I was speaking to a local chap back in Oct/Nov who indicated to me he would have the first Draganfly to fly in New Zealand ………very possibly based in Nelson.
The what?
Cue the video……
Six months ago (with Oz support) I assisted a friend to complete a “business case” on importing one of these to aid with aerial photography opportunities ……now it looks like he mightn’t need to.
DraganFly Aerial Panorama
Now in what could only be described as a “killer app” for the Draganfly, comes news in the form of a 360° Panorama, from an aerial stablized platform! Click the above 360 Aerial Tour photo and you decide?
I also noted on their website, the other applications such technology would afford, and was surprised to hear the person mentioned tell me that he already has the “thermal imaging” kit on order.
Potential use -- Leaky Homes?
Crop Investigation
Know anyone who grows their own grapes, heres another thermal imaging potential use of the technology in a Vineyard application.
There are heaps more I’m sure.
After seeing the 360 panoramas now I can’t wait to see what it can do locally.
My respect for him would have been grander if he had of done the full job in the first place.
Q300s Ready for Business Nelson Airport Sunday AM
However be that as it may, soon you won’t have to catch a plane here to view the areas that Google left out on their 1st implementation of Nelson imagery.
No matter what I just can’t quite screen capture what I want to show you about the many parts of our town that had been left off Googles original Streetview presentation, just take it from me that they did miss out many many places.
Driving back from an appointment I spotted an unusual car ….…..yes it was an ole friend back in town, hadn’t seen EFR388 for at least a year.
Strangely, he looked a bit worse for wear, and for one of the most “cashed up” companies in the world, was displaying something that I was surprised to see………… duct tape.
Google Streetview Car 2008
Just one glance at that apparatus on last years photo (above) re whats on top of its roof, and then comparing that to this years photo (below)…….you don’t have to be from MENSA to notice……….
Google Streetview Car 2009
…….quite some differences.
In the microprocessor industry, where the chips that run PC’s come from there is a law called Moores Law.
It runs along the lines that everything gets incredibly more powerful (by 100% at least) at the same time that it shrinks at least 50% every few years…..we’ll at least that’s how Intel…and AMD, on the back of that wave, have surfed along quite comfortably offering faster, but smaller processors.
....compare
Then why does this current arrangement on the Holden Astras roof seem to “mock” that theory?
I suspect that this bit of kit is doing a heck of a lot more data gathering that last years model.
Perhaps the photos may be of a much higher resolution too? Maybe video?
2009 Streetview Car rooftop setup
When your company is making USD$1.35million net profit a day, (last years audited figures) every single day of the week, you can do lots of things.
With EFR388 back in town, hopefully we won’t have to wait too long before we see what sort of photos were taken.
EFR388 was in town back in 2008 but from tracking her progress that day………..nothing was replicated on the web. Obviously prior to that trip, a Google car must have been here before that to map out our original “Streetview” style imagery.
Dec 2009’s arrangement though, well she looked even more hi-tech that last time, and in light of Googles Maps / Earth / Android cell phone developments this past year one can just imagine what they must be up to.
I’m thinking about the possibilities of mashing up Google Voice Android / Traffic Data / Augmented Reality / Maps / Google Earth / their new Real estate modules, etc here?
And I’d say GPS makers do have something to be concerned about?
This is a follow on / up to my Preview post of a couple days back.
Here are the Official REINZ figures released yesterday, Monday 14th Dec 2009.
Nelson/Marlborough
The region median price for a Nelson/Marlborough home nudged up from Octobers $320,000 to $326,000 in November. The Institute report that in the region overall 199 houses sold vs 206 last month, October 2009. A year ago in November 2008 the figure was 154.
As mentioned earlier 100 houses sold in Nelson City in November (Vs 93 in October 2009 and 59 last year in November ). Likewise the median price for a Nelson City home increased to $320,000 (Vs $315,000 the month prior and $330,000 in November 2008.
With property investment at the top of the list for Kiwi assets, the”safe as houses” thread was reinforced again with the Institute noted that since 2000 when the median home price was NZD$174,000, national median home prices have doubled. They also commented that the NZ median home price “is also up $17,500 or 5.2 percent on the median price for November 2008.”
One thing to stand out was the fact that Nelson did not “standout.”
In other words no specific mention in the November Sales report re any major surge or falls.
This is a good thing because as I frequently contend, its further evidence that our market is a stable one, witness this snapshot from a latest REINZ chart.
You can’t help but spot the fact of the purple and blue lines getting very close can you?
Ample demonstration that you must get your price right first time in todays market.
Its also a sign that that the stock on the market is tight.
Further illustration of our area’s situation on the national map is ventured with this graphic, again another snapshot from a latest REINZ chart.
