Capital offences: Gentrification opens door to … guess who
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON DC There’s an interesting process underway in the US capital and it’s something with which we are familiar with here in Australia. No, I don’t mean…
When ‘common sense’ makes no sense at all
Common sense, that good old standby we apply to any dilemma, however complex, is the thinking equivalent of comfort food: it makes you feel better now but causes problems later.…
Airbnb fights tough new city laws in court
LETTER FROM BOSTON: As a long-time thorn in Airbnb’s side, I’m trying not to take this personally. But no sooner do I arrive in Boston, Mass. than Airbnb files a…
Roundup: Something rotten in the state of Queensland
As I have said many times, the pre-sale of management rights in Queensland is a form of legalised corruption that leaves apartment owners to pay for contracts that they had…
Triple win for buyers in sunset clawbacks case
The couple who successfully held the line against the “Sunset Clawbacks” of an apartment block in Sydney’s Surry Hills won two final victories last week. In court, they were awarded…
Hold on – help is closer than you think
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in strata or whether you are a resident or a committee member, sooner or later you are going to need to ask for…
Report demolishes Airbnb’s residential rental myth
A new report has blown major holes in three of the myths at the heart of the Airbnb short-term letting pitch. According to a study by the Australian Housing and…
Podcast: Ep 3 of the Wrap looks at buying and selling
Is this the best time to buy an new apartment or just the worst time to sell? And what you should look out for in offers that seem to be…
Flat Chat Wrap #3 – best and worst times to buy, bullied by by-laws & lawn parking
Is this the best time to buy an new apartment or just the worst time to sell? And what you should look out for in offers that seem to be…
Roundup – Row over Airbnb code of conduct
Don’t hold out too much hope for a short-term holiday letting code of conduct that’s actually going to help you keep the peace when Airbnb, Stayz and all the other…
When bad by-laws are bullies’ blunt weapons
There are a million ways to get things wrong in strata, especially when it comes to devising the by-laws with which we try to moderate or even control the behaviour…
How to spot the hard sell in a soft property market
COMMENT by Jimmy Thomson It seems apartment developers are pulling out all the stops to sell their excess stock – especially as new units come on to the market in…