starts With Design

If you are in the habit of

glossing through the real estate pages you will have noticed that real estate agents are quick to highlight

in their advertisements if a house is "architect designed"

or "award-winning." This is for good reason. Quality design and

innovation stays with a house for its life and this often translates into additional emotional appeal for a prospective purchaser and improved resale value. 5 March 2013. More.

Buying Early Can Have Its Advantages: Off The Plan Not only can you often get first pick if you get in early, but there can be sound reasons for buying property off the plan. Before a property is constructed developers look for presales to give to the bank so it will provide funding for construction. 6 March

2013. More. How To Maximise Rent

As competition hots up in the market, landlords will need to up the ante to compete for tenants. Increasing supply of rental property can leave owners sitting high and dry as tenants pick

the eyes out of the market. You are in it to make money. You want to attract and keep the best possible tenant at the best possible rent – even in the quiet times. Here are 10 simple things an investor can do to maximise rent. 5 March 2013. More. Zoning Out The Flats

NO-GO precincts for the building of flats and apartments will be created in certain residential areas under a

sweeping reform of state planning zones. But it will be easier to open medical centres and convenience shops near

houses as a way to improve services for communities. 6 March 2013. More First-Home Buyer Numbers Fall To Near Eight Year Low Despite Improving Housing Affordability: REIA

Improving housing affordability is failing to encourage first-home buyers to step onto the property ladder – in fact the exact

opposite is happening. The report found that first-home buyers made up just 16.5% of the market over the December quarter compared to 19% in the September quarter. 6 March 2013. More. Adelaide Tops Most Liveable City List

South Australia’s capital has, once again, ranked number one for

liveability in the My City: The People’s Verdict report. The report, prepared by the Property Council of Australia, surveyed 5842

residents across the nation and looked at 17 attributes that define good cities including design, function, services and culture. The survey encompassed all capital cities as well as Newcastle, Geelong

and Wollongong. 5 March 2013. More. Prestige Markets To See Growth Prices in Sydney’s waterfront property markets look likely to rise this year as buyers return, according to a senior economist. Dr Andrew Wilson, senior economist at Australian Property Monitors (APM),

told Smart Property Investment's sister publication, Real Estate Business, that property prices had been flatlining in the past 12 months due to low confidence and a risk-averse market. 4 March 2013. More. House Prices Best In Three Years

Australian homes are the most

affordable in three years, thanks to rising incomes and falling interest rates. The Real Estate Institute of

Australia's (REIA) Housing Affordability Report shows that housing affordability improved in the December quarter, with the

proportion of income required to meet loan repayments decreasing by 1.4 percentage points to 30.4 per cent. 6 March 2013. More. Renovation Stress Relationships and renos sometimes go together l ike a delicate glass light fitting and a sledgehammer. It all sounds glamourous – ripping

out the kitchen or bathroom, adding that long-talked-about extension, or reconfiguring the layout. But when you add the layer of stress that renovating can create onto the already multi -faceted challenges of l ife – work, mortgage, and quite often, young kids, it

sometimes doesn't take much to tip a relationship on its edge – and it might not even be the renovation itself. 5 March 2013. More. No Surprises In The Reserve’s Decision After a robust start to the property year, experts say it is no surprise that the Reserve Bank kept the cash rate steady at 3 per cent.

Australian Property Monitors senior economist Andrew Wilson went further to say those waiting on further rate cuts this year might be disappointed. "If the economy starts to move forward reasonably well this year, notwithstanding what happens in housing, I do think

the potential direction for the next movement in interest rates is up," he said. 5 March 2013. More. TAS Poised For Massive Economic Boost Plans by telecom giant Vodafone to downscale its offshore presence and double their Tasmanian workforce has poised the island state

for a massive economic boost. Mark Riley, sales manager at Petrusma Property, a Tasmanian-based real estate company, believes the surge of employment would have a positive impact on the property market in Kingston, and bring more people to the area

for work. 4 March 2013. More.

Issue # 029 March 8, 2013

State Of The Nation Continued…

E: kevin@smartpropertyadviser.com.au T: (02) 9980 1311 M: 0416 083 995 Disclaimer: This document is a compilation of recent articles published in the media. The media sources are quoted beneath their respective article

capture. Smart Property Adviser does not claim to be the author of any articles included within this document.

