How Do you Research your suburb?

Today, I  write to describe for potential home buyers some easy ideas, to practically implement to find your new home.
1 Monitor your favoured suburb. It might be near your friends and family, or good schools, shops and transport  Ideally all of the above. Ask your network !
2 First, check out the local shopping centre. Is it vibrant with activity and new shops opening? This represents small businesses choosing your area to expand and invest into.  Particularly, the lifestyle shops, like coffee shops, gyms, leisure centers, restaurants, new franchise shops, ideally a whole new shopping centre. The big supermarkets expand only after careful research on the growth opportunity.
3  Interview, some of these shop keepers, are they busy, enthuseastic, expanding and renovating their shops.

4 Reserch via the local councils and state governments. They plan new transport links, shopping precints and capital works many years ahead.
5  Are the local schools expanding and building new rooms? The “quality ” of local schools is consistently one of the highest factors in suburb selection.
6  Check out the latest valuations data of local home prices, usually over the internet via valuation sites like domain. com realestate.com

7  Check ou the suburb over view on Google earth.
8  Drive through the suburb many times at different times and days of the week to check traffic flows, neighbiours.
9 My personal favourite is to actually walk your favoured selected streets. I have often found the ideal renovator with this method.

Whats up about interest rates ?

Given the Reserve bank has raised rates again, whats likely in the future? Lets read the RBA summary, basically they are increasing optimistic into the future. Let us remember its an election year. There are many key state elections before a federal election. Thus the temporary Government stimulus is only  going to be withdrawn gradually.
More of the same unfortunately, with  coking coal agreements up 80% on last year and the “spot” market for iron ore up 300% , on last year. The iron ore agreements are not yet released. The steaming coal agreements are also likely to be up strongly.  It is increasingly looking like a two speed economy, stronger for the mining areas and flat for the rest. Minerals and coal are Australia’s key exports, both in value and rising volume terms.

The futures markets give probably the best indication for interest rates, expecting a rise of around 100 basis (1%) points over this year. The interest rates risks might be seen as upside, especially if the USA economy starts to recover! There is even early talk of potentially an “overheating ” effect in the Australian economy within three years.What would a prudent man do? Potentially fix a portion of loans and keep a portion variable. This way if interest rates soar one is slightly protected. If rates fall and one has a windfall gain, one can pay off a portion of the loan without penalty.
Consult your advisor.  So much more like a  FREE ebook at website easyhomerenovating.com

New products in Home Skylights

New  home building products are often being made. I write today about home skylights. I have found them an excellent improvement. In the past, many older homes have small windows and poor internal lighting. One of the best improvements is a skylight into the Bathroom, Kitchen, Entrance hall or dark  Hallways. They can introduce light and warmth into narrow or poorly designed home.
Just like home windows they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and options. The Tube skylight can introduce light into hard to get to places like above a stairwell, as it can fit through a wall.
Types of home skylights, include opening, double glazed, plastic, multi chromatic, with shades. There are just as many types of home skylights as there are windows.
All good home window suppliers also offer skylights, even the big bulky goods hardware stores, there are specialist suppliers who install as well. Some popular brand names in skylights include, Garron, Velux, Stegbar, Solatube, Double dome, Skydome, Pyralite, Eco-lite and Sun tube.
There are small solar tunnels skylights, with an internal mirror finish to guide the light around corners. These can be installed for hard to light, places like cupboards, hallways or toilets. If you are looking for high impact, low cost measures, a  home skylight is one of the best,and good for profit. Its a great addition.
Of course, so much more available from the FREE ebook: check it out!

When should I home renovate ?

Well I suggest just as soon as you are ready. Why the hurry to start work on home renovating ? Well close to 85% of the homes in Melbourne required for the next 25 years have already been built. Given Melbourne is such a large city with so many homes on large blocks, subdivision and retrofitting like renovating will be huge!
Given the decline in government welfare support, such as the aged pension and other benefits.  Only about 10 % of Australians retire on a comfortable living standard. Only 1% percent retire onto a very good living standards. We are all supposed to have made excellent provisioning  through the Super Guarantee Levy. But this takes no account of erratic and casual wages jobs: let alone the self employed.
In the past, investors might have relied on the  sharemarket or fixed interest investments. But given the great volatility of shares and the harsh tax treatment on fixed interest incomes:Investors need both higher and more secure returns.
The expected slower growth of USA and Europe for the next ten years means many investors will be looking for high returns elsewhere.
But isn t China, India, Brazil, Russia and Asia going to rescue world growth and boost Australia ? Answer, well who knows?, but we dont have to gamble on vicarious success.
I am certainly looking to buy, renovate and upgrade a home. One can start on your private home. If you can upgrade and revalue your home dramatically : you will have the equity profit to proceed with an investment home. Create your own deal with a good profit margin.
So much more in the FREE ebook, check it out! Its easy to access the info !

Home Retrofit easy Green Home Ideas!

Discovered some quick and easy Green ideas for the home owner.
Below, I show some Fast and Easy Green ideas.

Given the Federal government’s aim for 20% of the nation’s energy to be generated from renewable  resources  by 2020. For  a new home, this move to a six star energy efficiency rating  is considered to add up to $10,000(MBA) to the cost of a home. Households in an established home might consider the implementation of ideas as soon as practicable.
Easy Features one can consider,as an addition.
1  A home Skydome power vent to remove hot air from the roof cavity. It can operate on a heat sensitive power switch.It reaches a certain heat level, then switches on to extract this hot roof air.
2  Underfloor insulation: just as everyone now expects insulation in the home roof. I have just removed the carpets and polished the floor. I find the  timber floor is a relatively poor insulator. Might have to do this one myself this winter.
3  Energy efficient glass in your windows. Home Glass can have an E rating, its a guide to its energy transmission level. There are some cheap and effective PVC coatings that are available these days, too.
4 Home Wall insulation is some thing quite cheap and effective too. One employs a professional service to drill holes and pump inert foam into the external wall cavity; where it solidifies and stablilizes.

5  Last winter, given the rise in electricity prices. I installed seals around all the doors and windows. Its such a cheap, fast effective way to make a big difference. At a price of about $1.5 per door its cheap.
6 Discovered a power saving ” sleep mode” switch for the big TV. Claims it will cut the home power bill. Some experts claim that up to 10 % of you home power consumption , can be from the sleep mode of electrical goods. Hope so!

So much more at the FREE ebook site !

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