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23. November 2015 11:00  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


The Men’s Shed are planning and exhibition of toys and other items made by members at The Shops on November 28th followed by an Open day on Thank a Volunteer day on December 5th, at 4 Transit Way Ellenbrook (near the Community Garden) at which products and tools will be offered for sale, tours of the workshops offered, and there will be a sausage sizzle on site.

This event will start at 10.00am and run until 3.00pm.

5. November 2015 11:07  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


hisTh

This looks like a great event for the whole family.

28. August 2015 10:46  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


  • Article taken from; 26 Aug 2015
  • Ellenbrook Advocate

COMMUNITY GETS BEHIND STUDENT’S INITIATIVE

A WALK in the park was enough to inspire Aveley Primary School’s Ben Spargo to devise a way to clean up his suburb and raise funds for his school camp.

whataninspirationPicture: David BaylisAveley Primary School teachers Stephanie Dugdale and Kylie Davis with Brett Spargo, school principal Helen Fiebig and Swan Hills MLA Frank Alban with Ben Spargo (11, front). http://www.communitypix.com.au d442356

The 11-year-old student organised a clean-up last Friday from the front lakes of Aveley through the park and towards The Vines.

“We were thinking how lucky we are to have a wonderful environment in the local area, but then we saw some rubbish,” he said.

After approaching Aveley developer Stockland, Ben received a $500 donation towards the clean-up effort and school camp. Ben and his dad, Brett Spargo, then contacted Swan Hills MLA Frank Alban, who arranged for free tip passes.

David Lombardo and his family business, All Metro Bins, also arranged a free skip bin. Mr Alban and Mr Spargo hope Ben’s idea can be replicated in other schools looking to tidy up their community.

Stockland’s senior development manager Stuart Sinclair said he was pleased to support and contribute to local, grass roots efforts to improve and enhance the community in and around Aveley.

26. August 2015 14:30  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (1)


  • Following article has been taken from:
  • 19 Aug 2015
  • The Advocate (Perth)
  • Joel Kelly

PLAN FOR FREIGHT TERMINAL

LAND north of Ellenbrook has been flagged for a freight terminal linking the State’s north-west with Perth’s north metropolitan area.

The WA Planning Commission last month assumed control over the land, which is between the future Perth-Darwin Highway, Perth to Geraldton railway line and Great Northern Highway.

Eventually the land will become the South Bullsbrook Intermodal Terminal and WAPC control ensures it will be reserved for this purpose.

About six private properties will be directly affected by the rezoning.

The proposed terminal is surrounded by about 2500 hectares of land proposed to be zoned as industrial in the Metropolitan Region Scheme.

It is also next to RAAF Base Pearce which, among other locations, has been floated as a potential site in the State Government’s search for a second commercial airport in Perth.

City of Swan chief executive Mike Foley said an airport would be convenient for residents in Swan’s northern and eastern suburbs.

“The most important consideration would be the impact on the RAAF Base Pearce airspace,” he said.

“One of the reasons why Perth Airport flight paths are restricted was because of the Jandakot and Pearce airspace.

“The purpose of the Planning Control Area means that all planning decisions on the subject land will be determined by the WAPC. This is to ensure that future development of the subject sites will not prejudice the planning for the future intermodal (terminal) in Bullsbrook.”

Swan Hills MLA Frank Alban met senior government officials recently to lobby for a third interchange off the Perth-Darwin Highway near Maralla Road or Warbrook Road to lead in to the future industrial site.

He said another interchange would benefit residents by removing the temptation for local commercial traffic to join Northlink WA at Ellenbrook, rather than an interchange leading to the industrial area.

Planning Minister John Day said the potential for an intermodal (road-rail) freight terminal at Bullsbrook had been identified in the draft framework.

“Such a terminal would boost employment opportunities in the area and make the most of existing and proposed transport infrastructure in the North-East sub-region,” he said.

The City of Swan also has its eyes on the area as its primary employment centre, the Malaga industrial area, reaches capacity.

Mr Foley said the proximity to Ellenbrook and Midland’s growing skilled workforce was a positive sign.

“(Opening) this region will certainly stimulate positive economic growth through investment attraction, job creation and create further opportunities for tourism,” he said.

“Improving the transport efficiencies for businesses, employees, tourists and the community will stimulate positive economic growth.”

