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Review of Township markets by John Loos (part 1 of 2)
RodneyHayter.com - South Africa
Data from FNB's October Township Property Barometer annual supplementary survey released yesterday, show ongoing superiority in performance by townships over the former white suburbs, although a slowing trend is observed.

The Township Barometer is a survey of a sample of estate agents, operating in former Black Townships (excluding so-called Coloured and Indian areas) as classified in the Apartheid era, regarding the condition of these areas' residential property markets. The survey was limited to the major regions' townships, i.e. Gauteng, Cape Town and eThekwini (Durban) metros.
RodneyHayter.com

Property developments: a hornet's nest
RealEstateweb - South Africa

Professional property investor explains why he never bought off-plan over the past 10 years - but what he's looking for in developments now.

Many operators and others in the property media continue to aggressively punt off-plan developments. Should you invest - or could you lose money? Wayne Lee, founder of Sirius, shares his thoughts on developments.

In the 1990s fund managers who steered clear of IT companies they didn't understand were frowned upon. Similar parallels can be drawn with the property market.
RealEstateWeb.co.za

Affordable homes grow expensive and smaller
Business Report - South Africa

The affordable housing market is becoming increasingly expensive and unaffordable to a growing number of lower-income consumers.

Cost increases, particularly the price of land and provision of bulk infrastructure, are the major drivers of the increased price of houses.

Derek Steyn, an executive director at listed housing developer Calgro M3, said the company's cheapest stands, measuring 250m², cost R30 000 to R40 000 in 2003 but now cost between R130 000 and R200 000.

"In actual fact, what we have been doing is to have smaller stands of 150m² to cut the cost and make them affordable," he said.
Business Report