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HOW TO MAKE A NEW CITY FEEL LIKE HOME

Moving house is among the top five life stressors and even more so when the move is not just from one house to another, but to a new city or country. In another article, we discussed how the 80:20 principle plays an important role in choosing a new city and preparing for the move. In this article we’ll give you some useful tips and the odd life hack for putting that preparation – the 80% – to work

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WHERE TO STUDY REAL ESTATE COURSES IN SA

There is a lot more to being a real estate agent than sales. Property is a complex and diverse field. When you embark on a career in this field, there are many courses on offer which can make it tricky to choose the course of study that will give you a firm foundation on which to build your professional presence in the industry. A reminder: With the promulgation of the Property Practitioners

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WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR RENTAL DEPOSIT?

As you know, most landlords ask for a rental deposit from tenants before you move into a property. They have this right according to Section 5 of the Rental Housing Act, No. 50 of 1999. This article will take you through what happens to your rental deposit, and also shed some light on the “why’s”, the “what’s”, and the “how much?” of rental deposits. How much should you expect to pay? The le

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WHAT'S A SOLE MANDATE & HOW DOES IT WORK?

Before we dive into this topic, it’s important to understand that an estate agent may not sell your – or any property – unless they have a mandate from you, the owner. A mandate gives the property practitioner the legal authority to advertise and present the property to prospective buyers. We have, in other articles, discussed the difference between an open and sole mandate, and the advantages

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ARE APPROVED BUILDING PLANS NEEDED WHEN SELLING IN SA?

Is the seller obliged to give copies of the plans of their property to prospective buyers? This is a question that comes up time and again during the sales process. The short answer is “No.” The long answer is a bit more complicated: it’s also the buyer’s right to ask for them, and even to include a clause to that effect in the offer to purchase (OTP). It is good to be prepared for this possibilit

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THE IMPACT OF THE REPO RATE ON YOUR HOME LOAN

If you hold any kind of debt, it is important to keep a close eye on interest rates: as interest rates go up, so do your monthly repayments. The interest rate that your bank charges is based on the repo rate which is set by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). To help you stay on top of this, we’ll explain what the repo rate is, how it is set, and, critically, its impact on your home loan. Wh

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