Page 20 - Tropic Magazine Issue 17

TROPIC • REAL ESTATE

Recently sold by Belle Property Cairns at Holloways Beach

Agents View

Belle Property Cairns
Words Nicholas Slatyer
As I write this at the tail end of the
first quarter of 2019, it looks like
we’ve had a very strong showing. The
volume of sales has been extraordinary
given that the first quarter of the year
is traditionally our slowest. I was
prepared for the worst given November
and December was very flat for us and
everyone else I spoke to.
WHY ARE WE BUSY NOW?
I think at the moment we have a
meeting of the minds with our buyers
and sellers. Sellers know that the because of a report that read terribly.
property market in general (across The owners were horrified. We had it
Australia) is softening and are accepting checked and in total the repairs were
of the prices we are getting. There are just a few thousand dollars to rectify
some schools of thought that maybe but the buyer was spooked, and I
we run counter-cyclical to the southern couldn’t fix the situation. End result -
markets and maybe that is what we the buyer is without a very good house, ON RENTAL VACANCY RATES...
are seeing. the seller without their million dollars
They say with golf that the good and the building inspector got $500 and
shots keep you coming back for more rode off into the sunset. Our latest survey results
(with my swing, not a feeling I’ve STYLE GUIDE
experienced) and we had one of those In what is still a competitive market show that the trend
sales this month. We just achieved for sellers, we are seeing very positive rental vacancy rates for
the highest price since 2013 for a results from styling and prepping of December 2018 stood at
residential property in Cairns. It’s a homes for sale. I think the name of
house in Holloways Beach that I sold the game at the moment is to get the 1.3% for houses, 1.9% for
almost 10 years ago for $3.7 million house as close to perfect as possible. units and 1.6% overall.
and this sale, like that one, was pretty Vanessa Robinson just basically re- Coupled with the low
straightforward. This property is one invented a home that I thought might
of those special ones that if it is what be quite tricky to sell. The sellers level of new rental supply
you are after, you know you won’t get it repainted the exterior (it was yellow), being created due to very
anywhere else. did a full interior styling, spruced up low levels of new housing
HARD YARDS the gardens… everything basically. construction and reduced
To the outside world, it must look like The target was high $600,000s and at
we put up an ad, do an open home the first open house we had 18 groups levels of investor housing
or two, sign a contract and sit back through, resulting in three offers and a activity, rental market
and relax. By my reckoning, I think sale at well over $700,000. conditions are expected to
we do about 70% of our “sales” work Still, it is a tricky market. Great results
after the contract is signed. One of the mixed with some not so great. stay tight and/or stressed
biggest issues for the uninitiated is the for some time.
building and pest report. The amount MORE: Contact Nicholas
of time we spend running around on 0409 002 233 or
sorting out (generally) mundane issues visit belleproperty.com/cairns
is incredible. Every house, even new Rick Carr,
ones, has stuff on a report. Late last Herron Todd White
year we lost a contact at over $1 million

20 • Tropic • Issue 17