Thursday, February 9th 2012
Articles | Archives
Take advantage of the early winter chill to cut the best deal
BY Mal James 13th April 2011
With March auction clearance rates on Melbourne’s million dollar plus properties down in the 50s we seem now to be firmly in the grip of an early winter chill. The average number of bidders per auction is down at around 1.5, and the number of ‘volcano’ auctions with four or more bidders having dropped from [...]
Conditions are great for home buyers: So where are they?
BY Mal James 7th April 2011
A number of people are calling this current market a Buyers’ Market, with the implication that it is a market that is favouring the buyer over the seller.
That’s a fair call. It is true that the 2011 pre Easter market is not as robust for sellers as was the corresponding market last year or in [...]
Great buying opportunities in the $3m+ Pre Easter Market, even more so than the 3 week season opener just gone.
BY Mal James 31st March 2011
Week Ending 19th March: Off Markets, Forthcoming Auctions and Expressions of Interest are increasing as market stock levels begin to rise dramatically
Million Dollar Melbourne quiet in March
BY Mal James 26th March 2011
Key Point:
The Top End outside Inner East and Bayside is mainly in that $1.5m to $2.2m range and the action this month has been relatively thin on the ground with many agents reporting a lot of homes for sale but with little movement generally.
Agent Q & A: Has the market changed since before Labour Day [...]
Buying a home when there are kids in the picture
BY James Buyer Advocates 23rd March 2011
The inner suburbs of Bayside, such as Elwood, Albert Park and Port Melbourne, are great places to live when you are footloose and child-free. But what if you’ve got plans to have kids down the track?
Being able to walk to the local Turtle cafe in Elwood and take a short tram ride on No 79 through [...]
A Home Buyer’s Worst Enemies
BY Mal James 16th March 2011
After the breather of the Labour Day weekend and as we go into the pre Easter market, it’s time for some reflection.
As a homebuyer you may have started thinking about who your opponents are – those who are keeping you from achieving your dream home.
For many the No 1 opponent is the selling agent. In [...]
Why we love – and value – Victorian-style homes
BY Adam Woledge 3rd March 2011
More than a hundred and twenty years since they were built, Victorian-style homes continue to rate highly among homebuyers in Melbourne. Why is that?
Let’s take the example of the double-fronted Victorian at 11 Primrose Street, Prahran, scheduled to go to auction on March 19. It has a lovely symmetrical facade and good building bones – [...]
Less than full throttle doesn’t mean it’s a poor market
BY Mal James 28th February 2011
The two big questions we are being asked right now are: how did the market start and what will happen in the future? For now we will have to leave the future bit for the soothsayers, but in terms of what is happening now we believe that what we are seeing now is a normal, [...]
$3M+ market February market was a bit flat – except for Brighton
BY Mal James 28th February 2011
Week Ending February 26th: If last week was the season opener for the $1m+ auction market, then this week was the beginning of the $3m+ auction market
The fringe $1-million-plus market is small but active
BY Mal James 26th February 2011
Agent Q & A:“Do you feel there is currently a big difference in the results of sales of lower end ($1m) properties as opposed to those of higher end ($2m+) homes? Yes or no, and why?”
Bill Stavrakis, Biggin & Scott, Elsternwick:”I believe that the properties on the market between $1,000,000 plus to $2,000,000 plus [...]
$3M+ market stumbles at 2011's first hurdle – except for Brighton
BY Clare Hughes 26th February 2011
Week Ending February 26th: If last week was the season opener for the $1m+ auction market, then this week was the beginning of the $3m+ auction market and the main focus for this weekend’s report. We don’t have all this weekend’s numbers in yet, so it’s hard to call, but it [...]
With apologies to Banjo
BY Mal James 22nd February 2011
The Man from Auction City by C.B. “Cal” Bung
Gather ‘round me friends,
Gather ‘round me foes,
It’s Auction time in Melbourne
Where almost anything goes.
Small numbers to report first day back, so let’s wait and see before drawing any conclusions for the rest of Melbourne
BY Mal James 19th February 2011
Agent Q & A: How have you found non-auction sales so far this year?
David Oster, Jellis Craig, Ivanhoe:“I’ve found non- auction sales still a little grey. Not as much transparency or buyer comments such as “why hasn’t it gone to auction?”or “when did it pass in?” Whereas at auctions, we have found that they may have only one [...]
Placing a value on a building
BY Mal James 1st December 2010
Valuing land is difficult enough, but there are even more variables when it comes to getting a consistent opinion of the market value of an actual building.
We always counsel long term passive investors to buy purely on land value, or to buy proven populist homes like Victorians and Edwardians as opposed to new homes. Why?
Buildings [...]
Three more home shopping weeks till Christmas
BY Mal James 27th November 2010
Agent Q & A: In terms of real estate, what has happened this year and what do you expect will happen next year?
Tom Kurtschenko, Barry Plant, Eltham: 2010: “Early in 2010 we witnessed unprecedented growth in the local markets with strong buyer demand for all types of property. Particularly the lower and middle end of [...]
Up, down and now back up this week. Next week?
BY Mal James 27th November 2010
Week Ending November 27th:
The high end ($3m+) which like the proverbial brides nightie (not sure if I can say that) is up and down at the drop of a hat. A fortnight ago it was up and last week it was down – this week it was up and in a [...]
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.
Find out Melbourne's best locations.
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
Buyer Masterclass
THE RISKS OF CHASING A HOUSEBUYING REWARD...
BY Mal James
Negotiating on a property is all about balancing the risks with the rewards. In your quest for the reward of buying your dream home, you might run the...
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