A legal person to whom an interest in real property is conveyed.
Monthly Archives: December 2008
Happy New Year South Africa!
After a year of such intrigue and turmoil around the world I am looking forward to 2009.Things can get worse or ,you never know, they may get better.
There are many obstacles facing South Africans this year,rising unemployment, the shaky property outlook and the possibility of further political confusion and in-fighting.
But we as South Africans are resilient people and have overcome many great obstacles in our colourful history.We have faced issues such as racism,inequality of different forms, and the entire developed world basically turning it’s back on us during the Apartheid era.
We have survived all this and are becoming better as a country every day that passes.Look forward to the new year with hope and optimism and look for ways that you can improve the things that worry you on your own as well.
Happy New Year South Africa!
Property outlook for 2009…
I read an interesting article about property next year. According to the author we will see property prices still under pressure early next year but should see improvement half way through 2009, that’s great!!!
So what should we expect? I like to believe in the positive. yes the world is in recession, yes everything seems more expensive, nut this gives me hope. Throughout history we have seen that everything has a cycle. We are heading towards the bottom of the down cycle, and they tend to last allot shorter than an up cycle. As soon as it turns we will see awesome returns on our property investments again, so don’t fear.
I still believe that real estate is the best investment vehicle of all, I might be wrong, but it has worked for me so far. Yes I have experienced bad times, and good. I have learned things I never thought possible, and I foresee that next year is going to be a big year for me and my family.
Some people might say I am crazy but people thought Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell and Edison, to name but a few, were crazy, but look at them now… They ALL had one thing in common, never give up and always keep trying.
So 2009 here I come!!!
Decorate your home for Christmas.
As South Africans many of us still find it strange and novel to drive around the neighbourhoods that make the effort to decorate their homes with lights and other baubles.I still think of it as a very American tradition but every year I am pleasantly surprised by those locals who celebrate Christmas that do decorate their homes festively.
Of course going over board is a distinct possibility, how do you know when you have enough neon and are not blinding your neighbours? Many home-owners succeed in creating a tasteful nativity scene or beautifully decorated outdoor Christmas tree but I have driven past many homes that look like the “spirit of Christmas” has recently gotten sick all over them.This effect is to be avoided at all costs and one should take care that your house does not end up on http://www.uglychristmaslights.com
Then there is of course the great electricity debate as this decoration is obviously serving no real purpose except to uplift the spirit of some people.Perhaps we should be given certain allowances during festive seasons.Most people I speak to enjoy the frivolous display of good cheer, as long as the homeowners are not disturbing their neighbours or offending people with different beliefs.
The majority of the displays seem to consist of strings of coloured lights or neon lights forming Santa Clause or reindeer.I have seen many residential Christmas light displays but I have still not yet seen Santa and all his reindeer perched on top of someones roof.I suppose these sort of displays are rather expensive and can only be purchased by shopping malls, they probably also don’t make much sense as we don’t really have that many chimneys (apparently Santa’s preferred method of entrance into a home).
Hopefully we all encourage and appreciate the spirit of giving and being kind to our fellow man that accompanies Christmas.We could all do with a bit more of that.
If you know where to see some great residential Christmas light displays let us know.
Merry Christmas to all!
Well the big day has finally arrived!
To all our readers who celebrate Christmas we wish you a very merry Christmas indeed.However you celebrate it may the day bring you joy and good cheer!
Most of us will be celebrating by eating too much good food, laughing alot and spending time with our families.Well ,that’s what I am going to do anyway.
So enjoy it and remember to drive safe and sober!
Evaluate your homes security.
Most South Africans are aware of the increasing need to secure our homes from theft and violence.This is an unfortunate fact of present life in South Africa.We can call on government to make changes that will reduce criminal activity but any measures that are put in place for this purpose will take a long time to show any visible effect.
We need to have a realistic view on crime and protect ourselves as much as we can where we feel necessary.There are various options available to us some of which are,living in gated communities, having alarm systems installed on the premises, physical barriers like bars on windows and security cameras.
Security cameras are a great way to monitor premises at multiple points from one position.The person employed to monitor the feed from the cameras can be in one place watching everything that is going on in the property.This is very advantageous as you would need to employ minimal staff and have the cameras do alot of the work for you.However a human presence usually helps deter criminal activity.
Physical barriers also seem to do their job in most cases even if they get damaged in the attempt of a break-in.Putting bars on the doors and windows of a home may seem like an unacceptable compromise to alot people for many reasons, one of which is from an aesthetic perspective.Although making the house “ugly” is not always the reason for peoples’ reluctance to install such security measures.Alot of people feel they are being jailed in their own home instead of feeling as though they are keeping criminals out.
Whatever your perspective may be take the appropriate legal measures to protect your home and family and remember to plan your security for the holiday season aswell.Having a neighbour or friend check on your home while you are away can do alot to calm many fears.
Tips to reduce your household spending.
We South Africans may think we have stretched our household budgets to the absolute limit,but this is not always the case.Some of us spend far more money than we realise on things that need not be so expensive.
Trim your grocery bill to the absolute minimum where possible.If that means changing the store you buy from then so be it.If you really want to free up some cash shop around for the best deal and you may be surprised by how much you will save.Try and stop buying non-essential grocery items like snackfoods and sweets.All these items really add up.
