Hot off the Press
September Special Offers
Property Update & Information
Guest Business Section -Paul Thewlis from Onyx Finance
DIY Tips
Cool Gadgets
Speaking Engagements
From the US News Desk
Spring is here, which for Urban Sensations means that our busiest time of the year commences. If you have been thinking about renovating your house or investment property all year and haven't gotten around to it yet, you need to contact US now. If you would like US to do it for you before the end of this year, speak to me in the next week to get the ball rolling! If you are planning on doing it yourself, then you must book in now to our 1 day Renovator's Bootcamp (more on that in the speaking engagements section below)!This month it gives me great pleasure to introduce Paul Thewlis from Onyx Finance to the Guest Business Section of our newsletter. I first met Paul about 6 months ago at a networking event. We met again a few weeks later for a coffee meeting - I was simply blown away by the similarity that our paths have taken.
Don't forget to purchase yoru copy of Your Mortgage magazine this month and read my very first article in this magazine. Our next article will be in next months Your Investment Property magazine which is on sale in October.
Finally, welcome to all of our new subscribers - I hope that you enjoyed your FREE What do tenant's want article. Would love to receive your feedback as to the value of this article. In the meantime, enjoy this month's newsletter and ask your investor friends to join us as well.
Have a Sensational month!
Rosalie Griffiths
Managing Director
Hot off the Press
Are you wanting to improve the energy efficiency of your home? Don't know where to start or what will give you the best return on your investment? I am looking for 1 person to take up a special offer. Get a full report of the energy efficiency of your home right now and a roadmap of the things you can change to improve your home's energy efficiency as time and funds permit. A Consultant will come to you for a 1.5 hour consultation (whilst another person takes all the measurements necessary to create the report). Your investment for this service is $500. Call (0411 323877) or email info@urbansensations.com.au. Rosalie now if you would like to book in for this offer.Bookings are now open for our 1 day Renovator's Bootcamp on Saturday 14th November - see Speaking Engagements section for more information. If you, or you know someone who is, planning to renovate their home or investment property in the next 3 months or over the Christmas break, then you need to be at the Renovator's Bootcamp!! Attending this event will save you thousands of dollars, weeks of your time and many headaches!!
September Special Offers
Property Update & Information
View the following video for the latest Melbourne property report:
http://media.domain.com.au/property-road-to-recovery-597996.html?
Interested in investing in the "green revolution"? Take a look at this article;
http://www.theage.com.au/business/investment-experts-burst-green-bubble-fears-20090913-fmak.html
Home Loan Affordability (from www.reiv.com.au)
The release of the June Quarter Home Loan Affordability Index by the Real Estate Institute of Australia shows that the proportion of an average family income needed to meet home loan repayments in Victoria stayed relatively steady at 27.3 per cent. This compared favourably with the Australia wide average of 28.9 per cent of average family incomes and NSW where 31.1 per cent of an average income is required.
The average home loan in Victoria is $263,976, requiring a minimum payment of $1621 to meet the servicing costs. This compares to an average loan of $259,559 and monthly repayment of $1620 in the March quarter.
This compares very favourably with the situation that mortgage holders faced only a year ago. In the June quarter of 2008 the average monthly loan repayment was 25 per cent higher at $2,158. As the average loan and median house price was similar to current levels the key reason for the higher repayments was higher interest rates.
The proportion of family income devoted to meeting median rents was slightly lower at 21.9 per cent compared to 22.6 per cent in the March quarter and 22.3 per cent in the June 2008 quarter.
Guest Business Section
This month it gives me great pleasure to introduce Paul Thewlis from Onyx Finance......
The last two years of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has seen a dramatic change in the mortgage market. Fear of the impacts of the GFC drove people to the major banks and away from other mortgage providers. During the same period the major banks swallowed their small competitors through various take-overs.
What does this mean for you?
It means a change from a “buyers”/borrowers dominated market in 2007 to a “sellers”/lenders dominated market today. Normally a sellers market would mean increasing prices but the uniqueness of the mortgage market has meant that prices (i.e. interest rates) are low but borrowers have been affected by lending policy and service changes such as:
• Lenders are trying to find reasons to say “no” rather than reasons to say “yes”.
