Australian Property Managers

25/11/2012

The reinstatement of owner-occupier stamp duty concessions this weekend has industry analysts predicting a lift in property sales in the coming weeks. State Parliament has passed legislation which would allow the concession, which was removed by the previous government on August 1 last year, to be reinstated from July 1. Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Anton Kardash said some agents were scheduling open for inspections for tomorrow to coincide with the first day of the changes. The stamp duty discount applies to buyers who are going to live in their home for at least a year and can be worth up to $7000, depending on how much they pay for the property. Mr Kardash said the removal of the concession for people who bought their property to live in came at a very "inopportune time" last year.

"Its reinstatement for homes bought as a principal place of residence from 1 July will save buyers thousands, but will also re-establish Queensland as one of Australia's lowest jurisdictions for stamp duty on residential property," he said.
Mr Kardash said this could lead to a return of interstate migrants to Brisbane, which would also help lift transaction numbers.

Dave Sharman of Australian Property Managers said a few potential buyers had mentioned the stamp duty issue to her. "The reintroduction of stamp duty concessions coupled with the lowering of interest rates and a steadying market will encourage people to be confident in making decisions to buy property," he said.

Carmen Briggs of Harcourts Inner West said buyers had been hesitant in recent weeks waiting for the stamp duty concessions to kick back in. She said while winter was not traditionally a busy time on the property market, this year could well prove the exception.
"We will suddenly see a lot more buyers viewing homes and making offers, and competition for the best homes will increase," she said.
"Sellers will also take advantage of the greater number of buyers and list their homes, so we will have more listings and more buyers."

Australian Property Managers takes a keen interest in the latest property market news to ensure that our clients are offered the best on-site advice to receive the best local growth. If you would like more information, contact us at australianpropertymanagers.com.

12/11/2012

SOME landlords choose to manage their own rental properties mainly as a cost saving measure and to keep a close eye on their investment. It is possible to manage your own property successfully, however it's important to remember the legal obligations of a landlord, and keep up-to-date with these obligations as they regularly change. Failure to manage a property within the bounds of the law can be the cause of future problems for both landlords and tenants, and can be costly. "There are many benefits for both landlords and tenants when a property is managed by a fully qualified and experienced property manager," Mr Sharman, of Australian Property Managers, said. "Not only will the property manager be up to date with the latest laws, but they are also able to find the right tenant through marketing, reviewing prospective tenant databases and referring to tenant blacklists. They have access to great systems and technology for document preparation, inspections and managing maintenance. Tenants also benefit by knowing their legal rights will always be of importance when issues arise. It is important to remember if you plan to manage your own investment property, to check with your insurance company to ensure your property remains to be covered." Australian Property Managers has been established after years of experience in real estate, property development and financial market understanding. Australian Property Managers is a dynamic corporation aspiring to provide the highest level of advice and market knowledge, along with a dedication to professionalism and an un-wavering focus on client service, allowing you to capitalise on the local growth. Today, it is one of the growing agencies in the Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast areas, consistently earning a market share far in excess of its nearest competitor. What's more, the team consistently scoops the pool for the real estate industry's most elite awards. The minute you set foot inside the doors of the business it's easy to see why. If you're looking for residential or rural property, or you'd like your investment property expertly managed, we'd love to hear from you.at http://www.australianpropertymanagers.com/.

Australian Property Managers, Real Estate Australia Property Group has been established after Years of experience in both Real Estate, Business environment, Property Development and Financial Market Understanding. Australian Property Managers is a dynamic company aspiring to provide the highest leve...

