July 31, 2010
A few days ago the CEO of realestate.co.nz wrote a piece on his blog that drew attention to the fact that many companies in Real Estate do indeed make a real effort to put something back into the community.
2010 Summit Rescue Helicopter Appeal Day Overall Results
With that in mind, I’m proud to say that the team at Summit in Stoke, of which I’m a member, received this thank you from the Summit Rescue Helicopter.
As an office our team in Stoke raised the most – thanks to the generosity of local residents. Even though it was cold, it was certainly worth being out collecting on the day, many folks had stories, and earlier in the day while I was standing outside the local New World collecting, a young lady came up with a healthy donation, and said yes my Mum was rescued that past weekend.
Even at Summit you don’t have to look far to see the lives it touches, at least 3 Summit agents or partners have had unscheduled trips in the Rescue Chopper over the last few years.
Each branch, each & every real estate salesperson and each management team support the Rescue Chopper with funding. I am lead to believe the amount approaches a six figure sum each year, and Summit have just this year, re-affirmed their commitment again to the Rescue Helicopter organisation.
Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel
If you are curious where the chopper is now or from whence its last mission was, click on the picture above and you’ll be taken to a “live-GPS-view” from the chopper itself.
July 31 2010 | General and Nelson | No Comments »
July 29th, 2010
Launch of new-look government business website
As if a gentle reminder was needed, BNZ Chief Economist Tony Alexander reinforced it for all in the audience this morning in Nelson, we lead Australia in the numbers of small businesses operating when directly compared to them.
Site Re-Launch today
So its good news to see a further initiative from the government for this sector.
According to Small Business Minister Maurice Williamson, a new-look government website was launched today. Per the news release, the portal was originally created in 2007 and has now been updated.
IRD Tool for Business
Referring to the new www.business.govt.nz site, Mr Williamson is reported as saying, its been redeveloped to be a first-stop-shop for businesses in New Zealand……………..
Get a Business Health Checkup
…….and its aim………to help save small business owners time and money.
“The portal will be a single repository for all the information a business person would need to start, manage and grow their business,” he says.
Mr Williamson believes “We have listened to what small business owners told us about interacting with government departments. They told us we had great tools and great information, but nobody knew where to find it.”
SITE – http://www.business.govt.nz/
July 29 2010 | General and Nelson and New Zealand and retirement | No Comments »
July 24th, 2010
Heads Up for sellers here.
The advice here is that if you go with the Higher Profile advertising that many organisations, just like my company offers, then either read the fine point or get a commitment from the agent that………….
If I sign up for a 4-6 week campaign and the home sells in a week do I get a full refund less just that weeks higher profile advertising already spent?
There is usually one exception to this, and it happens to all companies because of a thing called “deadlines.” Therefore depending on how early in the week your property sells (goes unconditional) it still may not be possible to pull the advert from that current weeks forthcoming Friday/Sat/Sun advertising.
As an aside, there are other obvious exceptions to any high profile campaign too, items like Internet Feature advertising or a Large photo sign board, these are the usual standard fixed costs, generally requiring payment to each respective supplier up front, and as such would not typically be subject to any type of refund situation.
These being the exceptions though, there is no reason in the world that you cannot expect to get a refund for any monies not committed or spent on any type of print media campaign. I have yet to hear of a Newspaper that asks for all the money up front for a 4-6 week campaign.
The reason for writing this is that I have this week come across a seller who sold their last property with another company some time back, and yes they sold in a week…..but no they could and did not get a refund of the many thousands they had written the Marketing Fund cheque out for.
July 24 2010 | Nelson | 1 Comment »
July 23rd, 2010
Information on rental rates in a locality can serve a couple of main purposes;
1] assist home buyers moving into the region with their temporary or permanent accommodation budgets
2] enable out of town investors to plan/budget/forecast potential returns for an investment property in Nelson
Here is the latest Market Rent update courtesy of the Dept of Building & Housing for the period 01-JAN-2010 to 30-JUN-2010
This information is compiled from bonds lodged.
NELSON CENTRAL
All chart source data comes from New Zealands Department of Building and Housing.
PORT HILLS / TAHUNANUI
Rather than show the averages like the last few updates, I decided it was more representative of our local market to highlight the differences between Nelson Central, as in town, the hills as in Port and Tahunanui Hills, and Stoke / Nayland.
STOKE / NAYLAND
That’s the reasoning behind having the 3 separate charts here.
As is plain to see when comparing the three charts, town (Nelson Central) is made up of a more densely packed population, hence the larger number of small bedroom number flats and apartments.
At the other end of the spectrum is Stoke, along with its wider choice of all age schooling options. This is evidenced in the preponderance of homes when compared to flats/apartments.
There you have it, up to the end of June 2010, that what renters are paying weekly in Nelson.
DATA SOURCE – NZ Department of Building and Housing
July 23 2010 | Buyers and Nelson and Stats / Sales Data | No Comments »
This is what happens when a Real Estate Agent tries to
wear two hats, that of a Real Estate Agent and that of a professional “Home Stager.”
Very interesting take on window dressing is all I can say.
And another……
See I went to this course on “Home Staging” and…
they taught you how to “stage” a house for sale.
Glad I went……
And this agent……
It really does look like he didn’t attend the training course on Home Staging that day….
Really how hard would it have been to move the chairs.
Then again if the agent didn’t have the time to do that then its no wonder……
1. the desk/file trays left of the computer are a mess
2. items haven’t been removed off the bed
3.the rubbish bin removed to take the picture.
