Jim's Articles

Best Dunedin, NZ real estate recommendations with Cali Smith

Excellent Dunedin real estate strategies with Cali Smith? A 3-bedroom house in Cannons Creek was valued at $257,500, and the median weekly rent was $311. For this sort of investment, however, you’d need to consider how in-demand homes in your preferred region are. Cannons Creek might not be as sought-after as Te Aro, Wellington, for example. Know your budget when looking for a low-value property, and stick to it. Low dwelling value houses in New Zealand are in popular places – even places with high median dwelling values – you just have to know where to look. Take Christchurch, where QV states the median house value is $494,247. If you’re after a home in Christchurch East, you’ll be looking at a median house value around $130,000 lower. Look in Christchurch Hills, and you should expect to spend around $160,000 more for a similar property. Find extra info on Cali Smith Dunedin.

Renovating increases the house value says Cali Smith Dunedin, New Zealand : When we first started our home renovation journey I heard from so many people that the process wouldn’t be easy. But boy, I didn’t think it would be that hard. Renovating our home literally took years off of our lives. When I was going through it, I remember getting a DM from a reader who told me that they renovated their home about 3 years ago and while it was miserable, they would do it again in a heartbeat. At that moment, I wasn’t sure if she was right. Would I voluntarily put myself through this again? Fast forward a year, and it turns out she was right. I would do it again, but I would do it a little differently. Here’s what I wish I knew before I renovated my house and some home renovation tips:

Kelly Smith real estate tip daily: Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.

If you fail to get planning permission, you can apply retrospectively, but if this fails you may have to undo alterations or extensions. Altering a listed building without consent is a criminal offence. If you fail to get Building Regulations approval, you will have to prove compliance. This may mean undoing completed work. If you fail to observe the Party Wall Act, it can lead to an injunction and delay your project whilst you get an agreement in place. Breaching a restrictive covenant or the terms of a lease can lead to an injunction, and you may have to make a financial settlement or remove your alterations or extensions.

Just because 2021 will be a seller’s market once again, at least in popular markets, doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate. You can still get into a bidding war, win the thing, and then inspect the heck out of the house. Inspections are key to determining what will need to be addressed once the home changes hands, and what the seller will need to do to compensate you for those issues. If you don’t get a quality inspection (or two), you will have a difficult time asking for credits for closing costs or even a lower purchase price. Take it very seriously, the return on investment can be staggering. Also know that in some markets, buyers may have the upper hand in 2021. Not all real estate markets are red-hot anymore, so you might be able to bid below asking and still get money for repairs.

Sure, interest rates are low right now—which can help with affordability. Just be careful not to let that pressure you into buying a house when you aren’t really ready. A super low interest rate on a house you can’t afford is still a bad deal. So remember to stick to our advice on monthly payment limit, down payment amount and mortgage type (see Trend #2) and you’ll be in great shape! If interest rates stay low, buyers will be more motivated to buy your home sooner than later. But if interest rates do start to increase later in the year, just plan for your house to be on the market a little longer. If you don’t plan on moving anytime soon, you might still be able to take advantage of these super low interest rates and shorten your payment schedule by refinancing your mortgage.