Ken McNamara Real Estate in Kialla, Victoria | Property

Ken McNamara Real Estate

Locality: Kialla, Victoria

Phone: +6158316405

Address: Villa 23, Freedom Place, 15 Gennari Rd, 3631 Kialla, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.kmre.com.au

Likes: 313

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Property
• Estate agent
• Property company
• Estate agents

25.01.2022 Does anyone else have a house they want to sell in Abernethy St? Or anywhere for that matter, call us now 5831 6405 and get in while the market is Hot!

24.01.2022 Just a quick update, we recently connected to the NBN and one of our phone numbers changed, we can still be contacted on 58316 405 but please don't ring 58217 002 as it has now been allocated to someone else, thanks

22.01.2022 Freedom Place private estate has land available now for over 50s, Call today to secure a block that is ready to build on and take advantage of the current $25K home builders grant. see the link below for further information or call Ken on 58316405... http://www.freedomplace.com.au/

21.01.2022 How's this! Shepparton's first illuminated real estate sign. Check it out at 16 Annerley Ave. I am proud to be just a bit brighter than the other agents in the area.

21.01.2022 This week’s been pretty steady with a fair amount of genuine interest, several listing and a couple of sales getting over the line, however it certainly couldn’...t be said to be busy. One interesting thing that occurred during the week was that I got to visit a home which I sold only a couple of years ago as the purchasers were intending to sell. You might recall that in previous newsletters I have said how a certainly nationality had dragged the value of housing down by low balling prices. Well this home was owned by such a person however when the ball was on the other foot the vendor was demanding a selling price 20% more than what he paid. It seems that this particular nationality operate with two sets of rules in relation to buying and selling property so I let this listing go by as we don’t have time to waste on over priced homes. I have always prided myself at being a leader in the local real estate industry introducing lots of firsts for the area and today I have introduced another one..illuminated for sale signs which light up like a beacon in the night. This is really our test model so we’ve got a few ideas to make the next one better however this particular sign can be seen at a great four bedroom property which we have for sale at 16 Annerley Ave, Shepparton for $348,000. Please drive past and let me know your thoughts and of course if you want to check out this terrific house just give me a ring. Recently we sold an average house for the area for a price of around $45,000 above the price appraised by another agent. This is a huge amount for an experienced agent to be out and what a difference it will make to the vendors. Here’s what is believed within the real estate industry to be the advantage of selling during the winter months. 1. Anyone in the market in the colder months is perceived to be a serious buyer. 2. Because stock is low there is less competition which gives the buyers less choice 3. Agents have more time to devote to listings as it is a quiet period. 4. If you are planning to buy in the spring then this gives you a cash advantage over those purchasers who still have to sell. 5. Buyers can see how great and comfortable your home is during the winter when the weather is horrible outside. With the recent cut in interest rates by the RBA discussion is occurring as to the possibility of getting into the negative interest rate area which to me seems a long way off but you never know. For your info Switzerland is 0.75%, Sweden 0.5% and Japan is 0.1% and negative interest rates are just that i.e. when you put money in the bank it costs you the amount of percentage to actually have it there. In contradiction to this according to a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), interest rates are expected to rise around the end of 2017 and the property market is set for a ‘dramatic and destabilising’ end with no soft landing. They are also advocating for sweeping tax reform including a GST review and state that there is uncertainty in the community over policies ahead of the federal election on 2nd July. Latest market data is showing a period of stagnant growth for Sydney, easing in Melbourne and a market decline in regions of WA and the Northern Territory. I received an email during the week from a developer trying to sell units in Melbourne with a 10% rental guarantee for two years who was offering referring agents 6% commission. I really wouldn’t advise it as often when the rental guarantee ends, landlords are left without a tenant or have to reduce the rent dramatically to find one. There are also a number of rather large expenses that come with owning a property like this such as sinking fund contributions, lift expenses and owner’s corporation fees which can reduce your 10% return to a negligible amount. This week’s useless information is:- A storm officially becomes a hurricane when it reaches a wind speed of 119 kph. During the time of Peter the Great in Russia any man who wore a beard had to pay a special tax. There are more insects in a 1.6 km square of rural land than there are people on the planet. Freedom Place Update: The roadway looks to have about two more concrete pours to go until it’s finished and the display home is now basically lock up with the external doors and windows in. Speaking of doors and windows I spent my day off today putting spray foam insulation in all the gaps around the outside of every external door and window which is normally left unfilled in a standard house. What a difference it made keeping out the elements and I am sure it will go a long way to helping achieve the highest possible energy rating. All of the electrical rough in is finished and the plumber is expected to start this week. The renderer has started on the alfresco, which now has most of the deck on it, and should also be back on site this week. Freedom Place is quickly becoming an executive type village with lots of professionals and retired business people taking up the opportunity to buy a freehold property which gives an expected end result of being nearly $100,000 better off compared to other villages after 10 years or so. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara.

