Tomorrow sees the release of the latest, 2012 edition of homebuyers’ bible, Where to Live in Auckland.

Penny Lewis, Editor of Herald Homes, talked to author/publisher Stephen Hart about the latest edition and some of its findings.

• How has Auckland property fared over the last 12 months?

In price terms, pretty well, compared to the rest of New Zealand. We’re back at pre-bust price levels in general, whereas other metropolitan areas are still at deflated levels. Of course, no one actually lives in “Auckland in generall,” we live in individual suburbs and that’s a different story.

• Any star performers or underachievers?

Yes. Parnell showed the highest year-on-year sales price growth at 17% with an average sales price of $1.6m. Other double digit performers were Eastern Bays, Herne Bay, Remuera, Half Moon Bay and Whitford.

The biggest faller was Papakura at minus 7% with an average sales price of $365k. Other suburbs on the wrong side of the axis were Glen Innes, Helensville, West Harbour, Devonport, Howick and Manurewa.

• So, is Parnell now Auckland’s most expensive suburb?

No, it showed the highest price appreciation; Herne Bay has retained its ranking as the most expensive suburb with an average sales price of over $2.1m. However, Parnell has leapfrogged Remuera to take the runner-up high price spot.

• Are homes in good school zones still commanding premium prices?

Yes, more than ever. If you are selling in the Auckland Grammar/Epsom Girls School zone there is fierce competition from buyers. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, in Westlake, Macleans and Mount Albert Grammar catchment areas. It’s not unusual for homes in these zones to attract premiums of well over $100,000 compared to homes out-of-zone.

• So, is it more economical to buy out-of-zone and send your children to a private school?

It’s a worthwhile consideration. In the book we discuss the area premiums and list the fees for all of Auckland’s private schools so readers can do the maths. If you were to send your two sons to Kings (Prep and College) then it will cost $430,000+ in fees, whereas a 4-bedroom home in Auckland Grammar zone might only carry a premium of $200,000.

• Which suburbs do you pick to be the next top performers?

We’ve labelled a number of suburbs as “Smart Buys,” for a variety of reasons that we believe will result in higher than average price appreciation. We’ve also labelled a number of others as “Look Out” suburbs where we feel there may be circumstances and trends that might result in negative or below average price growth. To see our picks you’ll need to read the book.

The new edition of Where to Live in Auckland is available in bookstores and at www.wheretoliveinauckland.co.nz

Five Golden Rules for Property Investors

 

Stephen Hart’s company, Auckland HomeFinders, helps homebuyers and investors with all aspects of buying, including where and what to buy and at what price. Here he outlines some key considerations for people considering investing in residential property.

Buy well to start with.

The two key elements to buying well, not surprisingly, relate to value. Specifically, buying below market value and buying in suburbs that will appreciate in price at a greater rate than other areas.

There are always opportunities to buy below market value; distressed sales, deceased estates, mortgagee sales, etc. If you seek these potential bargain properties as your primary objective you will have to have a wide angle approach and be prepared to buy anywhere across the whole of the region. You might be buying in some suburbs that you don’t fully understand. That means you are buying blind.

A better tactic is to first select a number of suburbs that you consider are candidates for rapid capital appreciation. Once you have identified these target suburbs you can start looking for comparative bargains within them. Don’t necessarily just look for mortgagee sales and the like, there are too few of them and too many ambulance chaser investors following them.  A bargain might well be a run-down villa in outer Kingsland next to a small factory. Will it always look like this or is the area ripe for redevelopment and likely to appeal to dual income professional couples in the near future? You will still need to negotiate a good price and be prepared to walk away if you don’t get one, however because you are focused on a tighter area you will acquire local knowledge and expertise that will enable you to spot a good deal when you see one and put forward a persuasive offer.

Focus on capital appreciation.

