First home buyers and their mini mansions

John Percudani is the lead story on wangle.com.au today.

"Once again an increase in the First Home Owners Grant is in the headlines.

While this is certainly a way to assist first time buyers into the world of home ownership (also a good way to create some extra energy in the economy), I do worry about what our first home buyers are buying and building.

We really like to use first home buyers. We used them to help save us from recession..." visit the site here to read more

About Wangle:

"wangle publishes opinions from prominent and every day Australians. wangle also features other forms of writing, slice of life stories, a splash of fashion, reviews, photography, art and much more."

IN Holiday

By Ara Jansen

With the holiday season and summer almost upon us, we thought we’d help stock up the drinks fridge.

We’ve come a long way in our drinking tastes from the days of Chateau Cardboard.

Ric Skipworth has spent most of his life working in the food and beverage industry and says in the last four years alone he’s seen a serious shift in buying and drinking habits. Along with a push for fresher, tastier food has come an overwhelming interest to treat alcohol as an integral ingredient in the tastes of the meal.

“I’d like to think we’re drinking less but better,” Ric says. “We’re having less but we’re enjoying the full flavour of something. Much of that has filtered through from all these cooking and dining shows on television.”

He says encouraging the slow food movement also encourages the slower drinking movement.

“As with food, stay away from the meat in a can and buy some Italian sausage. Take your time and enjoy the experience, rather than the instant gratification. It’s not about the alcohol, it’s about the journey. Spend two or three hours in conversation with good friends and slowly enjoy the flavours an alcoholic drink offers.”

Ric suggests if you want to try something different, share a bottle of Denmark’s Mikkeller, a beer brewed with champagne yeast or Scotch whiskey from the island if Islay. He says there’s a wealth of new and interesting tastes across the drinking range and it’s worth the adventure to discover some you like.

Holiday drinking doesn’t have to be all about alcohol either. Keep a carton of bubbly mineral water on hand to sip with ice, make mock gin and tonics or add to fruit juice. It’s refreshing cold or at room temperature.

Stock your favourite fruit juice or try some of the many interesting flavours available. Have lime cordial, bitters, grenadine and soft drinks on hand or try the Italian soft drink chinotto.

Keep and eye out for specials too across the board, so you can save on the staples and favourites.

No matter how you drink over the holidays, please be responsible.

Fine Wine Partners state manager Bernard Hughes picks five wines to stock up on for festive and holiday celebrations:

• Sandalford Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (around $38)
  
• Ashbrook Semillon (around $23)
  
• Capel Vale Debut Chenin Blanc (around $15)
  
• Buy a case to always have on hand: Sandalford Margaret River Classic Dry White (around $17)
  
• If you like bubbles, New Zealand’s Te Hana Reserve Cuvee (around $23) is the new kid on the block. Just launched in WA, its name means “to shine” and is proving an instant hit.

Wine consultant Zach Nelson says he’s chosen wines that “remind me of the holidays and are suited for our climate and our food”. His favourite bottles of holiday cheer are:

• Pol Roger NV Epernay for special occasions (approx $75)
  
• Yellowglen Bella or Bella Bianco for all-round holiday cheer (approx $17.99)
  
• Brookland Valley verse 1 Chardonnay 2009 (approx $19)
  
• Always keep room in the fridge for Valley of the Giants Crisp Dry White (approx $14.99 but specials can be $9.99)
  
• A lovely food wine for hot summers, try something new in France’s La Vielle Ferme Cotes de Ventoux (approx $17.99)
  
• Go the Spanish reds, particularly Torres Sangre de Toro (approx $17.99)

The Holiday Season

“Should I bother trying to sell my home over the holiday period?”

There is a perception that selling a home around Christmas and New Year is a bad idea. It is a question that I get asked a lot. Yes, people have a lot on their minds, but believe it or not, there are a couple of advantages to selling at this time of year.

The New Year often brings with it new beginnings for many of us. Once we get Christmas out of the way we feel a sense of excitement and opportunity for the year ahead and if that involves purchasing a home, you will find people will use their summer holidays to get out there and get the process of finding ‘the one’ underway. Without fail, we see these ‘holiday buyers’ in the market each Christmas and New Year period.

