The gap between buyers and sellers is narrowing favouring even the entry level buyer. Several property specialists have indicated that 2012 is the year to take the plunge and invest in that property you have had your eye on, even as a first time buyer. Auction Alliance CEO, Rael Levitt, says the ...

Although many people still consider owning a second home in a prime holiday spot, those who rush into the deal may live to regret the decision. As with any property purchase, research is key and anyone who wants to invest in this sector of the market needs to take off ...

Don’t put your property up for sale just to see what offers you get, particularly if you’re hoping for an inflated price. Too many property owners are going on fishing expeditions, hoping to get the kind of prices they might have three years ago. They flirt with the idea of selling, ...

House prices in real terms are expected to continue to decline for the rest of the year and in 2012 on the back of rising headline consumer price inflation, which is forecast to marginally breach the 6% level by the end of the year and for part of 2012 according ...

Home sellers should make sure their properties comply with municipal town-planning regulations and by-laws. Home sellers in East London and other towns in South Africa should urgently make sure that their properties comply with municipal town-planning regulations and by-laws, or they may find that potential buyers cannot get bonds to purchase ...

1. Types of property rescue scams i) Phantom help – In this scam, the supposed “rescuer” charges very high fees for basic phone calls and paperwork that the homeowner could have done. Or, the rescuer will make promises to represent the homeowner but will not follow through. This is really a ...

The quality of a scheme is almost invariably linked very closely to the quality of its management. Those contemplating a purchase in a sectional title scheme often do not take sufficient trouble to investigate just how efficiently - or inefficiently - the scheme’s management is operating. However the quality of the ...

It is essential to understand how banks go about property valuations. The property media have done an excellent job in educating and informing the general public on property matters and their increased knowledge has become apparent in the questions they put to agents and the requests they regularly make for carefully ...

Property remains a viable asset class in which to invest and still forms one of the most important investment cornerstones for South Africans. For those who are currently looking at investing in a property, the timing couldn’t be better. Since buyers’ market conditions prevail, those who do their homework thoroughly and ...

The explanation of legal terms used in property can sometimes be so complicated that only the brightest minds eventually pick up the clear, usually simple, meaning for which they were aiming - and this is often the case when the term hypothec crops up.