NEVER A BAD HAIR DAY…CAUSE WE NEVER SLEEP!

| Date:4 January 2010

We’re sure that there’s many people at this time of year that would agree they also never sleep…late night parties, wild new year celebrations or running on adrenaline…well it is a crazy time of year!

Fact is, we never sleep – 24 hour around the clock telephone service. No silly answering machines, you will speak to an actual person, one of us! Sunday open houses…how many agents that you know do Saturday and Sunday opens together with a mid week open?

Yes. We are and have been open the entire Christmas & New Year period. No holidays for us…we’ll leave that for the other agents!

Want to sell? Call us, we’ll come and see you at 6am, 10pm or even midnight any day of the week. Need a place to rent or buy? Easy. We’re available whenever you are.

Just click here to contact us! Simple.

Happy 2010 and we look forward to turning your New Years resolution into a reality!

HAPPY NY DY!

| Date:29 December 2009

Many of us may look back on 2009 as a year we couldn’t wait to end. The year had barely even began and we were all exhausted: the stock market was all over the place (mostly down). Cars weren’t selling. People weren’t spending. The change many people hoped for in the new year didn’t materialize as a dramatic sunrise. It crept in in welcome and unwelcome ways.

We simply could not let ’09 pass us by without taking a sneak peek at the year that was. A conglomeration of world wide events, ’09 certainly was a colourful year where many of us lost our pants, literally eh em Tiger Woods, and some even their voices…yes! we’re talking about you Britney Spears.

There were rate cuts and hikes, somewhat of a recession and a bummer of a year for prestige home owners who saw 40% of the value of their home tumble by 40%!

We welcomed the 44th US President and farewelled one of the best entertainers this world will ever see Mr Michael Jackson. The death of the 50-year-old entertainer and self-styled “King of Pop” stunned the world.

We choked on red dust on a day when we all thought we’d been invaded by aliens and gasped at the voice of a rather unusual Scottish charity worker when she sang her way into our homes.

In a grim year that saw the global financial crisis dominate headlines and affect rich and poor alike across the world, one of 2009’s most haunting tales turned out to be that of a young Austrian woman who was forced to endure 24 years of being imprisoned by her father Josef Fritzl in a cramped stinking cellar where she was repeatedly raped and forced to raise his children.

Moving forward, a new decade, a new year, a new beginning for many of us. 2010 has all the right ingredients for being nothing short of a brilliant year. Property prices are on the rise, the stock market has stabilised and housing is still very affordable with interest rates still at an all time low.

May 2010 be a perfect 10/10 for you and your family! From us to you Happy New Year and may your troubles last as long as your new year resolutions.

PS. While many of the other agents are sleeping over the New Year break, we are open, every day except for New Years Day! We never sleep.

WHY DEE WHY?

| Date:9 November 2009

Gone are the days where most of us used to walk around Dee Why in our boardies and thongs. Seems these days many more of us are swanning around in our best designer clothes in what is now the new uber chic Dee Why!

Dee Why has done a huge about face in the past 5 years where it once was somewhat of an untidy borderline daggy kind of neighbourhood to what it is being transformed into now.

So, why the change?

In the past 5 years Dee Why has come ahead in leaps and bounds and it seems it is now the “in” place to live.

You’d have to be living in a bubble to not notice that Dee Why is located in an irreplaceable position, with many residential streets being just a hop, skip and a jump to the world famous Dee Why Beach, Manly Beach & beyond.

Loads of luxury, state of the art apartments are going up in the area which is encouraging a slightly more mature, asset rich demographic. On the other end of the scale it appears that Dee Why is now made up of a young, trendy population with 40% between the ages of 20-39 years of age. The majority of these young inhabitants seem to enjoy a rather sizeable income and many own their own property within the area. This is a real family suburb with the benefit of having a surf beach right at the front door.

One would never go hungry in Dee Why with some 46 restaurants, cafes and bars many overlooking the beach where you can grab anything from Pizza to Indian spices, there is something for everyone! With all the new developing going on in Dee Why there has been a huge increase in the number of eateries with one trendier than the next. Been to Dee Why Market Place yet???

There is a ton of sporting clubs including rugby clubs, golf clubs and of course surf clubs together with some incredible child care facilities many of them brand spanking new.

A sensational mix of shops, 280 shops to be specific, including trendy boutiques and availability to your everyday items makes Dee Why a highly desirable place to grab a dress, get your hair done or jump in to the gym.

It’s seriously central location means that you can hop on a bus and be in the CBD within a half an hour or catch a ferry from Manly Beach, just moments away.