You can see that Stoke’s blue line very closely tracks the nation (the dark green line)and in fact Richmond isn’t too far off either, signs of a healthy and sturdy local market. The bright green one, well that’s from another part of the country, but I thought it adds contrast to what I’m talking about.
I can’t believe my luck……..here I was posting all these items about Boomers new homes design…..and you know what…….courtesy of an email just in from Switzerland, I’ve been alerted to this……….weirdly its already in my own country.
If you have been following my previous part1 / 2 / 3 posts on what, you, as a boomer, are going to do when it comes to building your next dream home, the one that will last you and yr partner till they “take you out in a box” then listen up………
Check outthis site, not simply because its exactly what I’ve been proposing……..but it will save me from having to post Tip #5, moreover you’ll just get one get heck of a lot of good stuff out of it.
And as I have pointed out before, ultimately if your lifestyle means you are going to live for another 50 years then this is the best that you can do, in home design, if you have to sell ever again. That way ensuring any resale opportunity will get that premium dollar …………….which will then enable yourselves to continue onwards in a healthy financial way.
PS…… Based on his established history as a spokesperson for “the people” I feel Dave Russell is a guy that I can respect
PPS….there seems to be a lot of effort put into what these folks are doing on this website…and so I believe you could do a lot worst than sign up to their “Lifetimes” Newsletter……….what could be the worst thing to happen ………perhaps you could get an idea that helps you to live out your golden years in a lot more peace than what was otherwise possible….?
THIS POST ALSO DUPLICATED ON ACTIVERAIN a few days ago……………but thought that considering the amount of readers here that probably regularly visit there…….it was worth posting here.
The Biggest Houses in the world, it would seem, are in Australia, USA and New Zealand……and in that order.
You see the ubiquitous word “lifestyle” bandied around so much these days.
So here’s the question I pose.
Have you considered that the actual larger size of our dwellings in Australiasia may have a lot to do with our lifestyle, or a visitors perception of it, perhaps, even if its only in an involuntary / unconscious sort of way?
Involuntary / Unconscious?
Well many visitors from overseas visiting NZ or Australia for the first time seem to always be struck by the lifestyle, well thats what they tell us/me anyway.
What I’m wondering out loud here is if the fact that our larger residences, say in comparision to the UK for example, could play a bigger psychological role in forming that overall lifestyle equivalent equation.
After all our larger Open Plan living area’s do mean you aren’t constantly bumping into another family member, or having to put up with juniors constant beep beep beeping of his handheld game machine…..something that might be just a tad different when your reception room is just 14ft x 12ft?
Usually large residences are the realm of Hollywood stars, millionaires, residents of California or Florida, or those folk who feature in editions of that US TV Show “Extreme Makeover.”
Just consider the above chart if you will.
The latest report was commissioned by the Commwealth Banks research arm Commsec, via ABS data.
The Courier Mail quoted CommSec’s Craig James as saying;
“The increase in the size of the average family unit may mean that fewer new homes need to be built”
One also wonders whether the fact that Kiwis and Aussies have so much of their individual personal wealth tied up in their family home doesn’t have something to do with it either.
Then again I’m not so sure that all countries measure the same way as we do too. I mean do other countries always count the garage square meterage as part of the home, likewise porch or patio?
And in a slightly related yet interesting factoid the Sydney Morning Heralds Peter Martin reported in his front page Monday story last week, that in Australia fully 1 in 7 new homes (15%) are only replacing demolished homes. That is interesting.
This quote below, albeit from April 2005, from Ian Graham of nationmaster.com also adds to the discussion;
The only point being made here is that people in the top five countries for this statistic have a lot of space, and that they all speak English, which is a factor of their sharing a common mother country. It isn’t surprising for the United States, New Zealand, Canada and Australia to have such large houses, since those countries all have population densities of less than 30 people per square kilometer, far less than the United Kingdom’s rate of 244.69 people per square kilometer.
One point I could make is that, along with its language, England also exported a culture which valued individuality and privacy, and also that these former colonies have prospered economically, with New Zealand having the lowest ranking of the five in GDP per capita, at 35th-highest in the world. Presumably, people in Pakistan, India and Nicaragua would build houses large enough so that up to three people didn’t have to share a room, if they could afford to.
Other points could also be made, such as the relationship that seems to exist between controlled population growth (all five of the countries with the largest houses have an average annual increase of less than one percent) and a higher standard of living.
Also in Australia, their Bureau of Statistics data in that report commissioned by CommSec also showed the average floor area of new free-standing houses (thats not including apartments or flats) across the ditch was 245.3sqm, a record high they stated.
CommSec’s Craig James told the ABC, in referring to new build house, that;
our homes are about a third bigger than they were 20 years ago, and 10% bigger than they were a decade ago
And the last interesting factoid to leave you with, courtesy of demographia.com ……….
Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, the average new detached house in Australia and New Zealand has increased by an amount equivalent to the average total size of a house in United Kingdom.
I guess as a Kiwi theres only one word to say here……Hmmmm?
** the Pole House pictured top is available to rent out for your next holiday I see here.
From a practicality point of view, Tip 4 is probably the most “wanting” thing that I see missing from new homes, be they for aging boomers or other age categories.
Conveniences to look forward to with a slide-out…….. are things like;
1] not having to reach over something to get to it.
2] having easy access for bulky / heavier items, that could simply…..because of their weight / obscure handling design.…..just slip from hands under a normal pantry environment
3] assisting to reduce the amount of “out of date” merchandise, mainly by quashing the amount of “I’ll use that one day” but it gets something put in front of it ….pattern
4] just ease of physical use, especially if mobility was ever to be an issue
5] everythings clearer! courtesy of the fact that once everything is rolled / wheeled /or slid out you can so much easier conduct a visual examination of an item rather than trying to dechiper one buried in the corner of a dark corner pantry.
6] pound for pound (oophs thats kilo for kilo) you get more real estate, more storage space
7] almost the single most overlooked part of this equation, you know that sort of “deja-vu” when you look at the final plan, or arrive on site to do a “3/4’s finished construction eyeball” that all of a sudden that space between the fridge and the wall or oven isn’t really that big now……….thoughts spring to a dual width vertical “bookcase style” winerack about now….but theres about another 2-3″ you just can’t figure what to do with.
Wallah!
Forget the bookshelf cubby hole style winerack and use that plus those extra 2-3″ to give yourself a present….yes thats right……..a fantastic pull out vertical pantry.
Download their flyer here. (PC disclaimer here – nope I’m not in any way associated with them – they just are smart when it comes to using the web to show me exactly what can be done, in very clear large photos, and I like that.)
Its not hard to see that in the end it just comes down to imagination…….oh and physically possible techniques…….then again even on that front……if its something that you conceive, in the world we live in today, it just might be possible?
To my way of thinking few other innovations in the house can make the difference that this small change can. Talking to just about everyone who has one now in their kitchen, the elevator pitch is just about universal “how did I ever do without one of these?”
Most of those that I have seen in new builds conform to the standard cupboard / shelf width style, but hey theres nothing stopping you from being creative….even as far as having adjustable shelving……remember Point 2] above.
Some folks actually have 2 of them! And in questioning them, if they built again they’d probably go for 3! Now what does that tell you?
You really do owe it to your long term sanity to build one of these into your next new kitchen, heck if you don’t want to pay someone else, watch thisand DIY.
Store items in your pantry by category. A well-designed pantry can hold much more than food, including dishes and cookware.
Pots, Pans, cooking bowls, surely the advantage offered by a slide-out pantry must be one of the blessings of life now?
But at the end of the day, in all but 1% of cases, it all comes down to cost, and frankly everyone would have all these extra features and more….as long as it doesn’t cost more than 3% of the build cost……..that’s the figure that all the worldwide research shows could turn the corner.
As can be seen from the above, asking prices in our region increased more than anywhere else in the South Island.
ABOVE GRAPHIC – NZ Property Report November 2009 – New Property Listings
There was a slight improvement in listings coming onto the Nelson market in November 2009, however “on the ground” it didn’t really have a noticeable effect on the local market over those 4 weeks. The feeling was still one of a shortage of listings to satisfy the amount of buyers out there on the street.
Really nothing conclusive about this chart, more a steady as she goes snapshot.
Volume was considerably up on November period of twelve months ago, 100 last month vs 59 sales in November 2008.
A slight nudge upwards in the median price from last month to $320,000 (based on preliminary figures only)
“Days taken to Sell” blew out a bit compared to Oct, 43 vs 28 (again based on preliminary figures) but up on the 57 days it took back a year ago in Nov 08.
CHART – click on above for larger version
Sections still rebounded …….with 14 sold in November 2009, off the previous months 27 units, but still a healthy number nonetheless.
In our local predominantly family market 3 bedroom homes dominate, taking out 55% of the units by percentage last month. That said as the above graphic depicts, there’s still a healthy 2 bedroom one too.
Overall it seems that the volume of 2 and 3 bedroom units/homes sold detracted volume from the 1 bed and 4 / 5+ bedroom ends of the market.
Official REINZ November 2009 figures should be out in the next few days, after which I may update these.
You’ve surely heard before the saying that starts “where there’s a need….”
My previous comments here about the state of some Real Estate photography may not have fallen on the ears of those real estate agents for whom it was intended.
You know the ones who try to take photos when their results quite clearly indicate it should have been left to a professional photographer.