Don’t get obsessed searching for cash positive deals (where the rent at least covers the cost of the loan and other outgoings). They may end up pushing you into areas that will show low or slow appreciation. Of course it is important that you are aware of the component costs of your investment – interest, rates, property managers, maintenance, etc – and that you can service them, however the only game in town is capital growth.  A $500,000 property with a rental shortfall of $5,000 per year over 10 years might seem costly but if it achieves a compound growth of 10% per annum and you sell it for $1.3m it’s a far better investment than a property that has earned you a $5,000 surplus each year but only appreciates by 2% per annum and sells for $609,000 after 10 years.

Before you buy, think about selling.

Remember that the end-game is about selling and making the maximum gain. What are the factors that will attract buyer interest when it comes time to sell? Is there something special about a property that will make it stand out and positively differentiate it from other homes; a secluded position, sunny living areas, good schools, access to the CBD, shopping and motorways? Better still, is there something that prospective buyers might fall in love with; a sea view, a spectacular city skyline, an established garden, walking access to beaches, parks and reserves?

Bear in mind that the same features that attract buyers and high offers also attract tenants and premium rental prices.

Avoid auctions.

The problem with auctions is that they are unconditional so you have to do due diligence investigations in advance and with absolutely no guarantee that you will be the successful bidder. That involves expense and every expense reduces your potential deposit, increases the cost of the property and eats into your potential capital gain. If you bid at five auctions before you manage to buy the right property at the right price (quite likely) then you will have commissioned five building inspections and five market valuations costing you about $5,000. That’s great news for valuers and building inspectors, but terrible news for property investors.

An investor’s preference should be to buy by private treaty, where a price is agreed upon after a process of offer and counter offer. No due diligence costs need to be incurred until an acceptable price has been struck.

Sometimes auctions are unavoidable. In those instances property investors need to be realistic about their individual appetite for risk versus costly due diligence reassurance. Instead of $500+ for a full valuation would an E-Valuer automated valuation from QV.co.nz for $45 be adequate? Would a building inspector charge considerably less for an abbreviated or verbal report with you in attendance, rather than a written one with unnecessary filler content and glossy photos?

Ask the “What If” questions.

Finally, consider your position if things change. What if interest rates increase significantly? Will I still be able to service the debt? What if I need to sell quickly after only a year and make little or no capital gain? How much will my foray into property investment potentially have cost me including real estate agent fees to sell? What if I get troublesome tenants and am faced with rental disputes or late payments? Can I cope financially if the demand for rental homes changes and the house is unoccupied for an extended period?

On the other hand, ask yourself, what if I do buy at the right price in an area that’s about to take off? What am I going to do with the money?

Stephen Hart is also the author of the book Where to Live in Auckland.

www.aucklandhomefinders.co.nz

Get Streetwise – play the numbers game

To really understand the market place and recognise a bargain, you ideally need to view between 80 and 100 homes over say, 10 to 12 weeks. That’s a lot easier to achieve if you live in a large city rather than a country town where you might be forced to reduce your viewing list accordingly. However, I think you will understand the general principle: the more houses you see, the more you will understand the market.

Of course you may stumble upon your perfect home during the very first week. Well, if it’s that perfect, buy it. However, be in no doubt that you will understand the market better after you have viewed those 80+ homes and would make a smarter offer than you are about to do right now.

The purpose of viewing all of these homes is to enable you to identify key factors that add (or detract) value to a house and allow you to compare features and how the market has responded in terms of the price achieved. At the open home, get as much information from the agent as you can; how long it has been on the market, whether it has been valued recently, opportunities for extensions, etc. Then follow up with the agent three to four weeks later to find out if it has sold, and if so, for how much. Record all of this and file it with other houses from the same suburb. Review all of the homes you have made notes on and look for common characteristics of the ones that have sold quickest and attracted the highest prices.

All of this research takes time, but don’t be put off by that. The knowledge you gain should enable you to save at least 10% of the home’s value. If the average Auckland home sells for $500,000, that’s at least $50,000 for 10 to 12 weekend’s light work. You will also be absolutely assured that no-one is ever going to take you for a mug. In no time you will be viewing properties and find yourself visualising a price that you feel represents fair value and recognise that anything significantly below that number is bargain material.

Something old…or something new?

Buying an original weatherboard villa or similar character home may seem romantic to some, but for others the idea of a brand new home appeals most.

