Bush Property in private Camp in Limpopo

Hoedspuit property for sale

An enchanting property in a private camp situated near Kruger Park and close to the town of Hoedspruit.


3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms

 PRICE: R3.3 Million

Secluded position for a Private Camp on 1 HA in a 5000 HA Private Game Reserve. Stunning view of Olifants River, bushveld and distant Drakensburg Mountains. Excellent game inventory including Rhino, Leopard, Hippo. Highly recommended property of excellent quality, and finishes. Wonderfully peaceful ambience for real bush enjoyment, and entertainment.

RE/MAX Wildlife Properties Hoedspruit contact Annie or Gareth

We have seen it and think it rocks and that's why we recommend this place - the property watchdogs and the investing in south African property bunch.

First the Budget Then Make a Decision first time home buyers

First Listen to the 2012 Budget Speech Then Make Up Your Mind

If you are a first time home buyer now is the perfect time to empower yourself and get in there while the going is still good.  You will soon be able to decide on buying a home, depending on the outcome of today’s 2012 budget speech.

First time home buyers take note!!

·         Interest rates are lower than they have been in decades.

·         Property prices are really, really good at this point in time.

·         Banks are easing up on their lending criteria, which is a positive move in the right direction borrowing  that much-needed money.

·         Empower yourself if you are a novice home buyer with the kind of knowledge that you will need when looking for a bond or wanting to borrow money.

·         Property is an important investment, therefore location is key.

·         Buy the cheapest home in the best area; this way you will never lose value on your investment.

·         When buying a home it is important to take convenience, access to your job, and security as well as safety into account.

·         A home close to schools is excellent for resale.

·         If the area you have your eye on is too expensive, then perhaps the suburb right next door is a good second option.

·         Noise levels also devalue homes; therefore a home in a quiet area might be a better option.

·         Interest rates are always a factor to take into account; find out first what Pravin Gordhan has to say in his 2012 budget speech, and then make your decision according to what the outcome of the latest budget as this will most certainly have an effect on finances for the next 12 months.

·         Buying a “renovator’s dream’ “is certainly an option, especially if you are deft with a hammer and nails. Buying cheap in an excellent area and doing up a home is a very good option, and many home owners find this to be the case.

·         Aesthetic flaws are obvious, but hidden problems are not that obvious when buying a home, therefore it might be advisable to have the house inspected by professionals before putting in that offer.

·         If alterations were carried out on the home, ensure that all the plans are in place when you sign on the dotted line.

Before you buy your new home, wait for the outcome of today’s 2012 budget speech, and then make your next move.

A good point of entry is to start searching for your dream home online, where you will find a plethora of choices, and also the property section in newspapers in your area of choice. A good estate agent will be able to advise you and point you in the right direction, making the whole process a lot less emotional and stressful. Some banks are giving 100% rates for bonds, but it is advisable to have a deposit in order to secure a loan, and increase your chances of actually getting that sought-after bank loan or bond.

After listening to Pravin Gordhan’s 2012 budget speech, and after doing some necessary homework and having fine-tuned your plan to buying your first home, your next step would be to approach your bank.

SA Budget 2012 - Yes – You CAN Get That Elusive Home Loan In 2012

Yes – You CAN Get That Elusive Home Loan In 2012

It seems as if the light is shining at the end of the proverbial tunnel for those that need to buy homes and need bonds in order to do so. According to Standard Bank, the largest player in the home loans field, it is still possible to get that loan that you need.

Pravin Gordhan will soon put us in the picture with his much-awaited 2012 budget speech, and this, too will have an all-important impact on the lending and housing market in SA in 2012.

Here are a couple of practical points to take into consideration prior to approaching your bank for that all-important loan:

·         Do a little research on the area.

·         Find out exactly what kind of condition the house is in.

·         Do some research into your credit history; this is easily available online and you can make any necessary adjustments if errors appear on your credit report. Compare these reports from the three largest credit bureaus in SA.

·         Armed with this kind of knowledge you will always have the upper hand.

·         Did you know that there are a high percentage of errors that occur on credit reports? These should always be checked on a regular basis so that your credit report is in a healthy state.

·         Ask a professional estate agent to assist in getting a comparable price list of the homes in the area; they have access to graphs and information that is pertinent to this.

·         Obviously, you will have to be able to afford the property; affordability is the key in this exercise.

·         If you are concerned that the budget will affect your already tight purse strings, it might be best to wait for after Pravin Gordhan has delivered his SA budget speech, and only then approach your bank for a loan.

·         You might feel that the budget does not really affect you in your everyday life; but if it is more taxes we have to pay, higher interest rates on our borrowed money, more to fork out on that glass of wine or packet of cigarettes, then it is wisest to hold on a little longer before signing for that much-desired property you already have your eye on.

·         Put money aside when buying your home; there are always costs that are hidden.

·         100% bonds are not common, so ensure that there is sufficient for transfer duties, deposits and anything else pertaining to buying your property.

