According to Indawo managing director Geoffrey Jäck, it has been a long time coming, but asbestos is now outlawed and building owners have only 14 months to plan removals, including homes, schools, factories, warehouses, offices, retail centres, residential complexes and all industrial buildings…
Construction in any form from new builds, roofing, and asbestos removal is risky, posting significant dangers to site staff, employees, and visitors…
The law states that any person wishing to sell their home needs to give their bank or bond originator written notice of their intent to cancel a bond. The notice period may differ from bank to bank but as a general rule your bank will require 90 days’ notice…
Navigating the property industry as a first-time home buyer can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming, and the thought of making a mistake with such a large investment can be enormously stressful. In this article, we unpack the most common mistakes made by first-time property buyers and provide advice on how to avoid them…
Only 51% of estate agents met their sales target last year, down from 69% in 2019 but 500 estate agents told Lightstone Property that they expected 2021 to be significantly better with 81% believing they would meet their sales targets this year…
When South Africa first entered a hard lockdown in March last year, experts predicted a massive slump in home-buying, with expectations that prices would fall by between 5% and almost 15% for the year…
Take control and ensure you’re on the right path to getting out of debt. South Africa’s Credit Ombud shares tips on how to tap into the privileges provided for you in the National Credit Act…
Spring is just a month away and already the temperature is starting to warm up across the country. After a winter hibernation, there is nothing more energising than dusting off the cobwebs, letting in the sunshine and refreshing your home…
Selling a commercial property can be a challenge in difficult economic times, particularly in the current environment where many companies have left the office to work from home. But there are more ways than simply lowering the price to entice a suitable buyer…
While for years, research has suggested that millennials preferred to rent, the 2019 Deloitte Global Millennial Survey showed that 67% of millennials in South Africa had the ambition to buy a home of their own…
One of the most critical elements of selling any property is getting the listing price right. Price too low and sellers lose out on profits. Price too high and the property may not sell at all…
To some, buying a ‘fixer-upper’ seems like a dream proposition and for others, it is the only option that their budgets allow for. However, even though older homes often have great character features that most new homes do not, they can also be the stuff of nightmares if buyers are not careful…
The rental market is experiencing one of its most challenging times and several factors are contributing to this, including Covid-19 and the associated lockdown restrictions, resulting in vacancies have increased since 2020…
Having started the year in technical recession, only to be hit by a pandemic, few would have predicted that 2020 would turn into a successful year for property. Thanks to an unexpected wave of buyers triggered by low interest rates, motivated lenders, and excellent value on the market, however, South African property has emerged from 2020’s challenges with its head held high…
The South African economy has been slowly inching its way towards an economic recovery after the hard lockdowns imposed in the second quarter of 2020. And despite a recovery in the number of credit applications in the first quarter of 2021, an alarming 62.5% of these applications are rejected…
Record-low interest rates have stimulated the property market at a time when many expected it to spiral downwards…
Certain terms do seem obvious and it’s not hard to figure out what is meant by an Offer to Purchase, but it’s essential to also understand the true meaning behind the term and the legal conditions that apply to ensure a seamless transaction without any rude awakenings along the way…
Dogon Properties has launched its new micro-apartments in Cape Town, with the 24-storey building set to be the first ‘biophilic’ development of its kind in South Africa…
South Africa has joined 130 other countries in calls to introduce a global tax.
In talks held by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) at the end of June, the countries agreed to a plan to set a minimum corporate tax rate and establish a new regime for sharing the taxes imposed on the profits of multinational firms…
The Wills Act sets out clear requirements for the drafting of a valid Will, including that it must have a signature or mark of the testator and must be witnessed. However, what happens if the wishes of the deceased are seemingly clear but the document does not otherwise meet the requirements of a valid Will?…
The Wills Act sets out clear requirements for the drafting of a valid Will, including that it must have a signature or mark of the testator and must be witnessed. However, what happens if the wishes of the deceased are seemingly clear but the document does not otherwise meet the requirements of a valid Will?…
The Piketberg Historical Route takes visitors to the myriad of historical buildings dotted throughout the town which date back as far as the 1880’s and is a wonderful outing for young and old…
The real estate and property sector is constantly encountering challenges, and it comes as no surprise when issues around ethics and credibility are brought into question…
A site which once served as Cape Town’s coastal defence fort, built more than 130 years ago, now houses a luxury residential block, where apartments are selling for between R3.7 million to more than R21 million…
Deciding which rental agreement is best for the income you want to earn on your property can be challenging for landlords. As with any successful business, your journey as a landlord should begin with a viable business plan of which your rental contract term is an essential part…
The Parkfair development – to be sold as a completed turnkey project – will be going on auction at the end of April 2021.
Located along Halt Road in Riverton, Goodwood in Cape Town, the development is a mix of retail (on the ground floor) and residential (four floors above)…
Cape Town – The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld an appeal against a Western Cape High Court decision to evict a Bantry Bay woman, her 83-year-old mother and their housekeeper…
Because an apartment or townhouse is part of a larger property with a community of owners and is overseen by a governing body, additional documentation is required and a number of additional factors apply and, if not known about or clearly understood, can present a number of frustrating and costly pitfalls…
Fraud in the real estate industry has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, and fraudsters’ increasingly sophisticated scams are not only fleecing buyers and sellers but also property practitioners…
On 22 February it was announced that Western Cape minister for environmental affairs and development planning (DEADPA) Anton Bredell had decided to dismiss appeals lodged against the environmental authorisation (EA) issued by his department in August 2020 for a proposed R4.5bn development in Observatory…
South African first-time buyers across the country continue to capitalise on the favourable buying environment and demonstrate confidence in the residential property market by aquiring their own homes…
As a result of the considerable number of children who have drowned in South Africa, several by-laws and building regulations have been enforced to limit these tragic accidents…
Less than 15% of South Africans purchase property under the age of 40, which paints a gloomy picture for younger buyers who hope to enter the property market sooner rather than later…
The residential property industry is facing a slump. Consumers are struggling to make ends meet and pay rent, pushing them out of the rental market. And tenants that are still in the rental market cannot afford above-inflation rental escalations…
“…a third party is expected to do more than rely upon a bold assurance by another party regarding his or her marital status”…
Whether you plan to buy or rent is largely dependent on your personal profile and preference – but there are specific market conditions to consider right now…
Several companies have announced that they will implement mandatory vaccination at their workplaces, and it’s expected that many more will follow…
Many people have posted on Facebook that they know of people who have bought property with BITCOIN and this has given rise to an increasing number of inquiries, namely – How exactly is it possible?…
Despite President Ramaphosa’s optimistic analogies of fynbos re-emerging after fire, 2021’s State of the Nation Address made it clear that South Africa has a long, and largely undefined, road to recovery ahead. While defeating the coronavirus pandemic and state corruption featured highly, economic recovery took centre stage. The good news is this is one area in which help may be at hand from an often overlooked economic contributor: property…
The issue of running an Airbnb from a sectional title unit…
Affordably priced homes below R1.5 million are very much in demand in the Cape Town Metro, to the extent that there is currently a shortage of stock in this price band…
The scheduled online auction of 40 Burg Street… a landmark heritage building in the centre of Cape Town, comes at a time when the city’s once-thriving traditional business hub faces a potential identity crisis.
