1. DECEMBER IS DECISION MONTH –By Rich Harvey

If you wait for the perfect time to purchase a property, in many cases it will be elusive and pass you by. I often hear “I’ll get around to buying a place when I get married, or when I’ve got my head together, or got the right career or have enough money for a deposit…etc.” In reality there may never be a “perfect time.” If only we had the gift of foresight to see all the bumps in the road ahead…but then that is what makes life interesting! It’s not what happens to you, but how you deal with it that counts. Those bumps we experience help build our character.

December is the one month in the year when everyone gets focussed around a deadline – Christmas. It’s the one date in the yearly calendar that puts a defining stake in the ground. We all seem to work harder to finish our projects “before Christmas.” We ask the tradesman if he can finish the job “before Christmas”, get the shopping done “before Christmas” and paint the deck “before Christmas.” Isn’t amazing how efficient we suddenly become just before going on holidays?

Well the good news is that we find many vendors want their property sold “before Christmas” and this can spell opportunity for the savvy buyer. While most property marketing campaigns are winding down, there are still many transactions waiting to happen before years’ end. Vendors like to get some certainty that their property is going to be sold and know they will be moving next year, or for the investment owner, they want their cash out ready for the next venture.

It is this desire for “certainty” that helps drive the decision to buy or sell at this time of the year – hence why I have dubbed December as “decision month.” People don’t like to leave things hanging in the air for too long. Both the greedy vendor that wants too much and the frugal buyer that is often unrealistic, often come to the negotiating table prepared to do business at this time of year.

The buyers and sellers then feel a sense of relief knowing they have made a decision and can celebrate with a few drinks at Christmas time.

As Buyers’ Agents we understand the seasonal nature of the property market and the psychology that drives buyers and sellers at this time of year. We help position our clients to the front of the queue when it comes to both finding and negotiating the best possible deal on a property transaction. In a market that is constantly changing under supply and demand forces, we position our clients to get offers accepted quickly and easily.

Some of our prospective clients are wondering whether now is the right time to come on board knowing that the market slows down over Christmas. At this time of year the supply of new listings is generally tight which means agents are keen for business. If they know we have a fully qualified buyer on the books ready to move on the right property, they will love the idea of not have to do a complete marketing campaign to generate a sale. This saves the vendor advertising money too!

From many years experience we know that it is always better to start the search process early. We have many agents on our database that get back to work in early January and will be seeking new listings that want to create a sale. In addition, there is often less competition from other buyers around this time.

In summary, December is a good month to make a move on a quality property by capitalising on the rush to get things finalised before Christmas. To find out more about our how we can help you please call us on (02) 9975 3311 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send us your “wishlist” from our website www.propertybuyer.com.au.

“Highlights from 2009 - The Year in Review”

• Most importantly, we were able to save our clients loads of time, money and stress in searching for their ideal home or investment property.

• Propertybuyer was named the National “Buyers’ Agent of the Year 2009” – awarded by the Real Estate Institute of Australia.

• Propertybuyer was a finalist in the 2009 REINSW Awards for Excellence and the Manly Daily Business Awards.

• Rich was nominated as the Chairperson of the Buyers Agents Chapter of the Real Estate Institute of NSW to advise the board and OFT on professional standards.

• Rich slept out on the street with 200 other CEO’s in July to raise money for and create awareness of the homeless in Sydney and raised over $2700.

• Propertybuyer was quoted in over 35 different news media and sought after for comment on the property market (and appeared on Switzer TV and Channel 9’s A Current Affair).

• Rich presented on the Expert Panel of the Sydney Home Buyer show in Oct 2009 alongside the REIA president and other property CEO’s.

2. CLIENT STORIES

(a) Straight talking advice pays off

Buyer type: Home owner (full search service)
The brief: Seeking a 4 bedroom house with large yard in Hunters Hill for less than $2,000,000
Appraisal: $1,730,000 to $1,780,000
Purchase price: $1,700,000

Buyers’ agent comment: (Matt Corbett)
Daren and Melissa were a lovely couple looking for a family home on a large block in Hunters Hill with potential to add value. Having three children below 3 years old made inspections almost impossible. They wanted to renovate to their own personal taste and add a swimming pool. Essentially, they wanted me to assess all available properties and once I found Augustine Street, assure them that they would not be overcapitalising by renovating to their desired level. Having seen what they did to their previous home, I look forward to seeing the finished product here.

What our clients say:
“Thank you for all your help and support during the search and purchase of our new home. As you know with 3 children and my work schedule, Melissa and I are very time poor. Buying the right house for our family was so important to us and your approach and professionalism gave us confidence that we were going to make the right decision.
With selling our previous house first we were also conscious of the tight time frame for us to buy a house and joked with you at first that it would be great if both houses could settle on the same day!! To our absolute delight that is exactly what happened. Your structured approach to the search, appraisal and negotiation ensured we got the house we wanted in the right time frame. In addition, you opened our eyes to a property we otherwise would not looked and as a result I feel like we achieved a great financial outcome that I am sure will pay dividends when we go to sell in the future.