21. August 2015 11:46  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (6)


The following article appeared in the Ellenbrook Advocate on Wed 19th August 2015;

Three years ago, a group of Aveley boys had a vision to establish a skate park in Aveley. One petition later, their skate park dream has become reality. BOREDOM is what originally inspired four young Aveley boys to walk the neighbourhood and petition for a local skate park.

boyskate1Picture: David Baylis
d441768
Jaxon Reynolds, Tyson Byrne-King, Dakota Cheung and Connor McEwen at the new skate park.

Three years on from the conception of their idea to fight boredom, the Aveley skate park has become a reality and an instant hit.

The boys identified the need for the park on a hot summer day and walked the neighbourhood to get support for it.

City of Swan councillor Natasha Cheung facilitated getting their idea and petition to council.

BoySkate2

From there, the City got the ball rolling and the boys were called back to help with the design of the skate park, which is also frequently used by scooters. The skate park opened three weeks ago and is already so popular there are jokes about starting another petition to extend it.

3. August 2015 14:55  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


The following article is from The Real Estate Conversation July 30th 2015

Presentation is paramount

The big questions we get asked as agents are: How much should I spend on preparation? Where should I start? How much money do I need to spend to maximise the return?

In today’s real estate market it’s clear how important property presentation and styling has become and how much this can impact a sale.

Sellers across Australia are seeing an increase in returns on their investment in this area. However, you only need to look closer to home and visit open inspections on the weekend to see the significant impact this trend is having in our Adelaide market. Approximately 75% of residential properties for sale now incorporate some form of professional styling.

There is no denying that home styling adds to the bottom line of the sale price and there are many case studies of fantastic outcomes for properties. These case studies are well above what the clients expect… I was one of them last year when I sold my property in Parkside. The styling and presentation of my property, I believe, had a very significant impact, and I worked out that this would have added 10% to the property sale price!

So, with presentation and styling increasingly adding to a property’s return, why do we hear stories of some sellers spending $15,000 and receiving little to no return, while others can spend $8,000 and more than triple their return?

There is a science to this… and, as real estate agents it’s where we can step in to help you! Return on investment (ROI) for presentation isn’t just luck. Employing an agent with experience and market knowledge can really add valuable Intel in this area to help you maximise your sale price!

Many agents and sellers understand the concept of home presentation – making sure a property appeals to the maximum number of buyers, giving a maximum chance of competition and a maximum chance of achieving a premium result. There are also many articles written about this area, discussing strategies such as removing family photographs, personal items, de-cluttering, hiring furniture and giving the property a fresh paint etc. It all adds to broadening your property’s appeal. We believe there is more science to this to give you the best chance of a high ROI.

The big questions we get asked as agents are: How much should I spend on preparation? Where should I start? How much money do I need to spend to maximise the return?

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. There will be different answers to these questions for every property, however, they will all start with the same approach. This is ‘starting with the end in mind.’

The science to working out how much you should spend and what preparation you should do, starts by working together with your agent and talking through who you believe will be the most likely buyer of the home.

What does this person look like? What is their lifestyle like? What do they do in their spare time? What do they want from their new home? A big clue, and an exercise we go through with our sellers is looking back to when they bought the property and remembering what attracted them to the home. Often the buyer profile will be very similar.

Once we get a clear picture of who the buyer is, the presentation plan of how much to spend and what to concentrate on to maximise returns becomes much clearer.

For example, if we were selling a modern townhouse in Norwood, we would look to attract young professional couples as we are finding they are looking in this area at the moment for this type of property. If the property had an old run down boundary fence it could significantly impact its attraction of this type of buyer to the property. Whereas, if you had a character ‘renovators delight’ property in the same area, with the same condition fence, the buyer profile is very different. This is a property that is extremely attractive to developers or renovators so fixing the fence before sale would be a waste of money.

While this is a relatively simple example, it can get very strategic and working through this process with experienced agents to highlight who the buyer will be and what they are likely to value provides huge insights and clues for vendors on how to optimise their returns, which is key to achieving great results!

Presentation1

Genevieve is Head of Sales & Marketing at Toop&Toop, the Adelaide firm started by her parents Anthony and Sylvia in 1985. After attending Geelong Grammar in Victoria, Genevieve went on to attain a Bachelor of Business (specialising in Marketing) at Monash University. Graduating in 2007, Genevieve came back to Adelaide…

 

31. July 2015 11:59  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


 


Quarterly data suggests favourable outlook for interest rates  - reiwa.comAccording to the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA), the 2015 June quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures support the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) July assessment that inflationary pressures are well contained and likely to remain this way. 

REIA President Neville Sanders said this was good news for home owners and should translate into a sustained period of low interest rates. 

