Keep reading over the next few weeks when we will be adding an extra FOOD & ENTERTAINING section to our newsletters, blogs and web page.
CONTENTS
1. NEW RELEASE PROPERTY
2. SAFEST SEASON SC ROADS
3. SUBSTITUTION ENTRIES FOR CYCLE TOUR
4. CADDY GOLF COMPETITION
5. BE PATIENT
6. APARTMENTS MAKE A GOOD PROPERTY INVESTMENT
NEW RELEASE PROPERTY
BLANCO
SECURE ESTATE
Brand new luxury up market 3 bedroom home. 3 Bathrooms, 2 lounges, dining room, BBQ area, kitchen, patio and 2 garages.
R1 450 000
ID3879
MOSSEL BAY
THE LOFTS APARTMENTS
2 X Two bedroom apartments as one package with spacious open plan living and kitchen area. An additional enclosed sun patio overlooking a manicure green garden. Secure direct access from garage and a communal swimming pool and guest parking.
R75 000 Cash back
R1 700 000
ID3868
MOSSEL BAY
BOLAND PARK VILLAS
Designed for relaxed entertainment in mind with a spacious open plan living area.
- Easy lock-up and go or residential units.
- Two bedroom units with full bathrooms.
- Modern decor, fittings and finishes, reflecting a simplicity for all`s appeal.
- Kitchen futures space for three major electrical appliances, with additional space for laundry appliances.
- Communal swimming pool and secure undercover parking with ample guest parking.
- Gated security development.
- 700m from Diaz main beach and entertainment facilities.
- 20 min drive from George Airport
- Central to all activities in the Garden Route & Klein Karoo
R75 000 Cash back
R1 150 000
ID3867
GREAT BRAK RIVER
WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT LAND
2 Stands river front with development potential for 4 units. Tranquil river front setting.
R3 240 000
ID3874
GEORGE - GLEN BARRIE
LARGE - SPACIOUS PRIVATE HOME
Situated in a quiet street, with private garden, swimming pool, covered BBQ area, 3 living areas, kitchen, laundry, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, study, pantry, 2 garages and a 1 bedroom flat with lounge and kitchen.
R2 050 000
ID3878
SAFEST SEASON SC ROADS
The coastal towns in the Southern Cape saw a huge influx of visitors during the festive season, but regardless experienced the safest season in years.
According to Kenny Africa, Manager of the George Traffic Department, they were determined to reduce the fatality rate during the festive season by ensuring visible policing. "We thank the road users for abiding by the rules of the road.
"The largest cause of single death is HIV/AIDS but if road users do not support our attempts to reduce the number of road accidents, we could be faced with this being the second highest cause. More than 14 000 people die on our roads annually; thousands are left permanently disabled and/or seriously injured."
SUBSTITUTION ENTRIES FOR CYCLE TOUR
Substitution entries for the Cape Argus Pick `n Pay Cycle Tour open on Wednesday 14 January. This means cyclists still wishing to enter this iconic race, have one last chance to do so.
This is good news for those cyclists who missed the entry cut-off.
The cost of a substitution entry is R270, irrespective of PPA or CSA membership.
Cyclists who have Internet access can make an online substitution application. Visit the online entry page on www.cycletour.co.za between 14 January and 23 February. Enter the details of the person who is entering as a substitute.
The substitution fee is paid online. A consent form is downloaded for the cyclist withdrawing, who must complete the form and fax it to 021 685 6648. The organisers will e-mail a confirmation letter to the substitution entrant within 72 hours of receiving the consent form.
CADDY GOLF COMPETITION
FANCOURT TOP OF THE LOG
By scoring a massive 123 points Fancourt A moved to the top of the log with 333 points in the third round of the Southern Cape Caddy Golf Competition held at Bramble Hill.
Plettenberg Bay is now second on a total of 316, followed by George (308), Knysna (267) and Fancourt B (256).
The Morsel Bay team withdrew after round one.
The top individual performers in the competition are Arthur Classens (Fancourt A), David de Villiers (George), Henzel Brand (Fancourt A), Gregory Petersen and Ralph Arries (Plattenberg Bay) and Tommy Lawa (George).
This Caddy League in the Southern Cape is unique and not only the first in the province, but also nationally.
The original aim was to give these players, who are an integral part of the golfing fraternity an opportunity to play golf at tournament level and display their skills.
BE PATIENT
Looking forward into 2009, there are some early signs of improvement is household sector fundamentals, with the household debt-to-disposable income ratio now declining and domestic inflation and interest rates now heading in the right direction. This is great news for the market, says FNB property strategist John Loos, as it is expected to translate into a declining household debt-service ratio (cost of debt servicing as a percentage of disposable income) through 2009. A series of interest rate cuts to 12 percent prime by the end of the year and declining inflation supporting real disposable income
APARTMENTS MAKE A GOOD PROPERTY INVESTMENT
Apartments in South Africa make an ideal property investment for South Africans living abroad, says Scott Picken, MD of International Property Solutions.
"Apartments are ideal in many ways for South Africans living overseas to get on the property ladder back home. For one, they are generally a lot cheaper than houses or townhouses, because the land cost is divided up by more properties. So from a price perspective, they are a lot more affordable, which is a major plus if you're living abroad and still travelling a lot, because you don't want a large mortgage that is going to chain you to your job until your visa runs out."
"They are also ideal because there is a lot less admin involved in owning and maintaining an apartment, compared to a house. A lot of tenants couldn't be bothered with maintaining a garden, for example. They live in your house for a year or two, and when they move out the garden is in a complete state - which makes getting the next tenant that much more difficult. The hassle of co-ordinating a garden service is not an issue with apartments, sometimes even if you're on the ground floor and have your own private garden, as the body corporate will take care of it for you. External areas like the walls and roofs, as well as communal areas like the swimming pool and clubhouse, are also maintained by the body corporate, which reduces the hassle, especially for buyers that live overseas." It's not just the fewer hassles that makes investing in sectional title apartments attractive, according to Picken. The numbers are also favourable from an investment perspective.
"If as an investor you want to dig deeper into housing trends, you will see there is an unprecedented demand for sectional title apartments in South Africa at the moment, which should continue for a long time. It's partly a global phenomenon of changing population demographics. People are staying single a lot longer, so they don't need or want large houses. Record divorce rates mean that there are more people coming back into single households than ever before. Economic growth is attracting people to the cities, particularly Johannesburg, and South Africa in general does not have a good track record of providing for the cheaper end of the housing market. The emerging black middle class, for example, is now starting to move out of the townships and into the suburbs, looking for properties to buy or rent."
"At the confluence of all these factors, you've got a surge in demand for more affordable properties * those in the R400,000 to R800,000 range * but especially for those that are easily commutable to the local business districts. I've often heard them referred to as GASH properties * Good Address, Small House."
This increase in demand is also pushing up rentals, according to Picken, which makes for a more attractive investment option.
"When I grew up, we lived in a large house with a massive garden, and I always thought that's the type of property I want to live in. I still want a house like that, but those properties sell for upwards of two million rand today. So that's what I'm working towards. At the moment, I'm taking advantage of the demographic changes in South Africa. I'm building my own portfolio with smaller, more affordable investments. One day I'll have my four bedroom house with a pool, tennis court and a huge garden!"
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