The real estate industry in Whangarei and the rest of New Zealand (apart from Auckkland) now have greater freedoms when conducting Real Estate business compared to Level 3 and 4. Key changes to the guidance are:
If you have any questions on this or anything else, then feel free to get in touch. Cheers.
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The real estate industry in Whangarei and the rest of Northland will have greater freedoms from Friday 3rd September. The move to alert level three restrictions means while open homes are still banned, Kiwis can physically inspect properties for sale or for rent by appointment and buyers can finally move into their new homes. Alert level 3 - Applies to all of Northland 1. Auctions: No physical auctions. All auctions need to be conducted online or via phone bidding. 2. Open homes and inspections: Open homes are prohibited and private viewings are strictly by appointment only and with the consent of the client and property occupants/tenants. There is a maximum of two viewings per property per day and a maximum of two people from an "extended bubble" can attend the viewing. Physical distancing of two metres to be observed at all times and only one real estate agent can attend the viewing. The viewing must be contactless meaning that the agent should open any doors/cupboards. Attendees must be pre-registered 3. Pre-settlement inspections: These can take place following the guidelines for private viewings. 4. Moving house: Settlements and moving house can occur. REINZ is currently awaiting guidance whether inter-regional moves can occur. 5. Appraisals and listings: Appraisals must be carried out remotely where possible. If an appraisal cannot be carried out remotely, licencees may briefly visit homes to conduct appraisals with the permission of the client/s (and tenant/s if the property is tenanted). Only one licencee to attend the property. Discussions regarding the agency agreement, marketing and listing process must occur via telephone/ virtual methods only, not in person. Photography and videography to be carried out remotely by the client where possible. 6. Mailbox drops: Agents should not use letterbox drops to market a property for sale. If you have any questions on this or anything else, then feel free to get in touch. Cheers. If you’ve given even a casual thought to selling your house in the near future, this is the time to really think seriously about making a move. Here’s why this spring and summer season is the ultimate sellers’ market - and the optimal time to make sure your house is available for buyers who are looking for homes to purchase. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from NAR shows the inventory of houses for sale is still astonishingly low, sitting at just a 2-month supply at the current sales pace. Historically, a 6-month supply is necessary for a ‘normal’ or ‘neutral’ market in which there are enough homes available for active buyers When the supply of houses for sale is as low as it is right now, it’s much harder for buyers to find homes to purchase. As a result, competition among purchasers rises and more bidding wars take place, making it essential for buyers to submit very attractive offers. We are still seeing multiple offers on a lot of properties from conditional buyers - if they’re not going to Auction that is! As this happens, home prices rise and sellers are in the best position to negotiate deals that meet their ideal terms. If you put your house on the market while so few homes are available to buy, it will likely get a lot of attention from hopeful buyers. Today, there are many buyers who are ready, willing, and able to purchase a home. Low mortgage rates and a year filled with unique changes have prompted buyers to think differently about where they live – and they’re taking action. The supply of homes for sale is not keeping up with this high demand, making now the optimal time to sell your house. Bottom Line Home prices are still appreciating in today’s sellers’ market - over 25% in the past 12 months for the Northland region. Making your home available over the coming weeks will give you the most exposure to buyers who will actively compete against each other to purchase it. Let’s talk more about what your plans are and the options you have now to get the very best result. Cheers, Paul My thoughts are with all our towns and cities throughout New Zealand and especially those that may have been directly affected by COVID-19 and this newer Delta variant. As a non-essential business, our physical premises have closed during level 4, and myself and the rest of our team members from Harcourts are now working from home to look after not only their current activities but also their families. I remain active and on-call (maybe in pj’s)- available by phone and email. A little bit of extra patience will be required by all of us as we adjust to a slightly new way of working, we will still be able to work with you on your sale, settlements and manage buyer enquiry as it comes in. Like you, I don't have a crystal ball, but along with the management team we are monitoring things daily - and our team is meeting digitally to discuss what is happening in our market. Harcourts is also in regular contact with REINZ and any new developments are being communicated daily. Take care of yourselves, and each other. Questions? Please scroll down for some answers to frequently asked questions during this time of