Another reason why selling at this time of year can be a plus is the fact that like most industries, real estate agencies slow down at this time of year. Therefore home open numbers drop, many agents take holidays and don’t run listings until they are back on board.

However, we are currently operating in a market overflowing with stock, but I guarantee a majority will sit idle during the break, which may give rise to more opportunity for your home to get noticed. Perhaps making a move while the competition is on holidays will give you some edge?

But despite all this, selling is all about your specific situation and needs and when you decide it is time to sell, if you pick the right agent it won’t matter what time of year it is. Good agents provide solutions no matter what and if there is one thing I can leave you with as we launch into 2011, it is to be smart about selecting your agent


Happy New Year from Realmark


We would just like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a very happy New Year! Best wishes for the year ahead.

The Realmark team.

The market is flat and we have to wear it

I attended a REIWA event the other day and the outlook was that the market is probably going to continue as is for the next 12 to 18 months. And by continue ‘as is’ I mean it will remain challenged and overstocked.

While it is not very comfortable for some, we need this period to allow the market to find normality. Right now we are feeling the hangover of the GFC and the resulting Government intervention. The stimulus was necessary and it was effective in keeping the country out of recession, but it didn’t come cheap. Demand was pulled forward and now the market is trying to find its way without any outside intervention and we need to leave it alone.

When the market falls into this sort of plateau, people worry and those industries that are driven by the property market find it hard, but unfortunately it is just the name of the game. We need to leave the market to its own devices and that means the Government needs to resist any form of intervention

Just like it has before, the market will come back. We just need to let it do it on its own this time. History shows that when it finds it rights itself, it lifts rapidly.

John

IN Studio

An exciting exhibition at the Fremantle Arts Centre over summer offers a glimpse into the homes and collections of 30 Fremantle artists.

Are the things artists like to collect anything like the art they actually create? Over the summer, you’ll find out by visiting Home Open at Fremantle Arts Centre.

This personal exhibition, with just a hint of nostalgia, is a unique concept where 30 Fremantle artists or artistic couples have chosen art and objects from their collections at home.

Each artist’s choices will be grouped in a tableau to give the viewer an idea of the kinds of things they are passionate about collecting and in turn reflecting the flavour of their home.

“Showing off the work like this gives it some context,” says Chris Hill, one of Home Open’s three curators. “The objects will give people an insight into the personal world of these artists, as well as the objects just being interesting in themselves.

“If you know the artist’s work, now you can also find out what kinds of things they choose to live with.”

Fremantle has always been a haven for artists and creative expression and the artists involved in Home Open are a veritable who’s who of the local and West Australian art scene. From newer artists through to celebrated veterans, they are painters, sculptors, graffiti artists, printmakers, textile artists, photographers and more.

Exhibitors include Brian McKay, Holly Story, Jane Martin and George Haynes, Jánis Nedéla, Max Pam, Megan Salmon, Pam and Tony Jones, Paul Uhlmann, Penny Bovell, Pippin Drysdale, Richard Gunning, Ruth and Trevor Vickers, Tanya Schultz, Theo Koning, Trevor Richards and Twenty Eleven.

The objects they’ll be displaying range from paintings which represent West Australian art history to a rock collection, erotic Japanese art or a map study. All the objects have some relation to their public and private worlds.

Together, the pieces share the story of the artists’ homes, their collecting history, explore why and how they were acquired and their significance.

The collections also reflect an interesting network of relationships. Many of these art collections have grown not just through purchase but have been gifted by friends and loved ones, swapped with fellow artists, are the works of family or have been found. No matter how they have come into their owner’s possession though, they are precious.

Home Open is a delicious, voyeuristic view into the diversity and energy of Fremantle artists and their homes, while sharing some rarely seen, stunning private collections.

“One of the things which struck me is the diversity of what people collect,” says Chris. “Hopefully that will be an inspiration to people who see the exhibition. You can collect – whether it’s expensive art or beautiful things from op shops or even found things. Then it’s how you display them that can make a home interesting.”

Home Open runs from November 27 – January 23 at Fremantle Arts Centre. Entry is free.

