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3rd July 2008
Welcome to the Latest News from Elders Real Estate Cleveland! Please Click on the Banner below to view our new and updated Corporate Profile New Listings
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View more Rentals here Greed is at the root of the housing crisis
By the 1990s, successive Australian governments lost sight of the fact that their primary objective in housing policy was to meet the shelter needs of the community. This reflected the changing aspirations of the middle-class, who saw investment in housing as a safe store of value and property as a more tangible form of investment than shares. It wasn't long before the politicians saw that one of the most effective ways of attracting and retaining the aspirational voter was to change the tax system to make investing in housing more attractive than alternative investments. The result is that housing is now less affordable (prices and market rents in relation to incomes) than any time over the past century. Professor Julian Disney, director of the Social Justice Project at the University of NSW told the Senate Select Committee on Housing Affordability summed it up: "A major cause of our problems is that we have excessive exemptions for owner occupiers from capital gains tax, land tax and the pensions asset test. They are so generous they have driven up housing prices. They have ended up being not in favour of home ownership; they are in favour of current owners." The subsidies are breathtaking. According to the inquiry, in addition to the $50 billion a year in tax expenditures, the exemption of owner-occupied housing from the assets test for the aged pension costs a further $10 billion a year. source : domain.com.au Expect no complacency from Federer
The last player to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon has a law degree, wrote a thesis about the men's tour and cracked the top 10 two years ago at age 22. Yet Mario Ancic is best known for his upset victory over Federer in 2002. "Since then he hasn't lost on grass," Ancic said. "Unbelievable." They meet again in the quarter-finals Wednesday, with the top-ranked Federer three wins from a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. Since the loss to Ancic in the first round six years ago, Federer has won 63 consecutive grass-court matches, including 38 at the All England Club. "I can sit here and talk stories about the great win and how I beat Roger Federer," Ancic said. "But actually it wasn't Roger Federer as we know him today." Source: ninemsn.com.au Click here for all of the latest live sports scores and results!
2009 Mercedes Benz SL Class The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL grand-touring roadster gets more flamboyant front and rear styling for 2009 and gains some design cues from the classic 1950s "Gullwing" SL. There’s an edgier, more chiseled look in front, with composite lamp fixtures that flank the new grille design and sweep around into the fenders, and in back, the styling is a little neater. It’s similar to what’s being phased in throughout the Mercedes-Benz lineup, while much of the rest of the SL’s softer lines are carried over. Meanwhile, functional side-fender air gills behind the front wheels serve as nods to the past, and (on non-AMG models) the hood has been redesigned to gain two prominent "power domes." Other changes, as described by Car and Driver, include “larger side mirrors with curious arrow-shaped turn signals and, in the case of the SL550 and SL600, a faux air ‘diffuser’ and trapezoidal exhaust tips at the rear.” These changes didn’t sit so well with some reviewers, who lingered on the idea that the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL has gone many years now since a complete redesign. Car and Driver emphasized that the hood bulges do not correspond to “anything that gives the car more power,” and regarding the new front end, while Leftlanenews.com said that the rear styling looks dated, Britain’s Top Gear said that styling continuity was lacking: “Trouble is...they’ve grafted a square face onto rounded flanks, and it sits uneasily.” The changes to the already elegant and sporty interior have been limited to a redesigned instrument cluster and steering wheel, and few reviewers had much to say about it. Leftlanenews.com pointed out the ability to “customize the interior with up to twelve single-tone and ten two-tone combinations of leather and wood trim.”
Source: thecarconnection.com Welcome to Elders Real Estate Cleveland
"NEW" HOME BUYERS CHECKLIST "NEW" The Elders Cleveland Difference Click here to learn about living in the fabulous Bayside Suburbs of Brisbane We have found that many people are being disappointed with properties new to the market being sold before they have a chance to make an enquiry! After a year of fabulous growth in Queensland property during 2007, you may not know how much your property is worth. We have had some very strong results over the last few months with record prices in the Bayside suburbs being achieved. Buyer activity is still strong for well marketed homes at realistic prices with the average days on market still being relatively short. If you are on the market and have not had the result you wanted or are considering putting your home on the market please give us a call. For no obligation advice please feel free to contact us by phone or email. Click here to contact one of our friendly team! - No Cost or Obligation. Or Click here to request an appraisal on line Be sure to check out our "Before Sale To Do List" if you are thinking of selling!
A collection of interesting but useless trivial facts, unconventional wisdom, unusual information and extraordinary bits of knowledge. Pepsi originally contained pepsin, thus the name. Table tennis balls have been known to travel off the paddle at speeds up to 160 km/hr. Michael Jordan makes more money from NIKE annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia When you tie a noose, the rope is wrapped twelve times around because it's the same length as a person’s If you passed gas consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an
We will value you, as well as your home
Last Editions survey question results Will NSW or QLD win the State of origin series? QLD 66% NSW 34% |
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Chocolate cake with whipped chocolate frosting
Serves 10 or more INGREDIENTS 1½ cups (150g) cocoa 1½ cups (375ml) boiling water 500g butter, softened 4½ cups (1kg) caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 eggs 4 cups (600g) self-raising flour 1 cup (150g) plain flour 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2½ cups (625ml) buttermilk Whipped chocolate frosting 300g dark chocolate, chopped 200g milk chocolate, chopped 180g butter, chopped 2 teaspoons vegetable oil NOTE: This cake can be made two days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. METHOD Preheat the oven to moderately slow (160°C/140°C fan-forced). Whisk the cocoa and boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; allow to cool. Grease a deep 30cm square cake pan. Line the base and sides with two layers of baking paper, extending the paper 5cm above the edge of the pan. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Transfer butter mixture to a very large bowl. Stir in combined sifted flours and soda, and the buttermilk in three batches until well combined. Stir in the cocoa mixture; mix well. Spread mixture into the prepared pan and bake in a moderately slow oven for 1½ hours or until cooked when tested. Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. For the whipped chocolate frosting, place both chocolates and butter in a medium heatproof bowl; stir over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate and butter melts. Stir in the oil. Refrigerate chocolate mixture until thick. Beat chocolate mixture with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Spread whipped chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cooled cake. Suitable to freeze. Whipped chocolate frosting suitable to microwave. Source: recipefinder.com.au
This edition's Horoscope "Gemini" The months ahead are likely to start and end with the emphasis on trips and journeys, but in July it is more likely to be work-related rather than a vacation. You might need to shelve an idea or plan related to the workplace in September. Minor tensions in October can be sorted with some straight talking, but it could be that someone needs to have their say first. November will be a frantic month; by contrast December will be easy-going, although a romantic dilemma may cause a little tension in the first week. January is the month to think before you speak, while March is a harmonious, loving month. A change of direction in April could result in a fabulous opportunity to travel in May!