restrictions. Can you receive an appraisal? Online appraisals can be completed and emailed to potential sellers. You will note that these virtual appraisals will clearly state that they were conducted online and without the ability to physically inspect the property due to COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions - and then I will update these after a physical inspection of the property as soon as the current Level 4 restrictions are lifted. Can you list your property now? Yes, like Lee Majors - we have the technology! and support staff in place to be able to list your property during this Level 4 period. All agency agreements, AML and marketing can be signed digitally and I can talk you through the process and advise the best way moving forward. Marketing your home for sale At this stage there are no buyer appointments or open homes but these can commence again at the lower Alert Levels. I have great online platforms in place to maximise the exposure of your property while we have such a strong online audience. Can we prepare and submit offers on properties? Yes - sale and purchase agreements will continue to be available during this time and your agent will be able to provide for digital signature in the event you do not have a scanner or printer at home. Most of the lawyers are still available by email for legal advice. Upcoming Auctions We will monitor the Alert Levels for face-to-face Auctions, and the Auctions set for this Friday the 20th at the Harcourts office have been pushed out for at least a week at this stage. We have our online Auction platform GAVL which has shown great success in our Auctions during the rest of this year. Organising Finance? Sellers and buyers should talk to their bank or financial services provider first off, most of them are mobilised and able to transact business remotely. Anti-Money Laundering - AML AML can be completed online via your documents being scanned into the AML hub through me. Conditional contracts Conditional contracts can still be confirmed during this time; however should a condition not be able to be met due to the restrictions under the Alert Level 4 period (examples would be the inability to conduct a property inspection and building inspections), then the buyer and seller would need to advise their legal representatives and either extend the condition until after the lockdown, or cancel the contract. The party's lawyers will make appropriate amendments to the contract to facilitate this. LIM's We have been advised by Whangarei District Council that LIM processing is not able to be completed as some file records are still in paper format and will not be able to be accessed during this period. If purchasing, we would still suggest filing a request for a LIM so when these are able to be processed you will already be in the queue . Pre-settlement inspections These are unable to take place in person during lockdown, however, if both parties agree, these could take place using video conferencing - the seller would walk through the property and film the chattels being in operating order. In the case of an empty house, then this is not possible. Moving in to your new home Because moving house is not defined as 'necessary travel' during Stage 4 lockdowns, we suggest deferring settlement dates with your solicitor. All of the contracts done with me have an existing clause in your contract to facilitate this. We refer to this as the ‘Covid’ clause, and is generally set for the completion and settlement of the contract 5 working days after we come out of Level 4. Be well, and feel free to get in touch anytime. Cheers, Paul In the current sellers’ market (yep, still!) many homeowners wonder what, if anything, needs to be done before they list their house for sale. That’s where a trusted real estate professional comes in. They (me!) can help you think through today’s market conditions and how they impact what you should – and shouldn’t – renovate before selling. Here are some considerations to guide you through: 1. With current supply challenges, buyers may be willing to take on projects of their own. A more balanced market typically sees a 6-month supply of homes for sale. Above that, and we’re in a buyers’ market. Below that, and we’re in a sellers’ market. We are 100% still very much in a sellers market - and it looks likely to continue that way for the rest of this year at least. So, what does that mean for you? If you’re a seller trying to decide whether or not to renovate, this is especially important because it’s indicative of buyer behavior. When there aren’t enough homes for sale, buyers may be more willing to purchase a home that doesn’t meet all their needs and renovate it themselves later. 