This online auction which will close at 14:00pm (South African time) on Wednesday, the 17th of March 2021…
During this time we are experiencing extreme delays at the Deeds Office due to the adjusted Level 4 restrictions and the Deeds Office now working with one third the number of employees…
Cape Town deeds office has now confirmed their December 2021 arrangements in anticipation of their closure over the festive season…
The Cape Town City Council has on Wednesday (29 September) approved the new Unlawful Occupation by-law, alongside updates to the Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances by-law…
The Winchester, previously known as The Winchester Mansions, will relaunch as a Newmark hotel…
Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard is home to many of South Africa’s wealthiest residents – and it has been a magnet to well-heeled investors from Africa and elsewhere…
Cape Town – Faced with economic hardships, Cape Town ratepayers will now have to fork out more for rates as proposed in the new budget…
A new hospitality offering forms part of plans to increasingly commercialise the Cape Town Stadium…
The City of Cape Town has opened its second public electric vehicle (EV) charging solution in the parking area of the Somerset West Civic Centre…
Situated on the West Coast only about 35 minutes to Cape Town via the N7 dual road and the same travel time to Brackenfell and Durbanville, Malmesbury is rapidly expanding, with major development underway including a new shopping mall being built in the town centre and a private hospital on the cards in the near future…
Resilient commercial property owners and businesses in Cape Town’s CBD have adjusted to the economic effects brought on by Covid-19, with flexible solutions to ongoing challenges key to the future success of the district…
While correctly-priced homes in the lower price bands in sought after Cape Town suburbs such as Plattekloof and Edgemead in the Northern Suburbs, and Western Seaboard areas of Blouberg and Big Bay continue to sell rapidly, strong demand is now also fuelling robust activity in the middle price range in these areas…
More and more foreign residents are buying properties in South Africa and require finance for their purchase…
The City of Cape Town is halting new developments in 144 areas because the city sewerage system requires upgrades…
Cape Town – The City of Cape Town is set to auction off over 40 parcels of land through a competitive online bidding process…
The City of Cape Town’s Environmental and Heritage Management Department has resumed with issuing permits for estate agent show house signboards. This service was temporarily unavailable during the first ten months of the national lockdown…
The City of Cape Town has approved a R2 million cash injection in support of the upcoming international Formula E racing event taking place in February 2022…
Clover’s 9 000m² premises in Parow, Cape Town, will be auctioned on 30 June.
Branded foods and beverages group Clover’s processing facility in Parow, Cape Town, is set to be auctioned at the end of this month as part of the company’s “rationalisation”…
If you are unable to purchase real estate on your own, co-owning an investment property with friends or family can result in favourable returns…
The appeal of KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast is increasing exponentially and home buyers – including those from Gauteng – are looking to make this scenic region their home, edging further northwards, particularly with new schools and commercial developments in the pipeline for these areas…
According to statistics from the Q3 2021 Oobarometer, despite the ongoing upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, lending conditions remain advantageous to home loan applicants…
The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is a long-term legacy programme that focuses on four major elements. These include the massive rollout of infrastructure, local production, job stimulation and creation, and lastly energy generation capacity…
Construction on The Rubik has commenced, with sales on the project having already met commencement targets, despite a slow commercial real estate market impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic…
The debate on container homes has gone back and forth for years. At face value, container homes are an obvious solution to addressing the affordable housing shortage and while the concept seems quite simple, there is still a large degree of uncertainty surrounding container homes with South Africans cautious to adopt the alternative building method head on…
It has become a general requirement that when submitting a development application to a municipality that you submit a Conveyancer’s Certificate…
Every property has a title deed in which certain facts about that piece of land are recorded. These include so-called ‘title conditions’ which, amongst other things, may list certain prohibitions on the use of the property…
When purchasing a home there are additional costs that should be kept in mind, and which should be budgeted for upfront…
When buying property. There are additional costs that should be kept in mind and which should be budgeted for upfront…
Judgment in the case of the controversial sale of a piece of prime property in Sea Point, Cape Town, was reserved until the second quarter of the year…
The prudent business person is one who, prior to establishing or acquiring a business or company, gives thorough consideration to the vehicle which is most suited from a financial and legal perspective, in which to house that business…
Covid-19 has highlighted underlying vulnerabilities that undermine South Africans’ quality of life. These include the growing inequality, limited and/or aging infrastructure and a shortage of public resources…
This article aims to provide information to owners and residents of community schemes who are bothered by ‘second-hand smoke’ that drifts from another dwelling or an open area into their private area and causes them distress…
We had 21 working days in the month of June and the Deeds Office was CLOSED for 10 of those days…
FNB’S HOUSE Price Index annual house price appreciation for March increased to 4.5 percent year-on-year, up from 4.2 percent in February as demand continued to outperform expectations…
Covid-19 triggered a plan to move families from overcrowded Dunoon informal settlements, but more than a year later, they’re still there…
Does a divorced spouse benefit from the sale of a property of a deceased ex if the property is still registered in both their names at the time of death? That is, they are still registered as co-owners of the property at the time of the ex’s passing…
It is often the case, and even more so with the recent travel restrictions, that sellers and purchasers find themselves overseas during the process that a property is sold. This will not hinder the parties to enter into a valid and binding sale agreement, but practical complications may arise…
To some people, buying a ‘fixer-upper’ seems like a dream proposition and for others, it’s the only option their budgets will allow however, even though older homes often have great character features that most new homes don’t have, they can also be the stuff of nightmares if buyers aren’t careful…
Cape Town – Durbanville residents are up in arms over the City’s refusal to allow residents to conduct clean-up projects on City owned land after a Kuilsriver flood plain clean-up next to Stellenberg was halted…
ENROLMENT TO WRITE THE PRESCRIBED PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION EXAMINATION ON 19 AUGUST 2021
CLOSING DATE FOR ENROLMENT AND PAYMENTS IS 30 JULY 2021…
With Eskom set to hike electricity tariffs by 15.63% from April 2021, commercial and retail tenants will be bracing for increased strain on already tightly stretched budgets…
Perched high above the Bantray Bay and surrounded amongst upscale newly built homes is Ellerman House – a beautiful Edwardian mansion dating back to 1906…
Operators in the real estate sector routinely deal with a slew of challenges, relating but not limited to construction defects or delays, injuries to tenants and liability claims due to property damage. Landlords, landowners, and property managers, however, typically overlook their environmental duty of care (DoC) obligations in this respect, which attracts liability risks arising from environmental pollution or non-compliance events at their owned and or managed properties…
Eskom presented its new plans for electricity tariffs to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa on Tuesday, outlining the new electricity price structure it wants to implement…
Property owners often have concerns about the municipal values placed on their investments, and this is no more evident than when the General Valuation Rolls are calculated…
An agreement of sale, also sometimes called an offer to purchase (OTP) is a legally binding document that is signed by both the buyer and the seller of a property. ..
