July 2017

Think Home Staging Isn't Important? Think Again.

Preparing a home for sale can be a daunting task, and hiring professionals to assist could make all the difference between having your home sit on the market for months, with little or no interest, or having an immediate stream of prospective buyers, potentially resulting in a bidding war. Staging isn’t simply about renting nice furniture and artwork for an upcoming open house; it’s much more about the targeted steps required to enhance a home’s salability, curb appeal and first impressions when viewed.

What is Home Staging & Why is it Necessary?

To break it down, home staging is the process of assessing and preparing a home for maximum salability and curb appeal to the largest number of

The real estate market in Victoria generally remains significantly undersupplied. This despite a strong sellers’ market despite the change of government, continuing threats of foreign buyers tax, crack down on vacation rentals and rising interest rates. With still fewer than 2,000 active listings at the end of June 2017 and more than 1,000 sales for the month, we have less than a two month supply of homes for sale. The result is continuing upwards pressure on prices, competing buyers with multiple offers in areas and property types in the highest demand.

There were 1,008 properties sold in June 2017 which was 14% fewer than the 1,174 in June of 2016. This is still tracking more than 20% above the ten year average sales volume of 798 sales for June.

Those who enjoyed playing classics like The Sims and Roller Coaster Tycoon have something to get excited about. A new game offers the real-life experience of acting as a property manager, juggling multiple income-producing properties with the goal of earning a specific amount of capital before time runs out. Developed by a local game developer, Real Estate Empire 3 offers players a life-like environment where they can take their Monopoly skills to the next level with zero risk to their actual pocketbook.

In the game, players are challenged to earn the most equity in 60 months of game play where each month is a turn. Buy properties to earn rent, fix them up to earn even more rent or to sell them at a profit. An in-game economy means that properties