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FNB Eastern Cape Property Review
FNB - South Africa
SUMMARY - THE LONG HARD ROAD BACK FOR EASTERN CAPE PROPERTY FOLLOWING A SEVERE RECESSION
The Eastern Cape, and especially its largest residential market, Mandela Bay, has arguably taken more of a knock than the bigger property regions such as Gauteng or the Western Cape. This is due to a number of factors, notably a significant portion of very cyclical holiday property, as well as a major dependence on manufacturing including the highly cyclical vehicle manufacturing, which took great pain as a result of the Global recession and impacted on the Eastern Cape (especially Mandela Bay) economy.

As such, we still see the FNB Eastern Cape House Price Index languishing in year-on-year deflation to the tune of -7.3%, while the national price index has already turned to positive growth.

Nevertheless, many of the region's other property indicators point to improving health, with demand steadily growing and supply of new stock, as well as supply from financially stressed sellers, seemingly being curbed. The process of containing supply until demand has caught up is crucial in returning an oversupplied region to market balance, and in so doing returning the market to positive price growth, something that we believe will happen in the 2nd half of the year.
FNB Eastern Cape Property Review

When you tenant absconds without paying
Real Estate Web - South Africa
Question
I had a tenant until yesterday who ran away leaving me with a 17 000 rand electricity bill. I have search your website for advice but haven't found anything - can you help please?

Answer
Everyone who has let our property knows the feeling when you find out that your tenant has disappeared. Most time there are signs - unpaid or late paid rental. Some tenants plan to go without paying others just cannot pay.

What to do? Firstly check on any municipal accounts especially water and electricity accounts if these are to be paid by the tenant. If the tenant does not pay - the landlord will have to. Also check with the Body Corporate about their own accounts because your tenant may owe them for services or in some cases for body corporate fines. Don't forget to check the building for any damage that your tenant is responsible for.
Real Estate Web

Does the Law Society know that there's an internet generation?
Business Times - UK
In 1996 senior figures in the Law Society said that I should not be allowed to speak in public. I had been predicting that most lawyers and clients would soon communicate by e-mail and the feeling was that I had failed to understand confidentiality and was bringing the profession into disrepute.

Do we now have a more enlightened Law Society? To judge by its recent consultation document, Access to Justice Review, the answer is not clear. Although the title is promising, the report appears to be about finding new ways of funding old-fashioned lawyers.

The review is said to set out the society's views. Its president calls for a "radical rethink" and "a willingness to challenge outdated assumptions".
Business Times

Do Cheap Conveyancers Benefit the Consumer?
hip-consultant - UK
Ever since it became commonplace for the ordinary men and women on the street to own their homes many law firms have seized on this huge market and placed great emphasis on their conveyancing departments. The resulting competition for work means that it is now possible to pay as little as £200 in legal fees and indeed, to pay nothing at all if the proposed sale or purchase never proceeds to completion.

On the face of it this would seem to be a great benefit to the average consumer, however is there a price to pay in terms of quality?
Hip-consultant