As South Africa gets to grips with the third wave, we’re all on high alert for changes to lockdown levels. Here’s what is permitted under the current adjusted level 3 restrictions…
Many hundreds, if not thousands of South Africans depart annually in search of greener fields abroad. Most of these expats retain their South African citizenship and live undisturbed with a work VISA issued by the foreign country…
Fuel prices are set for a significant jump when the price for February is adjusted next week, the Automobile Association (AA) says…
The Garden Route property market, George in particular has continued to thrive, despite the recessionary times that the rest of the country has been feeling…
Buyers and sellers have the impression that the festive season is not an ideal time to invest in a home. But experts suggest this is simply not true – if you plan correctly…
For many people, drafting their Will is often a somewhat overwhelming experience. It can even become daunting where various challenges must be addressed. Imagine, for example, that you have married for a second time and there are children from one or both marriages and the relationship amongst the families is not especially amicable…
Is a company which provides a loan to a person for the purpose of acquiring shares in such company required to register as a credit provider in terms of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (“the NCA”)?…
Like any market, the rental sector has always been largely influenced by the prevailing economic climate but, almost overnight, the impact of Covid-19 precipitated multiple unanticipated market shifts which significantly impacted the sector…
According to Lightstone, Gauteng is the province of choice for owners of two or more properties…
Analysis of 15 cities across the globe reveals that in the first half of 2021, 80% of locations saw transaction volumes for residential property exceed H1 2019 figures…
In an interview on Newzroom Afrika, DA leader John Steenhuisen said he had tasked the City of Cape Town to release golf courses for housing…
Getting onto the property ladder is one of the most important financial investments for younger generations. But, with the average age of South African first-time buyers around thirty-six, young adults may be struggling to raise funds for a deposit for their first home or, they may be nervous about making such a big financial commitment…
Mid-month data from the Central Energy Fund points to a big hike in fuel prices in April, following sizeable increases in the first three months of 2021…
Estate agents and property economists often talk about the average ‘listing time’ getting longer or shorter – but what does this actually mean to the individual home buyer or seller?…
Secure estate and waterside living in easy reach of amenities in Fourways, Lone Hill, Bryanston and also Pretoria – and only about 30-minutes from Lanseria Airport – has seen the residential property market in the Hartbeespoort Dam area boom since the lifting of the hard lockdown…
Data analytics group Lightstone has published new data showing a significant shift in semigration movement across South Africa…
Estates are fast becoming the go-to option for people looking for a relaxed, safe and beautiful place to live. Buyers also want to have a sense of community, and access to amenities such as tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pools, parks and clubhouse facilities…
South Africa’s three major cities will introduce new tariff schemes for residents from Thursday (1 July), with a steep increase in the cost of both water and lights set to be introduced…
After a year of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ooba has observed changes in both consumer behaviour and lending trends, resulting in a surprising boom in the local residential property market…
Most consumers have also experienced the frustration of returning home and opening up the purchase only to find that the item was broken or defective…
The historic Morgenhof Wine Estate on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch is going on auction on … 25th of August at 12:00pm … for the first time in the winery’s 329-year history…
The annual increase in what consumers pay for municipal services – which is being implemented in most municipalities this month – is bigger than usual…
Home loan comparison service Ooba has published its statistics for Q1 2021, showing a significant rebound in the residential property sector after a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout…
How many payments can you miss before they repossess your home?…
While the decision this week by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the South African Reserve Bank to keep interest rates as they are (the repo rate at 3.5% and the prime lending rate remaining at 7%), giving homeowners who are paying off bonds some extended relief, the possibility that rates will begin to rise in the near future is a distinct possibility…
Affordably priced homes below R1.5 million are flying off the shelves in the Cape Town Metro, to the extent that there is currently a shortage of stock in this price band…
SARS recently warned South African property owners who host fee-paying guests that “rental income they receive must be declared in their income tax returns”…
The recent FNB Residential Property Barometer reports that house price growth has slowed for the first time in almost a year following eleven months of successive gains with FNB HPI annual house price appreciation slowing in May 2021…
This is according to Lightstone’s House Price Index for July 2021. Data suggests that the Eastern Cape is the top-performing province with a house price growth of 8.3%, followed closely by Mpumalanga…
Whether you are looking to sell or make your home available for rent, you have decided to start this process. However, just because you have made up your mind does not mean that your home is ready to welcome potential tenants and buyers…
There is a new breed of home flippers in the property space who are doing things their own way and, in doing so, not only establishing a host of new property trends, but transforming whole neighbourhoods…
Flexibility, community and amenities’ is the three-pronged approach that is going to ensure sustainable apartment living in the Sandton CBD…
The surprise turnaround of the residential property market is possibly the greatest economic highlight of the past year.
A year ago, many sectors of the economy were forced to close, as governments around the world imposed lockdown restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19…
The top estates were selected based on their appeal to high-net-worth individual (HNWIs), maintenance, communal areas such as parks, design, location, scenery, security and facilities/activities available which includes gym, tennis, golf, equestrian and lifestyle advantages…
South Africa’s 257 municipalities are tasked with ensuring that communities across the country receive a variety of services, including sewerage & sanitation, water, electricity and refuse removal…
Property values can often be a contentious issue, not only insofar as rates are calculated but also the price a home sells for, or what a buyer may be prepared to pay…
In the face of record-low interest rates and bargain property prices, even life-long tenants are taking the plunge and applying for a home loan…
The Finance Linked Individual Subsidy (FLISP) is an excellent option to assist first-time home buyers within the affordable housing market to become property owners.
