2013 is all about OPTIMISATION
Hi! It’s Harry here, and welcome to our February newsletter!
Welcome to Plan Assist’s first newsletter for 2013. This year will be a year where many of you will take action toward your goals and we look forward to working with you throughout this year and many more to come. Before we look ahead, let’s take the time to acknowledge all the action, change and optimisation that took place for Plan Assist during 2012.
I was fortunate enough to have a month of rest and relaxation with my family over the December and January period, this was a great time to reflect on 2012 and all the shifts that took place throughout our personal and business lives and as well as reflect on everything that we were grateful for.
From a business sense, as many of you know, we reviewed our brand and changed our business name, which is now Plan Assist Property Team.
These may seem like subtle changes however to us they really bring out the essence of Who we are and What services we are providing in the future. The new name certainly makes what we do a lot clearer on the strength of our team, whilst the logo really adds to the sense of growth in the many facets of the business in which a great foundation has been laid over the last 10 years.
A huge thank you to Rieta and Nicole for your guidance with our branding, business name and environment refresh.
Add to that, our Team Conference held in July 2012 saw us step up the level of service that we provide enabling us to assist many more of you during the second half of 2012, which we will be continuing throughout 2013.
Anton and I started 2012 by setting an intention to optimise the facets of the business that were already there, yet as the year evolved we also continued to innovate. We added our construction company, Plan Assist Constructions to the team, which has been welcomed by many of our clients who have been successfully utilizing this service already. We thank Daniel, Head of Constructions, for the experience that he has brought to the team.
During our final team meeting of 2012 we asked each of our team members the questions of what stood out for them in 2012 and what they saw as their intention for 2013. We captured the essence of what they had to share in video, take a sneak peek here.
New & Improved Environment
The people and environment that you surround yourself with on a daily basis makes a difference to the way you feel about what you do every day. During 2012 we doubled the size of the Plan Assist Property Team to enable us to provide you the level of service that you deserve, along with a reshuffle of the office to improve our environment. We once again thank Cerys, Daniel, Shane and Simone for joining the team and for the experience and enthusiasm that they bring.
And with a bigger team comes a fresh look. Check out our new look and team here:
Inspiration – Why Invest?
I often get asked about what’s happening in the marketplace? What should I buy? When should I buy? Where should I buy? And so it goes on. These questions will give you an answer, however are they really the answers you are looking for?
When people ask me these questions I usually reply by asking them, “Why are you buying?”. This will generally get people to take a step back and have a look at their goals, this inevitably allows them to be able to answer their own questions.
Personally, I trust my intuition as much as possible and as mentioned below we instinctively know when to move forward and when to take a step backward and just as importantly when to take no steps at all. One thing I do know for sure is that the power of a team is what really allows my business as well as myself to continue to grow, moving in the right direction. Instinctively you will know when the time is right for you to buy, sell or do nothing at all, however I would suggest that when the time is right to you, be clear about how far you should be running with the baton before passing it on to someone else and asking them to run with it on your behalf.
Feature Story – What’s after the Why?
Further to the above, once you are clear as to, Why you want to invest, we can then look at what strategy to implement, by that I am referring to what type of investment and where to buy. I have read and listened to many different opinions from experts, economists and other investors and one thing that is very clear to me is that what we are currently going through has all been seen before.
The market adjustment and recovery that is taking place at the moment is the same as what we saw during the depression in the 1930s and again in 1970s and here we are again 40 years later. Whilst the depression took approximately 10 years to turn around with the 1970s adjustment being very close to the same, I believe that history is repeating itself right now with the Sydney market having been quite depressed since the peak in 2003. We have had some other factors in the current economic climate which may have possibly extended our adjustment by a year or two. So those of you that are looking to build your asset base and keep it, it’s very, very clear that the time to be entering the market is now!
Depending on which market you are in, you may be slightly in front or slightly behind in the property clock however if you do see property as a long-term position the opportunities are there to get in now before this market starts to shift which I believe is about 12 months away.
To learn more about the latest strategies for this market, we are offering you a free consultation (valued at $300). Come and see how you can take advantage of market opportunities. To book a time, call us on 1300 039 801
From the Finance Desk
By Anton Hamer
Valuation Changes
The major topic in Finance is the new API (Australian Property Institute) Definitions for a valuation, which came into effect in 2012. On the back of International Valuation Standards being changed last year, many lenders have noticed more occasions of adverse risk gradings on valuations which have flagged issues for lenders. They include Bushfire Zones and Land Subsidence areas, which can pose an issue for buyers when seeking high levels of finance, and the valuers have much more onus to explain features of property to a prospective lender.
Despite these changes, lenders have been loosening their assessment to look at all strengths and weaknesses of a proposal, and it is important to seek help when approaching a lender.
Appraisal Timeframes Blowout
It’s no surprise to anyone that the banks got it wrong again.
Some of the major lenders are admitting they underestimated the staff numbers to service clients. They are delivering very slow approval timeframes for finance, both at approval and documentation stage. So it’s important to allow plenty of time, 6 week settlement periods as a minimum, for any settlement on a property, otherwise you could find yourself paying penalty interest for being delayed.
What’s Harry Up To In 2013 – World’s Greatest Shave
As many of you would be aware I’m fortunate enough to have a very full head of hair. Some of you had the pleasure (or shock) of seeing me three or four years ago when I decided to give blonde hair a go – I was told this looked quite interesting with my dark eyebrows!
Many of you would be aware of the great work that the Leukaemia Foundation does in helping people get through what can be quite a debilitating experience.
World’s Greatest Shave raises about half the money the Leukaemia Foundation needs to fund its important work – providing practical and emotional support to people with blood cancer, as well as investing millions in research. In the last 14 years over a million people have shaved or coloured their hair, raising more than $138 million.
This year I have decided to take part in the World’s Greatest Shave during March and ask those of you who are drawn to assist to make a donation here.
In return there will be a video of me having my head shaven. And for those corporate sponsors interested in getting involved we are happy to feature you on the above video to promote your business.
The money you donate will change the lives of people with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. To be a part of creating this lasting change in these people’s lives click here to make your donation.
Finally we would love to hear from you about your successes in 2012 and your plans for 2013. If we can help you in any way with your property investments please contact us now… www.planassist.com.au or phone 1300 039 801.
Speak to you soon.
Cheers,
Harry C
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