About
Andrew Winter
Andrew Winter is obsessed with houses. With 25 years experience in the property trade he believes that if you haven’t sold your house within two months then you’re doing something wrong! "In the last 20 years I have seen all different market conditions, met all different types of buyers from the poorest to the richest, met all types of sellers with all different kinds of attitudes, met all different kinds of estate agents, some great, some absolutely awful! Sold luxury homes, dream homes, derelict farm buildings, homes in scary areas, new homes, 400 year old houses and empty land – that’s why I have the confidence to really say I do know what I am talking about when it comes to houses!”
You can also contact Andrew directly via his personal website www.andrewwinter.com.au
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Just had a chat with a guy who bought a unit in Cairns, great spot, lovely development too but now discovers it is worth 30k less that the price agreed 3 years ago!
Now before all you developers get all excited and start to send me rude emails – I know off plan purchasing can be very successful for many buyers. They select a new home, pay a deposit, wait until it is built, then have a value increase during that period of construction and everyone is happy. The developer is happy too, because in many cases, they need your commitment to enable them to fund the actual construction.
Now before all you developers get all excited and start to send me rude emails – I know off plan purchasing can be very successful for many buyers. They select a new home, pay a deposit, wait until it is built, then have a value increase during that period of construction and everyone is happy. The developer is happy too, because in many cases, they need your commitment to enable them to fund the actual construction.
HAPPY NEW YEAR - So what will 2010 and the forthcoming few years - I will call the 'in between ees' have install for the property market?
We started 2009 with predictions of total housing doom and gloom after a bad 08, but the Aussie market held out, still many homes are up to 10% less than a peak in 2006. However that figure varies greatly across the country.
I think 2010 will be a steady year, as long as interest rates don't go too mad and job numbers hold out. So as a buyer or seller it should be a fairly safe year for both sides, which is actually quite unusual. So sellers it is better but do not expect crazy high prices, buyers don't expect cheap bargains and buy through agents, sellers direct or developers not via third party so called 'investment specialists / marketers' and do not buy blind - do your research.
We started 2009 with predictions of total housing doom and gloom after a bad 08, but the Aussie market held out, still many homes are up to 10% less than a peak in 2006. However that figure varies greatly across the country.
I think 2010 will be a steady year, as long as interest rates don't go too mad and job numbers hold out. So as a buyer or seller it should be a fairly safe year for both sides, which is actually quite unusual. So sellers it is better but do not expect crazy high prices, buyers don't expect cheap bargains and buy through agents, sellers direct or developers not via third party so called 'investment specialists / marketers' and do not buy blind - do your research.
HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND A TERRIFIC NEW YEAR - to all you wonderful Lifestyle Channel viewers. It is you that actually allows us to keep making our Aussie shows here, so keep up the support and make sure you let us know your ideas, questions and dare I say ‘complaints’?
We only have a few weeks left filming our latest series which is set to air in early 2010. We have some really interesting houses and really terrific people in this series.
So make sure your two main New Years resolutions are – to keep watching Lifestyle and to LOOK OUT FOR MY BOOK - yes it is coming out soon and yes it is about houses, what else?
We only have a few weeks left filming our latest series which is set to air in early 2010. We have some really interesting houses and really terrific people in this series.
So make sure your two main New Years resolutions are – to keep watching Lifestyle and to LOOK OUT FOR MY BOOK - yes it is coming out soon and yes it is about houses, what else?
This blog entry was driven by my absolute dismay as one of our big banks decided not to raise rates by the RBA rate, but added another 0.2%. It may sound like a small increase but it is NOT! Can you imagine how much extra revenue they will make in a short period for doing nothing? Lucky them, unlucky us!
I do believe they will and can get away with this. One reason is, as customers we cannot be bothered to do anything about it except complain to each other – true?
My advice to you is if you are on a variable package with no penalties for early termination, maybe you should consider moving your loan and try to get a better deal. Is it complicated? It can be but it would be worth going to a Broker who can access many products and lenders and do a COMPARISON for you. If there is a better deal out there for you, often Brokers will help you through all the paperwork and a good Broker should make it simple! Using Brokers will cost you nothing but do check the figures first and the ‘small print’ before you agree and sign up.
I do believe they will and can get away with this. One reason is, as customers we cannot be bothered to do anything about it except complain to each other – true?
My advice to you is if you are on a variable package with no penalties for early termination, maybe you should consider moving your loan and try to get a better deal. Is it complicated? It can be but it would be worth going to a Broker who can access many products and lenders and do a COMPARISON for you. If there is a better deal out there for you, often Brokers will help you through all the paperwork and a good Broker should make it simple! Using Brokers will cost you nothing but do check the figures first and the ‘small print’ before you agree and sign up.
It was inevitable with first home buyers encouraged and purchasing their little hearts out, that the next levels of the housing market that had laid so sleepy for a year or two would be given the proverbial kick up the "for sale" board.
This certainly seems to be happening at the moment and I would love to hear some good real estate stories if any of you out there would like to share any with me.
