We've just received a thrilling call from none other than Santa Claus himself, directly from his secretive North Pole workshop. He's eager to connect with the children in our local community and has a delightful proposal. Santa wants to send out personalised letters, filled with festive cheer, to our youngest community members or anyone with a youthful spirit.

To make this happen, we need your help. Simply fill out the sections below or here, with the required details for each child. This includes their name, age and of course, your postal information and a parent's contact details. Once you've provided this, our team will ensure that Santa's special message reaches your doorstep, bringing a burst of North Pole magic into your home.

We're thrilled to facilitate this heartwarming exchange, but remember, time is of the essence. All submissions must be sent in by the 8th of December 2023. Let's not miss this opportunity to add an extra touch of wonder and joy to this festive season. Get involved and let Santa know who's waiting for his letter!

Australia's streak of steering clear of recessions for over three decades is quite remarkable. But let's chat about how this long stretch of non-stop economic growth also has its downsides.

In a classic economic rollercoaster with its highs and lows, we find some pretty cool long-term benefits:

• Clean-up Crew and Supercharged Productivity: Recessions tend to act as a sort of clean-up crew. They kick inefficient or badly managed businesses to the curb, making room for innovation and spurring competitive companies to step up. It's like decluttering a closet filled with too many old clothes. Plus, those crowded, low-profit industries get a makeover. The end result? A more robust and efficient economy that's ready to tackle the future.

• Getting Real with Capital: When a recession hits, people start rethinking their investments. They carefully weigh returns, risks, and the actual value of assets like stocks and property. It's like spring cleaning for your financial portfolio. This shift often leads to a focus on saving wisely, making shrewd investments, and planning for the long haul. Basically, it nudges people to make better money moves.

• Taming Inflation: Recessions have a knack for keeping inflation in check. How? By dialing down the demand for stuff. That's good news for both individuals and businesses because it helps keep the power of your hard-earned money intact. So, while recessions aren't exactly the life of the economic party, they do help maintain a bit of stability.

Now, we're not saying, "Bring on the recession!" But it's worth recognizing that a balanced economic cycle, complete with the occasional downturn, can bring these perks to the table. It's like a workout for the economy, making it stronger and more resilient in the long run.

So it's CRUNCH TIME.. There are literally 5 Weeks LEFT if you PLAN to get SOLD prior to XMAS.. An interesting property trend we find at this time of year, is what’s referred to as ‘The LAW of diminishing SUPPLY..’

• Essentially as we move into December and closer to XMAS, not many if any new homes get photographed to be LAUNCHED.. Meaning that every week that passes from here, fewer and fewer homes are available for buyers to select from as they get snapped up one by one

• Meaning that there will naturally be MORE buyers with FEWER homes to choose from.. So what other options do you have if you MISS this ‘Window Of Opportunity’ to capture the FINAL period of the Spring/Summer Selling Season.?

As a PLAN B if you have RUN out of time this year, a SPLIT strategy we RUN and OFFER to our clients at this time of year is to get everything prepared, get your photo’s COMPLETE before the XMAS decorations and TREE’s go UP, and all your marketing material prepared to LAUNCH at the end for the START of January 2024. This will allow you to get a JUMP start on all the late comers to market next year and that critical 1st MOVE advantage whilst many agents are waiting until Australia Day next year to launch..

During this period from NOW to THEN, we can still OFFER your home Pre-Market, to all the buyers that MISS out on the remaining properties through November/December. Potentially also offering the chance to SAVE thousands of $ in marketing and minimize the RISK of a further 1 or 2 RATE rises still expected..

With the Good'Ol Jolly Round Fella only weeks away from squeezing down our chimneys.. It's TIME..

Time for what you ask..? For you to REGISTER for your SANTA LETTER of course.. For those young and of course those also young at heart, get your ORDERS IN NOW before Friday 8th of December, so that you can see the smile on your little one's faces.. This year, we will also have the addition of a special video message from the Jolly'Ol Fella himself..

Aside from that, with the XMAS countdown firmly winding down, if you are looking to get moved before the clock strikes midnight, NOW is your time..