19.01.2022 This week’s been really busy with lots of activity across the board however open homes went from no-one attending to one home having around a dozen attendees. There was really no rhyme or reason for this but location seemed to play an important part. Due to other commitments this will be the last email for around four weeks. Rest assured the emails will start again in earnest after this time. We reached a milestone this month at the office with us conducting our...Continue reading

19.01.2022 This week’s certainly been slow which is representative of the usual uncertainty that occurs due to elections, however there’s still a number of definite buyers around. In fact this weekend’s open homes resulted in 3 out of 7 homes with no attendees which made me reflect on how the market was just a number of years ago when open homes would often attract up to 30 attendees. It’s also interesting to see that some of the attendees who came on the weekend have been loo...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Happy Birthday Stuart, have a great day!

18.01.2022 Another happy customer, Congratulations Marg on the sale of your home, we wish you all the best for your Sea change!

18.01.2022 Ken doing his regular session talking about Freedom Place on one fm, Listen in every second Wednesday at 10.30 am. The next interview will be on 23/1/19.

17.01.2022 Marg and I are now back on deck after a short time away and I am pleased to say that my remaining three staff members handled the business very well with lots g...oing on. We also have a number of things being worked on at the moment so there should be some exciting developments in the future. It was interesting to learn, whilst catching up on what stories were in the local newspaper that Shepparton was in line for a fast train with a new regional city to be built 15 kms out of town. What a positive effect this will have on the city and property prices, with the expectation that prices will increase by up to 300% and the population growing to 400,000. All good except after having just returned from a very crowded city I am not sure I want to live in a city with that number of residents. I guess Marg and I will be in our own world at Freedom Place so we will be insulated from the activity by a large degree. Realestate.com.au have now introduced a change relating to feature properties where instead of changing a flat fee for any upgrade, agents now have to pay different amounts for different suburbs which include Tatura $252, Shepparton $302, Kialla $252, Mooroopna $252 and Arcadia $252. Private sellers are still appearing in the market place and a trend appears to be occurring where people want more than we tell them the house is worth and then try to sell the property themselves for the higher price. The issue here is that a house will only sell for what it is valued at so any above market sale will probably fall over when it comes to getting the purchasers finance approved. Here are what are said to be the most common mistakes vendors make when selling a home. 1. Believing their property is worth more than its true value. This leads to overpricing the property and the result is that after several months it remains unsold. The longer the property is on the market, the more likely it could become "stale" and the owner will have to take a lower price than would have been the case if the property had been properly priced at the beginning of the selling process. 2. Placing the home on the market before it's ready. Most times this happens because the seller gets impatient. In such cases, it is common for the property to come on the market with horrible carpet (that gets replaced during the marketing of the home) or they are painting it while it goes on the market. Presentation is everything, so get the work done before hand. 3. Overlooking the importance of the property's street appeal. If there are several homes for sale in the area at a similar price, buyers will least likely inspect the property that is poorly presented from the outside. 4. Hiring an agent based on non-business factors, i.e. they promise the owner the highest selling price. Make sure you're hiring a professional with a proven track record. It might be nice to hand over your largest asset to your nephew who just got his license, but make sure he has a mentor to keep your deal from going south. 5. Getting emotionally involved in the sale of the home. This is one of the biggest challenges home sellers face when putting their house on the market. Once you decide to sell your house, it's no longer a home, but a product. The property needs to be prepared as a product, marketed as a product and priced as a product. 6. Trying to cover up problems. Home buyers are much more informed about building and maintenance issues. For example, if during a closer inspection the potential buyer finds faults with the swimming pool or bore, they quickly lose interest because they will then believe other problems have been hidden. 7. Not allowing the selling agent to do their job. For example, open homes are now a very effective way of selling a home because buyers like to visit a home in an informal manner. Some owners, however, do not like home opens and as a result they are excluding a large number of potential buyers from viewing the property. Once a home owner hires an experienced selling agent, they should follow their advice. This week’s useless information is:- Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33 Cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400 It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs Freedom Place Update: I was certainly disappointed to see that rain had slowed activity at the site and had really hoped that the roadway was finished and that the display home was further along however it is what it is and we have to make the most of what we have got. Meanwhile the plaster is now finished, the archs and skirting boards are about to be put on and the painter is due to start Monday next week. The renderer should also be back on site this week but it again depends on the weather. Interest is certainly continuing to grow with the development over half sold and over 50 people wanting to inspect the display home before making a decision so I am quietly hopeful that the project will be sold out before the end of the year. We then just have to get all of the homes up and finished. I guess the point here is that if you are sitting back watching, don’t for too long, as you’ll probably miss out. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara.