Just walking through the streets you’d be blind to not notice just how mutli cultural Dee Why is. The fabulous mixture of races and religions introduces a wonderful flavour to Dee Why where many nationalities live together in a peaceful, safe & harmonious environment.

Of course last but not least…Dee Why is home to The Novak Agency! We’d like to think that we set the benchmark for Dee Why now being as cool and trendy as what it is….however I think we’ll have to bow down to the many developers that saw the potential in this little piece of paradise….

LANDLORDS LET’S PARTY!!!!!!!

Yep! Looks as though the planets are finally aligning for all you investors out there with rental returns looking mighty fine. C’mon it’s your turn to celebrate!

Our mates at AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY MONITORS recently reported that gross rental returns had either remained steady or slightly increased.

Now, normally one would have thought that our heavily reduced variable interest rates might have released the pressure on rents. Well, apparently not so.

As it turns out, rental vacancy rates are still extremely low. Particularly in Sydney. The September “Rental Vacancy Report” by the REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF NSW asserts that Sydney has a rental vacancy rate of just 1.3%. In fact, for the vast majority of NSW (including regional centres) the rate sits below 2%!!!

Here’s the good news – it seems that property investors will not need to drop rents to attract tenants in this environment.

Recently published population projections by the NSW GOVERNMENT show that NSW will grow by 372,600 people in 5 years. That is a touch over 1,433 people per week.

The NSW Govt. also estimates that 187,300 dwellings will need to be built during this period – 720 new dwellings every week! Compare this to the number of building commencements last financial year of 457 per week (Source: ABS) and you will no doubt see a problem looming. An estimated shortfall of 263 new dwellings every week (13,600 per annum).

Another reason for property investors to party will be the end of the first home buyers grant “Boost” on the 31st of December this year.

Whilst this boost enabled more people to get into their own home for the first time, it also scared off many investors. It seems many prospective investors will be waiting until the first home buyers’ have completed their feeding frenzy. That day approaches.

The good news for investors is that median rental yields have been building over the last five years. Every capital city in Australia now exceeds 4% p.a. and the housing shortage should support this position.

Go on investors…let your hair down, throw on your dancing shoes and strike a pose….it’s your turn now to have some fun!

Reserve Bank lifts interest rates to 3.25 per cent

By Edmund Tadros

news.com.au

October 06, 2009 02:30pm

The Reserve Bank has increased its official cash rate to 3.25 per cent. Graphic: news.com.au / Eric Auld

THE Reserve Bank has lifted its official interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 per cent.

This marks the first time since April that the central bank has increased its rate.

The market had priced in better-than-even odds that the rate would be increased today after strong ANZ job ads figures were released yesterday.

A 25 basis point increase to the official rate adds about $45 a month to a $300,000, 25-year home, according to comparison website RateCity.

Australia is now the second country in the world, after Israel, to begin tightening its monetary policy.

Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has called Australia’s 3 per cent official cash rate an “emergency” level rate.

This is likely to be the first of many increases that the Reserve Bank will make as the economy continues to recover.

One leading economist is predicting that the official cash rate is likely to rise to four or 4.5 per cent by the end of next year.

The global financial crisis was “almost if not completely over”‘, and most parts of the economy no longer needed the support of very low interest rates, Grattan Institute economist Saul Eslake said earlier today.

If rates were left too low for too long, it could fuel a bubble in housing prices, he told ABC News.

Cities of dreams as value of homes begins to soar

Date: October 6, 2009

Clearly Sydney and Melbourne are leading the property market recovery and now represent two of the nation’s most popular markets.

RP Data’s national home value indices published last week reveal that for the first eight months of the year Sydney home values rose 8.6 per cent, to reach a new median value of $546,867.

Melbourne also put in a stellar performance and has found its feet again to record a stunning 11.6 per cent price increase, bringing the median value up to $467,280.

These buoyant conditions are in stark contrast to the same period last year, when values were falling, sales volumes were at rock bottom and only 45 per cent of auctions were clearing.

Now we are seeing house values rising, market activity increasing, and almost three-quarters of auctions are recording a successful result.

While the sceptics have touted this as a potential market bubble waiting to burst, the figures confirm that the residential market is protected from a downturn in values by a broad range of factors.

Interest rates are at historic lows and — although rates will be lifted over the coming months — we will need to see a rise of 150 basis points before mortgage rates reach their 10-year average of 7.3 per cent.

Importantly, housing is in undersupply and the nation’s population is growing at a faster rate than in any other country in the Western world.

Australian development is being underpinned by the fastest rate of population growth since the baby boomers.

Other factors such as the health of the financial sector and lower-than-expected unemployment figures are also likely to support the housing market.