To view our current homes for sale and the last ones launched before XMAS time, CLICK HERE

Or to BOOK in your current market PRICE CHECK to understand your numbers and changeover costs, BOOK IN one of C+M Residentials friendly area experts today by CLICKING HERE

From myself and the team, we look forward to 'Helping You Find Home.'

Quite probably the most common question we're asked in the industry each year is.. "So.. When is the BEST time to SELL..?"

Well, my heartfelt response is always that the best time to sell is when it suits your circumstances and life choices, as we will make it work. However if we do a deeper dive into the data, statistically the 2 best periods are classically:

• October to December. As buyers look to make key decisions before years end and having to enroll kids into new school zones etc as a hard and fast deadline.

OR

• January to March. Another period where the weather is great, days are longer, and many buyers commence the year with renewed endeavour and property ownership goals..

If you're still serious about getting to SOLD before XMAS arrives, well folks, you LITERALLY have 1-2 WEEKS LEFT! To get your home prepared and on the market before your 'Window of Opportunity' & time RUNS out.. Alternatively you can PLAN to launch early next year and take advantage of the early move, whilst buyers are fresh and competing property levels are at their annual lowest in January & February.

As we prepare for Melbourne Cup Day, more than just horse racing is on the minds of many. The burning question on everyone's lips is: What's the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) planning for interest rates at its upcoming November meeting?

Looks like the Reserve Bank of Australia is almost definitely gearing up for a rate hike in November, and it could hit households pretty hard. Why? Well, the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shot up by a hefty 1.2% in the September quarter – way more than anyone expected. This surprising jump has got economists rethinking their earlier predictions for the RBA's November move.

ANZ, for example, used to think rates would stay put, but now they reckon the RBA will have to do a 25 basis point bump to rein in inflation, which is getting a bit too cozy above target. That would take the cash rate to a 12-year high at 4.35%. But wait, there's a twist! ANZ's Head of Australian Economics, Adam Boyton, warns that it might not stop there. He says, "Any easing of rates remains a distant possibility."

Over the past year, inflation has crept up by 5.4%, though it's down a tad from the 6% spike in the June quarter. But the monthly CPI, which tells us what's happening in the here and now, has climbed for the second month running. So, despite the cash rate already being at an 11-year high, it seems inflation isn't going away anytime soon.

Well have we got something SPECIAL in store for you today..

SO WHAT IS IT..?

Well quite possibly and simply, the most ELEGANT, the most SOPHISTICATED, the most STUNNING home to ever be offered for sale in this suburb.. Welcome to... 14 Justin Avenue.. Where style meets class, modern meets yesterday and character marries with charisma.. Be prepared to be AMAZED by this truly once in a generation home and an OPPORTUNITY you won't want to miss..

Yes, it's true, as 10's of thousands of Aussies come off their fixed rate terms in the coming months, some of these at incredibly low honeymoon 1.99% levels. Many laxxy dazy Aussies, who tend to just go with the flow and not rock the boat, could be costing themselves over $10,000 per year, for simply not looking into it more.

Realestate.com.au research shows that instead of just COPPING it, and letting your loan roll over to your current lender's standard variable rate. By refinancing, securing a -2% introductory offer for new clients OFF the BANK's standard variable rate, or simply price checking and going to your current lender Retention Team, you could be saving on average $10,000 per annum in interest repayments, on an average $500,000 loan.

As Michelle Bullock (newly appointed Governor of the RBA) delivered her 1st Interest Rate decision this week since she took over from Phillip Lowe (AKA: The Interest Rate Terminator), who hopefully WILL NEVER BE BACK! She chose to HOLD the interest rate for a 4th consecutive month at 4.1%, where it has remained since June'23.

However, Ms Bullock didn't rule out further rate hikes in the months ahead after the rising cost of living, petrol prices, rent, and services costs pushed inflation from 4.9% in July, up to 5.21% in August.

The majority of financial indicators around inflation, still suggest a good easing of inflation, however, one more sting in the proverbial tail of the interest rate scorpion may be necessary to ensure inflation rates come back into the RBA's target range of 2-3% and Australians can finally enjoy some relieve from the daily and weekly costs of living..