16.01.2022 Our Office at Villa 23 in Freedom Place Kialla on a beautiful sunny day.

16.01.2022 This week’s been pretty steady with lots of listings and genuine inquiries. We need to make the most of it as activity generally goes on hold when an election ...is called which seems to be just around the corner. Locally rental properties are in high demand with very little available in the $200 to $300 range. There’s also a rumour going around that one particular agency is underquoting sale prices and putting pressure on vendors to accept low offers so keep an eye out for that if you are selling elsewhere. There was a gathering on Tuesday of this week of a number of Australia’s ‘leading’ agents in Queensland who met to discuss how their businesses can prosper in the face of digital disruption and the technology revolution. Although I did not attend, as I didn’t know about it previously, one speaker emphasised that although ‘the seeds of disruption pervade everyone’s life, agents can adopt proven strategies to become the disruptor, not the disrupted’. This makes me recall what one local agent said to me once which was that he had been trying for 10 years to get all of the local agencies to charge the same commission and all I was doing with my capped commission was xxxxing it up. As I have said many times before the industry is changing and the days of agencies up the street are certainly limited. It’s just taking a few of them a while to work it out. Another report this week revealed how agency rating sites could be a massive trap for sellers as many of them are basing their reports on fees paid by the agents who want to get up the list. Many ‘new agents and lesser performers’ are said to be using the sites as a way to gain an advantage by allegedly paying regular monthly fees or a significant slice of the commission to the report writers. The report also stated that It is quite possible, even likely, that the top agents in an area or town simply don’t use the services of these sites, which means that the public is often in danger of being misled. The report concluded that people should judge agents on their reputation, previous performance and business relationship. NSW is enacting a new law before July this year which also needs to be introduced in Victoria, to address a current issue of each prospective purchaser having to get their own inspections, in relation to a property which they are considering purchasing, by sellers having to disclose the names of companies who have recently conducted inspections of the property. Agents are saying this is good as it adds to the disclosure and saves them time going back for multiple building or pest inspections. We had a vendor during the week complaining that as we didn’t have a trust account his conveyancer was going to charge him an additional $175 for this privilege. All I can say to this bloke is that if you want to use an electronic conveyancing service based somewhere in the world who merely prints out unsigned forms and doesn’t offer any advice at all then that’s your problem. Local conveyancers and solicitors certainly offer invaluable advice, have trust accounts and do the job properly but you have to pay more than a couple of hundred dollars for the privilege. Personally not having a trust account is one of the best things we have done as it avoids many different issues which gives us more time to concentrate on what we are meant to be doing, selling houses. Here is a list of the 10 most desirable things people are looking for when purchasing a home. Air conditioning: 65% of people, Carport/Garage: 60%, Garden/Backyard: 52%, Solar panels: 33%, Deck/Pergola: 24%, Dishwasher: 17%, Swimming pool: 17%, Built-in barbecue: 4%, Water feature: 2%, Garden gnomes: 2% This week’s useless information is:- The most popular movie star in 1935 was the dog Rin Tin Tin There are about 5 million grains in a packet of sugar Everyday McDonalds serves about 68 million customers in 119 countries. Freedom Place Update: The forth section of the roadway is now completed which means that the entire northern section in front of lots 17 to 23 is finished. We’ve also had some rather serious issues of the builder closing his business which meant we had to find another one, which we now have, we also had to sack one of our tradies who turned out to be overcharging us, and had to change providers of the building material used for the walls and roof due to unreliability. All is now back on track with the end result being that the whole project is now better value. It amazes me how some people try to cook the goose which lays the golden egg to get a short term gain when in reality they should be looking a bit further down the track. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara. Footnotes: If you would like to receive this email automatically every Saturday afternoon please email our office with the subject line of ‘subscribe to newsletter’ Ken is the number 1 selling residential agent in the Shepparton area was the winner of the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and was a finalist in the 2012 awards. Regards Ken McNamara Principal Estate Agent Ken McNamara Real Estate

15.01.2022 28th February, 2016 Contrary to the continual talk about reductions in negative gearing benefits and the story on 60 minutes last weekend about impending gloom around the real estate industry, things are still floating along quite nicely with a number of sales getting over the line. ...Continue reading

14.01.2022 This week can only be described a slow with very little happening, however we still managed to get a couple of sales over the line as well as having a couple of other possible so there’s certainly activity going on, just not much. I’m putting this down to the budget and upcoming election however obviously the RBA knows a lot more and this is no doubt why they dropped interest rates and there is talk of yet another rate drop in the coming month or so. Personally I don’t...Continue reading

14.01.2022 We have had a good week this week with lots of inquiries from investors who have moved up a level from the 160K houses to just below the $200K make as they are still getting very good returns and generally a house that requires less work to get it up to scratch. It is also pleasing to see that some people are ringing saying that they have got sick of looking for something reasonable in Melbourne and have decided to move to Shepparton as they can get a really good house for ...Continue reading