They look great, those gracious white, weatherboard villas and bungalows with mature gardens in Remuera, Epsom, Mt Eden and the like. They conjure up memories of a more sedate era.

Or maybe you like the idea of everything being brand new. Well, before you buy that ultra modern pad, or start trimming the crusts from your cucumber sandwiches, consider some facts.

Layout 

New homes are built with today’s lifestyles in mind and are generally easier to live in. They are built with more bathrooms and kitchens are often integrated into living areas. Don’t expect an older house to be set up to effortlessly accommodate your media room. And yes, your big, flat-screen television will look ridiculous hanging in the oak-panelled library. Flow was something else far from the minds of most Victorian architects, so celebrate the idea of corridors and cubby-holes, or rule out character homes.

Location 

Historic or older houses will often be located in the more established city suburbs while most new properties will often be in recently developed areas further from the CBD. There are two plus points for the old home buyer. First, you know exactly what you are buying into when you move to an Epsom or a Parnell. Who knows what Flat Bush and Dannemora will eventually turn out like? Second, commuting to the city is easier from the old money suburbs. This is good for your sanity and will be good for your bank balance when you sell.

Charm and personality 

Older homes often have a character and individuality that simply cannot be found in new homes. If an older home looks good now it will look good in another 20 years. That stainless steel and black glass exterior may look spectacular now but what will it age like? Is the design merely fashionable, or will it stand the test of time?

Gardens and landscaping 

Mature trees and established lawns framed by buxus add to the appeal of older homes. With new homes on a subdivision the buyer needs to have imagination to visualise how that scrappy vegetation between the bulldozers might one day develop into a lush tropical landscape. Or will it? Landscaping is expensive and some developers may be tempted to skimp on the orchid count.

Maintenance 

It’s funny how the charm and personality of your original villa can quickly evaporate when you are presented with cost of replacing the rotten floorboards that have just given way under your Victorian claw-foot bathtub. Get used to the fact that old homes require maintenance – some of it suddenly and in a big way – and if you are no handyman, that means expense. Make sure you factor maintenance and renovation costs into your purchase price budget when buying an older property. At least with a new home you get a warranty to cover any major problems while the house settles into its foundations.

In general, character homes in established suburbs have shown the greater potential for capital appreciation, certainly compared with new homes in manufactured neighbourhoods. However, it is more apparent now than ever before that people are genuinely interested in living in low maintenance homes so they can make more of their leisure time. Houses are being constructed on smaller sections but with larger floor areas. There is much to recommend about buying a new home, but if you want to ensure capital gain it’s important to choose one that displays some level of individuality, craftsmanship and character.

Six Tips on Buying Better

Before doing anything, have pre-approved finance in place – this should be the first task on a buyer’s to-do list, but is often one of the last to get done.

It sounds obvious, but without a formal commitment of how much you can borrow from your lender, you have nothing. In order to buy well and negotiate strongly, buyers must be able to move quickly and decisively; the war-chest needs to be open and available, otherwise you will lose out to someone who is more serious than you.

Be prepared for auctions – there’s a more than reasonable chance that the home you want to buy may be offered for sale by auction. Of all of the sales methods, this is the one that buyers cope with worst.

While most buyers understand the general rules of buying at an auction, (bids are unconditional, a secret reserve has been set, 10% deposit payable, negotiation with highest bidder if below the reserve price, etc) the vast majority are unfamiliar with the protocols, the pressure and the scrutiny that bidders face and as a result can end up freezing like rabbits in the headlights come the big day.

One solution is to attend other auctions by way of a dry-run; observe how the agents/auctioneer work the room and negotiate back and fro with bidders and vendor; see which bidding tactics work and which fail miserably; notice how the bidders with the least knowledge of the process get most easily manipulated – vow not to be one of those. Better still, get professional assistance or representation on auction day from a buyers’ advocate that knows all of the ropes.

Don’t get too close to the listing agent – we all know by now that the agent is working for the seller and not the buyer, so how come so many buyers still reveal their hearts and souls to them. Buyers must keep their cards close to their chests. If you tell an agent that it is critical that you move by a certain date or that you want to spend around $700k, but you could go up to $800k, then you are setting yourself up to paying over the odds for a home.