So as we STEP right into daylight savings and with the longer and warmer days, we truly RING in SPRING.. What are the '5 Housing Trends To Watch Out For This Spring.?'

• TREND 1: More Properties this Spring: Sales volumes have been rebounding and remain strong. This Spring, there's already been a sharp increase in supply levels, especially in Melbourne & Sydney. With almost a +20% increase in the No. of properties for sale, compared to the same time last year.

• TREND 2: Interest rates AT or NEAR peak. with inflation rising again slightly in the past 30 days days from 4.9% in July to 5.2% in August, it is likely we will still see one more rate rise on the cards before Xmas to keep things in check.

• TREND 3: More favourable conditions for buyers, TRUE or NOT. With property prices expected to fall this year, the experts and know-it-alls seemingly got it wrong, again. Low supply levels have seen prices correct this year, however only by a fraction of what was predicted. However, a SURGE in the volume of homes available could rebalance this further for buyers.

• TREND 4: Housing affordability to worsen. There are still many honeymoon interest rate holders below 2% that are rolling off these fixed rates onto the new variable rates between 6-7% in the coming 3-6 months. Set to further worsen housing affordability.

• TREND 5: Will rents continue to climb..? Although they increased substantially in the past year, the rate of increase is starting to slow, as many would-be renter's confidence starts to grow and they begin re-entering the property ownership market.

With Interest Rates just about as HIGH as they're going to go in this Cycle.. Property prices are just about as LOW as they're going to go as well, interest rates are on pause, and consumer confidence and competitive bidding improving rapidly. Plus the timeline to consider the fact that you only have 2-3 weeks LEFT in order to be able to:

• Prepare your property

• Get it photographed

• Be ready to launch to market

• And get SOLD & SETTLED by Xmas

So then what are you waiting for…

Well as a parting GIFT for exiting Reserve Bank Governor Phillip Lowe, we have seen the RBA keep the Cash Rate unchanged for the 3rd month in a row at 4.1%. Recent data confirms that inflation has been falling at a much quicker rate than initially expected.

The latest data still points to the current rate of inflation sitting at 4.9%, which is still above the RBA's target range of 2-3%, however importantly this is ahead of expectation. Inflation is still HIGH, however, it is heading in the right direction and is expected to be back within target ranges by 2025.

Although Interest rates remain high, the 1st green shoots of the market stabilizing are emerging, with some states such as Sydney recording an annual growth rate of 5%, whilst Melbourne's rate has slowed drastically, having only fallen for the calendar year to -0.53%.

How about Melbourne's weather this week, WOW!

At a time when Australia is experiencing one of the WORST Rental Crisis in modern history, Investors are SELLING in their droves. Despite record migration, huge population growth, and the sharpest rise in rental returns ever seen, an alarming new pole has revealed almost 1 in every 8 investors across the country SOLD a rental property in the past 12 months. With 73% of properties currently selling to owner-occupiers, that's a lot of LOST rental properties..

So why then are the governments, especially Dan Andrews in Victoria making it so challenging for Landlords to remain a landlord? Recent changes in Land Tax increase overly complex and unnecessarily expensive property compliance legislation, combined with 11 Interest Rate hikes since April 2022. This has made the basic maths for many investors, simply NOT viable to maintain and hold rental property, as they have not been able to pass on these increases in holding costs to tenants fast enough, given limits within reason on how much a landlord can increase the rental at one time also being proposed..

So what does this all mean.?

Even if you may not be a father today, let's do our very BEST to celebrate with those special and dear to us and THANK ALL those special Dad's out there for all that they do..

Talking about KEY dates, today being Sunday the 3rd of September LITERALLY means there are ONLY 12 SELLING Saturdays LEFT if you’re LOOKING to be SOLD by XMAS…

Considering the natural TIMELINES & STEPS we work towards in a sale, you may very well need to get those SLEDS moving into overdrive if you’d like to make this SPRING selling season happen for you..

Australia's largest lender CBA (The Commonwealth Bank of Australia) says the Fixed Interest Rollover PEAK has arrived..