13.01.2022 The local real estate market is quite buoyant at the moment with lots going on which is certainly in line with this time of the year. Investors from out of the... area are still making continual enquiries, with some making silly offers, and there are still a number who fail to turn up. In fact one bloke has now failed to arrive for a third time so I guess it shows how serious some are. We have also had a couple of situations recently where I’ve contacted people interested in a property telling them that we have received an offer to be told things like ‘sure, that’s real estate talk’ thinking that I am trying to pull the wool over their eyes only for them to ring a few days later and be surprised when told that the property has been sold. At least I’ve done the right thing by telling them and whether or not they choose to believe me is ultimately up to them but it is certainly a disappointment not to be believed as I pride myself on honesty. This week we clicked over 15,000 views of our video tours on our web site. That’s really quite a high figure since videos go for around 5 minutes each which means a total viewing time by prospective purchasers of 1,250 hours. Our videos also have a retention rate of around 92% meaning that around 92% of those who start watching the video actually watch it through to the very end. The Age recently put out a story on crime on your neighbourhood which showed the following offences occurring over the past twelve month in Shepparton, Breach family violence order 573, Criminal damage 513, non-aggravated burglary 505, theft from motor vehicle 372 and breach bail conditions 332. Kialla’s figures were around 10% of those figures which I guess is relative to the size of the area. We went to an appraisal a couple of weeks back where I was clearly able to tell the vendor a price which could reasonably be obtained within a short number of weeks which was supported by evidence of several other recent nearby sales which we had made. Now what has left me shaking my head in this situation is that the vendor listed the property with another agent for $10K less that what I said I could get for the property and now I am informed that he has accepted a price 10K less than that again. Apart from that he has paid over $4K more in commission giving him a total loss of around $24K on what he should have received in his hand. I know that there are some sharp talking agents out there but to be able to talk a vendor into taking $20K less than what his property is worth and charging him $4K more in commission really takes the cake. Locally I have also heard that one particular agency is applying pretty strong pressure on vendors to list their homes with them so if you are wanting an appraisal and cannot say no then beware of what you are getting into. A while ago I was told that an agent from this agency wouldn’t leave until the vendor actually told them to get out so I guess they are still up to their old tricks. A new trend is occurring where prospective tenants are submitting renter resume’s which can be completed online saving property managers a lot of time. Also surveys have also showed that landlords are prepared to forgo an amount of rent in order to get or keep a more reliable tenant. If you have a rental property that is sitting empty on the market, here are six suggestions to get it tenanted. 1) Get professional photo’s as this will make it stand out from a lot of other agencies who use substandard images. 2) Get a video tour or virtual inspection done which will allow tenants to ‘walk through’ a property without actually having to inspect it. 3) Highlight the property on the real estate portal. This generally can give up to four times the number of viewings. 4) Is the price in line with other similar properties? Probably the most important as tenants want to know that they are not paying too much. 5) Ask for feedback from inspections conducted by your agent. 6) Use an experienced property manager. This week’s useless information is:- Hallmark makes cards for 105 different family relationships. Syzygy is the only word in the English language containing three y’s Posing a question and immediately answering it yourself is called sermocination Freedom Place Update: Titles are about to be issued and we are now handing out contracts. The front gates look really good with the footings about to be poured, hopefully this Tuesday however we hit a hurdle with the front fence where bureaucracy issues caused us to have to change the design to something that we really didn’t want but will look fine all the same. The remaining 15 light poles were put up during the week and they are now producing twice the amount of required power so we will have to see how we can harness it and use the extra power either as a rebate for residents or to reduce operating costs perhaps in the hall. Also just a reminder to anyone still making up their mind about becoming a resident, prices will be increasing next year so it would certainly pay to secure your block now. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara. Footnotes: If you would like to receive this email automatically every Saturday afternoon please email our office with the subject line of ‘subscribe to newsletter’ Ken is the number 1 selling residential agent in the Shepparton area was the winner of the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and was a finalist in the 2012 awards. Regards Ken McNamara Principal Estate Agent Ken McNamara Real Estate

