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Seek advice before you sign on the dotted line
Business Day - South Africa
For the average man in the street the sale or purchase, or even lease, of his home is probably the largest contract that he will ever conclude during his lifetime.

It is significant that these transactions are all too frequently concluded on the basis of "standard" forms of contract utilised by the agent or broker or developer concerned.

The natural reaction to these "standard" forms of contract is that, being "standard" forms, they must be fair and reasonable. This is not necessarily so. Invariably these standard forms of contract are prepared by attorneys acting on behalf of their clients (whether the broker, developer or landlord concerned) and are designed to protect their client's interests.

They are often skilfully drafted and intentionally appear to be innocuous while they can have onerous consequences. It is impossible to enumerate all of the onerous clauses that are often found in such contracts.
Business Day

Proposed new fee tariffs for property valuers
Iqgwetha Training Academy - South Africa
Government Gazette 32415, published 24 July 2004
New fee tariffs for Property Valuers have been published for comment in the Government Gazette 32415, dated 24 July 2004.

The tariffs include the fees that Registered Valuers may charge for attending to a valuation, as well as their travelling, accommodation and other actual expenditures.

Interested parties may comment and submit proposals to the SA Council for the Property Valuers Profession until 24 August 2009.

View the suggested fee tariff as well as contact details here.
ITA

FNB House Price Index
FNB - South Africa
A turning point in house price deflation around mid-year has been expected, and it is possible that the slightly lesser rate of year-on-year decline in the FNB House Price Index may be an indication of the start of some "levelling out" in this regard. Admittedly, though, we shall have to wait another few months to get a better idea of whether or not this really is the start of a trend of diminishing price decline which would ultimately lead to a return to price inflation.

There have indeed been signs of a mild increase in residential demand in recent times, arguably driven by a series of interest rate cuts. However, this strengthening in demand has been slow and moderate, because against interest rate cuts the country has had the spectre of declining real household income, caused by the combination of job loss, deteriorating discretionary remuneration, and weaker investment income flows to households in tough economic times. Therefore, as yet it would not appear that oversupplies of property on the market have been eliminated, and as such it is probably realistic to expect more price decline albeit possibly at a slowing rate in the second half of the year.
FNB HousePrice Index_July 2009