What you need to know about electric fence certificates
Harcourts - South Africa
Most homeowners know by now that they must have a valid Electrical Compliance Certificate (ECC) if they want to sell, because their property can’t be transferred to a new owner without one. What they may not know, however, is that they are actually required to have an ECC at all times – and required to get a new one every two years, or whenever any alterations or additions are made to the electrical system on their property – whether or not they are planning to sell.
And even more importantly, they need to know that if they have any electric fencing on their property – as so many people do these days - they are required to hold a separate compliance certificate stating that this installation complies with certain prescribed safety standards.
This fact has not been well-publicised or explained, but it has in fact been the law since new Electrical Machinery Regulations were added to the Occupational health and Safety Act in 2011.
Knowing about electric fence certificates
Residential Property Barometer
FNB - South Africa
The FNB House Price Index’s mini-growth uptick appears to be peaking, with month-on-month growth having lost considerable momentum.
In January 2016, the FNB House Price Index index recorded a 6.8% year-onyear rate of increase, which is very similar to the revised rates of the prior 3 months, suggesting that year-on-year house price inflation is in a peaking phase after prior acceleration. On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate has been steadily slowing for some months, signaling an imminent slowing in the year-on-year rate.
The FNB Valuers’ market perceptions appear to be supportive of the expectation of slowing house price growth to come, having perceived some mild market weakening in the Market Strength Index (MSI) of late. That is over and above a raft of weak economic data in recent times, along with further interest rate hiking early in 2016.
January House Price Index
It's now time for banks to help consumers
Rawson - South Africa
Why does the difference between the repo rate and the prime rate never change? Why don’t the banks think about lowering their profit margins and absorb some of the Reserve Bank’s interest rate increases to help their customers?
“With the repo rate having risen by 0.5% last week, more and more people are asking these questions,” says the Rawson Property Group's Managing Director Tony Clarke. “The increase has now taken the repo rate to 6,75%, and with the banks maintaining their current margin between the repo rate and prime, the prime rate – and the variable home loan interest rate is now 10,25%.
“This is the first time the prime/home loan rate has reached double digits since 2010, and it is a scary prospect for all SA consumers, not just the many prospective homebuyers who will now be forced to put their plans on hold because they can no longer qualify for a home loan.”
Rawson
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