13.01.2022 This week the real estate market in Shepparton has been a bit like turning a tap on with lots of activity right across the board however it certainly slows down... a bit in the higher price range which is the over $400 K range. In fact I even had some-one looking at 2 bedroom units during the week which was a first for a long time, however they didn’t buy one. I have also noticed an increase in activity from investors outside the area however yesterday I told a couple that they might as well get in their cars and go back to Melbourne as they were wasting everyone’s time by making cash offers on properties around 30% below the asking price. I mentioned a few weeks back that a major player in the online real estate market was going to launch in Australia before the end of the year, well they just have. Now I am not going to tell you the name as I want to see how long it takes for their name to become a household name however they look to change the industry dramatically as they are already the fourth largest real estate agency in the country they come from. So how are they going to do it? Essentially with a flat fee model (like mine but cheaper) which includes being on the online portals, photography, marketing. The real difference is that vendors have to do it themselves however I believe that we are pretty well positioned for this new player as we offer several things that they don’t, we do the job for you and the price difference is relatively minimal. The dinosaurs in the industry who want to sit on their large commissions however, appear to be in line for a shake up as the new player says that the Australian commission system is broken and that they intent to disrupt and revolutionise the tradition real estate market, save Australian home owners thousands of dollars and disrupt the unfair system under which Australian agents currently operate. Interesting times are certainly ahead. New Real Estate portals just keep coming and this week there is yet another one announced to the market. We are currently on 43 portals which I doubt any other local agency would come close to, and we will subscribe also to the latest one, however I just wonder how they all think that they can succeed. The problem from my point of view is that we cannot tell where a buyer will come from so we just keep adding the new portals on. Here are 7 things that are generally overlooked by investors. 1. Accounting fees. Standard accounting fees will increase when you own an investment property. 2. Strata Levies. These might be set at a low rate for a start but can sky rocket when the building becomes older when warranties expire. Pools and Gyms can also add greater to amounts charged. 3. Pest control. You often need to have yearly pest treatment, especially in older properties. 4. Lad tax. Doesn’t apply to all people but it is worth checking. 5. Property management. Consider management fees, advertising costs, re-letting fees and any other hidden costs. 6. Rental vacancies. You need to budget for this possibility. 7. Rising interest payments. Be prepared for fluctuations in interest rates. Bottom line is that you need to do your homework first and that property investment is a long term strategy. An agent got fined recently for selling a property which he knew had a serious plumbing issue and not disclosing the issue to the purchaser. The penalty imposed was a reprimand, fine of $1,000 and costs of $500. I guess as a buyer you need to ask the agent, Is there anything adverse that you know about the property that I should be aware of? in which case the agent is obliged to answer truthfully. Another agent got 6 years jail for diverting 1.6 million from his trust account into his own account which makes me wonder how stupid are these agents who must think that they won’t get caught. This week’s useless information is:- Henry III became king when he was 10 months old. Napoleon Bonaparte designed the Italian flag Sunglasses were invented by the Chinese in the thirteenth century Freedom Place Update: The rain is still messing us up and even though the surface looks good it is still very wet down below and earthwork wise, it seems that every time we get a run on sunny days it rains and puts us back to where we were. Meanwhile the house is nearly there with the exterior rendering and painting due to be finished this week, the driveway and paths are going in, the garage door will be installed and the electrician will be there to fit off the electrical switches. I am really wanting to have our first open house in the next couple of weeks however we will be doing them initially in different categories, with those with their names down for a block first then those on the general interest list which means that the village should be a sell out before being open to the general public but I guess we’ll see. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara. Footnotes: If you would like to receive this email automatically every Saturday afternoon please email our office with the subject line of ‘subscribe to newsletter’ Ken is the number 1 selling residential agent in the Shepparton area was the winner of the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and was a finalist in the 2012 awards.

13.01.2022 The market this week started out slow but finished with a rush on sales and listings which hopefully continues throughout the spring selling season. In fact this week was our best for many months gone by and interest is spread between home buyers and investors, but mainly home buyers. The CEO of Shepparton Council, Mr Peter Harriot was guest speaker at my Rotary Club the other night and gave an interesting talk about the future growth in the area which all seems very posi...Continue reading

12.01.2022 Keep an eye out for this great property hitting the market this week, One owner Large family home close to Goulburn Valley Grammar School and only minutes from all amenities, sitting on 1.5 Acres with its own private swimming pool, tennis court, great shedding and small vineyard, If you are looking for an excellent lifestyle property give Stuart a call on 0407 348 565 to be one of the first to inspect as it wont last!

12.01.2022 Well done to team Ken McNamara Real Estate winners of the Shepparton 2019 MS Megaswim! Thank you to all those who supported us and those who swam, fantastic effort! If you would still like to donate to a great cause go to [email protected]

10.01.2022 There appears to be an amount of momentum in the local real estate scene at the moment with renewed interest from investors, both local and from far afield which has no doubt come from talk about the possibility of a fast train. A lot of the lower priced homes are also getting snapped up quickly and anything representing good value in Kialla is moving quite fast. A new report has found growth in national land prices slowed 1.2% during the March quarter while turnover fell ...Continue reading

09.01.2022 5 Studebaker Court Shepparton Certainly one of the best homes in this sought after Nth Shepp estate with 24.6 sq’s of open plan living, MBR with WIR & ENS, 3 living areas, quality kitchen, alfresco, inground heated pool, 9x6 mtr shed, est gardens, dbl auto garage, solar power & much more.7 yrs old. Won’t last.