Eat at home, we all know in most cases there is a huge difference between the price we would pay for a meal cooked at home and the same meal at a restaurant.Restaurants need to put a pretty big mark-up on their menus to cover all their costs and you the customer are the one to pay it.Don’t fool yourself into thinking takeaways will work out cheaper all the time, sit down and really work out how much each option costs.Don’t forget about about your takeaway coffee on the way to work each morning,if you cut these out it is also a great way to save about R10 a day.
If you do have a domestic cleaner consider reducing their work hours if possible.This will mean you having to pick up the slack and do the cleaning they don’t get to but you will be saving money along the way.
Lastly stop any other unnecessary spending on clothes and other luxuries.Suspend your satellite television service until you feel your finances have settled again.All of these belt-tightening ideas can be temporary or permanent changes in the way you run your household.
The first step in the right direction is to sit down and assess exactly what your necessities are and exactly how desperate your situation is.Many people’s financial struggles are due to the repayment of excessive debt and if you can see no solution to your trouble yourself contact your lenders and they may be able to assist you.
Trusts: a description in layman’s terms (with a twist of Lemon?)
Hi again!
Have you thought about how many things are connected to lemons? If you buy something that breaks, you say you have bought a lemon. If someone is grumpy, you liken them to a sour lemon, if you have a cold, you guessed it – the vitamin C in lemons takes care of it and so we can carry on.
Today I would like to discuss banks and the misconception we are all under when it comes to loans. Most of us see the Bank Manager as a real old sour lemon with a shrivelled greenish skin, waiting to extract your limbs to salt for the coming winter.
In most cases when I have dealt with banks I do not even know who the bank manager is, seen them or know how they determine loan criteria. Most of the applications for home loans go through Bond originators anyway and maybe this misconception comes via my father and grandfather who revered the bank manager the same as a policeman or politician, who should be avoided at all costs.
This essay is an appeal to Mr. Bank Manager out there (lets call him Ned) to let us in to some of the secrets on how the bank system works when approving loan applications, specifically where Trusts are concerned. I have seen excellent information on home loans, calculators and basic requirements on all the bank websites, but still lack an understanding of the process and what this entails, specifically where Trusts are involved.
Come on Ned, be the First to Nationally give us a Standard process and stop being Absanonymous.
Look after yourselves and I “Trust” you have a wonderful day.
Anyone any thoughts on this?
Should you carpet or tile?
The trend these days seems to be to rip out every carpet in sight and replace it with more fashionable tiling.However this is not always ideal for everyone and many people have a personal preference for carpeting.Other people feel tiling is far more hygienic and easier to maintain.
There are of course other flooring options besides tiles and carpets but today I will be discussing only these two.
Great things about carpeting.
Firstly and most obviously carpeting does offer a measure of protection in the case of someone falling or something being dropped.This will be especially important to people with smaller children or the elderly.People being injured due to falling is a reality and many people will want to take precautions against such accidents.
There is also a wide variety of choice out there regarding colour and texture allowing you to indulge your creative side.You can create wonderfully put together rooms by selecting your carpeting carefully and taking advice from suppliers on the practicality and durability of different fabrics and materials.
Insulation against heat and cold is another plus point with carpeting,and again this issue often becomes important to people with small children and the elderly.
And lastly carpets will offer some noise absorption aswell.The blaring television in the living may bother you less in the rest of the house if you install carpeting in living room.
Great things about tiling.
The first thing that usually comes to mind is how easy tiles are to keep clean and stain-free.They can however dis-colour over time especially if they are slightly porous.So choose your tile carefully and ensure it is practical for the space you intend to install it in.
They are also fire and water resistant and won’t develop stains or mould if maintained correctly,they are very versatile and can be used in all rooms of the house.You can also select from a wide variety of coloured grouts these days which further increases a tiles versatility.
Tiles are also very durable and will not fade when exposed to sunlight, unlike carpets and other flooring.If you do manage to break one or a few tiles it is usually a simple process of replacing the specific damaged tile provided they are still being manufactured.It is for this reason that it is advisable to have a few spare tiles around that were purchased when the tiling was initially installed as colour batches can vary quiet distinctly from one another.
So whatever your preference make sure your choice is practicle for your home.If you have a busy household with children and pets a more durable material is usually advisable for high traffic areas.
Repo rate cut by 50 basis points.
The South African Reserve Bank announced on Thursday that the repo rate would come down by 50 basis points making it 11.5%.The prime lending rate that consumers will get is now 15%.
Tito Mboweni then surprised some people by announcing that the South African economy is not in a recession.He did however concede that certain sectors where in recession such as the retail sector.Economists have already predicted we are headed for a recession and have given a number of reasons for their predictions,like increased job loss,less passengers booking flights and falling commodity prices to name a few.
Further bigger rate cuts are also expected as we enter 2009 ,but all these cuts will only really affect consumers in a positive way over the long term.What the reserve bank is hoping to do is stimulate consumer spending again by cutting the repo rate which will make things more affordable over the long term.
Consumer spending in turn stimulates economic growth and this is good for everybody.So it is a step in the right direction but we will be waiting a little while before we feel the effects of this rate cut and the others to come.