Times are changing… Not only are we living in a society where the economy is slow, causing consumers to tighten their purse strings. Droughts come and go more often than what we were used to and we as consumers need to adapt our lifestyle to make ends meet.

South Africa is a versatile country where a variety of climate areas exist. From warm and tropical areas to dry and bushveld like landscapes, our country offers a lush variety of plant life. What could be more beautiful than surrounding your home with a beautiful garden? Planting living works of art to beautify your home, giving you a place to find serenity and joy. But it’s not always affordable and planting and maintaining a beautiful garden takes time and energy.

With the recent drought in the Western Cape and other parts of the country, consumers have learned more about their water resources and come to understand how fragile and costly water supply can be. There is no need to take away the pleasure of a garden or to only pave or plant rocks in your garden! Rather opt for planting waterwise plants that are low maintenance and can cope with periods of heat and low rainfall, that way you will reduce your water bill. Many homeowners, especially in the Western Cape, have installed water storage tanks to collect rainwater to feed into their gardens over the dry times. Capetonians have learnt to comply with the water restrictions imposed, currently at Level 3, being 105 litres/day/person allocated to each household.

We have spoken to the garden experts and here are some suggestions of stunning waterwise plants that will suit your garden:

Tulbaghia (Wild Garlic) is one of the hardiest species on the list and has become very popular with gardeners and landscape architects around the country. It has a long-flowering period, and when mass planted creates a stunning display with its pinkish-mauve flowers. It can survive extended dry spells as well as heavy rain. This hardy plant is generally fuss-free provided it is used in a sunny to semi-shade position. Clumps can be split after a few years and used elsewhere in the garden.

Popularly known as Hen-and-chickens, Chlorophytum comosum can be used to good effect to cover bare soil in semi-shaded conditions in your garden. Mass planted they make a stunning display and work beautifully on a semi-shaded embankment or on a retaining wall. The variegated varieties also brighten up those dull spots in the garden, whilst the green variety adds a beautiful, lush forest effect. Some home owners prefer to cut the ‘chickens’ off the mother plant, but it is often preferable to leave these in place as they will soon root themselves and help to spread the plant around your garden, thereby helping to prevent soil erosion and aiding water retention.

This beautiful succulent groundcover is a favourite for retaining walls and dry patches of soil where other plants may struggle. It is rich green in colour, with dainty pinkish-red flowers and can spread rapidly, helping to cover an area in a short space of time. It can be used to stabilise soil in areas which may be susceptible to run-off or erosion and can be used as a lawn replacement for difficult to reach areas. A golden-coloured variety is also available.

These grass-like perennials have become ubiquitous on South African verges and in gardens. They are very hardy and once established require little watering or maintenance. A few varieties are available, including Dietes grandiflora with white flowers, and Dietes bicolor with yellow flowers. They can be mass-planted to create beautiful backdrops in a flowerbed or used as filler shrubs for dry areas in the garden.

Also known as Pork Bush or Elephant’s Food, this indigenous evergreen is an environmental miracle worker, with the potential to tackle carbon emissions like no other plant can. Whether you’re a succulent fan or have yet to hear about this magnificent tree, here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about this wonder plant. Hectare for hectare, Spekboom thicket is ten times more effective than the Amazon rainforest at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One hectare of Spekboom can sequester between 4 and 10 tonnes of carbon per year. This makes it a powerful tool in the fight against climate change and the move towards a zero-carbon world.

Tips for water-wise gardening: 

1. Go indigenous, planting what occurs naturally in your area. Exotic plants often need more water.
2. Group plants with similar water needs together so you don’t overwater less thirsty plants while attending to the thirsty ones.
3. Use mulch to stop moisture escaping.

Source: Glenis Ebedes

February 7, 2020

1. It is currently easier to get a home loan. “The banks are competing heavily with each other to get new buyers’ business” says Shaun Rademeyer from Multinet Home loans, “there is a 5% increase in the conversion of the home loan application rate”.
2. Depending on the applicant’s current financial credibility, some banks are approving up to 105% home loans.
3. It’s a buyers’ market! You’ve probably heard this phrase so many times over the past few months, but what does this mean? Due to an oversupply of properties on the market, and the slow economy that causes consumers to be more cautious when they decide to spend, home buyers can pick and choose from properties currently on the market.
4. There are a lot of properties available in the ‘Affordable Market’. What is the Affordable Market you ask? According to a property investor, Anton Breytenbach, properties priced between R500k and R1.5 million are in the ‘sweet spot’ when buying property. There are many more buyers and renters who can afford property in this price bracket than buyers in the high-end property bracket (R3.5 million and higher). This means that if you choose to buy a property to rent out, you should be able to attract a qualifying tenant quicker.
5. There is more space to negotiate a good price for a property, especially when you find a home where the seller is motivated to sell urgently.
6. Interest rates are at its at the lowest they have been since 2014. Homeowners should consider the benefits of paying off their home loans faster, simply by paying just a bit more on their home loan each month.
7. Property increases in value. Unlike a car that loses its value over time, property slowly but surely grows in value. Property is a good and more secure capital investment.
8. Location, location, location! Look for an area where there is an active first-time buyers’ market. First time buyers invest in areas where they feel secure, they usually plan to stay in that area for the next 7 – 14 years making your investment set for long-term growth. With many first-time buyers in the market, it won’t be difficult to pick up which area is the best fit for you.
9. If the price is right… “If you do your homework thoroughly before buying a property, and you buy it in the right area at the right price, the value of your property will grow so much faster when the economy starts picking up again”, says MJ Dafel, COO of Property.CoZa. “Buy a property below market value. The total price including the costs and fees of the sale should be below market value”. There are many affordable properties on the market now. Get into gear and start searching!
10. Buying property forces you to save. Are you one of those people that earn a salary, spend the whole month and whatever is left at the end of the month goes into your savings account? By investing your money into a property, you will be encouraged to save, and your savings will grow in value over a long period. It’s a win-win situation!