Join the Home Open opening party at the Fremantle Arts Centre on Friday, November 26 from 6.30pm. Entry is free but you must RSVP to rsvp@fremantle.wa.gov.au or 08 9432 9565.

IN Jazz

Singer and fashionista Ali Bodycoat wouldn’t trade Perth for quids.

When she was a child the trills and grooves of jazz music washed through the Bodycoat house.

So it’s probably no surprise that Ali Bodycoat became a jazz singer rather than being beguiled by pop. She’s been performing for more than 15 years and Ali has become one of Perth’s most recognised and loved jazz singers.

Starting in hospitality, where she learnt from the city’s best about style and service, Ali did her first professional jazz show in 1995 and never looked back.

These days the glamorous singer is rarely spotted without her trademark bold red lipstick and never wears anything but clothes by celebrated local designer Aurelio Costarella, for whom she also manages Post Emporium, the label’s North Perth store.

Ali is the proud owner of one of Perth’s longest musical residencies – 14 years at The Subiaco Hotel – where her repertoire focuses on great songs rather than just expected jazz standards.

“I swore I would never do songs like Fever or Summertime because I wanted to take the approach of singing beautiful jazz that wasn’t outrageously overexposed,” says Ali. “I wanted to broaden the audience’s journey too. If it’s beautiful music presented well, then people will listen. That’s part of the fantasy and mystery of being an entertainer.

“There’s something about the romance of jazz and the writing for me. The lyrics and the contents are not ashamed to be romantic and even cheesy. “Cole Porter is my most favourite, alongside Johnny Mercer and Gershwin. The fact that most of them wrote both lyrics and music in those days in the style was quite phenomenal.”

Ali has worked in theatre, appearing in productions like Rent and Hair, but recently debuted her self-created one-woman cabaret show, Minor Major Marlene, which was part of this year’s Cabaret Soiree Carnival season Downstairs at The Maj. Her three-night stand was a sell-out and has opened possibilities to tour the show.

While most people consider not leaving Perth to pursue art elsewhere as some kind of failure, Ali has proven you can build a successful, thriving and engaging career here while enjoying the best the city has to offer. She’s gained respect, reputation and plenty of work as well as actively supporting the arts and volunteering for worthy causes like StyleAid.

“I think Perth really is striding ahead compared to other Australian cities. People are actually choosing to move here and that’s really cool to me. Whether it’s music or retail, ideas and styles are really blossoming here.”

Don’t ever tell her Perth is dull. She’s one of our biggest supporters, is outspoken about issues like why the West Australian Symphony Orchestra has no home and wants to encourage everyone to support the wide variety of activities on offer.

“I think Perth has the opportunity to become even more of a hub for all kinds of arts – from music and fashion to food. We’ve got a new theatre coming and newer venues like The Ellington and The Bird are showing people it’s possible.”

buy, buy, buy

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – when the market is uncertain, smart people act.

Smart buyers start paying attention when they cross match underlying economic fundamentals with phrases like: Uncertain property market! Increase in days on market! Increasing stock levels! Low auction clearance rates! Basically when you are a savvy buyer, you know that there is good opportunity hiding behind negative talk and bad news.

Right now the property market is weighed down with uncertainty and it is showing in a number of different ways, houses are taking longer to sell, prices are fluctuating and stock levels far outweigh clearance rates. There are a lot of different reasons as to why this is happening and unless you have a crystal ball there is no telling how long it will last. What is certain is the fact that right now is a good time to step up and make an informed move.

Anti-cyclical buying is the very best buying there is, but it takes smarts. You have to be able to make the decision to press go despite the negative talk coming from all angles. You have to make the first move, you need to act before the herd (who are sitting on the fence). History shows that when the market turns it recovers very quickly and big gains are made by those already positioned in the market, and not by those playing catch up.

I always come back to the point that this state is staring down the barrel of a significant housing demand increase and as the population grows and employment improves the squeeze will again push buying and rental prices up, especially when you start to recognise the relative difference in property values in the WA market in comparison with other Australian markets.

This may very well be your chance for good buying, don’t waste it.