Sale agreements of land normally contain a condition stipulating that the purchaser acquires the property subject to the existing conditions of title.

In most cases, buyers never see the conditions of title before, or even after, taking transfer because title deeds are almost always retained by the mortgagees, explains Schulz.

“Buyers should therefore always be advised to familiarise themselves with the conditions of title when acquiring a property and to ensure compliance therewith.”
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What landlords need to know
Owning a property and leasing it to a tenant can be a mutually beneficial arrangement provided that the landlord adheres to a few key principles from the start when selecting a suitable tenant.  Once all the checks have been completed and a tenant has been selected, Goslett says, it is important that the landlord draws up a comprehensive and legally sound lease agreement with all conditions specified.

This is according toAdrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, who says due to South African legislation, selecting the right tenant can be a rather complex process. However, there are various ways that landlords can ensure that they are protected from the risk of delinquent tenants and choose the best possible tenant to occupy their property.

Goslett says the first thing that a landlord should do before they advertise their property is to determine the conditions of the rental agreement. “It is important that the landlord is specific about what they want when it comes to the conditions, such as no pets or that a tenant is a non-smoker.”
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Don't avoid going to sect. title AGMs
Most owners in sectional title schemes do whatever they can to avoid sitting through the annual general meeting of their building’s body corporate.  Andrew Schaefer, managing director of the Trafalgar Group, warns that this could be a big mistake.

“Attending the AGM is the sectional title owners’ only real chance of influencing how their scheme is run,” he says.

The decisions made at an AGM directly affect the owners' lifestyles and finances, so it’s worth the time taken to attend and take part in these decisions.

Most serious disputes in schemes are about money, says Schaefer. The AGM is where members get the chance to hear how their money is being spent. Approval of the budget for the coming year is another critical point of discussion. At the AGM, members have the opportunity to discuss, and have explained to them, if necessary, how their money was spent, and if any special levies are likely to be necessary.
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Foreign home buyers and house prices
South Africa is increasingly being seen as an investment location in which to buy property and the weak Rand is encouraging global investors to buy homes, says Lanice Steward, managing director of Knight Frank Anne Porter.  Steward says in their experience, these property investors are not necessarily from the traditional western countries, but from other African countries, Russia and Eastern European countries.

The weak Rand can work for South Africans, to attract buyers into the market as foreign buyers will bring everything with them, create employment and invest in South Africa quite heavily, according to Steward.

According to bank surveys, house price growth improved in May, however, this growth is expected to remain in single digits for the remainder of 2013.

Pam Golding Properties (PGP) reports that after six years of subdued property sales and global economic turmoil, the residential property market in the Western Cape appears to be consolidating into an upward trend.
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