April 23, 2015

Never Forget

Each year we stand to remember those that have fallen.  It’s a time of reflection to honour those that fought for our country, not just in one war, but all wars.  The ANZAC’s legacy to us. 

Here’s something to ponder - in 1914, the population of Australia was 5 million.  Of these, 416,809 people enlisted (57,705 Queenslanders) with a casualty rate of 64.8%.  Comparing these statistics to today – our current population is 23,794,573 and counting, just fewer than 2 million would have enlisted with around 1.3 million casualties.  Even though these figures are not to our liking, being able to acknowledge our ANZAC’s each year reminds us of a part of our history that we don’t want repeated, for us or future generations.

Somewhere along the line every one of us has been touched by the actions of past generations and what they gave up in order for us to benefit.  Taking a moment to put ourselves in their shoes and everything into perspective in today’s circumstances gives us the opportunity to show our gratitude and be thankful for the lives we live today. 


On Saturday in Australia, real estate agents are not able to make any transactions, and as such 2nd Avenue Realty will not be holding any open homes and our office will be closed.  

April 14, 2015

Be Prepared

Arranging finances before you even look at buying property is far more practical than looking at homes that may be unaffordable.  There are so many companies offering a variety of good rates and options and all agents would highly recommend that if you can’t go through the process of having pre approval, at least talk to someone who can at give you an idea of affordability.

Once you have an idea of repayments, you can start looking.  But beware!  Some of us have a tendency to live outside our means so set a realistic budget that you can comfortably afford. 

Real estate agents are not financial advisers and as such are not qualified to give indications or financial advice.  Finance is, however, one of the many things that is required to buy property, and if you are prepared, life is a lot easier for all parties.


Once you've found your dream home, you’ll feel far more confident when putting an offer in writing.  Be prepared to negotiate and allow a bit of leverage so your budget doesn't blow out!  This advice also applies to those thinking of selling as somewhere along the line, you’ll be buying too!