• Loan applications are taking weeks rather than days to be assessed
• Bank customers are finding themselves increasingly dealing with automated phone systems which treat you as a transaction rather than a valued client.
For property investors an efficient and effective finance strategy is paramount to success. This means you need a relationship with a finance expert with a current knowledge of both the finance and property investment marketplace. You also need someone to help you save time and effort with the loan application process.
Onyx Finance has over 7 years experience working with property investors and self-employed people. As property investors and self-employed people themselves they speak both your language and that of the banks and lenders. You might like to sample their approach by reading the recent article by Dr Paul Thewlis “Should you change to a Fixed Rate?” at http://www.onyxfinance.com.au/OnyxEdge2009-1.php
The Onyx relationship means you have expert finance advice, assess to property investment buying groups, and assess to related services such as legal advice.
Onyx can be contacted at www.onyxfinance.com.au or on 1300 1400 15. Call for an appointment with Paul Thewlis and let him know Urban Sensations referred you so he can prepare you a free written finance strategy.
DIY tips
When renovating a small bathroom you want to try and give the illusion of space.
To create the illusion of height, use vertical lines, such as a row of feature tiles or a stripe of paint from the floor to the ceiling or a strip which will draw the eye upwards. Alternatively you can use a different colour on the cornice or a wallpaper or tiled border around the top of the walls
Mirrors are excellent for adding depth, width and length to a room and also make the room apprear lighter. However it is better to have just one large mirror than several mirrors. Similarly clear shower screens (frameless and semi-frameless) give the illusion of lots more light and space.
Make the most of the natural light. If the bathroom is always dark, then you may want to consider adding a skylight.
Keep colours simple - white and neutral tones work best and don't go out of fashion too quickly.
Larger tiles create a sense of space, as do polished porcelain tiles. The more floor space that can be seen, the bigger the bathroom appears. So if you are putting in a new vanity unit or cabinets, consider ones on legs or attached to the wall so that more floor space can be seen. Remember though, that storage space is king, so do make sure that you have space to put everything away! The more clutter you have on vanity tops and exposed shelves etc, the smaller the bathroom looks.
A sliding door gives more room than a normal hinged door, and can oftem be hidden in an in-wall cavity for a clean look.
Cool Gadgets
For those of you who attended our jewellery evening earlier this year, and for those who didn't get there, you can now purchase this jewellery on-line. Go to www.goldenjewellery.com.au to purchase a special piece for yourself and those that you care about at sensational prices. This is affordable statement jewellery at its best!
Bokashi Bucket
Do you love the idea of composting? Don't like the smell of fermenting waste in your kitchen? Want to compost everything (even meat)? Find it difficult to find the time to add straw/soil etc to your compost and to turn it? Well this product is for you...... The Bokashi bucket is a revolutionary fermentation process that turns your kitchen waste into a rich soil conditioner. No smells! Easy to use and for less than $100. You can compost almost every kitchen food waste in your Bokashi Bucket including fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, cooked and uncooked meats and fish, cheese, eggs, bread, coffee grinds, tea bags, wilted flowers and tissues. Bokashi starter kits contain all you need to get started and can be purchased from www.bokashi.com.au/index.html. If you don't like buying on line, the website also lists the retail stockists in Australia.
Speaking Engagements
Bookings are now open!!!
We are conducting a full 1 day "Renovator's Bootcamp" course on Saturday 14th November 2009. This will include information on:
• Where to start
• How to work out what needs to be done
• Products available to assist you
• Costing the renovation
• Communicating with tradies
• Scheduling your renovation effectively
• A session on actually planning your individual renovation works - you bring your ideas and information, we will help you put it together
To ensure you receive real value for money, this course is limited to 35 participants.
Investment:
Early bird (book and pay before October 20th): $495 per person (book a second person and they come for $395)
After 20th October: $595
You can book now - go to www.urbansensations.com.au/event
Rosalie can speak on a range of different topics such as property design, planning, time management, products to use, ideas to save you money etc….
To book Rosalie to speak at your next property event, please call Rosalie on 0411 323 877 or email info@urbansensations.com.au
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