27/10/2012

Discounting property management fees is sometimes used as a point of difference for real estate agencies, however there are many other more important things property owners should be considering when choosing an agency to manage their property.
Agencies often reduce their fees to gain business, however this can result in lower levels of service for both the property owner and the tenant.
When comparing agencies services the things property owners should be investigating include:
• How many inspections are undertaken per year (this is limited by law)?
• How thorough are the entry and exit reports?
• Are many detailed photos taken of the property?
• Are water meter readings taken?
• How is maintenance managed?
• How are rental arrears managed?
• How and when are the rental funds disbursed?
• How are bills paid?
These important questions highlight the level of service property owners will get for their fees.
Dave Sharman from Australian Property Management said a smaller revenue base with an increased number of properties to manage meant agencies risked high staff turnover and stressed staff resulting from work overload.
"An agency that is confident with the service they provide can charge the appropriate property management fees and have the time and resources to successfully manage their portfolio, and provide a high level of service for owners and tenants," Mr Sharman said. "Australian Property Managers is a specialist agency that provides a standard of service and communication second-to-none, with skilled professionals genuinely committed to making a positive experience for every client and customer."
Although the company rapidly forged its reputation as a dynamic effective agency years ago, it was only the beginning. Australian Property Managers and the team have continued to lift the performance bar.
Whether you're looking to buy, lease or sell, Australian Property Managers will be ready and available to ensure that your expectations and requirements are not only met, but well and truly exceeded. For further information, contact us at australianpropertymanagers.com.

09/10/2012

A lot of homework goes into buying an investment property, but the process doesn't end there. Hunting down the best property manager requires as much research as the buying does, industry experts say.
Australian Property Managers chairman Dave Sharman says the most common question he is asked is: "How do you tell the difference between a great property manager and a bad one?"
He says a property manager needs to ensure the tenants are looked after, the appropriate legal documents are in place, maintenance is carried out professionally, rent is collected on time and tax records kept.
"This protects the value of my investment, helps to attract better-quality tenants and minimises my worries," he says.
Sharman says understanding the local market is a property manager's greatest asset because, in his opinion, many landlords are receiving 10 to 20 per cent less in rent than market value dictates.
"It's a sad fact in Australia that the property management division of a typical real estate company is the 'poor cousin' of the sales division," he says."Therefore, the property manager does not get the support, systems and training to help them do a better job."
Stephen Wasley is a landlord in the Brisbane region who has several residential investment properties managed by Australian Property Managers.
"I think what's important as a landlord is choosing a property manager who you click with, who has a great personality and knows the job inside out. What you don't want is some agent who's just waiting to jump-start their real estate career and get into sales," he says."You need to have good communication with them and not just during the letting process - it should continue throughout the tenancy as well. The experience I have had in the past is that so many just don't return calls. You don't want to have to be calling them.
"Part of that good communication is them letting you know when you've got a good tenant because that makes a difference when it comes to reviewing the rent. If they don't suggest a rent review then they're not doing their job, but if they know you've got a great tenant who pays on time and looks after your property then they can suggest a smaller rent increase so the tenant will stay on."
If you would like some advice on managing properties, contact Australian Property Managers at australianpropertymanagers.com.

03/10/2012

Australian Property Managers is a young and dynamic company aspiring to provide the highest level of advice and market knowledge, along with a dedication to professionalism and an un-wavering focus on client service, allowing you to capitalise on the local growth.

Today, it is one of the growing agency’s in Brisbane and Gold Coast areas, consistently earning a market share far in excess of its nearest competitor. What's more, the team consistently scoop the pool for the real estate industry's most elite awards. The minute you set foot inside the doors of the business it’s easy to see why.

If you’re looking for residential or rural property, or you’d like your investment property expertly managed, we’d love to hear from you. Our Real Estate office is open seven days a week to assist you with your property requirements.

While you're visiting our website, why not register for our weekly e-newsletter, or have a look at our Map Search feature. You can also subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, so you know exactly what’s happening in the market.

It’s all about that old fashioned and all too forgotten philosophy of truly “serving” your client and customer.

Australian Property Managers is determined to set up a specialist agency that provides a standard of service and communication second-to-none, with skilled professionals genuinely committed to making a positive experience for every client and customer.

Although the company rapidly forged its reputation as a dynamic effective agency, it is only the beginning. Australian Property Managers and the team still continue to lift the performance bar.

