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Foreign Buying - FNB Property Barometer
FNB - South Africa

Foreign home buying still appears weak - no wonder given the recent foreign currency-denominated price boom in South African property.

Some may see a lack of foreign buying of residential property in South Africa as a sign of negative sentiment towards the country. We believe otherwise. While the FNB House Price Index has shown very weak growth in rand terms, significant rand strengthening in recent years implies that it has shown massive growth in foreign currency-denominated terms in recent years. Rather than citing weak sentiment, a more likely reason is that South African property has become far more expensive for foreigners from 2009 onward, at a time when

household sectors in some of our main foreign buyer nations are under significant financial pressure. In addition, residential property is arguably not the favoured global asset class at present.
FNB Property Barometer - Foreign buying

Rode Conference to address property woes in a tough market
Rode.co.za - South Africa
The 2011 Rode Conference, says convenor Erwin Rode of Rode & Associates, has set its sights on “trying to get a balanced view of the various property trends in a highly uncertain and difficult environment both in South Africa and globally.”

The 2011 conference is sponsored by the Property Division of Airports Company South Africa Ltd (ACSA) who has repositioned itself strategically to enhance non-aviation revenue by actively pursuing the development of its vacant commercial property holdings at all of its airports. Consequently the market is encouraged to participate with ACSA in creating long-term mutually beneficial relationships.

The 2011 conference will stimulate thought and debate on the current complications facing the marketplace from residential to commercial and industrial. The Cape Town conference will take place at Spier Estate near Stellenbosch on 11 August 2011, with the MD of Steer & Company, John van der Spuy, as master of ceremonies.

Prominent speakers include Rudolf Gouws, economic consultant to Rand Merchant Bank, who will give an economic outlook based on the current state of affairs in both South Africa and abroad, as well as the executive director of Lightstone, Andrew Watt, whose topic will be “some hard facts about the residential property market you did not know.”

Well-known in the industry as the ex-CEO of the highly successful Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Derick van der Merwe will address the conference in his current capacity as CEO of People Spaces. Van der Merwe will reveal the lessons he has learnt in the redevelopment of old harbours into vibrant ‘festival centres’.
rode.co.za

FNB Property Barometer - July 2011
FNB - South Africa
The FNB House Price Index’s year-on-year growth rate accelerated further in July. This is believed to be the lagged impact of something of a strengthening in demand late in the 2010/11 summer in response to further interest rate cutting late last year, while lower base effects from a year ago are also starting to play a role. However, July’s economic data releases and events lead to the belief that we could see increased pressure on the market in the near term.
FNB Property Barometer_July 2011 House Price Index

ABSA - June Mortgage Advances
ABSA - South Africa
Continued low growth in mortgage advances

The total value of outstanding credit balances in the South African household sector increased by 7% year-on-year (y/y) in the first half of 2011. On a month-on-month basis households’ outstanding credit balances amounted to R1 135,9 billion in June 2011, which were 0,4% higher than in May this year. Household credit comprises instalment sales agreements, leasing finance, mortgage advances, overdrafts, credit card debt, and general loans and advances.

Growth in the value of outstanding private sector mortgage balances at monetary institutions, comprising both commercial and residential mortgage loans, was 3,3% y/y in June 2011 (3,2% y/y in May). The value of total mortgage balances was about R2,8 billion, or 0,3%, higher in June compared with May this year.

The value of outstanding mortgage balances in the household sector amounted to R766,1 billion in June 2011, after rising by 3,1% compared with June last year. On a monthly basis outstanding household mortgage balances was up by around R600 million, or a negligible 0,1%, in June, after rising by 0,2% in May from April.

Mortgage advances_no39 _Jun11_

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