Lucero Moes - SalesLucero comes from a diverse background and real estate is a natural progression after renting, buying and selling up-market luxury homes for over twenty years. The last one being a home designed by her together with an architect in Ormiston in 1997, for which she embarked on an owner/builder course, in order to better understand the intricacies of the building industry.
For current median price statistics on each suburb in the Redlands area, simply click here and then select the suburb you are interested in to be taken directly to the RP Data website for the related information on that area!
When asked, we always tell people that the secret of success in real estate is quite simple – work for the best office in the best market area and your success is almost assured. Here at Elders Cleveland, we believe that we can offer the opportunity for the right people to achieve the highest rewards in the profession. Not that high achievement in real estate is by any means easy! Click here for more information
A simple question that I am asked constantly is whether it is a good time to buy. The answer is, of course, somewhat more complicated. You will, no doubt, have heard before the immutable wisdom that the property investor must take a long term outlook. This is true. The property market is thoroughly unsuitable for speculators otherwise known as specu-festors. After all, property is not exactly a liquid asset and the transaction costs are obscenely large. Really, unless you regard the purchase of property as part of a long term wealth strategy then - forget it. Most property investors, even young ones, view their purchases as part of their superannuation mix. Funny enough, even though property is bought with a long term view, buyers become overly influenced by what is happening in the current market. For instance, when the property market was on-the-boil back in 2001-2004 baby boomer investors were thick on the ground and competing with first home buyers. Many found themselves buying at the top of the market and have realised very little capital growth since. Some may even be sitting on negative equity. 2008 is very different. Nationally the property market is sluggish and will continue to be so for a few more years. This means that investors have a limited window of time when they can buy property in the measured, considered way that offers them the best negotiating platform and the most choice. I reckon most investors won't pick the next up turn in the market until it is too late. This will result in a hasty decision in a moving market. That is why I say that when buying property, unlike the share market, it is better to be too early than too late. On face value it may seem to be a rotten time to invest in property. The high cost of debt and a market in a holding pattern is hardly exciting investors. However, there will be substantial capital growth - eventually - for those that take a long term, contrarian position. source: domain.com.au A crocodile walks into a Top End bar
And the male saltie nearly made it to the bar too - but was bailed up by three punters in the car park of the tavern in Darwin's rural area on Sunday night. source: news.com.au 900,000 households face mortgage stress
The number of households struggling to meet mortgage repayments jumped 15% to 784,000 in May and is likely to reach 923,000 by September, Martin North, head of Fujitsu Consulting, predicted. Mr North, who developed the "Stress-o-Meter" and produces an authoritative biannual report on the home-loan market, said mortgage stress is not limited to low-income suburbs and is now affecting many in affluent areas. He estimates that as many as 318,000 households are now suffering from severe stress, up 19% on the previous month, while 465,000 have mild stress, up 7%. "The fact is people are hurting and they are hurting really badly as they try to square a circle which is getting harder and harder," Mr North said. "This is going to have a dampening effect on the overall economy." The new figures were released as the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that household wealth fell by 15%, or $7500 per person, in the three months to March and the debt-to-asset ratio surged to a record 138%. "The ratio shows that households do not have sufficient readily liquid assets to cover outstanding debt, highlighting a degree of vulnerability to an economic downturn," said Craig James, CommSec's chief equities economist. While the sharemarket's 17% slump over the quarter is blamed for the fall in wealth, interest rates have been named the main culprit for putting more Australians under mortgage stress. source: domain.com.au Scooby-Doo prankster eludes Queensland police
Not only did the memorably-dressed prankster evade arrest, he also failed to return the eye-catching outfit to the store from which he hired it. Michelle Johnstone from Hidden Identity Costumes at Cleveland in Redland City said the driver's licence the man used in the transaction turned out to be stolen. "It was obviously a pre-meditated crime. He put a bit of planning into it," Ms Johnstone said, pointing out he had "definitely lost his $40 bond". Ipswich police are also keen to hunt down Scooby-Doo following the "reckless" behaviour of the wearer. "We're still making enquiries into where Scooby-Doo is," said Senior Sergeant Roger Wilson. "We'd ask that anyone who recognises him to contact Ipswich police." Ipswich Turf Club general manager Brett Kitching said the man almost "got cleaned up" by the horses after sauntering on to the track at the 300m mark during the final race. "It is a potentially life-threatening action to run on to the track," said Mr Kitching. " Just a few hours earlier we had a fall involving four horses, one of which had to be destroyed. It doesn't take much to spook a horse and the results can be life threatening." Two other men who piggy-backed each other on to the track in pursuit of Scooby-Doo were arrested and charged by police, and will face Ipswich Magistrate's Court on July 14.
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