08.01.2022 We have moved! KMRE is now located at Villa 2, Freedom Place, 15 Gennari Rd, Kialla.

07.01.2022 Our office phone number 5831 6405 is now back in action thank you for your patience, however our alternate number of 58217 002 is no longer working.

07.01.2022 92 Corio Street Shepparton built in 1913 is a rare gem exuding character and charm. Beautiful home in the heart of Shepparton, walk to the CBD, churches and schools. Standing proud on a 938m2 corner block this 3 bedroom 2 bathroom executive home with 2 living areas and 2 car garage will impress. Private outdoor undercover entertaining area and low maintenance gardens. Call to organise an inspection Ph 5831 6405. Check out our sign after dark!

07.01.2022 This past week’s been really busy with lots of activity mainly around the $250,000 to $350,000 area. Rentals are still very much in demand and if the not too d...istant announcement of a proposed fast train does as we hope and the route is through Shepparton, then I believe that we will very quickly meet price parity with the other Regional Cities of Ballarat and Bendigo. I mentioned a while ago about how a particular agent was apparently underquoting homes to get quick sales, well it seems that underquoting by agents is a little more wide spread locally than first thought so I wanted to give you a couple of examples involving two separate agencies. The first has a house quoted at $265,000 which we sold for around $310,000 and the second was another quote at $285,000 which we sold for around $335,000. Both of these appraisals were conducted by long standing local agents so it really appears that they shouldn’t be incompetent, however to get the numbers wrong by such an amount really makes me wonder what is going on behind the scenes and pity help the owners if they had listed their properties with them. I am not sure what’s going on up the street with one particular agency as they have sold all of their rent roll to another agency. If you have a rental property and are not happy with how it is being managed I would suggest that you give Vicki from Choice a ring on 5821 5667 as she is really good at her job, have probably the lowest fees in the area and also I believe that they are the only property management business that pay owners weekly. A story in The Age recently told how first home owner grants had fallen to the lowest level in more than a decade down to almost 10,000 from nearly 45,000 in 2009/10 with most of the grants being given out in Melbourne’s fringe areas. On the subject of first home owners, you may recall that an offer was on the table a while ago where first home owners could buy a house and land package for around $260,000 and then they would receive up to $37,000 back off the price. Well I was told during the week by a local builder that some building companies were refusing to hand back the grants as the houses had cost more than expected to build. I wonder where that will all finish up. Latest figures show that house prices have fallen in every capital city apart from Melbourne and Hobart during the March quarter. Darwin fell by 4.9% whilst Sydney dropped by 1.5% to a median just under the million dollar mark of $995,804. An analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data has shown resurgence in the popularity of coastal towns and lifestyle markets, with these areas recording some of the biggest migration increases of the past 12 months compared with a slump after the GFC. Highest migration levels were recorded in the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, Gold Coast, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsular. Lifestyle is said to be a cause for this migration with another factor being affordability as young people are being priced out of the markets in capital cities. You’ve probably all visited realestate.com.au where hundreds of local properties are listed from around the area and noticed that there’s a group of houses at the top of the list which are called feature properties. Presently a feature property upgrade cost us $208 and they are displayed for 30 days within the top group however the only problem is that each time a new feature property is added, every home moves one position down the list. Realestate.com.au has notified us during the week that the $208 fee is about to be increased to represent activity within an area so now the new numbers will be Tatura $252, Shepparton $302, Kialla $252, Mooroopna $252 and Arcadia $252. To say that I’m unimpressed is probably an understatement. This week’s useless information is:- The first product made by Sony was a rice cooker A cure for whooping cough in old Ireland was sheep droppings boiled in milk The cruise liner, the QE2, moves only 15 cm for each gallon of diesel that it burns Freedom Place Update: The golden goose getting cooked that I spoke about last week appears to have been well and truly eaten by some suppliers and tradies who think our project is their ticket to early retirement. Needless to say we have found better deals elsewhere and they have been left behind. Progress wise, another two stages of the roadway have been completed, the installation of underground services are nearly finished and the display house is suffering from palpitations due to a false start from a slight joining issue and a recommencement is due very shortly. This project has certainly been a roller coaster but at last we appear to have the right business associates on board and it all looks pretty rosy. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara.