·         Remember to add in attorneys’ fees and registration costs, too.

·         Hidden expenses need to be addressed, as you will always find there is a lot to be spent on added extras such as electricity deposits and beefing up security.

·         Don’t forget to build in your home insurance, too.

If you feel you might be a little too tight it is a good idea to wait and see what the 2012 budget speech will do for (or against) our borrowed monies from banking institutions; it is always bet to make these important decisions through careful planning.

Purchase Your Biggest Investment Ever With A List After Hearing The 2012 Budget

Thirteen Pertinent Points for your “To Do”List When Buying Property after the 2012 SA Budget Speech

·         First things first; create a needs analysis. Do you want a lock up and go scenario, or do you have a dog and cat or a family to consider? Write this at the top of your “to do” list when investing in property in 2012.

·         Location, location, location is all-important. This will affect how much you will be able to borrow from the bank, and this will also affect how much you will pay on your monthly insurance premium. Buy the cheapest house in the best area, and you will never go wrong.

·         Once you have heard what you are in store for in 2012 after hearing the 2012 budget speech, you might want to decide how to invest your money accordingly.

·         Perhaps you would like to go ahead anyway; although it is important to know how our money is going to be spent according to Pravin Gordhan,  it is also important to get into the housing market, and now seems to be as good a time as any, whether the budget bodes well or not.

·         When you go house-hunting keep your “to do” property shopping list with you at all times so that you do not lose focus.

·         When looking at location, it is also important to take into consideration where you work, and where you spend most of your social time.

·         Fine-tune your list all the time; your ideas might change, and especially so after hearing what the SA budget has in store for us.

·         If you are a first time home buyer then it might be a good idea to take someone older and wiser with you when looking for property, as wisdom comes with age and two heads are always better than one.

·         Be on the lookout for any pitfalls; as a first time buyer you might not be aware of these.

·         Shop around at different banking institutions and find out what the interests rates are. Even better wait for the SA budget and then make this decision based on those facts.

·         The professionals will be able to assist and guide you in the right direction; bond originators are experienced and would be in a position to shop around on your behalf, taking the leg-work out of this exercise.

·         Acquaintances and friends who have bought homes recently will have a good idea how to buy a home; why not ask their advice?

·         Always look for estate agents who have got the most ”sold” boards  in the area you are interested in; THESE are the ones who know the area best, which houses will be for sale. These agents will be the most professional and successful in the area.

Your best financial indicator for borrowing money to buy a home would be the 2012 budget speech, as this will be a good barometer on how our money is going to be spent in the next twelve month period. Hopefully Pravin Gordhan will make many positive changes in SA, so that everyone can benefit.

Buy a holiday home in Spain!

Want to buy a holiday home in Spain? Check out the latest mortgage deals


There are currently a brilliant range of Spanish mortgages for non residents


Get Interest rates that start from a very competitive 3.25%.
Fixed and tracker rate products available.Mortgage options available for your own home, investment purchases, holiday homes, owner building and remortgages.
Lending is now available up to 70% of the property's purchase price.
Up 40 year mortgage terms available.
Maximum age 75


For South Africans buying in Spain we can manage the full SA Exchange control regulations for you and provide money transfer with no administration fees and best rates available.

Quantitative Easing - Does it work?????

So time for a bit of thought on such a romantic day!  happy st valentines day to you and the bank of England!!!

Central banks try to raise the amount of lending and activity in the economy indirectly by cutting interest rates. Lower interest rates encourage people to spend, not save but when interest rates can go no lower, a central bank's only option is to pump money into the economy directly. That is quantitative easing (QE).The way the central bank does this is by buying assets - usually financial assets such as government and corporate bonds - using money it has simply created out of thin air. The institutions selling those assets (either commercial banks or other financial businesses such as insurance companies) will then have "new" money in their accounts, which then boosts the money supply.

In March 2009, the England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced that it would reduce Bank Rate to 0.5%. The Committee also judged that Bank Rate could not practically be reduced below that level, and in order to give a further monetary stimulus to the economy, it decided to undertake a series of asset purchases. Between March 2009 and January 2010, the MPC authorised the purchase of £200 billion worth of assets, mostly gilts – UK Government debt. The MPC voted to begin further purchases of £75 billion in October 2011 and, subsequently, at its meeting in February 2012 the Committee decided to purchase £50bn to bring total asset purchases to £325bn but doubts linger over how well its policy of quantitative easing is working

A Bank of England report into the effect of the first round of QE suggested that the measure had helped to increase gross domestic product by between 1.5% and 2%, indicating that the effects of the programme had been "economically significant".  QE worked in 2009. Deflation in the cost of living (the all-items retail prices index measure) peaked at just under 2 per cent (i.e. the price level fell about 2 per cent) in mid-2009. The money stock would have fallen something like 5-10 per cent without QE. The plan to lower bond yields has obviously worked with the 10yr bond falling by 39% in the past 3 years. QE works by the Bank buying bonds in the open market with the demand causing the yield to fall and their attractiveness as an investment to fall as well. This has allowed the UK to maintain a level of bond auctions, and public debt, without too much trouble from the ratings agencies or any vigilante bond traders.