If you would like to voice your opinion on any article you have read in the State Of The Nation Newsletters or elsewhere that has concerned you, please send the article and your opinion on it to us and we will include it in a future issue of the State Of The Nation. Send your opinion to kevin@smartpropertyadviser.com.au

Real Estate’s Sleeping Giant Awakens

The sleepy upper north shore is showing signs of recovery this year, with

sellers increasingly confident in taking their prestige properties to

market. On Saturday, the upper north shore

hosted more auctions than any other area. Almost 80 properties were scheduled for auction. 3 March 2013. More. Housing Approval Soar In NSW NSW is seeing the highest new home approvals over a 12-month

period in seven years, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have shown. The figures have shown 3,503 NSW homes were approved in January, which planning and infrastructure

minister Brad Hazzard says is evidence of remarkable new housing recovery across the state. 5 March 2013. More. A Wealthy Future Is Within Reach

It needn't be a pipedream; mapping out l ife's finances can be tough but there are tricks to constructing a healthy outcome. Saving more and spending less aren't the only ways to wealth,

though they sure help. Even then, how you save and what you buy will eventually count for more. 6 March 2013. More.

Apartments Fast-Tracked In Townsville

Inner-city living has attracted

growing buyer interest in Townsville with the fast-tracking of construction on one multi -

million dollar project and the announcement of plans for another two-tower development. Work has started on the fourth

residential stage of Honeycombes Property Group's $450 million masterplanned Central development while developers including the Morris Property Group last week announced plans for a $120

mill ion CBD project. 4 March 2013. More. Activity Surges 30 Per Cent In Two Hotspots Investor activity in Perth and Darwin soared more than 30 per cent during 2013 compared to the same time last year, according

to an Australian tax depreciation company. Paul Bennion, managing director of DEPPRO, said the number of tax depreciation reports undertaken in the two capital cities increased by more than 30 per cent during the first months of

this year compared to the same period in 2012. 5 March 2013. More. Multi-Billion Investments To Lift Gold Coast Precinct

One precinct has recorded one of the highest amounts of

development spending on the Gold Coast, according to new research from Colliers International. The figures show that the Robina precinct is planned for $7.7 billion worth of development projects, not only in the suburb of Robina, but also in Burleigh

Heads, Burleigh Waters, Burleigh West, Elanora, Palm Beach, Reedy Creek, Tallebudgera and Varsity Lakes. 6 March 2013. More.

More Aussie To Remain Renters

The dream of home ownership is becoming increasingly out of reach of most Australians, claims one industry body. The Property Council of Australia has pointed to a report from the National Housing

Supply Council as evidence that the "dream of buying a home is quickly fading" for many Australians. 4 March 2013. More.

Developers Warned Following GST Ruling

Property developers could end up selling themselves short if they fail to heed a recent federal court decision, tax specialist TurksLegal has warned. The rec ent Federal Court decision of Cyonara Snowfox

Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation has denied various attempts to avoid paying GST during sale transactions. 6 March 2013. More. An "Unfair Advantage" - How To Become A Suburb Expert

After you've decided on the type of property that suits your purpose [owner occupied or investment] and fits your budget you need to choose two or three suburbs that you prefer. But when making the

final decision on the suburb you will actually invest in, it is vitally important that you become an expert on that suburb. The only true way you can become a suburb expert is if you spend time in the

areas you’re considering. 1 March 2013. More.

Controversy Corner

Doctor Fights Action Over Mother’s Death A doctor who lives with a strict Christian-based religious group in northern NSW had several days to take his mother to hospital for potentially life-saving treatment before she died, a court has been told. Dr Chris Maendel was a senior figure and resident doctor of the

Bruderhof, an Amish-style community who live near Inverell , when in March 2010 his mother Irene unexpectedly collapsed on their property, Danthonia, while holidaying from the US. 6 March 2013.

More.

Some Parting Advice

“People have their own natural comfort zones, which can most often only be expanded through education.”

Until Next Time… Kevin Lee

www.smartpropertyadviser.com.au