Jo's May 2020 update and new listings click here 

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Hi - Well, its great to be back in the office and busy as ever! The last couple of months have been surreal, and a very testing time in lots of ways, plenty of highs and lows. I am proud as a nation that NZ managed to squash Covid-19 - making us a standout national globally. Some of the lockdown highlights were being able to spend more time with our kids (and of course plenty of high fives too as we rush them out to door back to school after nearly two months of home schooling 😨) And Baking. eating way too much! Time to get out of the fridge and back to work...

 

Working from home has become a new 'norm' (for those of us fortunate enough to continue to work) although it has not been an easy time for so many, Zoom is fun but not the same as real human interaction. Working from home can be hugely productive for some. Others less so. I am feeling especially for my friends who own and work in tourism / travel businesses - they are really feeling the pain right now. Lets hope the trans-Tasman bubble reopens asap and we can get our borders open and our economy back on track .

 

The great kiwi love-affair with property shows no sign of slowing down either. I am seeing just as many buyers now who are still searching for their perfect home as there were before Covid. With NZ's proud achievement it's meant a lot of attention on NZ as 'the' place to live hence a huge spike in enquiries from buyers abroad, especially UK, Australia and other key ex Pat nations all keen to make a return to NZ and setup home and in turn this is driving more buyer demand, as witnessed by TrademeProperty* and other main property portals all of whom reported a massive increase in online traffic during lockdown (*up to 50% more online views of properties for sale)

 

As much as I enjoyed long waterfront walks, quiet streets, no traffic and the relative freedom of working from home, nothing can replace human connection so it has been fantastic getting out meeting up with my lovely vendors and buyers over the past week or so (at a safe distance of course).

 

We've remained busy throughout the Lockdown - our office alone sold an incredible 16 properties during L3 & L4 a fantastic result for buyers and sellers in extremely testing conditions. Great to see people embrace technology and allow us to continue to do our job and get great results for our vendors, in a safe, and sensitive manner.

 

So now out of lockdown, the property market has quickly returned to a very active state and the big question on everyone's lips "Do we sell now or do we wait...?" I'm not one to rely on crystal balls! All the available data shows there is still a shortage of quality home especially in sought after suburbs like Double Grammar Zones and The bays where we have more buyers than sellers, and prices are holding relatively strong. We are yet to see prices drop anywhere near what the media are hyping up. In fact we are pleased to report we are still achieving close to Pre-covid prices this includes online auctions during Level 3 and 4... so I guess to answer the original question ..Why Wait?

NOW is a good time to sell, there are many buyers out there and not enough houses.

 

In Spring we forecast more properties on the market which means more competition, more vendors potentially selling, so it becomes a buyers market, helped along with record low-interest rates of under 3%. To those of you looking, if you are searching for your 'forever home' to hold for the next generation or two, then it always pays to look long term. We'd hate to see anyone miss out on their dream home because they 'waited' and then missed out altogether. If you are buying and want advice on comparable sales to make sure you're not overpaying, using our all our tools and sales records I can help give you guidance on prices and values both pre and post Covid.

 

I have pre-qualified cash-buyers for 2 -3 and 4 bedroom homes across Parnell, Remuera, Orakei and the bays - so if you are curious or want to know the value of your home (or investment property) call me for a confidential and instant appraisal of your home's value. I provide this service same-day - no mucking around waiting!

 

I am such a people-person I have really missed everyone's company this past few months! I am always available for a coffee or an off-the-record chat, whatever your needs; buying, selling, just browsing or maybe just wanting info on what's happening in your fave neighbourhood... I like being busy and I am here to be of service, so don't hesitate to drop me a message!

 

Best Wishes,

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Jo

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Contact me :           Tel (NZ)+64 021 999 776.            Contact me 7 Days A Week