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Separating the property bulls from their dust
Realestateweb.co.za - South Africa

Property bulls have been out in full force lately, leaving quite a mess behind them.

This week in Tabloid Tuesday, Realestateweb.co.za's light-hearted look at property players in the public domain: a lot of dust has been kicked up around the heels of property bulls of late.

The bull in the room. Opportunity in Uncertainty was the theme of the IPD/SAPOA Property Investment Conference this year. As you might expect, property enthusiasts attended the event in their droves. Remarked Estienne de Klerk, chief financial officer of Growthpoint Properties, with a wry grin: "If there are a lot of bulls in the market, there has to be a lot of bull%^&%.
Realestateweb

Rates - ray of hope?
RodneyHayter.com - South Africa
If current interest rates are held steady at this week's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting could it be the first ray of hope towards a market recovery?

Certainly, Jeanne van Jaarsveldt, marketing and finance director of RE/MAX SA, believes it could be the first, albeit small, but definite sign, towards the property market decline bottoming out.

His view is substantiated by feedback from the group's regional offices, which places consumer uncertainty on interest rate patterns as a major obstacle toward a market recovery.
RodneyHayter.com

Tips on retaining your property in the current market
PrivateProperty.co.za - South Africa
The current economic climate is causing most consumers to feel the pinch. Contributing to the distress many find themselves in are the 10 consecutive interest rate hikes over the past year and petrol price hikes, which apart from affecting the pocket directly are also a contributing factor to the soaring cost of living, which has reached record highs in the last few months. Add to this the sometimes unrealistic rates and taxes increases, and the recent swell in the cost of electricity, and its no wonder that so many are forced to consider selling their properties.

While you may be starting to feel desperate enough to sell your home, it is important to bear in mind that "what goes up must come down". Like a roller coaster which has reached the not much fun stage, the market will shift back to a more manageable state once the current down-cycle is complete.
PrivateProperty.co.za