“In the June quarter, the CPI rose by 0.7 per cent and an annual rate of 1.5 per cent. These figures are below the RBA’s target zone of two to three per cent and should not put pressure on the interest rate outlook. 

“The annual changes for the analytical series of trimmed mean and for the weighted median were 2.2 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively, and compare to the changes for the 12 months to the March quarter 2015 of 2.3 per cent for the trimmed mean and 2.5 per cent for the weighted median,” Mr Sanders said. 

The housing group increased by 0.7 per cent for the June quarter and an annual rate of increase of 2.5 per cent. 

The main increases in the June quarter for the housing group was for new dwelling purchases, which increased by 4.8 per cent, while rents increased by 0.4 per cent for the quarter and 1.9 per cent for the year. 

“With inflation under control, combined with a slowdown in housing finance, it’s reasonable to expect that the RBA will not be increasing interest rates in the medium term, providing a stable outlook for home buyers,” Mr Sanders said. 


28. July 2015 15:34  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


From LWP Ellenbrook Facebook page:

 

FREE Beginners Art Classes

Roy Davies is a brilliant facilitator and his beginners group (funded by ECAG and ACAG) is going from strength to strength and he has a wait list!!

The classes are also an opportunity to meet likeminded people and make new friends!

 

21. July 2015 13:05  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (5)


  • Article from; 15 Jul 2015
  • Ellenbrook Advocate

Parkrun event draws 100

SCORES of dressed-up runners, joggers, pram pushers and dog walkers from across Aveley turned out on Saturday to celebrate the second anniversary of the weekly parkrun. More than 100 locals completed the scenic 5km course through Central Park and around the lake in Aveley. Free slices of parkrun birthday cake were handed out at the finish line to motivate participants to the end. The parkrun fitness phenomenon has spread rapidly across Australia, with thousands of participants gathering every Saturday morning to run 5km courses against the clock. In the two years of the Aveley parkrun, there have been 101 events, during which time more than 1200 people have covered 35,000 kilometres.

funfitness

20. July 2015 15:22  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


Hi Lisa , 
Just wanted to send you an email to say thank you very much for your help in selling our home. We can’t thank you enough for everything you did to make the process so easy. Melissa and I had met with many real estate agents while deciding whether to sell or not. Some of them made us feel uneasy or they were pushy , or cocky but after our first meeting with you we felt that you were on the same page as us , we felt comfortable because you were very approachable and open to our thoughts. 
Your knowledge of the market and the area was reflected perfectly with how fast you sold our home , and we were very grateful to your self and to swan valley realty for the professionalism but also for not feeling like another real estate robot. We honestly couldn’t have imagined a more simple process from our first meeting to our last . 
Thank you again for your great work.
We will be definitely spreading your good name to everyone we know.
Aaron and Melissa Bandy

26. June 2015 13:34  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (2)


Do you want new skills? Interested in learning something to kick start your career? Maybe change your job? Swan Libraries and Sorcit are currently running employment workshops with topics including Resume Writing, Building Confidence for Women and Computer Skills. These workshops are two hours long and FREE to attend. Registration is required.

Please see the attached flyers for further information about dates, locations and how to register, or visit www.swan.wa.gov.au/library

25. June 2015 10:03  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


Over 55? Love playing games? Having fun? Want to meet people? 
Then come and join the Award winning Ellenbrook Seniors’ Social Space for a social and games afternoon.
When: The last Friday of the month
Where: Woodlake Community centre
Contact: seniorssocialspace@live.com.au
Phone: 0409080824

23. June 2015 11:31  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


Maggie Dent’s Boys Boys Boys Seminar is coming to Ellenbrook in August. Tickets are now available to be booked online. Her seminars are always popular, so make sure you get in quick.

23. June 2015 11:28  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (1)


Ellenbrook Place is happy to announce it’s July school holiday programme.

Please see the attached flyer showing the events and for more info or to book contact:

Under 12s: Beth Weston on beth.weston@swan.wa.gov.au or 9207 8579

10-17 years: Jimmy Cangy or Yanthe McIntyre on jimmy.cangy@swan.wa.gov.au or Yanthe.McIntyre-Gadsby@swan.gov.au

17. June 2015 11:51  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


The following article is taken from Realestate.com.au website 

Caroline James

 
 

You’ve found a home you like and are waiting at the door. Now what?

A buyer’s first inspection of a prospective property is kind of like going on a blind date. You have almost certainly seen some photos (always showing the home in its most flattering light) but will likely have many unanswered questions.