This subsidy is currently used to cover the difference between the selling price and mortgage loan and can also be used to cover property and bond registration costs…
Knowing how to find and fix leaks on your property will prevent wastage and excessive usage which could lead to notice or warning letters from your municipality…
South African bargain hunters are spoilt for choice when it comes to real estate. Not only are interest rates low and ordinary stock availability high, but there are also record numbers of distressed sales taking place…
It is possible for owners of sections in Sectional Title Schemes to extend their sections?…
A title deed is a document that serves as proof of legal ownership over a property, and is important for the transfer of property. Regulation 68 of the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 sets out the process that needs to be followed when one has lost or destroyed a title deed or mortgage bond…
Aspiring property owners have further opportunity to take advantage of favourable buying conditions after the Monetary Policy Committee chose to keep the interest rate unchanged at 3.5%…
There is a growing risk that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) could hike interest rates in November – but economists are still of the view that a hike cycle is only likely to be seen in Q1 2022…
Home Loan versus Personal Loan…
Trying to decide whether to buy an existing home or to build is tough. An existing home will probably come with a landscaped garden, services installed, and all fitting decisions already made. If the Deeds Office does its thing, the transfer should be a relatively quick process from the moment your offer to purchase is accepted. But there are benefits in other approaches too…
There is a general misconception between the terms “tax avoidance” on the one hand and “tax evasion” on the other. These terms can be confusingly similar but there is an important distinction between these tax terms that can have the result of the taxpayer being either on right side of the law, or the wrong side of the law…
If you rent a home but dream of owning your own, now is the ideal time to make the switch to becoming a homeowner. Many people who rent don’t realise they could actually qualify for a home loan. The current favourable lending environment is ideal for first-home buyers – read on to see why that could be you…
As the property industry returns to work in 2021, Paul Stevens, CEO of Just Property, a national real estate group, has provided his property landscape forecast for the year to come…
When you share ownership you also split the risks. You do, however, need to be wise about the people you club together with…
It’s often the lifestyle – portrayed through beautiful photographs and a little advertising poetry – that gets potential buyers excited about the prospect of fishing, golf or bespoke wine in their own back yard…
The City of Cape Town has reportedly been hit by at least 1 025 and invasion incidents since 2020…
The process of land redistribution can be made more successful if more attention is given to providing benefiting emerging farmers with farms that are of an adequate and manageable size. This means that current legislation with regards to the subdivision of agricultural land into economic units needs to be revised…
Now that we’ve back in Alert Level 3 of the National Disaster Act, what is the state of play with evictions? …
An online platform, described as the “Airbnb of film locations”, is now connecting commercial video crews with property owners in South Africa…
Nelson Mandela’s former home on 13th Avenue in Houghton, Johannesburg, has been transformed into a boutique hotel named Sanctuary Mandela…
The Simon van der Stel Foundation recently expressed concern that Heritage Western Cape (HWC), the local successor to the National Monuments Council, is allowing the history of old Bantry Bay to be destroyed by permitting the demolition of structures of heritage importance…
Ex-Gauteng residents and semigrants from other South African provinces are buying more properties in the Western Cape than ever before…
The South African Tenant Profile Network annual report published at the end of 2020 showed that vacancies in South Africa’s residential property market were more than double those recorded at the start of that year…
More than 2 500 people around the world watched online as the oldest property ever to be auctioned in South Africa recently sold for more than R50 million…
SOUTH African municipalities are set to increase charges by double digits in the coming months, hitting property owners and tenants hard…
The National Credit Regulator (NCR) is accused of siding with the banks in a massive R60 billion class action suit brought by the Lungelo Lethu Human Rights Foundation after it demanded the return of documents that purport to show perjury by the banks and a pattern of selling foreclosed houses for a song…
Retail is a function of the South African economy that is struggling but there are defensive segments in the retail sector that are responding valiantly. With an urgent and essential response to the pandemic, we are now seeing the more gradual change – the consequence of constantly morphing property dynamics…
Cabinet on Wednesday approved and Minister Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Human Settlements, announced the new Board of the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority “PPRA”, which is to replace the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) as soon as the PPRA Regulations are finalised. The new Act repeals the Estate Agency Affairs Act, No 112 of 1976 (“EAA Act”) in its entirety…
Home flipping is by no means a new concept in the world of real estate, but there is now a new breed who are doing things their own way and, in doing so, they are not only establishing a host of new property trends, they are transforming whole neighbourhoods…
Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe has published new embedded generation regulations for public comment, in a move that is expected to help limit the impact of load shedding…
In the global property market, millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest property buying demographic and their needs are very different than their predecessors, including what they expect from their real estate agents – and new generation agents know exactly what it is that they want…
The Protection of Personal Information Act, which came into effect on 1 July 2021, is likely to impact job interviews from now on in South Africa…
As the appetite for property investment in South Africa continues to grow for the fourth consecutive quarter, sellers appear to be waiting it out for a price-increase wave…
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for each ordinary hour worked has been increased from with effect from 1 March 2021…
The Information Regulator and the Banking Association of South Africa (Basa) has called for input on a new code of conduct around the processing of personal information by the country’s banks…
Low interest rates and pandemic-driven lifestyle trends continue to boost housing demand as bond originator data shows some 61% of approved loans we made without a deposit…
Neighbours making your life hell? Don’t despair – the law is on your side. Find out what your rights are when the noise levels and your blood pressure go up…
The purpose of notarial authentication of documents is the principle of authenticity. This means that the Notary’s role is to confirm the identity of the parties signing the agreement in his/her presence or to perform reasonable checks to establish that the agreement is authentic and what it purports to be…
With interest rates at record-breaking lows, property prices subdued but poised for a future upswing, and plenty of stock on the market to choose from, there has seldom been a better time to buy a home. Despite the enviable prospects, however, buyers should be cautious not to throw caution to the wind…
Convenience, comfort, affordability and planet sensitivity are all vital aspects to consider when choosing where to live. Multi-use buildings are fast becoming the norm – offering residents any number of convenient amenities within their own building…
According to the results from the Q2 Oobarometer report, the Covid-19 pandemic has influenced home buyers to purchase real estate that suits their new-found needs, at a higher average price…
While it is too soon to say what the full impact of recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng will have on residential property, some experts believe it could usher in a rise in semigration to the Cape on the one hand, and a decrease in first-time home buyers on the other…
FUEL retailers will have to pay refunds, which could come to millions of rand, to motorists who filled up before the government picked up a costly error in the recent petrol price adjustment…
Johannesburg – Fourteen people accused of hijacking a building and forcing tenants to pay rent to them were expected to appear in court on Thursday morning…
More and more South Africans use their annual discretionary foreign investment allowances to invest offshore and to acquire assets in foreign countries. The question to be asked then , is whether one needs to have a separate Will for those assets…
Residential properties with studies or home offices are attracting multiple offers from Port Elizabeth buyers – a trend that wasn’t on the radar 12 months ago…
According to FNB, residential rental inflation will normalise gradually but with downside risks…
[Well know Presenter of the Popular – UK TV Programme: Location, Location, Location]
this article was written for the UK Market.