From an inflation point of view the result is less certain. Inflation in the UK has remained sticky throughout the crisis with CPI remaining above the Bank’s 2% ± 1% target since January 2010

The Tea Break - David Te Brake

Main Feature – Where to for SA in 2012!

South Africa has been fortunate enough to not have been as severely subjected to the hammering that Europe has had to endure. We can give credit to 3 major factors that have contributed to this outcome:

• A decade of relentless increases of commodity prices
• Excellent capital inflows from foreigners
• Good banking and stringent monetary domestic systems

However, these fine runaway trains may have run out of steam. Consistent high levels of unemployment, aggravated by a mass influx of foreign “immigrants”; the severe inefficiency of our age old deep-level mines, coupled by potential political meddling and increasing costs of labour and electricity; and most importantly the diminishing productivity of South Africa’s work-force in general; all threaten the long-term outlook for SA as a whole. If the SA government does not start reinvesting or re-subsidising in the world’s supposedly “next BIG commodity” i.e. food, and start seriously addressing unemployment and non-productivity, then South Africans may have a short road left to travel on.  In my opinion, it is therefore significantly important for South Africans to be doing one thing over the short/medium term: Investing and STOP spending! Grow some wealth while the going is still good. Things for 2012 look above average on the equity front with a good proportion of your returns to be expected from US stocks. Stay away from commodity stocks. Commodity levels are situated way above their fair values, which make commodity stocks even more overpriced.

Updates – Discovery Health

Many people were left upset this year as Discovery Health seemingly drew back on some benefits on their top end plan by imposing limits. Such limits generally only come about when there is severe abuse and misuse of benefits, generally from a minority of users. Members forget that they are just that, “members”. This implies that you are a member of “group” or “club.” Your Medical Aid is not as such a policy as you think it may be. It is a pooling of all members funds, to which Discovery health is then paid an administration fee to administer and pay out benefits to those most in need of the funds. Discovery Health does in no way become “more profitable” by not paying out on a benefit. I for one, as a member of Discovery Health, have no tolerance for other members abusing the “system” and for effectively prejudicing me and therefore personally embrace the actions taken by the board of Discovery health.

Statement of the Month

“The optimist claims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears that this is true” – James Cabell


Thanks to David Te Brake - SA's leading financial broker for financial planning.

You can get a home loan or a loan with bad credit!

Of course you can get a loan with bad credit as there is no question that people with a bad credit score can also obtain a loan or a home loan, but before you approach a bank or originator, find out what’s on your credit report. 


Obtain a copy of your credit check either online or by mail and look it over for errors, then get them removed immediately by calling Mytransunion, formerly known as ITC and Experien. 


This can improve your credit rating and help you get approved for a loan you so badly want.

Sales and Marketing in Tough times!

“Fish where the fish are.” - so follow the money even when looking for a loan.

For most of us in the sales and marketing side, prospecting is the most challenging activity we do. 

We hate the thought of picking up the phone to make a living. No matter what product or service we sell, success in sales is built through effective planning and prospecting.

Here are five ideas that will help:

1. Establish a routine. You must schedule time for prospecting every day at preferably the same time. Do not allow anything to interfere with your prospecting time. The salesperson who has a set daily routine of making prospecting calls at a specific time and adheres to this schedule without distraction has a massive advantage over others

.

2. When is the best time to prospect? The best time to make prospecting calls is when you have the most energy. I always prospect early in the morning because that’s when I have the most energy. It also gets me off to a winning start, which sets up my day for success.

3. It gets easier after the first call. The first call is always the most difficult. Getting yourself to make the first call of the day is normally the biggest hurdle. After you make the first call, you realize it was not as difficult as you had imagined. Prospecting is fun after a few positive calls. You will often find receptive people on the other end of the line who are open  to your call. Just do it, break through the barrier, your confidence will soar when you realise that prospecting is the trigger to all successful selling.

4. Set prospecting goals. Set a specific goal of what you want to happen on each call. Know what you want that prospect to do. It is difficult to achieve prospecting success without clearly defined objectives.

5. Prospecting is a numbers game. I guarantee you that the more prospecting you do, the more deals you will secure. Prospecting allows you to plan your income and results. If you track your prospecting efforts, you will find that you have clear ratios in your sales efforts. Once you know how many prospecting calls you need to make in order to get a client presentation and therefore a closing opportunity, then you have a good measure of how to achieve any sales target.  

Prospecting is truly the starting point of success in any sales profession. I teach a simple sales model – the more you effectively prospect, the more presentation opportunities you will get, and therefore the more sales you will close.