By Ian Anderson, chief investment officer at Grindrod Asset Management South Africa’s listed property sector continued its slide during the week ending 31 May 2013, as the Rand breached R10/US$ and bond yields moved sharply higher. Having declined...
Sectional title is often the more affordable way to buy a home but it comes with its own challenges and you need to be a proactive resident to ensure your body corporate is run properly. A City Press reader was recently informed by her body...
Ian Anderson, chief investment officer at Grindrod Asset Management, reviews the performance of the listed property sector over the past week. South Africa’s listed property sector soared more than 3% last week, as investors poured into sector...
Buying a home is a financial plan not an emotional impulse. You need to have a strategy in place before taking on the commitment of homeownership Jana and her husband Bertie want to take the big step and buy their first home. This is a serious...
The latest FNB Estate Agent Survey found that after a much improved 2012 compared to 2011, the final quarter of last year showed a weakening in demand for property, possibly as a result of a weakening economy. A survey of estate agents is a good...
Over the last ten years mortgage originators such as ooba and BetterBond have played a significant role in increasing the competitiveness of home loans. By assisting customers to shop around for the best rates bond originators forced the banks into...
Homeowners can reduce the term of their home loan and the total that they pay in with careful budgeting and clever tricks. A house is usually the biggest asset that you will buy in your lifetime, but it's made affordable by the 20-year term of...
Higher house prices and stricter lending criteria by the banks have pushed homeownership out of reach of many ordinary South Africans on a single income. But if you really wanted to own a house would you be prepared to share the responsibility with...
Isaac shows how with discipline and a goal it is possible to build up a portfolio of properties on a limited salary that will one day pay you an income. It is important however to make sure that you do not over extend yourself and risk losing your...
“I want to invest offshore and I'm considering Allan Gray's Orbis Funds. Should I go for full equity, a medium equity or for 0% equity exposure?” writes Vaneshen Maya replies: In terms of offshore, the investment guru’s all believe that equities is...
“My primary residence is fully paid off and I recently purchased a second property which I would like to pay off in the next 5 years. I have an extra R100 000 in a money market account, should I put that into the rental property plus an extra R2000 per month and pay...
Six months ago Barclays Wealth predicted that South African interest rates would increase by 200 basis points by the end of 2012. At that time banks were charging around 115 basis points above their existing rate for clients to fix their mortgage for two years. Today...
“I am 29 years old and I have managed to save R100 000 with which I was planning to buy a new car (cash). However I realised that the car I am using is still in a good condition and is paid up and I can still use it for 2 more years. I have a home loan but I do not...
Residential property prices showed a moderate decline during September, according to the latest results released by bond originator ooba. The September oobarometer price index revealed that the average house price decreased by 2% year-on-year to R838 645 from R855 729...
“I am ready to formulate a financial plan and want an idea of where I should be investing my money for a real return. Once I have my lump sum should I buy a property, purchase shares in a start-up company that looks very promising or invest in shares on the JSE?” asks...
There is a perception that the South African legal system gives tenants more rights than property owners. People assume a tenant can default on rent for months, and there is nothing the property owner can do about it – you certainly can’t evict him. But this...
There is a perception that the South African legal system gives tenants more rights than property owners. People assume a tenant can default on rent for months, and there is nothing the property owner can do about it – you certainly can’t evict him. But this...
There is a perception that the South African legal system gives tenants more rights than property owners. People assume a tenant can default on rent for months, and there is nothing the property owner can do about it – you certainly can’t evict him. But this...
The Weekend Argus Personal Finance page carried an article on whether it is better to buy or rent property. This was prompted by research by Henno Vermaak, an analyst at PSG Asset Management, which suggests that you may be better off renting and then investing the...
Whether you're a tenant or a landlord, it's wise to keep in mind the legalities of residential letting in South Africa. Landlords need to follow correct procedures in terms of recovering rental. A landlord is obliged to send a letter of demand notifying the tenant of...