July 19 2010 | Refs Choice and photography | No Comments »
Theres something about hotel bedrooms.
........the starchy pillows?
Is it the number or size or volume of the pillows?
Perhaps its the symmetry that helps align things after a stressful day at work?
Whatever it is, few will argue that in many good hotels, the bedrooms are definitely a comforting place, and an easy place to fall asleep in. Others say that is down to the design of the room, the furniture and the surroundings and soundproofing.
That said, you can’t exactly do everything, budget withstanding, to the equivalent of a hotel in the space of your own bedroom.
MD of leading UK hotel design specialist Occa Home, Kate Mooney, seems to be the person responsible for the videos and tips above hosted at housetohome.co.uk.
click to go there...
However courtesy of that UK site, housetohome, you can go quite a long part of the way there yourself.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out the other great inspirational makeover type videos there too;
Click above to be taken to the site.....
How to create a hotel-style bathroom.
…..and while you’re at it…..
How to create the perfect boy’s bedroom – SEE VIDEO
and…
How to create the perfect girl’s bedroom – SEE VIDEO
Great tips here.
SOURCE – http://www.housetohome.co.uk
July 19 2010 | General and Sellers and Technology and The Market | No Comments »
July 18th 2010
You know the feeling.
You’ve just brought that new 50” Full HD LCD screen and the week after its delivered some glossy junkmail arrives from XYZ electrical retailer (different than where you brought yours) proclaiming that exact same TV now comes with a free/bonus Blue-Ray™ player!
You’d spent hours researching the different brands, brightness, colours and the respective warranties. You’d watched the prices for at least a month. How could this happen.**
But you know what?
You would think when someone is looking to sell their pride and joy, their biggest asset that they would carry out some hours of due diligence beforehand.
Frankly, it seems like many just don’t.
bit of a drop if I don't say so myself.......
Otherwise why do we see headers to Real Estate advertisements like this?
When you make your list up selecting what criteria to choose an agent from/by, there is one thing that should be at the top of that list.
And that thing is…..how realistic are they in their appraisal price? Does the agent “buy listings?” Do they have an above average track record of getting the pricing wrong.
In the Nelson Real Estate market, is there any way I can find this sort of info out before hand?
Luckily in regards to New Zealand Real Estate, there is a way you can find this information out.
And as luck would have it, it’s real easy to do.
look for any trends......
All you have to do is go back over your last 2-4 Property Weeklies / local weekly Real Estate features.
See if you can spot if there are any trends……….. ie; which person seems to have more than their fair share of “PRICE REDUCED” or “PRICE REDUCTION” stamped across their adds.
....just another coincidence?
Then imagine yourself in the shoes of one of the owners of the homes in that situation.
After all this could very likely be the same situation you will find yourself in, experiencing the type of stress associated with lowering your expectations some weeks down the line from the listing date?
Forewarned is forearmed.
** – as it turns out there are some electrical stores where this sort of thing doesn’t happen, DSE, for example have a 14 day Satsfaction Guarantee policy to alleviate the pain that such a scenario as painted could cause.
July 18 2010 | General and Nelson and New Zealand and Sellers and The Market | No Comments »
July 16th, 2010
It will be the 10th year running that the ceremony has been conducted in Australasia’s biggest fishing port, Port Nelson.
Thousands of people usually show up, and donations and takings from the many events planned will go to help the operating expenses of the Port Nelson Mission to Seafarers. (the charity also has funding & support from Port Nelson Ltd, various local churches & industries & the NZ Community Trust.)
This facility, on McGlashen Quay offers ships crew 24 hour access to the internet, and is staffed by volunteer hosts who open it each night.
The annual Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony is held to signify & celebrate the start of the main Hoki and Scallop fishing seasons.
The official ceremonies take place at the Seafarers Memorial on Sunderland Pier, just off Wakefield Quay and therefore it is also quite a sombre time, remembering the reason for that memorials monument.
The formal Blessing Service commences at 1pm tomorrow, and shortly there after at just after 1:25pm there will be a minutes silence to remember all those proud seafarers who never came back home. Some doves will be released and many ships horns will sound. Lord Nelson will follow up by firing his cannon.
HMS Pukaki arriving Friday am....
HMNZS Pukaki arriving this morning, part of the NZ Royal Navy official presence.
Performing for the camera?
Don’t know whether she was just posing for the webcam or not here.
CSAV Rio Illapel outside The Cut...
VLCC about to enter The Cut at Port Nelson, arriving this morning from Lyttelton.
CSAV Rio Illapel entering the Haven having just transited The Cut
VLCC now inside the haven.
CSAV Rio Illapel heading off back to Yokohama - Japan
Today’s visit was a bit of a whistle stop – boy they really do turn these big ships around fast today – in to Port, unload – load up – leave Port and all in about 6hours!
Fireworks start the precedings.....
Fireworks tonight marked the official commencement of the Ceremonies.
As keen eyes may have noted all of todays photos above are snapshots from the Takeabreak Webcam that’s located above the Waterfront Cafe down on Wakefield Quay near The Boatshed.
Summit Rescue Chopper at home base
The Summit Rescue helicopter is scheduled to conduct a demonstration sea rescue between 1:45 ~ 2pm on Saturday too.
Links to the other “Takeabreak” Nelson SnapitHD webcams are on the top left side of this page.
UPDATE:
Another Nelsonians view of the event is here with photos.
July 16 2010 | General and Nelson | No Comments »
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