07.01.2022 There was an interesting article in the papers recently which spoke about changes to the superannuation rules and reduced interest rates and compared self-funde...d retirees with say one million dollars in super compared to being on the pension and the clear winner was people owning their own house, having minimal assets and the pension. I believe that the changes will result in exactly the same scenario which happened back about 20 years ago where retirees were selling up most of their possessions which put them with assets under the capped pension eligibility amount and then buying the most expensive property that they could afford such as million dollar penthouses. Recent figures showed that 84 % of people with rental properties used a leasing agent or a property manager and figures also showed that 33% of people bought an investment property before having paid off their own home. Over quoting is still alive and well in Shepparton with one agent having listed a house recently for nearly $150,000 more than we appraised it at, which equates to an additional amount of over 50% more. As far as I can work out the only reason that this particular agency would be silly enough to list such a property at this price is because they know that it’s on a busy road and that their sign will be up there for years, which in their mind is good advertising for their business. I would prefer to sell the house. On another matter we appraised a property a while back at the low $300’s which it should have sold quite quickly at. The owners chose to go to auction with another agency. I now see the sale price came through around $40,000 less than what I believe I could have sold the house for, which just goes to re-enforce that auctions don’t work in this environment or area and they are only used for the benefit of the agent to firstly get a quick sale and to be able to pressure the vendors to take what is on offer on the day. Bottom line is auctions are nothing like what you see on TV so get the best result by private sale. The number of new dwellings started in the last financial year is believed to have reached an all time high figure of 220,100. From this level, national activity is forecast to begin trending down over the following years, with the high flying apartments sector leading the way and almost all major markets going into over supply status. Some analysts are suggesting that construction figures could drop to around 50% with pressure also coming from a slowing population growth with the only exception being NSW. The affordability level for houses in WA is at a level where ownership is more accessible now than it has been for the past 10 years and as an added bonus the Barnett government has exempted first home buyers from paying stamp duty on homes up to $430,000. A real estate agent was fined $10,800 and had his licence cancelled recently for failing to disclose to a vendor that he was selling a house which he had listed to his sister and brother in law. The court stated These laws are designed to ensure agents act in the vendor’s best interests, and any actions that breach this responsibility have the potential to undermine confidence in the industry as a whole. Another industry report this week showed that around 81% of agents believe that it’s common in their area for agents to show houses without authorities from vendors in place with the report commentary saying ‘if your agents are doing that, what else are they doing.’ This week’s useless information is:- Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000. 1/3rd of all ice cream sold is vanilla First novel ever written on a typewriter was "Tom Sawyer." Freedom Place Update: Work’s continuing with the painters and tiler expected to be finished this week however the rain has come back to bite us with the rendering and earthworks. In fact the grader only got back on site for half a day last week before the latest rain fall and now we have to wait for things to dry out again. The display home is also now lock up and the kitchen cabinets are all installed along with the spa bath and vanities. I’ve had a request from the builders that they don’t want anyone on site during their working day due to safety concerns so if you would like to have a look through before we open the display please ring the office and make an appointment for after 4.30 pm Monday to Saturday. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara. Footnotes: If you would like to receive this email automatically every Saturday afternoon please email our office with the subject line of ‘subscribe to newsletter’ Ken is the number 1 selling residential agent in the Shepparton area was the winner of the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and was a finalist in the 2012 awards. Regards Ken McNamara Principal Estate Agent Ken McNamara Real Estate

06.01.2022 Quality 4 Bedroom plus study one owner home, in a popular and quiet neighborhood in Shepparton North overlooking a large park. Open home this Saturday 19th October 11-11.30 am

04.01.2022 The local market’s still representative of the time of the year with limited activity, however there have certainly been a good number of sales getting over the line. Investors are still looking for cheaper properties which are giving good rental returns, 2 bedroom units are still unsaleable and anything under $350K is getting good interest. Indications appear to be pretty strong that there will be another cut to interest rates this coming week. I have spoken about vendors ...Continue reading

04.01.2022 Licensed Real Estate Agents and Auctioneers 21st May, 2016 ...Continue reading

04.01.2022 4BR, 3 Living, Pool, Shed close to Guthrie St Walk straight in & enjoy this 4 BR family home located close to Guthrie St Primary School, shops & t/port. Features updated kitchen, pol timber floors, evap a/c, gas heating, upstairs granny flat, huge outdoor ent area, inground concrete pool, lockup shed, low maintenance gardens. Wont last. 7 Abernethy St, Shepparton

04.01.2022 Another two homes with unconditional contracts, it's all happening this week! Congratulations to the Vendors and purchasers of 9 Handley Crt Shepparton and 18 Sugargum Crescent Kialla.