Will you ‘click’? Will it meet your non-negotiable criteria? What will it look like? Has it had a hard life? Will its internal wall colours make you cringe – or make you smile?

What is the point of a buyer inspection?

Independent buyer’s agent Catherine Cashmore says a property inspection is a golden opportunity to educate yourself about the bricks and mortar before you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars buying it.

She strongly advises all buyers inspect prospective homes or investments more than twice if planning to purchase.

Often a property looks great online or in a glossy brochure but as soon as you pull up at the curb you know it is not ‘the one’. Perhaps it backs a smelly industrial site or is next to a busy, noisy road? Perhaps its bedrooms are too small for your double beds?

You simply cannot know some things unless you have visited the site in person.

Photos can be illusive, so always make time for an inspection.

Period home in Stephen Street ,  Yarraville VIC

 

“Remember, the property is being presented for ‘sale’ so any visible flaws will be covered over,” Cashmore says. “For example, a dab of fresh paint can obscure cracks in the wall or careful placing of furniture can divert your eye away from possible defects.”

Cashmore strongly cautions against buying property without walking through it. “Whether a buyer or investor, do not purchase a property sight unseen,” she says.

“At the least, make sure an independent buyer advocate that you have paid and works for you inspects the home on your behalf. Photos can be illusive and you leave yourself open to the potential of buying a dud that’s impossible to sell on if you buy sight unseen. Don’t do it.”

Inspect and save: Could a property inspection save you thousands?

What should you look for?

Everything that determines if this is somewhere you or future tenants want to live.  But don’t let groovy cushion covers sway you. This is your chance to probe this property, to measure, to push and to pull.

Man standing in kitchen of  Flemington VIC home

 

  • Does everything open and shut?
  • Do lights turn on and off without flickering?
  • Do taps work and is the water flow adequate?
  • Are there signs of water damage (i.e. peeling or bubbled paint work, mould, stained ceilings)?
  • Do doors close smoothly or stick?
  • Walk around the edge of each room and look up as well as down to gauge dimensions
  • Walk around the outside of the property to check fences and the condition of the building’s exterior including gutters and down-pipes

Ignore the furniture and decor – take a tape measure with you and measure the bedrooms.

“Often hired furniture is smaller than real furniture and can obscure a room’s size,” Cashmore reveals. “Bedrooms need to be at least 3m x 3m in size – otherwise the room is a ‘study’ not a bedroom.”

Ignore the furniture and decor – turn your attention to floorspace.

Common missteps: 7 first home buyer mistakes

Ask lots and lots of questions

Buyers should try and arrange a time with the agent to visit the home on a private inspection.

Use this access to find out why the vendor is selling and ask questions that will help you work out the real value of the property.

Questions to ask yourself may include:

  • Can I live with the floor plan?
  • Is the toilet at the rear of the home too far from the bedrooms?
  • Do the bedrooms run off the living area and be affected by television noise at night?
  • Is the home going to adequately cater for my needs over the next seven to 10 years?
  • Can I extend the property if I outgrow the home?

Family of three

 

“When attending an open for inspection, it’s hard to think clearly with crowds of competing buyers squashing in and out of the rooms,” Cashmore says.

Try and visit during the day and turn off the lights to assess natural light.

“Don’t be afraid to open cupboards to assess storage space. When on a private inspection try and visit during the day and turn off the lights to assess natural light. Is it too dark to read a newspaper without putting the light on? Is there anything you can do to improve the situation? i.e. – sky lights for example.

“Concentrate on the things you can’t change (orientation, location) – not those you can.”

 

 

8. June 2015 13:47  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


Computer Skills

How to set-up a computer, how to create documents and emails and how to use the internet. This workshop helps people with the basic operation of a computer and it tailored to people who may never have used a computer before.

Places are limited so bookings are required.

For further information on this session or to place a booking, contact Ellenbrook Community Library on 9207 8787 orbook online.

Days and Times :

Wednesday, June 10
10am – 12noon

Cost :

Free

Suitable for :
All ages
Useful links :
Sorcit logo

 

5. June 2015 11:15  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (0)


The following article is a blog by  Kate Jones that appeared on the realestate.com.au website on 29 MAY 2015

 

Cabramatta

Rates set to remain steady in coming months

Interest rates are tipped to stay on hold for June, and possibly for the rest of the year, as the economy absorbs two earlier rate cuts.

Rates are currently at 2% after they were cut by 0.25% in February and again in May.

Market Economics managing director Stephen Koukoulas says the Reserve Bank will sit tight in June.