2. Not all renovation projects are equal. You don’t want to spend time and money on a project that isn’t worth the cost or is too niche design-wise for some homebuyers. According to an article by Renofi.com, basing home updates on what’s trendy right now can be a costly mistake: “The last thing you as a homeowner want to do is center your home design around a passing fad – even worse, one that design quality won’t last a good while.” Example - those apricot and forest green kitchens from the early 2000’s haven’t aged well - at all! Before making any decisions, talk to your real estate advisor,me. I have insight into what other sellers are doing before listing their homes and how buyers are reacting to those upgrades. Don’t spend the time and money to be trendy – if your buyer wants to upgrade to the newest fad later, they can. 3. If you’ve already made upgrades this past year, your agent can help spotlight them. If you have already completed some renovations on your house, you’re not alone. The pandemic kept people at home last year, and during that time, many homeowners completed some home improvement projects. HomeAdvisor’s 2021 State of Home Spending Report found: “35% of households that completed an improvement project undertook some type of interior painting, while 31% completed a bathroom renovationl and 26% installed new flooring.” Let your real estate professional know if you’ve done anything in the past 12-18 months. It might be that we highlight any recent upgrades you’ve made in your house’s listing description. Bottom Line When it comes to renovations, your return-on-investment should be top of mind. Talk with your local real estate professional to find out what projects you should prioritize before you sell and how to highlight your upgrades to maximize your house’s potential. If you’d like to discuss your recent renovations and what it could do for your home sale, then let’s chat. I’ll bring the coffee… Cheers, Paul Wow, that’s a lot!
I hear that or a variation of it most weeks, almost daily... Why is that? It’s because I work in Real Estate and the fees in the industry are considered by some to be a little bit (or a lot!) on the high side. There are plenty of choices when it comes to selling your property, and almost as many ways that we as an industry talk about fees. I’m going to explain what I do, and who helps me with that along with where the money goes. That way, you can decide if it’s worth it or not to work with me. Let’s go with the average sale price in the Whangarei region at the moment - for July 2021 it is $655,000** Based on that, most of the big Real Estate companies in NZ, including who I work with, would be suggesting a fee of approximately $25,000 (incl GST). Yep, that is a big number! I think that the shock of that fee comes from people not really explaining the breakdown, and also not providing an insane amount of value to the transaction that you’re needing help with. Here’s the first thing - I don’t get all of that - not even close! There are certain different ways that it goes, but on average half of that $25,000 goes to the office, and half of that goes to the agent. So for this example, that’s 50/50. So now that $25,000 is down to $12,500. That includes GST, so we need to take that away, bringing it down to $10,625. There is also tax to save to pay the IRD - factor in 20%, so we’re now down to $8,500. The other half that went to the office? They also have tax and GST to pay, along with the staff. Well, we have an amazing team of support staff to help behind the scenes - Real Estate is getting more comprehensive all of the time. The liability, legal obligations, compliance with rules and regulations are all very important parts to it, there’s a lot more going on than just throwing a sign up and putting it on TradeMe. Plus, that helps to keep many local families employed, and spending their income locally. This is now where real estate salespeople have a choice about adding a lot of value to their services, or not… I’m at $8,500 for my fee for service on your house sale. Because I need the value I provide to you to be much higher than the fee charged, I include all of the marketing essentials in this fee. Otherwise, I just couldn’t sleep at night. It is 2021, and it was always vital, but more so post COVID - that your property is exposed to the most amount of people locally, nationally, and where necessary internationally. It blows my mind that a lot of other agents don’t see that their fee should cover the marketing of the property they are helping to sell. A simple question of “what are your greatest skills you bring to the table” should provide all you need. If the agent answers “marketing and negotiation” but then proceeds to charge you - what is in reality - twice for doing the job of marketing, then how does that work? I could go on about this, and in fact I will in a future post… Anyway, back to the breakdown. We are at $8,500. A comprehensive marketing campaign, including photo/video, council files, pre-sale builders report, auctioneer if needed, and all of the online sites along with paid ads, and last but absolutely not least is the way I uniquely bring all this together - will be around $3,000/$4,000. Anymore than that, and they are taking the piss a bit… There are times to go all out, and spend much more than that, but in this example we are keeping it relative to the average house sale of $655,000 - the marketing tends to be a sliding scale on the overall value of the property, but that $3-4k gets it done very well in most cases. So, let’s take the middle of that marketing bill and use $3,500. Taking that away from the $8,500 we were at for my fee, we get to $5,000. $5,000 to sell my house, mate that’s still a bit high! Let’s just go one more step… The average days to sell a property in Whangarei is 42 days**. So if we divide the $5,000 by the 42 days, we get to $119 per day. I think that puts me in a much more realistic range for a fee to help you with your property sale, it’s $119 per day to get it done with you. I can’t speak for what other people are saying about the fee they charge you, but I am driven everyday to offer you a value added service, so the fee is fair for you. At the end of