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...
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Buy a car or pay off the bond?
“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...
House prices fall marginally
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...
Kicking off a financial plan with a lump sum
“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...
Reducing tenant risk for buy-to-let property investors
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...
Reducing tenant risk for buy-to-let property investors
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...
Reducing tenant risk for buy-to-let property investors
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...
Don’t write-off residential property
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...
The legalities of renting a home
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...
Mixed fortunes for Western Cape property
The very first question which the sample of agents, surveyed for the 2nd quarter FNB Estate Agent Survey for the City of Cape Town, is asked is how they perceive residential demand activity levels. This is a subjective rating, on a scale of 1 to...
Previous Articles
Is your divorce a corporate risk?
There's only one thing more fascinating than a celebrity marriage, and that's a celebrity divorce. Particularly when it's messy, vituperative and, yes, expensive. But it's when we think of divorce as a corporate risk that it takes on another whole dimension and...
Should you be paying provisional tax?
If you've checked the provisional tax status of your eFiling profile, you may have noticed that all taxpayers are now loaded as provisional taxpayers. Why is this? Technically, any person deriving income that's not remuneration is eligible for provisional tax, so this...
Should you fix your mortgage?
In some cases, the banks will only offer customers a fixed interest rate, in other words no matter what happens to the prime lending rate, your home loan repayments remain the same. This is usually for customers who have had a problem with their credit history in the...
Self-employed? Don’t give up on buying property
Self-employed applicants are considered 'high risk" by banks because they tend to have unstable incomes. So proving you can afford to pay off a home loan can be an exercise in frustration. Of course, if you are employed by a self-employed person, you will probably get...
Why ‘semigrants’ are following the money
South African "semigrants" – those people relocating to different parts of the country, rather than emigrating – are mainly moving for economic reasons, according to a survey undertaken by First National Bank. Relocation for work, or better business opportunities,...
Why hasn’t my property transfer gone through?
If you're buying or selling a property, here's something you may not have thought of: are your taxes up to date? If they're not, you can delay the transaction and even lose the sale – and on top of that, be liable for the agent's commission. According to Billy...
The pros and cons of coastal retirement
Coastal retirement seems like everyone's idea of paradise: beach walks, dips in the ocean and, of course, the view. But is your plan to buy a property that will appreciate in value so you can sell it later on? Or are you thinking of staying put for good? "Retirees...
A revolutionary home ownership concept
First-time home buyers and self-employed potential buyers struggle to enter the property market. Nearly 50% of employed bond applicants are declined every month and about 58% of self-employed applicants can't secure home loans, which is not good news for those who...
An alternative to losing your home
What do you do if you can't keep up with your bond repayments and you're facing having your home repossessed? You could sell, but what if you owe the bank R1 000 000 but you can't get your asking price and the best you can get is R800 000? Selling voluntarily isn't an...