February 4, 2020

Amid news reports of expected mass job losses with retail stores closing, Eskom struggling to restore the country’s electricity infrastructure and SAA selling off planes, consumers are concerned about the future of the South African economy. But all hope is not lost, as the South African Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee has unanimously voted today to reduce the repo rate with 25 basis points from 6,5% to 6,25%.

The repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (in this case, SARB) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. The repo rate is used by monetary authorities to control inflation.

The banks will be forced to cut their prime lending rate from 10% to 9.75% which will translate into a saving of R16.50 per month per R100 000 borrowed for existing homeowners according to Johan van Zyl, Managing Director of Property.CoZa Financial Services (PFS). The South African Reserve Bank governor, Lesetji Kganyag stated that the economy’s weak 0.4% expansion in 2019 places the growth outlook for 2020 and 2021 at 1.2%, four percentage points lower than previously expected.

The drop in the repo rate, according to Investec, affects South Africans in the following ways:

• A lower repo rate makes it less expensive for banks to borrow money from the Reserve Bank, which may have a positive impact on interest charged on credit;
• it may also positively impact the price of property with greater benefits for cash buyers; and
• prime-linked loans get a bit of reprieve with a reduction in interest rates.

Van Zyl says that the rate reduction early in the year as well as the fact that banks are once again competing for business in the home loan market will definitely have a positive effect and stimulate the market. It bodes very well for 2020.

January 17, 2020

You have spent the last twelve years feeding and expanding your brain to unlock your potential and open the door to your future. In a society offering countless directions for you to follow, it can feel overwhelming. Over the years, you may have asked yourself “What do I want to be when I grow up? What should I do when I leave school?”

Answering these few questions may help you:

• Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to operate your own business?
• Are you savvy and hard-working, with a passion for people and building relationships?
• Do you want to determine how much money you earn?
• Would you like to work flexible hours, independently and/or in a team?

If you have answered yes to all 4 questions, exploring a career in the real estate industry may be the perfect option. Don’t be fooled, successful real estate agents are not just extroverts able to sell ice to Eskimos! There are many different characteristics that contribute to success in the property sector, and the most important factors are a love and passion for people and property.

At Property.CoZa we refer to our real estate agents as Property Professionals. We believe that each person in our network is a specialist in their field and form a part of the business as a partner. All our Property Professionals work towards building their business and real estate career and would not be satisfied with an 8 to 5 job.

We are not saying that it is a quick and easy process to become a Property Professional, sell houses and make quick, easy money. Work, focus and determination are required and, there are professional qualifications to achieve and rules and regulations by the Estate Agency Affairs Board EAAB) must be adhere to. Recognized real estate qualification programs ensure that the industry is reputable and that qualified specialists provide a professional service to their clients.

This is what you need to do to become a Property Professional at Property.CoZa:

1. Join a reputable real estate agency to work with. You can contact any of our offices across South Africa and join the team where you will be mentored and supported by sales and office managers.
2.  Once registered with the Estate Agency Affairs Board, your one-year internship period starts. During this year you must complete the EAAB Logbook. This is essentially evidence that is put together in a structured manner to prove to the EAAB that you have completed specific on-the-job practical tasks as an Intern Agent and have gained some valuable workplace experience.
3. During the Internship year you also need to comply with the formal educational requirement of obtaining an academic qualification, at Matric level, called Further Education and Training Certificate NQF 4 Real Estate. Unlike the EAAB Logbook, this training is offered by accredited Services SETA Training Service Providers and a fee is payable to obtain this qualification.
4. Once this Services SETA certificate is obtained, you will be required to pass the Professional Designation Examination (PDE). This is a four-hour open-book examination based on the work done and studied during your Internship period. When you have passed this examination, you will be able to use the designation PPRE (Professional Practitioner Real Estate) and operate without the assistance of your mentor agent.
5. On-going compliance is also essential in the real estate industry. All qualified agents, PPREs, must register and complete their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) cycles, monitored over 3 years. CPD is like life-long learning and agents are required to keep up to date with prescribed legislation and the real estate environment.

Visit our website at www.propertycoza.com and contact your closest Property.CoZa office to find out more about pursuing a career in Real Estate.

Source: EAAB

January 9, 2020