the day, every situation is different, so I’m always happy to talk about it and negotiate on my fee at the time of sale if we need to. It can’t get much fairer than that. Cheers, Paul **Figures from the REINZ stats website - July 2021 There are so many great reasons to purchase a home, and over the past year, we’ve realised more of them than we ever thought possible. #covidyoudick... If you’re a first-time homebuyer, having a home of your own can give you a greater sense of security and accomplishment in a time that’s largely uncertain. If you’re a repeat buyer looking for your dream home, making a move might give you the space or features you need to find greater success and happiness in our "new normal" way of life. Whatever your motivations are, here are three reasons why becoming a homeowner now may help you win big in the long run. 1. Buying a Home Is a Great Investment Several recent reports indicate that real estate is still a good investment, topping other options such as gold, stocks, bonds, and savings. Why? Because real estate helps you build equity, a type of forced savings that grows your net worth over time. 2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Low Interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have fallen since November 2018. In the news this past week, Heartland Bank has a special rate of just 1.85% - when many were expecting rates to rise slightly this year, that happened! We expect rates to remain low, possibly leveling out towards the end of 2021. When you purchase a home at a low mortgage rate, it will positively impact your monthly mortgage payment, giving you the opportunity to likely get more house for your money. 3. Investing in Your Future Pays Off There are some renters who haven’t purchased a home yet because they’re uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. What many renters don’t realise, though, is the financial power of equity. While it can be a struggle to get a deposit together, the long term benefit outways that pain. As a homeowner, your monthly mortgage payment becomes a form of ‘forced savings’ you can reinvest later in life as you see fit. You can use it in a variety of ways, like to fund a loved one’s education, move up to a bigger home, or start your own business. As a renter, you’re actually growing your landlord’s equity instead of your own. If you’re ready to put your monthly payments to work for you and take steps toward those dreams and goals, purchasing a home may be the way to go, especially as rental prices continue to rise. Buying a home sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings and long-term financial growth. Get in touch to determine if homeownership is the right choice for you this year. So, you’ve been thinking about selling your house - and then you realised that YOU HAVE KIDS! How is that going to work without losing your mind? Well, it has been done plenty of times before, so don't worry too much. If you plan out the selling process correctly, it is much easier. Take a deep breath and let's go through this together. The hardest part of selling a home with kids is that they tend to undo your efforts as soon as you get a room cleaned and ready. You move on to the next room while they follow behind you with a new mess. Kids don't feel the same sense of urgency that you feel as you are planning out this major life event. This can cause tensions to rise in the household. In this article, I'll explain some simple steps you can take to make the process much smoother and more predictable. Here are some tried and true tips: 1- Get Organised & Prepared The very first step is always to organize your thoughts and implement a plan. This will help calm your nerves and give you a sense of control over the situation. Give yourself some time to organise for a week or so during nap time or while the kids are at school. Go through their wardrobes, dressers, and toys. Find items that you may be able to donate or take to storage. When all of that is said and done, declutter a little more. Clear the tops of dressers and nightstands, take down personalised items (for the safety of your children), and put away all but 25% of the toys and maybe 1-2 weeks worth of clothing. If your kids are old enough or excited about moving, have them help choose which toys and clothes they use most often and let them box up the rest (packing and marking the box/boxes in a special way can make them feel included). 2- Make a Family Contract Make a contract with your kids - after all, you are signing lots of papers when you buy and sell your house. Use this as an example. If they are primary school age or older, this can be a great life lesson! Find out what motivates them to help get the home ready for pictures and open homes - let the “market” be the motivator! For littles, maybe there is a special toy that they’ve wanted. Print out a picture of the toy and put it somewhere (back of their bedroom door, pantry door, etc) so they see it daily. A sticker chart can also help encourage them. Maybe it’s a special outing - could you find something that reminds them of why they want to help? For older kids, if not a special outing, maybe it’s a “paycheck” that you hand them after settling on the sale of your home! Whatever the reward, make sure it’s something they are REALLY excited about and be very specific about their jobs and when you need them completed. Remember to be age appropriate and realistic. If you work, you’ll need some things done before the kids leave for school. Put away all toys, gaming stuff, school stuff, clothes, shoes, and jackets. (It’s great to have a laundry basket or bag that either fits under the bed or in the wardrobe to toss toys in quickly.) 