News

Many trustees do not understand that it is they who are responsible for making sure that the body corporate is run properly...

With concerns now rife that houses are becoming beyond the reach of ordinary South Africans, serious consideration should be given to a subsidy for first-time buyers and to other aspects to be considered to alleviate problems faced by the vulnerable...

Players in South Africa's property industry are expressing unease around proposals originating from the report on foreign land ownership as well as recent legislation that stipulates that anyone buying property from a foreigner has to withhold tax from the proceeds of that sale. By Kara Michaels...

Buying a property is no longer just about looking closely at your prospective investment – it's about examining the whole environment to which you plan to relocate...

Buying a home in a down market is not as easy as it seems, and buyers should be aware of possible pitfalls...

Asking the right questions of an estate agent can make all the difference when buying or selling a home...

The property market is still on track for a recovery - possibly as early as the third quarter in 2008 - notwithstanding the latest interest rate increase...

Successive interest rate hikes have heralded the end of the property boom and the advent of a buyer's market...

First-time home buyers looking around for a new home should keep in mind that until our inflation rate normalises, we can expect more interest rate hikes...

In the face of interest rate hikes and slowing property prices, the building industry remains steady with an ever increasing demand for properties built off-plan. These properties are an attractive option for many people, but who protects the buyer from unsightly finishes, visible defects and homes not built according to the original plan?...

The last decade has seen plot and plan residential developments coming off developers' drawing boards at a rate without precedent in South Africa's history - but by no means have all the buyers in these projects been satisfied...

How is a new piece of legislation, stipulating that anyone buying property from a non-South African resident should be aware that they must withhold tax from the proceeds of that sale (as of 1 September this year), likely to affect foreign buying interest?...

Escalating interest rates, the more stringent demands of the National Credit Act (NCA), and the general increase in property values may have made it more difficult for first-time buyers to enter the property market...

StoneBridge Leisure Group, a group specialising in multidestinational and fractional ownership in South Africa, has teamed up with Quintessentially, a worldwide luxury lifestyle group, to bring a new fractional ownership concept to this country...

There was huge interest in the South African residential property market among high net worth visitors at the recent China International Luxury Property Show in Shanghai, where 50 exhibitors represented some 15 nations from around the world...

In the face of continued double-digit house price growth and an upwardly mobile interest rate that has added about 25% on to monthly mortgage repayments in the last year, first-time buyers will have to change their mindsets if they are ever to become property owners. - Ingrid Smit...

When buying a second-hand car, most people will have it checked by the AA or a mechanic to make sure it is in good working order. So why then, when a property is one of the most expensive purchases a person can make, do purchasers not get their homes checked out properly before they commit to buying?...

Homebuyers are often faced with the question of whether it makes more economic sense to buy a home and renovate or pay up for something that is in mint condition – so how should they decide?...

If you're thinking about buying your first home now that price growth has slowed down, take care to budget properly. The total cost of owning a home may well be more than you've imagined...

After taking the USA by storm for the last 10 years, fractional ownership is now bedding down in South Africa...