We are currently filming our next series of Selling Houses Australia. One of the first homes we worked on was stuck on the market for over a year. Once it was re-marketed with our help, not only did it sell in days but also exceeded its expected sale price.
This certainly seems to be happening at the moment and I would love to hear some good real estate stories if any of you out there would like to share any with me.
We are currently filming our next series of Selling Houses Australia. One of the first homes we worked on was stuck on the market for over a year. Once it was re-marketed with our help, not only did it sell in days but also exceeded its expected sale price.
In this fascinating property market we currently find ourselves in, it is no surprise to you all that there still are some great deals out there.
Sorry to tell you first time purchasers and buyers/investors at the lower end of the property market; most of the deals are not in your traditional sectors of the market place! The Government with their hand outs, stamp duty discounts and grants mean this sector of the market has been well and truly stimulated.
So where are all these bargains? The reality is you will find them quite often by accident, by detective work, by following certain home listings, or by getting very friendly with your favourite agent who may tip you off.
Sorry to tell you first time purchasers and buyers/investors at the lower end of the property market; most of the deals are not in your traditional sectors of the market place! The Government with their hand outs, stamp duty discounts and grants mean this sector of the market has been well and truly stimulated.
So where are all these bargains? The reality is you will find them quite often by accident, by detective work, by following certain home listings, or by getting very friendly with your favourite agent who may tip you off.
Nearly 25 years in the property industry and I am still confused to the reasoning behind NOT setting, or quoting ‘price guides’ when a property is to be sold.
Going back to the 70s and 80s, sometimes a price was not quoted because the home was very unique and the sellers did not want the sale figure known to the public, not sure why? However that argument no longer applies as anyone can access sales figures these days, either free, or by paying a few $$'s
So is it in the buying publics’ interest? Of course not, all that wasted time enquiring about homes you like that turn out to be way out of your financial reach, the frustration as buyers try to search for their next home only to discover page after page of un priced homes in the property press – so annoying!
Going back to the 70s and 80s, sometimes a price was not quoted because the home was very unique and the sellers did not want the sale figure known to the public, not sure why? However that argument no longer applies as anyone can access sales figures these days, either free, or by paying a few $$'s
So is it in the buying publics’ interest? Of course not, all that wasted time enquiring about homes you like that turn out to be way out of your financial reach, the frustration as buyers try to search for their next home only to discover page after page of un priced homes in the property press – so annoying!
Recent press reports have been discussing the DECREASE in apartment/unit construction numbers, mainly it commented, due to difficulty in getting finance for such projects and decreased demand (ABC News 1st July 2009). Does this mean home owners and investors should steer clear of this housing type?
I will happily put unit owners and unit developers minds at rest and state that this is not the case, units / apartments have their very important place in the housing market and will continue to do so, but as with everything else related to our wonderful housing industry here there are many, many BUTS!
I will happily put unit owners and unit developers minds at rest and state that this is not the case, units / apartments have their very important place in the housing market and will continue to do so, but as with everything else related to our wonderful housing industry here there are many, many BUTS!
Have you not noticed what has gone so wrong with the worlds’ biggest banks? I don't think you have...
In recent weeks, I have spoken to one young couple on good salaries with a small deposit, that were offered up to $800,000 on a mortgage – they were both horrified and sensible enough to be sticking to a loan amount under $500k. Another couple who are being encouraged to build on land they had already paid 20% too much for and where their newly built home will actually be worth at least $300k less than it cost to build. Another guy who signed up for a ‘share trading’ account to play the market with a couple of thousand Dollars he could actually easily afford to lose if it all went wrong, was offered an instant $50k credit, which would not be so easy to lose but impossible to repay!
In recent weeks, I have spoken to one young couple on good salaries with a small deposit, that were offered up to $800,000 on a mortgage – they were both horrified and sensible enough to be sticking to a loan amount under $500k. Another couple who are being encouraged to build on land they had already paid 20% too much for and where their newly built home will actually be worth at least $300k less than it cost to build. Another guy who signed up for a ‘share trading’ account to play the market with a couple of thousand Dollars he could actually easily afford to lose if it all went wrong, was offered an instant $50k credit, which would not be so easy to lose but impossible to repay!
It was 1996, I had just moved to central London from another part of the UK, a single man alone in his brand new dock side apartment, a great job in real estate, a nice car in the car park below, BUT I had a guilty secret.
I had just become addicted to a new format of TV called ‘the property show’ – this new genre was like a dream come true, not only did I spend all my working time looking at houses, now I could see them on my telly too! Remember this was an era ‘pre property web sites’ a dark time where only newspapers and walking around suburbs and their agencies would enable a person to get a fix of ‘property porn’ how I indulged.
I had just become addicted to a new format of TV called ‘the property show’ – this new genre was like a dream come true, not only did I spend all my working time looking at houses, now I could see them on my telly too! Remember this was an era ‘pre property web sites’ a dark time where only newspapers and walking around suburbs and their agencies would enable a person to get a fix of ‘property porn’ how I indulged.
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