3- Make a Daily Clean-Up Checklist for Kids Making a checklist for all of the jobs that your kids are capable of helping with will set their expectations on the right path. Remind them to make their beds (or do their best to straighten it up), clean off the bathroom counter (toothbrush, toiletry items - find a special place for them to put everything and have cleaning wipes handy), close toilet seats, and hang up towels. Put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher or hand wash and put them away. Help turn on all lights in the home and open blinds before school. Your home shows better when it’s brighter! 4- Prepare Open home Bags Pre-made Open home bags are a great way to take pressure off of you while you're frantically preparing for your next viewing. These bags can hold your kid's favourite treats, drinks, a special toy/book, cosy clothes/blanket. Whatever you do, make these fun (something unique that they only get when there’s an open home or viewing - it makes that time exciting!) Make sure there’s also a bag for you - include some personal items, just in case you have to run out of the home quickly and forgot to put on deodorant! Once you have them made, just keep them in your car or garage to grab as you leave your house. 5- Pre-Plan Your Routes Gather some ideas of easy trips for when viewings happen. The less planning you have to do in the moment, the easier the process. This may be a good time to go to the park, go on a bush walk, grab some food, or just walk around the town basin. If your kids are still in the napping stage, do you have friends or family who are willing to let you turn up for nap time if needed? Build out a good list of options so that you can easily escape to somewhere pleasant when you are leaving your home for a showing. 6- Make a Personal Checklist Determine a checklist for yourself. An empty laundry basket is a great help if you need to gather items quickly. You can even throw it in the back of the car if needed! Have something written down so you don’t miss the important things, then, plan to do a final sweep of the home once the kids are buckled in the car. 7- Set Up Viewing Delays Now that you’re on the market, ask your agent to give you at least a 2-hour notice for each requested private viewing of your home. You can ask for more or less time based on your needs. Just make sure you have plenty of time because it's awkward whenever sellers are trying to get out of the home when buyers are showing up. Your agent should ‘stack’ private viewings around one so it doesn’t take up any more of your time than is necessary. After all, that’s one of the main reasons for open homes - so you’re not always being asked to leave your own home! You'll need enough time for your little one to finish a nap or for your older kiddos to accomplish their contract items. You'll also need time to do a final inspection while leaving your house before the buyers get there. Budget this time wisely so that you don't feel too pressed for time. 8- Try to minimise your workload The easier you can make the process of being on the market, the better. Here are a few ideas to get you started once you are on the market and for sale: Cook your meals on the BBQ or in the oven in a single dish - less clean up if there isn’t a cooktop to wipe down. Think about only using one bathroom - less to clean! Have one place for homework and hide ALL kids craft materials - trust me, you’ll thank me for this one! Have toys/books/games/etc. in ONE room - whether it’s each child’s bedroom or a playroom - leave the main spaces a little less chaotic. Schedule lots of outside play - if weather permits - and have them take their shoes off at the door! 9- RELAX! There is a good chance that the person thinking about buying your home has children - or at least has been around children enough to know that families have to live in their home. Not everything will be perfect, and there will be times when you can’t get to everything on your list! It’s okay. Your kids are going to take their cues from you - remember to breathe! Selling a home with kids is a challenge, but it can be a fun shared experience with your family if done correctly. The steps above should help you throughout the entire process. Make sure that you choose a great agent to work with and not just the first one that you know. Your agent's ability to have a plan in place for you, actually sell your house, and keep you informed throughout the process will help decrease your stress dramatically. The agent that you hire is a huge part of your success, so choose wisely. Remember to stay positive, stick to the plan, and make some good memories with your family during this time. You've got this! Cheers, Paul Buying and selling houses can be tricky, particularly if you are selling and buying a home at the same time. Should you buy a new property first, or sell your current home before purchasing a new one? It's an age-old conundrum. We take a look at the pros and cons in the light of the current housing market, to help you make the right decision. How to buy a new house in the current housing market Talk to your agent to find out whether you are facing a buyers or seller’s market. In most property markets, selling