03.01.2022 This week’s been rather constant with an obvious increase in the inquiries from investors, especially around the high 100K range but housing across the board could really only be described as flat however there are genuine buyers out there who need to be carefully considered by vendors when an offer is put forward otherwise it could be a long time before a second offer is received. Did you see the policy proposal put forward by the Federal opposition this week in which th...Continue reading

03.01.2022 In this week’s edition: Check out the latest over 50s display village and all it has to offer in our special Freedom Place 4 page wrap; Discover the story of th...e birth of Adriana Condello's (Grasso) extremely rare miracle twins; Find out who will be guest speaker at the upcoming CoolHeads Young Driver Program; Read all about how a protocol signed between China and Australia will be beneficial to local stone fruit growers; Local racing legend, Tino Leo took to the track in his 1971 HQ GTS Monaro at Sandown on the weekend for the first time in 17 years and you can see how he went in this week’s If It’s Got Wheels feature! To read all of this and much more pick up a copy from your letterbox, from our office, or visit sheppadviser.com.au/this-weeks-edition/ See more

01.01.2022 This week’s been a mixed bag with one day lots happening the next very little which was the same regarding inquiries about properties. This was also reflected ...in the attendance figures at open homes this weekend which was generally poor, probably due to the schools holidays and a lot of sporting events underway. I’m not sure which local agents read the same industry news articles as me but a story this week told agents that they need to be ‘more annoying’ and to essentially keep ringing past clients continually. Obviously this is not the way we do business but I guess if you get a knock on the door from an agent you haven’t seen for a while, you will know the reason for their call. Another article in the same newsletter told the story of a ‘successful’ agent who sat in the car outside the office so she wouldn’t be disturbed whilst she made 100 phone calls a day to anyone on her data base, sad really. Again, another way we don’t do business. We have all heard about the expected slowdown for units in Melbourne due to oversupply, well this week I received an email from a developer offering 7% plus GST commissions to sell their units. Looks like they are getting in early to try and clear their units before the downturn occurs. Latest reports are showing the regional areas have recorded the largest annual increase in values for both houses and units. Shepparton wasn’t mention in the figures but hopefully it flows onto here before long. There was also an interesting discussion on industry sites this week concerning agents who say that they don’t charge for advertising. Firstly it was pointed out that there is nearly always a hidden charge to make up for it elsewhere, secondly the discussion pointed out that with agents using their own money they have a vested interest to get their money back which means that they want to sell the property to the first person who comes along, not the one who will pay the most, and thirdly agents cut corners and don’t launch the property onto the market in the normal manner which would have achieved the best result. In an attempt to remain relevant in the real estate industry, those businesses who are thinking of maintaining their shop fronts a bit longer are turning to totally digital property signs in their windows. Sure we have all seen the large signs that revolve through a number of properties, but now this has been extended to dozens of smaller signs or different sizes to create a bit of interest which can be controlled from a central computer. This certainly looks good but these agents don’t realise the coming decline of such a business’s operation. Here is something I bet you didn’t know. If you are going to apply for a home loan and you have an unused credit card against your name with a $25,000 limit, lenders will reduce your borrowing capacity by over $95,000 Another way to look at this is that every $1,000 you owe on a credit card will reduce your borrowing capacity for a home loan by approximately $3,600. I went to a house this week where after asking the tenant what rent they were paying, was amazed to hear a figure $70pw below the real market value. After asking a few more questions it appears that the particular rental manager from the agency in question is quite slack as the rent hadn’t been adjusted for over 3 years, inspections weren’t very frequent and after the lease had expired, the tenant wasn’t signed up again on another fixed term lease. Another interesting occurrence was when I initially phoned the managing agency to inquire about the property I was told that the rental manager was away until the second week of October and that if I left a message they would get back to me then. If you have a rental property and have any doubts I suggest you have a talk to your manager as some in particular don’t seem to be doing what they are getting paid to do. This week’s useless information is:- There are 293 ways to make change for a US dollar Iceland consumes more Coca-cola per capita than any other nation If you keep goldfish in a dark room it will eventually turn white. Freedom Place Update: The front deck has been finished, the garage is painted internally, the carpets have been laid, the outside of the house is now painted and the rear and side pathways are completed. This week we are about to start on the landscaping and side fence, seal the driveway and finish the fit out of the house. Meanwhile we are still waiting for the site to dry out to spread some more dirt around after which we can get the soil testing started for a number of blocks however in accordance with rain events over the past few months we are again due to get another deluge on Wednesday. One day of rain really puts us back a week and then it seems to start all over again. All going well though the gas should be connected on Monday and there should be some dirt moved around at the rear of the display home in preparation for landscaping. I am always available to answer any of your real estate questions on 5831 6405. Please feel free to pass this email on to any person who you think may be interested in its contents. NOTE: The advice given in this newsletter is to be taken as general advice only and should not be relied upon. Regards Ken McNamara. Footnotes: If you would like to receive this email automatically every Saturday afternoon please email our office with the subject line of ‘subscribe to newsletter’ Ken is the number 1 selling residential agent in the Shepparton area was the winner of the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and was a finalist in the 2012 awards. Regards Ken McNamara Principal Estate Agent Ken McNamara Real Estate