Newsletter - Jan 2012

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Dear Robert,

January 2012

We head into the New Year with some uncertainty about what lies ahead, with the risk of another recession building in the United States and European Union. Amid this uncertainty comes the good news of interest rate cuts. When the Reserve Bank gave us the early Christmas present of a 25 basis point rate cut, it marked the first back-to-back monthly cut since April 2009. The December reduction alone will save the average mortgage holder - with a $300,000, 25-year mortgage - about $47 a month. With more interest rate cuts predicted in the coming months, this will surely help us start the New Year with a smile. In this issue of the newsletter we look at the topics of home valuation, renovating to sell and the pros and cons of selling your home by private treaty or auction. Enjoy this newsletter and feel free to pass it on to family and friends. Kind Regards, John McLennan & Robert Ward Directors - Equitimax Pty Ltd

Equitimax Pty Ltd PO Box 929 Chatswood NSW 2057 Tel: 02 9411 5322 Mob: 0401 956 667 Fax: 02 9411 5200

1. The Year Ahead 2. Put a Price on Your Home 3. Renovate to Sell 4. Private Sale or Auction

The Year Ahead With so many mixed messages going around about the state of the economy, we thought it was time to look at what the statistics tell us. Here's a round-up of the latest research on the Australian property market (sourced from SQM Research and Genworth's Home Grown Mortgage Industry Perspectives report)

Put a Price on Your Home How do you go about finding out the true value of your home? You might not want to go to the expense of hiring a qualified property valuer, but you are worried about the accuracy of relying on market appraisals from real estate agents or online property price reports.

Renovate to Sell Renovation is one of the ways you can differentiate your home to attract buyers in a slow market, but you need to do your homework to ensure that renovating before you sell is worth the time, effort and money. Renovation, whether major or minor, is no guarantee that you'll be able to ask more money for your home.

Private Sale or Auction Selling your home via auction or private treaty is never an easy decision to make. Your real estate agent may have a strong opinion about which is the better option so be sure to quiz them about the reasons for their preference. It might also help to look at auction clearance rates in your area as market conditions can influence the success of either sales method.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is intended to provide general news and information only. Readers should rely on their own enquiries before making any decisions regarding their own interests. Please do not rely on any part of this newsletter as a substitute for specific legal or financial advice. All material is copyright 2012. Click here if you would like to unsubscribe from future newsletters.