A wake-up call for SA’s ballooning cities – 28 April 2022
Their populations are exploding at rates far in excess of economic growth…
City of Cape Town slated for proposed R200 million investment in the ailing CTICC – 4 April 2022
The City approved the purchase of 50 000 Class “C” ordinary shares up to R200 million which the CTICC would sell to it during the 2022/23 financial year…
City of Cape Town stops Brass Bell restaurant from building on beach – 2 April 2022
After photos circulated that construction was taking place at the Kalk Bay Tidal Pools that surround the landmark Brass Bell restaurant, the City of Cape Town and the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) made a site visit…
Communities decry exclusion from the City of Cape Town’s Affordable Housing Indaba – 8 April 2022
Cape Town – Angry social housing activists and groups from informal settlements are planning a protest march to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) because they have not been invited to the City’s Affordable Housing Indaba today…
Consumer rights explained – 25 April 2022
As consumers, we have rights when purchasing goods in-store and online. We help you understand these rights and provide you with the steps you can take to ensure that goods purchased meet your expectation…
Deadline looms for energy performance compliance for building owners – 19 April 2022
As more homeowners withdraw from the grid and install alternative or renewable energy systems in their homes such as solar panels, there is a bit of confusion about electrical certificates and whether they are required for these systems when buying or selling property…
Direct real estate vs property unit trusts – 22 April 2022
You have some money and want to grow Your Wealth, but are unsure where to put this money.
Two possible and often popular avenues are putting money directly into commercial property or investing in unit trusts that have exposure to the property sector…
Don’t Accidentally Disqualify Your Chosen Heirs from Inheriting! – April 2022
“Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.”
Your will (“Last Will and Testament”) will always be the keystone of your estate planning, and a recent High Court decision sounds yet another warning to beware the “do your own will” concept…
Eviction order – 14 April 2022
In Davidan v Polovin NO and Others [2021] 4 All SA 37 (SCA) right of occupation and nature of necessary consent in terms of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998…
Final account: Determining your estate duty liability – 26 April 2022
Estate duty is calculated on the value of all your property, and this includes movable and immovable property, as well as corporeal and incorporeal property…
Good Party questions City of Cape Town over alienation of property in Lansdowne – 13 April 2022
Cape Town – The Good Party demanded answers from the City after a property in Lansdowne – which the party said was fit for social housing – was alienated.
The party said this occurred without any input from the City’s human settlement department, and it accused the City of selling properties primed for social housing below market prices to private owners and developers…
Homeowners must prepare for higher interest rates – 14 April 2022
Housing is in fact probably the main channel through which interest rates historically impacted the economy and, indirectly, inflation…
House prices set to decline in real terms for 7th year running – report – 18 April 2022
It is highly likely that real house prices in South Africa will decline for the seventh consecutive year in 2022, and continue to decline for another few years to come, according to a report by independent property valuation firm Rode & Associates…
How long before a debt is written off in South Africa? – 9 April 2022
Prescribed debts are debts that can be written off after they have passed a prescribed period of time.
Different debts have different prescribed time frames that need to pass before they can be written off. The most common debts can be written off after three years and the three-year time period starts as soon as the debt is due…
How to get a better interest rate on your home loan – 24 April 2022
Despite economic turbulence in South Africa, the repo rate has remained two basis points lower than it was before the pandemic’s onset in March 2020. This, combined with high approval rates amongst the banks, has created favourable home loan lending conditions for buyers…
I am a slave to a mortgage, but buying my own home has been my most liberating experience – 26 April 2022
Even though it comes at a price, and involves decades of commitment to monthly bond repayments, being able to call oneself a property owner brings with it a unique sense of freedom…
Is taking your property off the grid a good investment?- 29 April 2022
South Africans have been dealt a number of blows in the past couple of years. There was the devastating drought in the Western Cape, the onset of COVID-19 and the impact it had on household incomes, last year’s riots and looting and the most recent flooding in KZN…
Is your word your bond? The enforceability of verbal agreements – 7 April 2022
One of the most searched legal questions is: are verbal agreements valid and binding? Verbal agreements are in fact valid, legally binding and enforceable, subject to a few exceptions…
More South Africans are becoming first-time homebuyers: here’s where they are buying – 2 April 2022
More South Africans are buying homes for the first time, as indicated by an uptick over the past four years in the number of properties transferred to new buyers compared to repeat buyers…
One standout homeowner refuses to budge from her home for Augusta to expand Masters course – 13 April 2022
The Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters tournament, has spent the last decade expanding, turning what was once a neighbourhood into a free parking lot for visitors.
