The Blog

If you, like me, and many other in the region are in the process of their insurance claim for hail damage suffered just before Christmas last year, you might continue to find issues that the insurance assessor may not have discovered. It seems that a lot of people that I have been talking to who […]

As reported by realestate.com the gross rental yields across the combined capitals hit 4.3% in the March quarter, while yields in regional Australia were a little higher at 4.6%. The typical rental yield for a house reached 3.9%, compared with 4.9% for units. As shown the above pictures most of the Lockyer Valley are all […]

This is the question that we would all like to know the answer. For households who are currently treading water and just making ends meet, they would like that to be next month. There were indications that it might be later this year, although that thinking seemed to have changed after the meeting of the […]

There are times when you know what is happening and there are times when you do not see things happening.  At the moment my gut feeling (“the vibe”) is that there is increased demand from Buyers. I have no figures to assist my vibe, and normally when you receive figures they are 3-6 months old […]

Realestate.com published an article by Budget Trucks on 2 May 2024 setting out 11 moving tips to help you with you neighbours. Notify neighbours of moving day; Plan your move thoughtfully; Introduce yourself early; Communicate any planned works; Control pet disturbances; Dispose of packing materials properly; Keep noise to a minimum; Be considerate; Don’t hog […]

As reported by Channel Nine News on 15 May 2024, Gatton is one of 5 areas which has been identified by experts analysing market indicators and supply to determine where are gold mines for investors and offer major bang for your buck. They identified that Gatton median price of $430,000 is less than half of […]

Yes you should, the end! No, but on a serious note, the market in the Lockyer Valley at the moment still favours the Seller. There are not a lot of properties on the market at the moment. Also, with the Reserve Bank holding rates at the moment, and not committing to rates reductions, then it […]

Realestate.com has reported that for the first time in 14 years, Brisbane homes are more expensive than Melbourne. Brisbane’s house values are 12.82% higher than an year ago and rose again by 0.23% in April 2024.  Brisbane’s median dwelling value is now $818,000. Melbourne’s house values on the other hand declined 0.1% in April 2024 […]

They had moved out when they got a call and Bluey’s Dad pulled the for sold sticker off the for sale sign and pulled the whole sign out and threw it on the road. The removalists had taken all their furniture and they were in the car ready to go to their new home. What […]

From the time that COVID struck it seems that house prices have just been on the up and up. This has been the changes in house prices around the Lockyer Valley in the last 4 years (March 2020 – March 2024): Gatton – increase 54% Withcott – increase 60% Helidon – increase 64% Laidley – […]

As reported on realestate.com there is a seismic shift in the housing market in Australia. While earlier generations had big families and wanted homes that reflected this, there is a shift to units and smaller homes. This could be down to the falling number of people living in houses.  As quoted in the realestate.com article, […]

Realestate.com reported on 28 February 2024 a list of suburbs in which the average mortgage repayment would be less than the Australian rental average of $550 per week. It was interesting to see in that list two towns in the Lockyer Valley names being Gatton and Laidley. The article set out that the median sale […]

You have viewed the property that you want to buy, what do you do now? You need to look at making your offer. Before you give the Agent your offer, you should speak with your Bank or Mortgage Broker and also your Solicitor.  You need to make sure that any offer that you make, that […]

You are at the start of your property journey.  What should you do now? The first thing that you should do is to contact your Bank or Mortgage Broker and find out how much you can spend.  You should also consider how much the mortgage repayments will be.  You should only borrow an amount that […]

You have found the house that you want, however, it seems that everyone else wants it as well! You submit your offer to the Agent, and you are told that the Agent has other offers and the Seller has instructed the Agent to make it a multiple offer situation. What does this mean for you? […]

You can follow the prompts and send an email to the agent. Alternatively, you can get the agent’s phone number and give the agent a call.  A tip is that realestate.com does not put the agent’s whole phone number on the website and you have to click on the phone number to get the whole […]

Congratulations you have just signed a contract. What happens now? You should always be guided by your Solicitor.  They are the ones who will guide you through this process.  They normally mail or email you a big letter with some questionnaires and information.  You should work through that letter as best you can and if […]

You should always be guided by your Solicitor. They are the ones who will guide you through this process. They normally mail or email you a big letter with some questionnaires and information. You should work through that letter as best you can and if you have any questions make an appointment to go in […]

In just one generation, you are paying 6 times more stamp duty than your parents paid when they bought their home. As reported by REIQ on 12 February 2024, research from PropTrack-361 Institute has found the cost of stamp duty have increased fourfold for median-priced homes in Australia’s capital cities compared to average incomes since […]

Are you looking at entering in the property market?  Are you interested in finding out how much you need to earn to afford a house. The Chronicle published an article on Friday 9 February 2024 where it listed the median house price for various areas and how much the required minimum income would be needed […]