We place a high priority on ensuring all our team have the highest recognised skill base and have access to the best resources resulting in the greatest results for all our clients. We are proud of our reputation for having the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Every effort is focused on getting the best results for our clients in both price and service at all times and we work hard at achieving this.
Contact us at australianpropertymanagers.com for further information regarding the services we provide.

03/10/2012

Here at Australian Property Managers, we understand that communication is the key to our relationship with you. We will always keep you updated with progress and activity relation to your property and tenants.
We conduct stringent security and reference checks on each applicant to ensure the most suitable tenant for your property. Applicants are also checked on TICA (Tenancy Information of Australia) which houses a database of defaulting tenants. Once we have completed thorough investigations and are confident that the applicants are suitable tenants we relay this information to you seeking approval.
We conduct regular inspections throughout the tenancy to ensure that the tenants are meeting the terms of their lease. A detailed report is then compiled and sent to you outlining any issues that may need attention. We may also recommend budgeting for future improvements to maintain the capital growth of your investment.
We constantly review rents to ensure maximum returns on your property. We deposit funds into your account monthly and provide you with prompt electronic statements.
While we adhere to strict procedures to reduce the risk of rent arrears, sometimes circumstances arise which are completely out of our control. For this reason we urge you to consider Landlord Protection Insurance for your investment.
Our fee schedule for the letting and management of residential properties is comparable to industry standards and reflects the quality of service we offer. We can tailor a management package specifically for your requirements. And remember, our fees for service are tax deductible.
At Australian Property Management we are a little different, offering a specialised focus on Property Management and Sales. We appreciate the importance of achieving best return on your investment property. At the very heart of our philosophy is the treatment of individual clients as if they were the only one.
Contact us at australianpropertymanagers.com for further information regarding the services we provide.

24/09/2012

The slowdown in Brisbane's real estate market is encouraging a lot of home owners to upgrade their standard of housing. Even a flat market has a silver lining, and for many it is the ability to trade up - often within the same suburb - to a higher-standard property at an affordable cost.
Real Estate Institute of Queensland figures show the median price of a house in Melbourne fell by 5.3 per cent to $535,000 over the 12 months to June. The downward trend in prices has made some ''change-up'' buyers confident they can buy properties for $100,000 or $150,000 less than the going rate in 2009 or 2010.
Australian Property Manager’s Dave Sharman has been seeing a ''real enthusiasm'' for trading up. He said aspirational buyers in the inner-north were benefiting from increased housing stock and no longer faced the severe shortage of quality properties seen earlier this year.
''People have the perception that the gap between their aspirational house and the house they are currently in has never been so close,'' Mr Sharman said.
This isn't an isolated take on the market. He said there was more interest from change-up buyers in properties in the $1.5 million to $3 million range. He said the crowds attending open inspections and auctions in Hawthorn and Hawthorn East, for houses priced at about $2 million, had grown significantly in recent weeks. Some potential upgraders may be just sniffing the air. But the belief that it's a winning move to buy low and (hopefully) sell high at a later date, is gaining traction across all market price points.
Dave also said lending statistics showed a surge in purchases by first home buyers in Melbourne over the past few months.
''This buying by first home buyers has generated a ripple effect though the change-up middle market and we are getting a lift in buyer activity as a consequence,'' he said. ''We might see the middle market start to pick up.''
Owner-occupiers who buy during a cyclical low typically have no choice but to sell in the same market. Still, property watchers say it is an excellent time for buyers to target the best streets in the areas they favour and to focus on buying quality in their price range.
''When the market turns - and the market will - those people who have purchased well and made wise investment decisions will reap the rewards of accelerated capital growth,'' he said.
The Brisbane market is still skirting the bottom of the property cycle. According to the REIQ, in July there were 1590 auctions with an overall clearance rate of 58 per cent. The highest clearance rates were recorded in Glen Waverley, Northcote and Brunswick. (This compared with 56 per cent in June from 2390 auctions).
Yesterday's clearance rate was 56 per cent for the 444 results reported to the institute. The outcome of a further 51 scheduled sales is unknown.
For great returns on your property investments, go to australianpropertymanagers.com to make sure you don’t miss out.