Over the coming months to Dec'23, the CBA forecasts it's the largest percentage of Fixed Rate mortgage holders will Rollover from their honeymoon 2 & 3 year fixed rates of 1.9% to 6.5% plus and beyond, depending on whether they are an owner occupier or investor type loans.. Many borrowers that LOCKED in these sub 2% mortgage rates during the pandemic, will soon be resetting to a much higher rate.

So far it doesn't seem that there has been as much mortgage stress, as analysts predicted. Many choose to tighten their belt on spending, shop around for better refinancing rates as well as postpone bigger life decisions. Whilst others, such as landlords, who combined with the upcoming increase in Land Taxes and the cost to meet new stringent minimum standards for rental homes legislation are choosing to SELL. Only fuelling further the current shortage in rental homes for tenants.

It's C+M Residentials 7th Birthday and to celebrate in our usual style, we are running a competition giveaway for 7 X $100 Amazon Gift Vouchers.. All you have to do is:

STEP 1: Find a local C+M Residential SALE Board or SOLD Board..

STEP 2: Take a FUNNY PHOTO in front of the Board..

STEP 3: Post your entry to our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK page

STEP 4: Wait for the WINNERS to be announced and contacted in September'23

Go have some FUN with it and enjoy some Happy Birthday free online shopping on Amazon courtesy of C+M..

A quick THANK YOU to all the team that has made the last 7-year journey possible and here's to the NEXT 7 Years ahead..

Hidyho , well if you've lived in Melbourne before, you'd be mistaken in thinking that SPRING arrived 4 weeks early this year..

However, it hasn't just been the weather that has been unseasonable, no.. The Winter Real Estate market has also been unseasonably strong. In what is traditionally known as a quiet period for the property. Winter this year has seen:

• Continued LOW stock supply levels

• Stronger SALES volumes

• Unseasonably HIGH buyer demand in some cities & regions

The market was very strong in 2021 & 2022, so sales volumes in 2023 are lower in comparison. However, compared to more normal years Pre-Covid, like 2019 & 2020, sales volumes are up. As seen in the table below:

• Sydney, Adelaide, Perth & NT, have all experienced annual price growth

• Whilst Melbourne, Hobart & the ACT have still experienced an annual price drop, albeit at a slower pace than the back half of last year and 1st half of this year.

One of our team asked this week, how well do you actually think owners and landlords know the value of their home..?

So to FIND OUT, C+M Residential is running our 'Name Your Price Competition..'

STEP 1: Simply REPLY and finish this sentence: "Hi, if I could SELL my home for $XYX Price. I would SELL this SPRING.." We can't wait to hear your answers..

STEP 2: If you may be genuinely curious about what all this recent interest rate and market activity has really meant for your property's true value. Feel free to either request your:

• INSTANT Property report HERE or

• BOOK in a specialised price check in person with one of our Area Experts HERE

Is the WORST Over..?

One of the KEY mterics economists look to, in order to closely gauge the health of the property market is called.. 'The Rate of Vendor Discounting.'

What this means, is basically when a property SELLS below the first advertised price, this is referred to as Vendor discounting. In June, the share of properties that SOLD for less than the asking price decreased, in comparison to the start of 2023. There has also been an increase in the share of sales over the asking price and also an increase in the share of sales at the asking price. All of which point to the trend that values will continue to rise. Albeit at a snails pace at present (+0.3% in June), a rise is still a rise..

The current data indicates that the market is again at a turning point, with fewer properties selling for less than the asking price, and more selling for the asking price. In June, according to PropTrack Date:

• 40% of homes SOLD for LESS than the asking price

• 50% of homes SOLD for asking price

• 10% of home SOLD for ABOVE the the asking price

Hello and happy Sunday, the TIPPING point. Very soon, up to 880,000 Aussies will need to find hundreds if not thousands of dollars more each month, with their fixed rates terms expiring and moving onto the current variable interest rate.

The so-called experts are calling this the 'Mortgage Cliff'. what this means for borrowers and an average household servicing the following loans is:

• An average loan of $550,000 will experience a $900+ jump per month or $10,800 per year

• If you have a $1mill mortgage, that jumps up by $1,700+ per month or $20,400 per year

So what does this mean for the market..? Well it isn't all doom and gloom with many other contributing factors such as:

• Current LOW supply

• Crazy rental prices

• The increase in immigration