There may well have been times in recent weeks when any agent would have been forgiven for wanting a break – the workload has been exhausting, as it has been for everyone in the property transaction business…
Supermarkets that are privately-owned and controlled by historically disadvantaged persons (HDP) can immediately access letting space in all shopping centres where a Pick n Pay store has exclusivity provisions in its lease agreement…
Virtual property viewings in South Africa may have been a response to Covid-19 but experts say that buyers and sellers are embracing this new technology far more than just for health and safety reasons…
We welcome the focus on economic recovery, relief for households, vaccinations and the various reforms proposed, including in corporate tax, the public sector wage bill and state-owned enterprises…
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has again announced that interest rates will remain stable, keeping the repo rate at 3.5% and the prime lending rate at 7%. This was a predictable outcome and, unless things take an unexcepted turn, interest rates are likely to remain steady for the remainder of the year…
Hearing what is happening with the US economy post the pandemic, leaves us feeling a little less than comfortable. It is often said that when the United States sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. Best you start stocking up on tissues…
Pretoria deeds office has now confirmed their December 2021 arrangements in anticipation of their closures over the festive season…
Property groups have warned tenants to prepare for a hike in electricity prices from 1 July as the impact of Eskom increases take effect at a municipal level…
Homeowners in community housing schemes such as sectional title complexes and gated estates can celebrate the newly gazetted change to the Electricity Generation Act regulations which now allows private individuals and businesses to generate up to 100MW of electricity for their own use without having to obtain a license from the National Electricity Regulator…
Residential property prices in Mossel Bay, on the Cape south coast have been rising steadily over the past decade. Values across freehold, estates and sectional title all rose in 2020, despite Covid-19’s negative economic impact…
South Africa’s property boom won’t be slowing down anytime soon according to Finder.com’s SARB repo rate forecast report…
FNB’s Commercial Property Broker Survey for 2020’s fourth quarter saw all three major commercial property sectors (industrial, retail, and office) show slight increases in perceived market activity levels…
While taxes and property go hand in hand, there are fortunately some very real benefits to be had if you understand the property tax system and how best to manage your investment…
Investing in property is usually done to earn a return through rental. One may even want to sell the property in the future, receiving a significant return, considering that land and buildings do not depreciate in the same way that other assets do…
The South African property market has shown a remarkable recovery following the Deeds Office closure during the second quarter of 2020, reflecting the same levels of activity pre-pandemic…
Property marketing trends established during Covid-19 have changed the way tech-focused real estate agencies work, and many aspects of the business are unlikely to return to the way things used to be done…
A total of 117 building and land use cases, concerning contraventions of the Municipal Planning By-Law and National Building Regulations, have been finalised in the City of Cape Town’s municipal courts between the 1st of April and 30th of June 2021…
Record fuel price increases are grabbing headlines at the moment, but home sellers should be even more concerned about the increases in municipal tariffs that will be implemented in just a few months…
HOUSE price growth continues to accelerate in all provinces, with Mpumalanga, North West and the Eastern Cape standing out as the top performers, because of the positive impact of low interest rates…
Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs has proven to be one of the most popular areas which has enjoyed booming property sales over recent months as buyers take advantage of value for money properties, access to good schooling and an abundance of lifestyle options with decentralised office nodes…
Property, like all investments, is cyclical. The 70s, 80s and 90s were volatile years and the early 2000s saw a Rainbow Nation run of seven years where house price growth was over 15%. In 2004, it was more than double that…
The last 18 months have seen some clear winners and losers in the property industry. However, things may not stay the same in the next six months, especially if we experience an extended period of high levels of Covid infections and even more shutdowns…
Even if you have enough cash in the bank to be able to buy your next home outright, you should probably think twice before you do. Using a home loan to finance the purchase is often a better way to go, especially if buyers apply through a reputable mortgage originator that will make sure they are offered the best possible interest rate…
After being the economy’s worst-performing sector in 2020, the construction industry is set to bounce back this year…
Cape Town mayor Dan Plato has approved a R3.9 billion expansion to the V&A Waterfront’s Canal District. The major infrastructure development will see a mixed-use development leading to the creation of at least 1,100 jobs during the construction phase…
Apartments across the Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl are selling like ‘hot cakes’ and for up to R45 million…
A 15-hectare parcel of land has been approved for development by the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust for a 150 000m2 mixed-use development with US retail giant, Amazon, as the anchor tenant…
Rabie Property Group will develop the first apartment block that Pinelands, in Cape Town, has seen in twenty-five years…
The Radisson Hotel Group has become the world’s first hotel group to make all meetings and events across its 400+ hotels in its EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) portfolio carbon negative…
The SA Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to increase the repo rate by 25 basis points to 3.75% a year, with effect from November 19. As a result, the prime rate will rise to 7.25%…
Stilling grappling with the economic pressures brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions, residents of Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg are now also feeling the impact of municipal rate hikes introduced last month…
The City of Cape Town municipality is experiencing a backlog in issuing rates clearance certificates…
Highly acclaimed Rawson Developers are well-known for their innovation in the property arena and have captained a comprehensive collection of residential developments…
Although the overall long-term economic impact of Covid-19 has yet to be fully realised, growing evidence suggests that women have been impacted particularly hard. Not only have their child- and home-care duties increased exponentially, they are also more likely than men to have permanently lost their jobs due to the pandemic…
The current market conditions makes a case for buying a real estate franchise vs running your own property business…
Parliament’s portfolio committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has called for written comment on the Sectional Titles Amendment Bill.
The bill introduces a number of additional regulations which largely relate to the management and development of schemes including extensions and common property – with tenants and trustees less likely to be impacted…
REBOSA (Real Estate Business Owners of South Africa) is appealing to estate agents around South Africa to reinforce their health and safety measures as the country battles its third wave of mass Covid-19 infections…
While businesses struggle to make ends meet, pay salaries, and keep operations afloat amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many are facing increased activity from fraudsters intent on taking advantage of the situation…
Registration can take place from 1 May 2021 onwards…
According to the Ombudsman for Short Term Insurance (OSTI), complaints about rejected claims increased by 17% in 2020 and this continues to be the main basis for consumer dissatisfaction in homeowners’ insurance coverage…
What is required after your building plans were approved?