It might not get you on to the agent’s Christmas card list, but you must negotiate at-arms-length and recognise that the party with the most knowledge has the most power.

Think about how easily the house will resell – this is the first thing we think about when viewing homes for clients. Although you may have fallen for a home and have visions of the children frolicking happily in the garden, it’s likely, at some point in the future, that you will want to sell it. At that time this issue will be very much at the forefront of your mind.

Are there any features of the home that you or your agent will be able to hang a sales story around? Good schools, access to motorways, single-level living, sunny, easy maintenance, etc, can all positively differentiate your home from others at sale time. Better yet, are there any aspects that future buyers might fall in love with? Sea views and access to beaches are two features that can see rational thought evaporate from the minds of buyers and lead to heated competition and bumper sales prices.

Be ambitious about making capital gains – while most buyers are rightly concerned about paying too much for a home, not enough are concerned about negotiating an exceptional price and anticipating higher than average capital appreciation over time.

Residential buyers are understandably primarily motivated by practical, lifestyle and cosmetic factors. However it is also important to be dispassionate for a moment and consider the very real future benefits of buying low and selling high.

The typical buyer doesn’t consider themselves as a property investor, but they should. As one’s most significant asset, achieving substantial appreciation can enable younger buyers to move swiftly up the property ladder to bigger and better homes, as they will need to as the family unit expands. For older buyers, the difference between average and exceptional appreciation will have a direct bearing on later income levels and the funding of lifestyle options.

Don’t go it alone – many buyers need to take a reality check. Unless they are armed with industry price data, the latest research and, most importantly, a professional who is actively negotiating each day, they are operating at a distinct disadvantage to the seller who is represented by a well-equipped sales agent. This is when buyers are vulnerable and unprotected in an unfamiliar environment. Paying too much for a home in a quiet market might take years to recover from.

Professional buyers’ advocates are available on a project or ad hoc basis at any point in the buying process and provide a cost-effective second-opinion or specialist advice service which places the buyer in a stronger, more powerful negotiating position.

Reasonable…or a Rip-Off?

Some asking prices are fair, others are outrageous. Here are some ways to help buyers determine which are which.

Local Council Websites

Most local councils have rating information for houses on their websites. Just go to their home pages and click on “Rates and Property Information.” Search by the address and it will provide you with the capital value (CV) of the property. This is the probable price that would have been paid, including land and buildings, for the property if it had been sold at the date the valuation was conducted.

The CV is not a full market valuation, it is an estimate calculated on behalf of the local council to assess rates payable, however it is a good way to get a ballpark figure for the value of a property – and it’s free. Check the date the CV was conducted and factor in whether prices have been rising or falling since then and remember that the CV does not include chattels e.g. carpets, curtains, light fittings, TV ariel, dishwasher, etc, so make an additional allowance for what is being sold with the home.

Summary: A great free starting point.

QV E-Valuer Reports

These are computer-generated valuations available from www.qv.co.nz  They cost around $40 each and provide an estimate of the current market value of a property, based upon the sales prices achieved by similar homes in the same area in recent weeks and months. The E-Valuer report also lists the addresses and photos of up to 10 comparative local sales, showing their land area, building size, CVs and sales prices. It will also show what price the current owner paid for the property.

Using the E-Valuer you can see whether buyers in the area are typically paying above or below CV levels. Do a drive-by of these comparative properties; are they in better or worse condition than the home that you are interested in, do they have more land or a better or worse aspect? Take all of these factors into account.

Summary: Not free but not expensive; highly recommended for comparative sales and general information about a property.

REINZ Data 

If the home is being marketed by a real estate agent they should have access to Real Estate Institute of New Zealand data for local sales. This covers recorded sales (and original listing prices) for the last five years and can be sorted by street, neighbourhood, title, price level and agreement date.

Ask the agent to provide you with a report sorted by agreement date, showing sales over the last 12 or 18 months for the street in question as well as other nearby or adjoining streets. You will quickly see if the asking price is in kilter with recent comparable sales in the area.