Thank you again for your help and I would not hesitate in recommending propertybuyer and you personally to my family and friends.” Daren M. (CEO-Healthcare)

(b) Persistence pays

Buyer type: Interstate investor
The brief: Seeking inner-west property with good access to the city and a shopping/cafe precinct up to $ 676,000
Appraisal: $ 540,000 to $ 580,000
Purchase price: $ 550,000

Buyers’ agent comment: (David McElveney)
Jane was based interstate and wanted a quality investment property. We had missed out on several other properties because they went over our recommended appraisal and others had significant building or strata issues. We had to really persist to get in front of the other buyers as the market in the Inner West was ultra hot with all the confidence back in the market. Beating the other buyers AND getting a good buy is very hard to do but we got there.

What our clients say:
"Thank you so much for all your efforts in finding us our investment property. Living in another state made it just about impossible to buy but we just inspected the property for the first time in person yesterday and we love it. It is a better property than John and I expected.

Thanks also for putting us in touch with David at IPM. Our first rental inspection is this weekend so hopefully we can have it rented straight away." Jane.

To become a client of propertybuyer just click here to send us your Wishlist…

3. OUR NEW SERVICE – “PROPERTYBUYER INVEST”

Did you know that when you buy a brand new house and land package, townhouse or an apartment from a developer you could be paying an additional 5% to 6% in marketing fees and sales commission which is embedded in the price? While the glossy brochures, the scale models and elaborate display suites are designed to impress, you need to exercise extreme caution to ensure you are getting the right deal.

We are regularly approached by developers seeking a channel to sell their newly completed stock or create sales off-the plan. We end up rejecting around 95% of this stock because our research shows the majority of these types of properties are over-priced, in the wrong area, have poor design, are in over-stocked area, lacks rental history or have poor prospects of capital growth.

However, as we are searching the Australian property market for top performing investment properties every day, we often come across deals that really do show potential and tick the right boxes for investment.

We are excited to announce that we are able to offer a new service called “Propertybuyer Invest”.
Most of our current clients engage us for a tailored search process to identify a shortlist of suitable properties for home or investment. This takes a considerable amount of time to search and vet the right type of properties that match the client’s requirements.

How it works….

With Propertybuyer Invest we are offering a lower engagement fee of just $495 to get access to our stocklist of investment properties that meet our “Approved List”. There is a 3 month engagement period in which we will present you pre-qualified stock. In the past most of our investor clients have purchased their investment property within 30 to 40 days of engagement while our home buyer clients average 40 to 50 days. We are confident you will be happy with the properties selected within the first 3 months, but if for some reason you are not, then you simply pay another $495 to extend the agreement a further 3 months.

The savings we can offer our clients using Propertybuyer Invest come in two ways.
1. We always negotiate a lower price with the developer on their list price because we can offer bulk buying power.
2. Since we don’t take commissions from the developer we get the entire selling and marketing fee rebated to our clients. As an example, a typical house and land package costs about $450,000 and there is around a $25,000 commission the developer pays to the selling agent.

We charge our clients a fixed fee of just $9000 +GST (which includes the initial $495 engagement fee).

So you end up saving far more money than if you were to buy direct from the developer or selling agent.
Please note that propertybuyer does not have affiliations with marketeers and is NEVER paid a commission from developers (in this way we can give totally independent advice).

Criteria we use to assess new stock…

We use some of the following criteria to select the best possible property stock for our clients.

• Close to median price - safer to be within 20% of median value
• Scarcity or uniqueness - don’t buy in a block of 100 of the same units
• Growth prospects - Local population rising and solid infrastructure drivers
• Strong cashflow - solid rental yield
• Secure and affordable
• Amenities – shops, schools, transport, lifestyle attractions etc
• Market timing – look at where the local market is at in the property cycle
• Reputable builder / developer – ensure there is track record of success and build quality

We have condensed the equivalent of more than 1 year's searching into the very best opportunities that boast the following:

1. High growth

2. Strong cashflow or even positively geared

3. Hot spots

4. Discount to bank valuation

5. Expertly managed by agents we personally interview

6. Off- market opportunities that don’t get advertised to the public.

To find out more about how to access this new service, call us now on (02) 9975 3311 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send us your “wishlist” from our website www.propertybuyer.com.au.

4. MARKET UPDATE

House prices in all capital cities are now higher than they were 12 months ago. The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Australian Home Value Index lifted by 1.4 per cent in the month, the tenth consecutive monthly gain, after rising by a revised 0.4 per cent in September. Over the past year, Australian dwelling prices have risen by 8.7 per cent – the fastest growth in 19 months.

RP Data-Rismark calculates the median capital city house price across Australia at a record high of $524,720 with the median unit value at $426,167.

Below are the most recent median prices for each capital city around Australia:
(figures supplied courtesy of Residex).

HOUSES

UNITS

If you are considering buying and would like to get the upper hand with a professional buyers’ advocate representing just you (not the vendor), sourcing and negotiating the best opportunities throughout Sydney and Australia, then please call our team on +61 2 9975 3311 or email us for an obligation free chat.
Click here to send us your Wishlist…

5. INSPIRATION CORNER

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape" - Anon

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr

“What I perceive…..determines what I receive…..which determines how I achieve. John Maxwell.

“Only the person who has faith in himself is able to be faithful to others.” Erich Fromm

I hope you enjoyed your December update and we look forward to keeping you fully informed in the new year!

Warm regards

Rich Harvey
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9975 3311
www.propertybuyer.com.au