With $40m already invested into the project, the club has nearly completed its expansion. But a single house remains to be purchased, demolished, and covered with concrete…
Press pause before you decide where to buy your retirement home – 26 April 2022
Thousands of South Africans who’ve got a taste of remote working are grabbing the chance to leave big cities, flocking to greener pastures and wide-open spaces in their droves…
Property Owner and Body Corporate Liable After Child’s Electrocution? – April 2022
A recent High Court decision saw both a sectional title unit owner and his cupboard contractor held liable for damages suffered by an 11-year-old boy electrocuted by a communal tap. The complex’s body corporate and an electrician were also sued but escaped liability…
Pushback against proposed property rules for South Africa – 28 April 2022
Civil rights group Afriforum will challenge new proposals by the ruling ANC which would see a shake-up of property rights in the country.
The ANC wants farmers to donate land for redistribution to emerging black farmers as part of a significant shift in land expropriation policy…
Rules homeowners should know before installing solar power – 23 April 2022
There are several pitfalls when using solar power that can result in things going wrong during the insurance claims stage…
Should I own my primary residence in my name, a trust, or a company? – 12 April 2022
Your primary residence is where you and your family live all or most of the year. You can only own one primary residence at a time…
Should you cancel life insurance when your bond is paid? – 7 April 2022
Question: I am 60 years old and have just paid off my bond. Several people have told me that, once you are bond-free, the first thing that you must cancel is any life insurance policies. Should I do this?…
South Africa opens another electricity bid window as it looks to leave load shedding behind – 6 April 2022
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has opened bid window six of its Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)…
South Africans are flocking to these areas – and it’s creating a skills gap – 28 April 2022
South Africa’s migration patterns over the last five years show parts of the country are facing skills and service shortfalls as more people move, says the Department of Human Settlements.
The department’s recently tabled annual performance plan shows the Eastern Cape has been the biggest loser in this regard…
Take a step back in time, and into this beautiful medieval castle that is for sale in South Africa – 14 April 2022
Durban – Many people love castles, not just the architecture but the historic feelings and ideas they invoke.
And if you are one of those people, and have R32 million to pay for a new property, then you could actually own and live in this 13-bedroom, 12-bathroom castle, on a rural farm, right here in South Africa…
Tax liabilities in your deceased estate – 6 April 2022
Understanding what taxes your deceased estate will be liable for is a critical part of the estate planning process and failing to account for your tax liabilities can detrimentally affect the liquidity in your estate and, in turn, the financial legacy to your loved ones…
The advantages and disadvantages of a living trust – 25 April 2022
A living trust can be a very useful estate planning if set up correctly and for the appropriate purposes, but before determining whether a trust is suitable for your purposes, it is important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of doing so…
The average purchase price for a home in South Africa vs first time buyers – 30 April 2022
Statistics for the first quarter of 2022 (22Q1) from home loan comparison service Ooba, indicate a lending environment that still favours entry into the property market as slowing house price growth coincides with more accessible home loan finance…
The cheapest way to build a house in South Africa – 7 April 2022
There are various factors that influence the price of building a house, but if you plan carefully, you can avoid unnecessary costs and keep other costs low…
The price tag on your new home is only the beginning of the costs you will pay. Prepare to fork out tens of thousands more before the property is yours – 5 April 2022
Even if you are aware that you will probably have to pay transfer duty on the property, depending on its value, you are still not taking into account all the extra fees you need to pay…
The repo rate vs prime lending rate? Which one should I be watching when calculating my home loan repayments? – 4 April 2022
Is it the repo rate that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor talks about or the prime lending rate that banks and economists use to explain how home loan repayments will be affected?…
The rules you need to know about before installing solar power in South Africa – 27 April 2022
Several pitfalls when using solar power that can potentially result in things going wrong during the insurance claims stage…
The war in Ukraine is having a knock-on impact on house prices in this South African suburb – 27 April 2022
After two years of Covid being the main driving force behind property investment decisions, the war in Ukraine has added a new dynamic that is also fuelling the increase in foreign investors in Cape Town’s upmarket Constantiaberg region, where international sales have doubled in recent months…
Top tips for estate planning success – 11 April 2022
Including evaluating the liquidity of your estate, communicating with your heirs, and re-assessing your trust-related estate planning goals in general…
What a good credit score looks like and how to improve it – 24 April 2022
Whether buying a property or a car, most South Africans need credit to do so. And, knowing how much credit you qualify for and how you can improve your credit score may just be critical to your ability to continue improving your life over the long term…
WHICH LEGISLATION APPLIES TO HOAS? – 8 April 2022
When it comes to the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act (STSMA), the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) and the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act (CSOSA), it is generally understood that the STSMA and CSOS applies to sectional title schemes; however, there is some confusion as to whether it applies to homeowners’ associations (HOA)…
With interest rates rising – should you fix your bond in South Africa? – 18 April 2022
With the interest rate rising for the third – and likely not final – time in a row last month in March, it’s no surprise that many South African homeowners are looking for creative ways to minimise the impact on their bond repayments…
Your rights when purchasing a property – Interest rates and insurance costs – 4 April 2022
Purchasing a Property is a costly endeavor and we may need to obtain a loan from a bank.
In this article your rights as a property owner and the two types of interest rates for such a loan as well as the various insurances involved in owning a property…