Author Archives for Peter Mericka
Alpha-male Estate Agents in Altercation – What Chance Does the Client Have?
July 12, 2018 9:42 am Leave your thoughts The two estate agents in this story know their industry, know how things done, and apparently don’t like it when someone steps out of line. I regularly receive complaints from clients who tell me that they have been bullied or otherwise harassed by estate agents for asking too many questions, wanting to remove onerous special conditions from a contract or even adding a “subject to finance” clause to a contract. But if you really want...
Should house hunters be told someone was murdered in the home they’re about to buy?
July 11, 2018 1:26 am Leave your thoughts Haunted house? Seven years’ bad luck? Poor feng shi? What matters to home buyers can vary, but does it get to a point where vendors have an obligation to disclose such issues as though they are defects? Within the industry, such dwellings are known as ‘stigmatised properties’ because they are judged to carry baggage that makes them less desirable. Stigmatised properties include homes where murders and deaths — or other crimes or misfortunes —...
Property Nerd | News | 2018-07-09
July 10, 2018 8:40 am Leave your thoughts The Victorian State Government has bent over backwards to assist real estate agents whose own professional body has contributed to this debacle. But it appears that there is a long way to go before the matter is resolved. “To put the allegation at its simplest, whomever approved the form on behalf of the director (CAV) did not properly read the Estate Agent Act. Further, whomever at the REIV had responsibility for preparing the pro...
Over a Third of ‘Millennials’ Reliant on Inheritance to Purchase Property
July 9, 2018 4:10 pm 1 Comment It’s not just in Australia that young people are relying on the “Bank of Mum & Dad” or and inheritance. A new report from Sanlam UK has revealed 34% of 25-45-year-olds would use inheritance to purchase property – the second most commonly cited use. Whilst saving or investing came top at 38%, alarmingly, almost a quarter (24%) will be relying on inheritance to pay off debt. Today, parents are handing out an average of £18,000...
A no-brainer for first home owners – The Experts | Switzer
July 5, 2018 11:14 am Leave your thoughts The new financial year brings a fresh opportunity for first home buyers. If you have kids or grand-kids who will be looking to buy their first home sometime in the next decade, or you are still hoping to achieve that goal yourself, the Government’s new First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) is an absolute no-brainer. http://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/paul-rickard/a-no-brainer-for-first-home-owners20181904/ Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B – Australian Legal Practitioner, Consumer Advocate and Principal of Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd...
Whoops! Fixing Mistakes In The Practice Of Law
June 23, 2018 5:39 am Leave your thoughts An amusing, but not-so-far-from-the-truth examination of what often happens when lawyers stuff up. If you’re a lawyer DO NOT rely on the first set of tips! One of the dark and dirty secrets about practicing law is that attorneys sometimes make mistakes. That’s because, as you may be surprised to learn, there is a human being lurking inside of each of us. Overturned cases get cited as good authority, numbers get transposed, and that one...
Is it time to consider commercial real estate?
May 25, 2018 5:48 am Leave your thoughts The author identifies areas that may be of interest to those considering investing in commercial real estate. According to the most recent data released by Colliers in their Metro Office First Half 2018 report, investment returns in metro office markets are at their greatest levels in over ten years, and annual effective rental growth in North Sydney, St Leonards and Chatswood in Sydney, as well as St Kilda Road and the Melbourne City Fringe has...
Move or Improve? Do the Sums First!
May 25, 2018 5:48 am Leave your thoughts There are plenty of reasons why people sell up and move, but with cheap money available it can make more sense to renovate the family home, as explained by Greville Pabst: The logic is, if you are purchasing a home for $1million, the buyer has to add a further $100,000 for stamp duty, legal costs, agents commission and other charges, if they have to sell an existing property and so on. For that amount...