Summary: Very useful and up-to-date price information; only available via agents.

 Full Market Valuation

The best possible way to assess the value of a property is to pay for a Full Market Valuation by a professionally qualified valuer. This involves them visiting the property and conducting a detailed examination of the home. They then produce a report which takes into account their observations about the condition of the property as well as comparative local sales in order to come up with their estimate of value.

These reports usually cost from $475 for a 3-bedroom Auckland home, although they can cost considerably more depending on size and location. Home buyers often commission these reports at the insistence of their lenders who want firm evidence of market value to support loan applications. However, more and more banks are waiving the need for full market valuations as automated valuation technology becomes increasingly reliable.

Summary: Very useful, but can work out expensive if you buy one of these for every home you are potentially interested in.

Whatever you do as a home buyer, do not automatically assume that the asking price is reasonable.

Sellers will often initially put their property on the market at a ludicrous price – and against the advice of their agent – on the off-chance that a cashed-up migrant with more money than sense might walk through the door at the first open home.

Remember, whichever party has the most information will fare best in negotiations. If a seller is asking $800,000 and you can prove that two bigger, better homes down the road sold for only $725,000 at the peak of the boom in late 2007, then it will be hard for them to stick doggedly to their asking price. On the other hand, if you can see from the comparative sales that similar houses in the area in the last 12 months has been for over $900,000, then you might just want to keep that to yourself and take their arm off.

Using a Mouse to Buy a House

The internet has transformed the home-buying process, especially for would-be immigrants wanting to find out how far their British pounds or South African rand will take them in the New Zealand housing market.
Whether you’re in Dunstable or Durban you can click on any of the major New Zealand real estate sites. From there you just tap in your requirements – neighbourhoods, house types, number of bedrooms, price range, etc – and in seconds you can be viewing homes for sale that match your criteria.

Besides the individual agency sites, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand has its own composite website, realestate.co.nz with more than 73,000 listings.

Other sites with listings and search functions include trademe.co.nz and the ever so clever open2view.com, which includes floor plans and virtual tours for selected homes, although you can end up feeling queasy if you look at too many of those spinning rooms.

Barfoot & Thompson’s website, barfoot.co.nz, is updated hourly, and offers the facility to create a favourites folder and to register a buyer’s search specifications (eg, 3+ bedroom house in Mount Roskill for between $300,000-$350,000) so that you automatically receive email alerts when a home matching your specifications is listed.

B & T reports an astonishing nine million detailed page visits per year, translating to a house listing being viewed by a potential buyer every three seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Another benefit agents’ online search sites offer the buyer is the ability to identify the approximate price expectations of the seller.

Many houses are marketed as “By Negotiation” but without an asking price. This frustrating Kiwi sales practice can be undermined by online buyers searching by price range, eg, $400,000-450,000.

The search results might still show individual homes without an associated price but at least you know the agent has tagged the property in this price range.

If you think you’ve found your dream home, you can, for a fee, order a CD of its property file online, or a LIM report from the local council (eg, aucklandcityproperty.com) to identify any issues or development restrictions.

It’s important to have an idea of a house’s value before making an offer. For $69.95 Quotable Value (qv.co.nz) provides a property guide package online, including reports on a property’s details, local sales, rating valuation, sales history, school zones, property trends and, most importantly, an estimate of its market value.

The websites of the major banks are becoming a resource for homebuyers. Most of them have calculators to show how much you can borrow and what your repayments will be.

The National Bank has launched homebuyerscentre.nationalbank.co.nz which is billed as a one-stop-shop for homebuyers, with case studies, online pre-approved loan applications and expert advice.

So, can the internet develop further to help NZ homebuyers? Check out what our friends in America are up to. Zillow.com claims to have reliable valuation data for 67 million homes in the USA; Cyberhomes.com boasts 100 million. Type in an address or ZIP code and you can zoom down using satellite images to take a bird’s eye peek at any of these homes.

You can view the sales history and value change for the home, and compare it to properties in the same ZIP code or state over the last one, five or 10 years.