How the New Expropriation Act Shapes Land Acquisition in South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed the Expropriation Act into law, replacing a 50-year-old statute and providing a clearer framework for expropriating property in South Africa. This Act, which aligns with Section 25 of the Constitution, outlines how the government can acquire land for public purposes, with an emphasis on fair compensation for property owners. While […]

Property advice in an election year

Buy now, sell later. This year, almost half of the world’s inhabitants will head to the polls to elect their new governments, including eight of the world’s 10 most populous countries. In South Africa, we can expect our own election to put the property market into a temporary holding pattern, dragging on the subtle buyer’s […]

Five residential property trends no one saw coming

Experts have already predicted the top property trends of 2024, ranging from the impact of looming interest rate cuts to co-buying, solar power financing, sectional title demand and the resurgence of first-time homebuyers. However, several emerging (and sometimes overlooked) trends are set to come into play, creating notable shifts in the landscape. The top five […]

Having ‘skin’ in the property game

Bigger deposits mean a smaller loan and a better interest rate Rising inflation and several interest rate hikes have many South Africans trying their best to keep their costs down where possible, and this has also translated into their homebuying behaviour. The Q2 ’22 oobarometer statistics, released by ooba, reveal lower-than-expected home price inflation from […]

Is it time to downsize?

Property ownership in today’s economy is no small feat. But even when you’ve worked most of your adult life towards buying the family home of your dreams, the possibility of downsizing should never be discounted. Whether you’re looking at lowering the costs of homeownership, or reassessing your property needs once your children have moved out, there are a number of clear indications that it’s time for you to move on to something […]

Deeds Office Closure

Please note the Pretoria Deeds Office is experiencing a huge backlog due to Covid and employees working on a rotation basis. The registration process is therefore delayed and in some instances we have to obtain new Clearance Certificates and Consents.

The benefits of honesty in house-hunting

Estate agents play a vital role in the efficiency and ease of most real estate transactions. They are guides, advisers, companions, gurus, and partners to buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants alike. The strength of this relationship, however, is built on a foundation of open communication and transparency. When your estate agent is working off of lacklustre information, half-truths and muddled facts, the results […]

Buying a property in your 20s

The property market has been a more advantageous ground recently than it has been in the past few decades. Especially if you are a millennial, whose news feed keeps you updated on just about everything that goes on in the world, it’s not something that has gone unnoticed. This has brought the question of whether […]

Thinking of buying your first property?

The question of whether renting or buying is the best is almost always in circulation in the real estate industry. While one is affordable in the short term, the other holds more benefits in the long run. In 2020, however, things took a turn, and the answer to the question may be a bit clearer than usual. Historically low […]

The effect of compound interest on home loans

It was announced on 19 November 2020 that the national repo rate would remain unchanged at the historically low 3,5 %. While many were expecting an increase after a slightly strengthening economy, the unaffected rate is a welcome announcement to those repaying home loans. The primary benefit of a reduced repo rate lies in the […]