Looking at this the other way, the need out there is from the buyers and sellers in Real Estate to have those all so important first impressions/photos. They recognise that great photography, descriptive shots, as in elevated or aerial ones giving an “out of towner” the lay of the land, can do much too “pip” a buyers interest, and encourage them to further their inquiries on a selected property.
Don’t forget, buyers aren’t just looking at internet listings to visit, they are looking at those ones that they can “cross off” quickly too.
If you make this easy for them, with unattractive, uninviting photographs (remembering people buy emotionally and not logically) then you’ve shot yourself in the foot.
So it is fortunate for those agents mentioned, that Googles latest perspective / “angled” / slant view is only currently available in the states, with just a few towns likeSan Jose and San Diego in California currently available, according to a post on their weblog.
So what is it?
If you look at the image left – snapshot’d from(link will only work as long as this property is still listed for sale) US search real estate engine Trulia you may notice something, even at this reduced resolution.
Yes the Google Streetview image is still there.
But……..then just below that?
….is the new one, its the new “angled” / perspective view.
Google’s blog post has the following to say about it;
“This new perspective gives users the ability to tilt their view of the world. In addition to seeing hotel rooftops like in our current “satellite” view, users can now see both the rooftop and sides of the hotel at an angle. In fact, users can rotate around all the sides of a hotel to get 4 different views from back to front.”
I sense Aerial Photographers out there may see a part of their business being taken away by this development.
Another competitor to Trulia is Redfin in the states and their implementation is slightly diffrent.
In this listing for a USD$15m McMansion, they present the one window, and offer you the viewer the options, as arrowed, to see the different angled views, alongside their normal selection, for yourself………this option perhaps better suited to mobile devices because at a guess, the one window would save $$$ on download bandwidth.
You might recall that I’ve previously spoken about ActiveRain, the no. 1 “Realtor” Network in the States.
Not just because I am one of the few overseas members there ( thats why on the admin’s advice you might notice I show up as a Hawaii realtor), but mostly because it is number 1, and even more certainly because of the way forward that it points.
What I mean in that statement is really quite important, and candidly the only way this sort of thing will ever have longevity. (check out some of their posts if you don’t believe and I dare you to tell me after reading a dozen of them you haven’t picked up at least some good advice)
Answer me this?
Do weblog readers want to be bombarded with advertising?
Do weblog readers want to be bombarded with “how great thou is” or “how great thouse deeds have been?”
Do weblog readers want to be bombarded with cunning “Last Chance” or “You’ve been specially selected” headings anymore?
The point here is that todays interested web-surfer can find all of this in a jiffy if they want, and frankly that is the whole enchilada……….finding what you want, when you want, on your terms, in the most convenient place, time & way.
………..Add to that todays designated “web-surfer” is actually a future cashed up property buyer, then you realise their radar is peaking higher than Joe 90’s……and take that to mean that their corresponding “b*llsh*t radar is just as highly tuned.
They only want………..well actually …….. only what they really want!
I, like some of my colleagues have surely sat here and felt guilty posting so regular that at times when you view the “Voices” list of notifications, out of the 4-5-6 featured posts, you can often see one of our names appear more than once.
Not for choice let me tell you……..its just that we have a story to tell, or information to impart.
Importantly, and the best thing about this platform, is that any information posted is subject to 100% public dissection, critique, …………so basically its completely open to any disagreeable persons comment, and that to my way of thinking is such a valuable resource……….but alas……….whose participating….. Hmmmm?
So……..why aren’t more professionals using it?
There is nothing to lose.
Frankly I don’t know why they aren’t.
But let me tell you, our cousins across the big ditch, think they refer to it as a “pond” in their terms, are encompassing the whole spectrum of open transparency in a ……..well …….cue the obligatory graph here
….very expansionary way………near on 20% increase in numbers, and how much is that…..only 27042 NEW MEMBERs in the last 9 months!
Let me repeat that number……
27,042
in about 9 months, amongst some of the toughest times States side real estate consultants will tell you.
And our equivalent situation here in NZ, in what I would have to term just a slightly less skewed market than that of the USA……….well count them……..someone would know……….I’d guess 20-50 at max.
Bit of a difference in numbers I’d suggest, but I’m relying on school cert maths holding up here.
I want to use all the words available in the english language to say what I think here, but on the grounds of professional courtesy…….I have to refrain.
I feel the force is amongst us, (in fact yes here it is, strangely enough very strong, at least double any other region of NZ) but anyway the observant here can easily, I hope, spot a trend in the above graphic?
Please tell me why Kiwi Realtors – Real Estate Professionals………”just don’t get it?”
If you make this easy for them, with unattractive, uninviting photographs (remembering people buy emotionally and not logically) then you’ve shot yourself in the foot.
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