Over the next six months capital growth is likely to moderate across the Australian market.

Interest rate rises, together with a winding back of the boost to the first-home owners’ grant, are likely to dampen demand.

Tim Lawless is the national research director of rpdata.com.

Source: The Sun-Herald

WISH US LUCK 4 SATURDAY…WILL WE WIN AGENCY OF THE YEAR?

| Date:6 October 2009

Saturday night…..do do do do do do do…..Saturday night…..do do do do do do do do……!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…Real Estate’s night of nights is this coming Saturday night when the whos who of the industry will frock up, hob nob and celebrate each others achievements.

We are up for Large Residential Agency of the Year. Yep! One of only four finalists. This in itself is a massive achievement and to be completely honest we are thrilled to have come this far. Taking out the big title would certainly be the cherry on top.

We would like to wish all finalists the very best of luck for Saturday Night and we will keep our fingers and toes very tightly crossed until we hear the words “….and the winner for Real Estate Agency of the Year goes to ??????????????”….

NOVAK ‘GET DAYS ON MARKET’ STATS IN MANLY DAILY

THE NOVAK AGENCY DELIVERS YOU THE FACTS ABOUT LABOUR DAY!

| Date:29 September 2009

Labour Day. We love it. It’s a long week-end. A holiday. A drinking day. An excuse to sleep in, go to the beach or paint the house!

So, what is it?

For me, I’ve had 38 labour days (+2 if you factor in my actual days of giving birth to our 2 kids!) and never actually known what a single one of them was for.

I’ve decided it’s time to let the state know exactly why we are so blessed each and every year with yet another day off work…so, here’s the run down.

Labour Day is a public holiday celebrating the achievement of the 8 hour day in the late 1850s. The Stonemasons who believed in eight hours labour, eight hours recreation and eight hours rest, spearheaded the movement: – After a long battle, the unions eventually achieved their aim and held parades to celebrate their victory.

Around Australia the movement pushed for the attainment of this ideal and other trades were invited to participate in the celebrations.

The first parade was held in Melbourne on 21 April 1856. Before this time, workers were required to work 10 to 12 hour days, six days a week.

The five day, 40 hour week was achieved almost a century later in 1948. Today the Labour Day march is a celebration of organised labour’s achievements on behalf of the worker.

Australian states celebrate Labour Day on different days.

A shorter working day is definitely something to celebrate – Happy Labour Day!

LEASE A LIFE OF LUXURY (ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES)!

Let’s face it we all dream of living in the 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom beachfront home with the infinity edge pool however the wage we earn in barely enough to pay the rent let alone the $2 million dollar mortgage.

Dreammmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…….imagine throwing the fishing rod out of your bed to catch the Sunday lunch or checking the surf conditions from your lounge as you flick through the sports channel? For the majority of us, this has only ever been a dream with the tastes of Point Piper with the budget of Penrith!

You may however not need to wait for the Monday night lotto numbers to come up. Your beachfront estate may be a pay cheque away thanks to the global economic crises.

Many multi-million-dollar homes around Sydney are
sitting empty, despite their extensive list of extras, such as pools, gyms, wine cellars and entertainment systems.

These properties would normally rent for $2000 + a week and are typically leased to high flying executives and their families seconded to Australia for work.

The financial downturn has meant fewer high-end tenants, which means property managers are slashing rents by up to 30 per cent in some of the city’s most expensive suburbs.

Some agents are even allowing groups of single professionals to move into waterfront mansions – normally frowned upon in this market – just to get the property occupied. One proviso is that they need to be very well paid and come with good references.

It’s a marked contrast to the lower end of the market, where tenants often have had to outbid each other to secure a lease.

It is not uncommon for high-end homes to sit vacant for months with some owners  feeling the pressure of not being able to find a high-paying tenant and happy to negotiate the price.

You probably won’t find a  lot of bargains advertised although if you surf properties listed from $2000 to $3000 a week, landlords may very well consider any reasonable offer. Let’s face it, it’s better to have a tenant at a negotiated price than none at all.

Steve Martin, president of the Real Estate Institute of NSW believes there are two different markets in Sydney – the vast majority who lease out of need, and the five per cent who do so in search of a lifestyle. He says renting is a good way to “feel the water” in a certain area before committing to a mortgage.

High end luxury rentals will not remain low for long however with many business people from the Northern Hemisphere moving over….

So, why not spoil yourself for the Summer. Live like a Diva, walk around your beach house in the nude while singing your favourite Christmas carols and still have a few extra bucks to buy the wife that tennis bracelet she’s always dreamed of!