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When can you shoot to defend yourself?
Independent Online - South Africa
Can you use lethal force to protect your property, and if so, when? South Africans are confused about how much force they can use in defending themselves from crime, and mistakes in this area could have disastrous consequences.

While the law remains unclear, the constitutional right to life is likely to be given precedence over the right to protect property. The 2003 Institute for Security Studies National Victims of Crime survey concluded that South Africans are much more fearful of crime today than they were in 1998.
Independent Online

eNeighborhoods and GlobeXplorer(r) Unveil On-Demand, Nationwide Aerial Photos
GIS User.com - USA
eNeighborhoods, the nation's premier compiler of home and neighbourhood information, has unveiled the newest feature addition to their line of Internet real estate marketing solutions: instant aerial and satellite photos from GlobeXplorer, the leader in online imagery delivery. With this new agreement, eNeighborhoods customers now have easy online access to hi-resolution photos of any property in America.
GIS User.com

Contract for love
Personal Finance - South Africa
By registering a property in both names, both partners have a stake in the property and their interests are protected in terms of the title deed. If your name is not on the title deed and you do not have a cohabitation agreement, in terms of the law you are not entitled to a share in the property. When a house is registered in both names and the relationship turns sour, one partner can buy the other partner out and take transfer of that share of the property. Transfer duty and costs have to be paid, but these costs are less than they would be if the entire property were transferred.
Personal Finance

Church council urges on land reform
iafrica.com - South Africa
Talking only about the pace of land reform stifles more fundamental questions, such as the appropriateness of current land reform strategy, the SA Council of Churches (SACC) warned.
In a statement issued ahead of public hearings on land reform next week by Parliament's agriculture and land affairs portfolio committee, the SACC said it was "not convinced by calls simply to 'speed up' land reform without asking where it is headed".
iafrica.com

Mortgage gripes rise: watchdog
The Australian - Australia
The credit ombudsman has called for uniform national regulation of the non-bank mortgage industry following a 20 per cent surge in consumer complaints.

More than 1700 borrowers lodged formal complaints last year, according to the annual report of the Credit Ombudsman Scheme, which recorded a 60 per cent increase in consumer inquiries. Of the complaints, 26 per cent were levelled against mortgage brokers, which now account for about one-third of all new home loans. A further 17 per cent were against lenders, including banks, and the remainder against other mortgage intermediaries such as mortgage managers.

Key complaints were over brokers failing to disclose fees or commissions, delays in discharging or refinancing loans, or settlement dates not being met.
The Australian

News24.com - South Africa
Land claim delivery level "improving"
More than 56 000 restitution land claims have been settled over the past five years, Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza told members of parliament's agriculture portfolio committee.

"In the restitution arena after 1999, we were able to improve our delivery track record. As we speak today, more than 56 000 claims have been settled" she said.
News24.com