Once your local municipality has approved the building plans and you have completed the renovation, alteration, addition or extension to your home in accordance with such plans in the required timeframe…
Anybody who has ever rented out a property is likely to have many stories about “tenant troubles”, for both the tenant and the landlord, and a mutually beneficial arrangement often starts with ensuring that both parties are clear on the terms set out in the rental agreement…
While the market experienced a surge in homebuyers due to a low interest rate and favourable lending criteria by the banks, there is now a high demand for rental properties…
The South African rental property industry continues to feel the effects of Covid-19 with a shrinking viable tenant pool, lower tenant affordability and high arrears…
StatsSA’s residential building numbers for 2021’s first quarter showed growth in units completed but growth in plans passed remained negative. A growth rate in building activity is still anticipated this year due to 2020’s low base but this may not necessarily mean a strong 2021 level of building…
The notion of pent-up demand driving the current residential property boom has long been thrown out the window, with everyone now asking how long this trend will continue…
South Africa’s housing market has been turned on its head once again with the current spike in the rental market. While the market experienced a surge in home buyers due to a low-interest rate and favourable lending criteria by the banks, there is now a high demand for rental properties…
The precious heritage site and its rich history are being poorly served, with signs of decay and mismanagement…
The listed property market continued its end-of-year recovery in the first quarter of 2021 as shown by the improvement in the share prices of JSE-listed companies, albeit from a low base.
Fundamentally, industrial property is still in the best position compared to the other non-residential property types, which suffer from a large supply overhang. The office market remains the riskiest…
What remedies has a conveyancer when an examiner at the Deeds Office rejects a deed for the wrong reasons? Part 1 appears in Sept/October 2020…
South Africa’s property market’s resilience in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic continues, with industry experts expecting rates to remain unchanged for the remainder of the year, benefiting low-value homeowners looking to upgrade…
Wednesday -16th June 2021 at 20:00pm on BBC Lifestyle DStv channel 174
Listing Jozi will showcase the City of Gold like never before by following five high-end realty brokers from Johannesburg as they traverse the complicated yet enticing landscape of real estate to successfully list and sell multimillion rand houses in Jozi’s affluent suburbs and surroundings…
Protected areas are national assets that serve as nodes in South Africa’s ecological infrastructure network, protecting ecosystems that deliver important services to people such as the production of clean water, food moderation, prevention of erosion, and the aesthetic value of the landscape…
The South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the repo rate at 3.5% and the prime lending rate at 7% after its third Monetary Policy Council meeting for 2021…
South African Reserve Bank Governor Kganyago Lesetja confirmed the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to hold the repo rate at 3.5%
The Current Lending Rate remains at: 7%…
The owners of the airport want to develop a Lanseria-type facility in the Durbanville area of Cape Town…
After three years of intense debate and politicking, the National Assembly yesterday afternoon voted against changing the Constitution to (explicitly) provide for expropriation of land without compensation…
According to recent data from Lightstone Property, sectional title properties are becoming the segment of choice for home buyers in Sandton…
To be “lucky” in finding the right buyer at the right price you need two key elements…
With the date set for local government elections taking place on the 27th of October 2021, many homeowners are starting to wonder whether the municipality in charge of where they live, provides adequate basic services…
While location used to be the key factor in picking a good property, the impact of Covid-19 will mean that innovation is likely to be just as an important factor for years to come…
Focusing on paying off debt with the highest interest rate is a very good financial strategy. For this reason, many choose to use the equity in their home loan to pay off other debts with higher interest charges…
Experts say there are bargains to be had when considering purchasing a house that has been repossessed by a bank, but warn of risks in this form of property acquisition…
Buying a flat for your student child can be a good investment as students always need somewhere to live, but beware if you’re buying for what may be only 3 or 4 years as you might not recoup your investment…
There is a common law principle which provides that everything attached to the land, effectively becomes part of the land itself…
The recent FNB House Price Index has reported that house prices remained resilient in the second half of 2020, rising by 3.8% year-on-year in December from 3.5% year-on-year in November…
Influenced by Covid-19, the current market has led many industries online and auction is one of them, breaking down previous perceptions of transacting digitally…
A rebound in South Africa’ property market and a massive push towards working from home has created the risk of a ‘hype cycle’…
South Africa’s Land Expropriation Bill is currently open for public until 10 February 2021.
While the issue of land expropriation without compensation remains a hot topic in the country, legal firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr said that this comment period is particularly important as it has found a number of potential issues in the draft bill…
South Africa has joined 130 other countries in calls to introduce a global tax.
In talks held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last week, the countries agreed to a plan to set a minimum corporate tax rate and establish a new regime for sharing the taxes imposed on the profits of multinational firms…
Absa has published its Q1 Homeowner Sentiment Index (HSI), which shows the average consumer confidence level regarding the property market in South Africa…
South Africa is facing a chronic student housing shortage. While universities across the country search for ways to provide affordable accommodation, preconceived ideas about what student housing should cost is preventing major advancements…
While correctly-priced homes in the lower price bands in sought after Cape Town suburbs such as Plattekloof and Edgemead in the Northern Suburbs, and Western Seaboard areas of Blouberg and Big Bay continue to sell rapidly, strong demand is now also fuelling robust activity in the middle price range in these areas…
With several airlines having resumed flights to Mauritius, Phase 4 in the Mont Choisy Golf & Beach Estate in Grand Baie is also set to take off as buyers begin flocking in to view the site…
A large number of homeowners in South Africa are looking to sell their homes as quickly as possible – either to get out of a financial squeeze or because they urgently want to relocate to another town or city…
Wednesday’s petrol price increase is likely to be the catalyst for another set of price hikes across the country over the coming months…
It is not illegal to pay a spotter a fee for their services as long as they don’t hold themselves out to be estate agents, but in some instances it can be difficult to differentiate between the two…
Standard Bank South Africa says it has introduced a Covid-19 vaccination policy, which requires all employees of the group who work from the premises to be vaccinated against Covid-19…
The South African rental property industry, like many other sectors, continues to feel the effects of COVID-19 with a shrinking viable tenant pool, lower tenant affordability and high arrears…
The current record-low interest rate has sparked activity from buyers across all price bands, with one mortage originator seeing an almost 60% increase in bond applications for May, when compared year-on-year…
The Monetary Policy Committee has adopted an accommodative approac to keeping the repo rate steady at 3.5% and the prime lending rate remaining at 7%. This following the vulnerability of South Africa’s economy in the wake of the recent unrest…
Second and third dwellings on a property
May you run a bed and breakfast or creche from your home, or even decide to build a second or third dwelling on available space on your property?…
Between 30% and 50% of the high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) globally are planning to buy at least one additional luxury property within the next 12 months, compared to just 20% a year ago, according to the latest research conducted by Luxury Portfolio International (LPI) and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE)…
The Greater Table View Action Forum (GTAF) is fighting yet another development, this time a block of flats on the corner of Grey Avenue and Blaauwberg Road…
Cape Town – Table View residents are up in arms over a proposed development at the intersection of Arnold and Gie roads which will see 35 housing units built…
In many instances, perhaps over-eager bidders who are awarded opportunities to work with the government often fall short in their claims when not paid. The practical scenario is that an opportunity arises and the bidder enters a bid or engages in discussions. Seemingly these are successful, and then work starts before the service-level agreement is signed…
HERE ARE THE 30 BEST SMALL TOWNS TO VISIT IN SOUTH AFRICA…
With the onset of cold, rainy days, Cape Town’s residential property market generally experiences quieter trading months during winter…
Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago has detailed some of the biggest risks facing South Africa right now, including the threat of more Covid-19 waves and the recent unrest…
Though it is considered commonplace in some households to own property, for others, homeownership is a dream that many aspire to achieve…
Data analytics group Lightstone has published its latest data on South Africa’s property market, outlining the state of the country’s housing market and the cost of buying a home…
In the recent case, Prag N.O and Another v Trustees for the time being of the Mitchell’s Plain Industrial Enterprises Sectional Title Scheme Body Corporate and Others (A260/2020) [2021] ZAWCHC 132 (16 July 2021)
There was a statutory appeal in terms of the Community Schemes Ombud Services Act 9 of 2011 (the ‘CSOS Act’)…
With the hard national lockdown, there has been a steady increase in the number of South Africans rethinking their housing choices and whether to make these changes as fast as possible. One of the biggest trends to emerge has been the migration away from the big cities to the smaller towns along the coast or in more rural settings…
In President Ramaphosa’s recent State of the Nation address, he announced that the R100 billion Infrastructure Fund is now in full operation and that infrastructure projects have been planned to lead to the revival of the construction industry and job creation…
South Africa’s courts recently dealt with the case of an employee who did not follow Covid-19 regulations at work and was subsequently dismissed…
As Generation Z flocks to the cities, more and more members of Generation Y (more popularly known as Millennials) are steadily moving back to the suburbs to live with their parents and often, their siblings and grandparents too…
Residential property prices defied Covid-19 conventional wisdom last year and house price inflation ended at close to 3%, some 2.7% above Lightstone’s forecast made at the beginning of 2020 and 6% above the highest post-Covid-19 prediction…
Few would have predicted that 2020 would turn into a successful year for property considering the technical recession and Covid-19. Thanks to an unexpected wave of buyers, triggered by low interest rates, motivated lenders and excellent value on the market, South African property has emerged in 2021 with its head held high…
The property market continued to recover during the third quarter of 2021 according to the latest issue of Rode’s Report on the South African Property Market.
This was indicated by the further increase in listed property prices, boosted by higher global economic growth and better-than-expected company results…
The residential rental market’s recovery following the shock of the hard lockdown in the second quarter of 2020 appears to have flatlined, with the sector now characterised by diminishing demand, increased vacancies and lower rental escalations…
It is clear that when selling your home it must be for the right reasons and when it is best for you as the seller…
Proof of home ownership, the title deeds to your new home, are very important documents. But who keeps them and what happens if they need to be changed?…
Data analytics company Lightstone has published its latest residential property index, detailing how the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown have impacted home sales in South Africa…
Following the worst economic downturn in decades, further dampened by the recent tightening of Covid-19 related lockdown restrictions and the recommencement of load shedding, economic growth – while admittedly coming off a low base – is still widely expected to show some positive growth of around 3% this year…
While some of South Africa’s top 10 non-metros have experienced sluggish property price performances in recent times, others such as Middelburg in Mpumalanga, have grown robustly…
Well, the time to buy an investment property on a golf course is now, according to real estate experts…
In 2017 and 2018, the Garden Route was devastated by fires which destroyed over 1,000 homes and ravaged huge tracts of land and infrastructure.
However, not only has much of the damaged property already been rebuilt, the market is now one of the most buoyant in the country…
Take-home pay in South Africa dropped over December, but was still slightly higher than a year ago, the latest BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index shows…
South Africa has an accessible property market and favourable exchange rate – and this bodes well for foreigners looking for long-term investments…
With interest rates still at their lowest levels in almost 50 years, more and more homeowners are weighing the pros and cons of asking their bank to convert their home loan from a variable interest rate to a fixed rate for the next few years…
Litigation is often the first route that parties take when a dispute arises. It is often pursued when it is evident that the other party does not wish to co-operate and litigation thus ensures that the matter is adjudicated…
The economy of the Cape Town CBD remained stable in 2020 despite Covid-19, with the official nominal value of all property set at R43.8 billion by the City of Cape Town – and at least 31 new developments worth more than R6.9 billion in the pipeline…
The resilience of South African property market has largely been driven by the more affordable price-bands as first-time buyers continue to capitalise on the favourable 7% interest rate.
But whether the current buyer’s market will continue remains to be seen, as stock shortages in certain sought-after suburbs in the Western Cape have an impact on asking prices…
Town planner Tommy Brümmer has condemned the plans of an American businessman to change his Cape Town guest house into a restaurant on the road which runs alongside Bloubergstrand’s pristine coastline…
In the commercial agricultural sector, there existed a longstanding practice in which the holder of water rights who was not utilising the rights, or only using part of the quota, could sell or trade such rights with a third party. However, in a 2018 circular, the Department of Water & Sanitation stated that such transfer of (or ‘trading in’) water rights is prohibited in terms of the National Water Act and should no longer be entertained…
Property professionals need to be aware of the Property Sector Transformation Charter Code (the Property Charter), as well as the Property Practitioners Act (No 22 of 2019) (PPA)…
Former employees of Communicare, dismissed for fraud, go to court to oppose evictions…
What you should consider before signing your name on the dotted line…
The overall aim of the continuing professional development (CPD) programme is to ensure that experienced estate agency practitioners can consistently maintain their knowledge, practical competencies and skills through participation in a variety of relevant learning activities and interventions…
Despite common belief, the finish line when buying and/or selling property is not reached when entering into an agreement of sale or even when signing the transfer documents at the conveyancing attorney’s offices. In fact, the finish line is only crossed once the transfer of the property has been processed and registered at the relevant Deeds Office…
While most people understand that zoning determines the purpose for which a property can be used, many aren’t aware that there are also numerous sub-categories which can offer investors potentially lucrative investment opportunities…
Estate planning means making a plan for taking care of your nearest and dearest and dealing with everything you own and owe when you pass away. A will or testament is a legal document where you leave instructions on how you want your family to be taken care of, and who will inherit assets like property, jewellery, cars or investments that you own…
South Africa’s economy needs all the help it can get, as the impact of the third wave takes its toll. Confidence is high in the property sector, as the interest rate continues bode well, bringing with it positive knock-on effects…
Buyers at the upper end of the market are now also making the most of the low interest rates, seizing the opportunity to upscale their homes and applying for larger bonds…
Right now, there are a lot of homeowners looking to sell their homes as fast as possible – either to get out of a financial squeeze or because they urgently want to relocate to another town or city…
Right now, there are a lot of homeowners looking to sell their homes as fast as possible – either to get out of a financial squeeze or because they urgently want to relocate to another town or city…
One of the most critical elements of selling any property is getting the listing price right. Price too low and sellers lose out on profits. Price too high and the property may not sell at all…
The Western Cape Government is finalising a new draft policy aimed at tackling affordable housing…
On 14 May, the Western Cape government announced the release of a new policy framework to guide the development of “inclusionary housing” in its municipalities. The document is open for public comment until 13 July 2021, with workshops to be virtually held on 31 May…
In the early hours of June 24 2021, Champlain Towers South, a 12-storey oceanfront condominium in Surfside, Florida, inexplicably and suddenly collapsed…
Once an offer to purchase has been signed by the purchaser and seller of immovable property, a conveyancing attorney must be appointed to attend to the registration of the property into the purchaser’s name…
During the past two years, the courts and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission have seen a significant increase in the number of business rescue applications…
Starting September, many homeowners flock outdoors to enjoy the start of Spring; this may even result in a purchase of a plant or two for one’s garden.