your property before buying your next is most sensible. Once you have released the equity from your current property, you can keep your eye out for a property you love and negotiate knowing how much money you have to spend. However, putting the above aside, the process you choose will depend entirely on your circumstances. Can I buy another house before I sell mine? Technically, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you buying your next property first if you can afford it. Buying a new home before selling your current one does have a couple of advantages: ● It means you don’t miss out if you fall in love with a particular property before you have sold your own. ● It gives you more time to complete the move – you can take your time moving all your possessions, as there is nobody else waiting to move into your current home. However, these elements tend to be outweighed by the advantages of selling your current home before you buy a new one: 1. You are more likely to achieve the best possible sale price If you sell your current property first, you have time to make it look as attractive as possible so it will gain a higher sale price. You can also take time to consider offers and negotiate with buyers until you get the results you want. If you have already bought a new property, you might feel time-pressured, as you could be paying two mortgages at once, or have a bridging loan. This could tempt you to sell your current property for less than it is worth for a quick sale. 2. You know exactly how much money you have to spend Selling your current property first lets you know exactly what you can afford when it comes to purchasing a new property. It prevents you from getting into financial difficulties through overestimating the value of your current property, then not achieving the sale price you wanted. 3. It can save you time as well as money If you buy a new property before you sell yours, you will not only have to pay two mortgages and two sets of bills, you will also be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of two properties. This can take up a considerable amount of your time when you should be settling into your new home. 4. Remember, you don't have to rush your move Ideally, you need to find a new home as quickly as possible after selling your current one. However, it doesn’t mean you need to end up staying with relatives! You can always seek to extend the settlement period on your current property to give you more time to find a new property you love. One of the most important things to do when buying or selling a house is to find an experienced and reputable real estate agent who will be able to make the process as smooth as possible for you. I understand that buying and selling a property can be a tricky process, particularly when you are selling and buying a home at the same time. If you would like more information about buying and selling houses, or want to know how to buy a house before selling yours, please contact me, and I'll be happy to help. Cheers, Paul The real estate market is expected to continue growing in 2021, and it’s largely driven by the lasting impact the pandemic is having on our lifestyles. As many of us spend extra time at home, we’re re-evaluating what “home” means and what we may need in one going forward. Here are 4 reasons people are reconsidering where they live and why they’re expecting to buy a home this year. 1. Record-Low Mortgage Interest Rates In 2020, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage hit a record low multiple times, continuing to fall further below 3%. At most major banks, the average interest rate today is 2.70% or slightly lower. Many wonder how low these rates will go and how long they’ll last. This sense of urgency is driving many to buy this year. 2. Working from Home Remote work is a new normal for many businesses, and it’s lasting longer than most expected. Many in the workforce today are discovering they don’t need to live close to the office anymore and they can get more for their money by moving a little further outside of the city limits. The reality is, for some people, working remotely in their current home is challenging, especially when there may be other options available. We are getting an increase in calls from not only Auckland, but also our other biggest cities Wellington and Christchurch about making the move up north. 3. More Outdoor Space Another new priority for homeowners is having more usable outdoor space. Being at home is driving those in some areas to seek less densely populated neighbourhoods so they have more room to stretch their legs. In addition, those living in units and townhouses are often looking for extra square meters, both inside and out. 4. Avoiding Renovations It’s recently come to light that many homeowners would also rather buy a new home than go through the process of fixing up the one they have. Depending on what needs to be addressed, today’s high buyer demand may make it possible to skip some renovations before selling. Many of these homeowners have prioritized buying over renovating for convenience and potential cost savings. It’s clear that homeownership needs are changing. As a result, more Kiwis are expected to move this year than last year. If you’re trying to decide if now is the right time to sell your home to take advantage of these reasons, then contact me today to discuss your options. Cheers, Paul |
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