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Helpful Real Estate Downloads
Quick and easy downloads
On this page, we hope to provide links to downloads that might be helpful to anyone dealing with immovable property in the South African context.
So, here’s our MASSIVE list of helpful South African real estate downloads: Continue reading Helpful Real Estate Downloads »
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How to negotiate commission
Commission negotiations can be brutal
The agent’s fee is something everybody (except for the real estate agent) loves to hate. Unless the real estate agent performs a service far beyond the norm, I doubt you could find any buyer or seller who’d wish to pay his/her real estate agent MORE commission than is absolutely necessary.
Informed buyers and sellers know that real estate agency commissions are negotiable, but few people know HOW to negotiate a better agent’s fee. In this article, I discuss how to negotiate real estate agents’ commissions. It gets a bit detailed, but the devil’s in the detail, as grandad used to say! Read more about How to negotiate commission »
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FNB goes back on its word
This morning I was lying in bed being woken by the good folks of Morning Live on SABC2. And all drowsiness dissapated at about 6:30 with an interview involving an FNB spokesman and the Banking Ombudsman of South Africa.
Apparently, First National Bank(FNB) is going to re-assess home loans that the bank had already approved a year or more ago. The home loans that will be reconsidered include about 2000 approved mortgages that have, after a period of a year or more, not yet been registered against the title deeds of the relevant properties. The bank plans to reassess the loan applicants’ credit based on the current credit assessment standards and their current debt load and general financial position. Continue reading FNB goes back on its word »
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State of the property
Anyone who has been keeping an eye on residential areas in South Africa can tell you that the South African real estate market is a whole lot slower nowadays than a year or two ago. For Sale signs stand on sidewalks for months – some seemingly sprouting seedlings in the meantime – without success. Get the rest of State of the property »
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Use Your Own Transferring Attorney!
Bodyguards seem over the top - untill you need one
Sellers, I advise you to use your own transferring attorney. In my mind the seller has the most to lose. By appointing your own transferring attorney, you are ensuring that your attorney will represent your best interests above all the other parties involved. It shouldn’t cost you a penny, because the buyer will pay the transfer fees.
The Buyer, Seller and Estate Agent all have their own interests to consider and protect in an Offer to Purchase. The interests of all the parties are important and may involve very different considerations. Conflicts of interest can and do arise, so as the seller, make sure that your interests are protected at all times by getting proper legal advice. See the full Use Your Own Transferring Attorney! »
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