Thursday, February 9th 2012
Articles | Archives
The Big Predictions – Part 1
BY Mal James 28th July 2011
In the first of 2 part major report this week on The Big Spring Predictions we cover the Early Spring Market
Home market predictions are like footy predictions in many ways – a bit of fun, not to be taken too seriously and to be treated on the basis of past results.
Sometimes we agents get it [...]
Are buyer agents the new bad guys?
BY Mal James 20th July 2011
Each week as we go through the inbox we come across a number of what we call “love letters” from sellers who in no uncertain terms question our parentage and suggest that our eyesight and perceptions are slightly below that of an umpire in a losing Collingwood game.
In a buyers’ market there are new people [...]
Is it the Deal or is it the Feel?
BY Mal James 6th July 2011
What’s more important in buying a home – the deal or the feel? In this market most buyers are focused on the deal. But if I can give the guys out there one piece of advice more profound that any Tibetan wisdom and more important than a receipt at tax time – there is a [...]
A sample of June $M+ auctions we covered outside Bayside and the Inner East
BY Mal James 25th June 2011
James Private Client Briefings contain far greater and more client specific detail than what you see below and are available for full service James Search and Negotiate clients throughout Melbourne.
For a private, confidential and no obligation discussion on what is really happening in your street, precinct and suburb from a buyer’s perspective contact Gina on [...]
Clearance Rates, Clearance Rates, Clearance Rates.
BY Mal James 22nd June 2011
The big talk on the property market is auction clearance rates: the fact they are well below last year (true) and that they are perhaps even lower than what agents are claiming (maybe).
Last year auction clearance rates across Melbourne were regularly in the 70s percentage-wise. This year they are in the 50s – so it [...]
Welcome to the winter minefield of private sale negotiations
BY Mal James 15th June 2011
Welcome to the new world. Well, not so new – it arrives every winter in Melbourne when the favourite weekend sport that is the public auction quietens down and a version of the Melbourne Club opens for the $M+ homebuying business. For four months between a certain royal’s birthday and a hoped-for Collingwood victory on [...]
Winter brings out the clever buyers
BY Mal James 8th June 2011
With the autumn property season over and the end of the headlines about record prices and huge crowds, the winter property season brings a new set of challenges for buyers and sellers. Yes, it’s a more subdued time but winter can still throw up some surprises – and some opportunities. Even in winter people still [...]
Bidding strongly against others the surest way to buy a good home
BY Mal James 1st June 2011
A key focus for many buyers at the moment is to not pay too much. Fair enough - it’s a healthy focus But if this is the only focus, then as a buyer of a good home or a good investment you may miss out on the main game – to BUY WELL.
Take a golfer [...]
Into Winter hibernation already
BY Mal James 31st May 2011
Week Ending May 28th: Highlights were few and far between but seemed to be a Marshall White auction day in Stonnington.
Standout was 46 Elizabeth St Malvern with Justin Long and Rae Tomlinson
Camberwell 14 Royal Avenue with Geordie Dixon was bought we believe for just over $3,000,000
Toorak 37 Lansell which has been around for a [...]
Overall Activity significantly down in $M+ in the month of May
BY Mal James 28th May 2011
James Private Client Briefings contain far greater and more client specific detail than what you see below and are available for full service James Search and Negotiate clients throughout Melbourne.
For a private, confidential and no obligation discussion on what is really happening in your street, precinct and suburb from a buyer’s perspective contact Gina on [...]
Buyers and sellers can get it wrong in a squeezed market
BY Mal James 25th May 2011
As we pointed out last week, even in a buyers’ market it is still possible to buy badly. You can buy the wrong home for your family, or you can commit the lesser but still significant sin of paying too much for a home.
Why is paying too much a sin? Because it not only lessens [...]
Even in a buyer’s market you can still pay too much
BY Mal James 18th May 2011
Just because we’re in a buyers market, with some great opportunities to buy good properties well, don’t think that means you have the upper hand when it comes to bidding at auction.
Many first time buyers think an auction is a matter of turning up and “winging” it. But when you are bidding on a home, [...]
Don’t confuse market uncertainty with elevated risk
BY Mal James 11th May 2011
There are enough quality stats out there to show that this year so far has been a great one for buyers. And it could become even more so, given the good post Easter stock levels and prices already around 10% lower than early last year.
But winter in 2011 is also bringing a certain level of [...]
Uncertain times and new $3m+ stock not as strong as May last year
BY Mal James 30th April 2011
Week Ending 30th April: Back from a week or two off, this market now, has a fairly clear run till Christmas, with a only brief breaks for a couple of holiday weekends.
Over the next four to six weeks we should see more choice and some reasonable activity (although not expected anywhere near [...]
We are still seeing at least one Million-plus home bought every ninety minutes in Melbourne
BY Mal James 30th April 2011
Volume: Has a lot changed in Million Dollar Melbourne between April 2010 and April 2011? Well, yes and no. April 2010 had around the same number of REIV reported $1m+ sales (maybe a 10% variance with the chance of late reported April 2011 sales to bring the April 2010 and April 2011 numbers closer together) [...]
Double-fronter or two storey, single-fronted cottage?
BY Adam Woledge 20th April 2011
Should you buy a double-fronted house or a single-fronted cottage with upstairs extension?
You might think there’s no contest, especially when it comes to a Victorian style house. Why would you buy a house the width of a single room plus hallway, when you could have a nice wide house with two cheerful windows either side [...]
Buyer Masterclass
2011/2012 THOUGHTS FROM OUR INNER EAST AND BAYSIDE...
To help us get a sense of what happened this year in Melbourne’s Top End property market, on ...
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THE RISKS OF CHASING A HOUSEBUYING REWARD...
Negotiating on a property is all about balancing the risks with the rewards. In your quest for the r...
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HEADING FOR THE HOME STRETCH...
You’re a $M+ family home buyer. Super Saturday (October 22) has been and gone and you didn’t man...
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TRUTH AND EMOTION...
None of us like to be lied to or feel we’ve been fooled – and very few of us want to be beat...
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HOW TO VALUE THE TOP END IN THIS MARKET...
Recently we gave a talk to more than a hundred high net worth individuals at the Sandringham Yacht ...
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STEP (UNDER/OVER + SKILLED) QUOTING – BLACK ...
Agent Step Quoting is a contentious part of our industry: It’s how selling agents nudge buyers up...
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THE BLOCK BROKE ALL THE RULES IN THE BOOK...
The Block was great entertainment – but for me it was also the best reality TV show in a decade be...
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EXPERT TIPS THE BLOCK’S MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE...
This article first appeared on Property Observer, Australia’s top site for property investme...
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SELLERS WILL DETERMINE SPRING ACTION...
Well, here we are in early August – and anything that has been written about the market in the las...
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THE BIG PREDICTIONS – PART 2...
Last week we covered the Early Spring Market There’s no guarantee we’ll see a lift in the housin...
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Not only do we report on the state of the Melbourne Real Estate market, we are also government licensed Buyer Advocates. We only work for buyers, so think of us as the opposite of selling agents.
Find out more about who we are and what we do.
Find out more about who we are and what we do.
Melbourne Real Estate Market
Where you need to be & what we buy.We outline in detail where we find the best places are to buy in Melbourne.
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BUYER TESTIMONIAL
Kristen, you have been unfailing and so professional in helping us through the process and never, for a second, showed signs of giving up. Adam, we have really appreciated your honesty. It really helped us. Learning when to say no to seems more important than what to say yes, and you helped us figure that out. Thanks for finding the extra time to give us your valued opinions too. ...
Tanya & Campbell
hampton
Tanya & Campbell
hampton