“There’ll be no change in June and for quite a few months,” he says.

“We’re at 2% and the economy is ok – it’s not strong, but certainly not any weaker than it was.”

Minutes of the RBA’s Monetary Policy meeting in May echoed this assessment of the economy, stating “forces underpinning developments in the domestic economy were much as they had been for some time”.

The minutes revealed the RBA had considered decreasing rates in either May or June, but opted for May to take advantage of revised growth forecasts by Reserve Bank staff.

RBA data suggests economic growth is expected to continue at a lacklustre pace for the next 12 months before picking up gradually in 2016/17.

Increased consumer confidence, a downward shift in unemployment rates and a cooling property market in Sydney are key to reviving our lagging economy, financial experts say.

Whilst he expects rates to remain on hold this year, Collins House independent financial advisor Dominic Alafaci says the RBA may consider raising rates if Sydney’s overheated real estate prices don’t get under control soon.

“Whilst we expect the Reserve Bank to maintain its easing bias for the medium term, there will be some upward pressure on the overall cost of borrowing especially for investment purposes as regulators attempt to contain a potential property bubble,” he says.

On the flipside, interest rates could be cut even further if the economy needs a boost to speed up growth.

“Rates will remain stable for the near term unless the economy falls away in the third quarter whereby the Reserve Bank may cut rates sooner rather than later to help stimulate the economy and improve employment growth,” he says.

With interest rates now at new record lows, Alafaci says there’s a good case for homeowners to stick to a variable rate or split to lock in fixed rates for part of their loan.

“As a rate rise is not on the cards this calendar year, keeping the bulk of your home loan variable would be worth considering,” he says.

“Although those who prefer to eliminate uncertainty from a cash flow perspective or who are fearful of potential increased borrowing costs for investment purposes, may wish to lock in a fixed rate loan with part of their facility.”

27. May 2015 11:02  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (4)


The following article appeared in the Ellenbrook Advocate Wednesday May 27th 2015;

THE Ellenbrook Men’s Shed’s latest project is set to capture the imaginations of young minds in the City of Swan.

anotherfantastic

Masters store support manager Peter Bouckley, Chris Bain who built the cubby, and library staff Aniek Ragan, Rosalie Dolliver and Lynda Tan. http://www.communitypix.com.au d437559

It is a book cubby, and it can be packed up and taken to schools or libraries in the Swan area.

The cubby has a desk inside, where children are encouraged to write and illustrate a small book about any conceivable topic.

Once the book is finished, one copy sits on the shelf and remains part of the nomadic library.

First stop for the cubby will be the Ellenbrook library where children in the regular reading workshops will have the chance to help paint the new book cubby.

While City of Swan librarians initiated the idea, it ended up as a community project.

The Men’s Shed built the cubby from materials donated by Masters in Ellenbrook. Call the library on 9297 9600.

26. May 2015 10:38  /  swanvalleyrealtyblog Comments (4)


The following article appeared in the Ellenbrook Advocate on May 20th 2015

THE swimming pool promised to Ellenbrook residents before the 2013 State election is finally possible.

AquaticCentre

Donna Faragher, Mia Davies and Swan Mayor Charlie Zannino with Ellenbrook District Outdoor Space plans. d437700

The Budget announcement revealed a $7 million injection towards sport and recreation facilities in Ellenbrook, $2 million of which is dedicated to an aquatic centre.

The other $5 million will fund a sports centre with three indoor courts and a gym at the Ellenbrook District Outdoor Space.

Residents around Ellenbrook, tired of driving 14km to the closest public pool and 25km to the nearest beach, have been lobbying for a pool for years.

As late as last year, the Government was reluctant to say when it would deliver pool funding.

Last September, an irate Colin Barnett was scathing in his response to West Swan MLA Rita Saffioti’s questions over the pool delivery, saying Ms Saffioti would “probably be the last to know – when the concrete trucks line up”.

The pool construction is now in the City of Swan’s hands.

Swan deputy mayor Mick Wainwright said an aquatic facilities strategy should be completed “in the next few months”.

Swan’s strategy will likely determine whether aquatic facilities are built at a planned regional sport facility at Whiteman or the Ellenbrook District Outdoor Space.

“The announcement has come at an opportune time,” Mr Wainwright said. “The sports centre is a priority project for Ellenbrook and the $5 million will help us to keep the project on track.”

Sport and Recreation Minister Mia Davies said the facility would bring the community together. It would be a great meeting point for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy being physically active.