But if you are super-rich, your love for the outdoors may culminate into spending anything between R500,000 and R1 million on a single tree for your property…
Although registering a new development as a share block scheme is nowadays not a frequent option chosen by property developers, there exists a number of complexes that are based on a share block system of participation in the residential units that make up the scheme…
Ballito, North Coast and Queensburgh in KwaZulu-Natal offer buyers spacious homes, a more balanced and relaxed lifestyle, with new apartments selling from R550k and homes from R850k. Experts offer advice on what you can expect to buy within the R1.5m price band in this province…
In 2020, more than 95 800 properties were sold in Gauteng according to Property24 Trends Data, with the average sale price for the province being R910 000. The average sold price for an erf in 2020 was R1 million, while a sectional title unit average sold price was R8250 000 for the same period…
In 2020, more than 53 000 properties were sold in the Western Cape according to Property24 Trends Data, with the average sale price for the area being R1.25 million. The average sale price per erf for 2020 in the Western Cape is R1.32 million, while Section Scheme Units average sale price for the same period is R1.1 million…
How do you know when you have found the right home? For many people, it is love at first sight. For others, they may look at ten or more properties during their search…
A second property can be a great way to earn a passive income but, just like any other investment, it needs to be approached with an open mind and a keen understanding of exactly how it works…
With lowered interest rates and motivated sellers, home ownership has never been more attainable. However, very few of us are able to finance the purchase without the help of a home loan…
The unprecedented low cost of borrowing coupled with the major banks’ appetite to take on low or no deposit loans have created an ideal buying environment, particularly for first-time buyers…
You may have heard about an estate agent’s “hotlist” and may wonder if such a thing exists…
Our Immigration Act 23 of 2002 prescribes the rules for dealing with foreigners, their residence here, their departure from the country, and related matters. A foreigner, for purposes of the Act, is someone who is not a South African citizen…
A very common suspensive clause in property sale agreements, where the buyer cannot pay the purchase price in cash, is the “bond clause” making the sale subject to the buyer obtaining a “bond approval” from a financial institution (usually a bank)…
There’s nothing more exciting (or nerve-wracking) than submitting an Offer to Purchase on a property. But what happens if you change your mind?…
A power of attorney is a formal document where a person (the principal) gives another person (the agent) the ability to act legally on his behalf. It is not a contract but rather an expression of will by the principal. Typically, a power of attorney allows an agent to manage the proprietary and financial affairs of the principal should the principal become unable to do so…
When the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) comes into effect fully from 1 July 2021, there are some areas of possible dispute that could arise between employers and employees, including the monitoring of employee emails…
Samuel Seeff, chairman of the Seeff Property Group said the trend to either moving to small towns or investing in a second home for the purpose of remote working (among others), especially along the coast has been a key driver of activity over the last year…
A common dispute in sectional title has to do with smoke emanating from either a braai fire or someone smoking a cigarette. Many sectional title residents seem to think that smoke is something that one must tolerate in a community scheme environment…
‘Which bank offers the best home loan?’ – this is the most posed question when someone performs a Google search. The answer is not as simple as declaring one of South Africa’s most recognized banks.
There are two schools of thought in South Africa on the subject of boundary or common walls…
Selling your home is a long process and includes various moving parts. It is clear that each situation is different, and this important decision is one that every homeowner will need to make for themselves…
The property market was brought to a standstill with the Deeds Office closure last year, but many might fail to understand why. For clarity, one first needs to understand that the title deed is a document that proves legal ownership of a property in South Africa – and the Deeds Office is where copies of these documents are held…
Events which shape one’s life such as marriage, the purchase of a property, the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a divorce or emigration, all lead to a change in personal circumstances which may require the updating of your Will…
South Africa’s housing market has been turned on its head once again with the current spike in the rental market. While the market experienced a surge in homebuyers due to the banks’ low-interest rates and favourable lending criteria, there is now a high demand for rental properties…
Many property owners make the mistake of basing their property’s insurance value on its estimated market value because they confuse the two values. In doing so, their property may be over- or under-insured – neither of which is desirable…
Estate agencies will probably close head offices and allow staff to work from home in the wake of the new adjusted Level 4 announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa tonight.
In Level 4 last year estate agents were unable to work or show property and it is still uncertain if this will be the case in an adjusted Level 4…
In early January 2021, the messaging service WhatsApp notified users that it had updated its privacy terms and conditions. It said that users had to agree to let its parent company, Facebook, and its subsidiaries collect WhatsApp data, including, amongst other things, user phone numbers, contacts’ phone numbers and location information…
Women are now not just confident purchasers of their own residential homes but are increasingly building property portfolios…
The South African economy has been slowly inching towards an economic recovery after the hard lockdowns imposed in the second quarter of 2020. However, the economic devastation of these lockdowns continue to reverberate…
Did you know that your will does not determine what happens with your retirement fund benefits? If you die while belonging to a retirement fund, the distribution of death benefits to your beneficiaries is a separate process that bypasses your estate and any instructions in your will…
Most property owners are familiar with the basic concept of zoning; that it determines the purpose which a property can be used. However, many are not aware that there are numerous sub-categories which can offer savvy investors potentially lucrative investment opportunities…