Half of Spain’s real estate agencies have folded in the past year due to a slowdown in the once-booming building sector, an industry association says.
Of 80,000 that operated at the beginning of 2007, only around 40,000 have survived and some 100,000 employees lost their jobs, according to the Superior Council of Real Estate Agents, a nationwide grouping.
However, many of the agencies that collapsed are small — sometimes just a person with a cell phone — that emerged to cash in on the Spanish construction boom over the past five years or so, the council’s president Santiago Baena told the newspaper El Pais.
“The ones that closed are the upstarts, the ones who came into this sector because they saw easy money,” Baena said. Larger, well-established companies have closed some branches but are still intact, he added.
In the heyday of the boom, real estate agents say buyers enticed by rock-bottom interest rates would line up to purchase homes. Builders did not even bother to construct model homes; they just showed customers crude blueprints.
Housing prices rose 17 percent in 2004 and 9.1 percent in 2006. But interest rates have jumped three points in as many years, there is a glut of housing on the market and banks spooked by the subprime crisis in the United States are now much tighter when it comes to lending.
The government says housing prices in 2007 will post a more modest 5 percent rise. Final figures are not out yet.
Baena said many more agencies will close in Spain in the next three or four months but that this is good because the sector had become “a joke,” with too many people trying to make fast money, sometimes with shady deals.
Gas and Oil Tank Removal & Abandonment January 19, 2008Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
Real Estate Tax,
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Tank Removal ,
edit postThere are several reasons why you would want to remove your underground storage tank. If you are converting to natural gas or installing an above ground storage tank for your home heating needs. Most importantly, SREC strongly recommends removing your underground storage tank if you plan to sell your home. Selling your home is stressful enough even without any major complications.
However, having your tank removed, inspected and the soil tested will eliminate any potential problems you would have encountered if your tank remained on your property. Removing your underground storage tank and obtaining closure will satisfy the most stringent of home inspections or due diligence by future homebuyers. SREC can help, beginning with a free consultation.
If you choose to contract SREC to remove your tank, our helpful staff will acquire permits, obtain utility markouts, and make arrangements with municipal inspectors in order to prepare for your
tank removal. Our experienced personnel will efficiently and properly complete your tank removal in four to five hours leaving you with Peace of Mind.
What you can expect:
• Safety is a primary concern for our company. Our team will confirm the location of underground utilities before beginning the tank removal process.
• Once the underground storage tank (UST) is located, a small track excavator will be used to expose the tank.
• The UST is then cut open and the contents, usually fuel oil and sludge, are removed with a licensed vacuum truck and transported to a certified liquid disposal facility or transferred, at your request, to a newly installed AST.
• Fully covered in protective gear, a representative from SREC enters the tank to clean it with absorbent pads and a squeegee.
• The UST is then removed with the excavator and inspected for holes or signs of corrosion by both SREC personnel and the municipal inspector.
• Upon completion of the inspection of both the tank and its grave, the excavation is filled to grade with certified clean fill. A 550-gallon tank removal typically yields a 6 foot by 8 foot excavation area roughly graded. A 1000-gallon tank removal typically yields a 6 foot by 13 foot excavation area roughly graded.
• A sales representative will provide a completed tank certification booklet to you. It includes:• Copy of local permits• Tank disposal receipt• Tank contents manifest• Certified clean fill receipt• Certificate of removal and a copy of SREC New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection tank removal license
Vote yes to property tax reform January 19, 2008Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
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edit postFor the past five years, there has been a windfall of wealth pouring into the coffers of municipalities all over Florida. This windfall from increased property values and correlating tax assessments has resulted in increased budgets.
Did local governments save or responsibly budget?Were millage rates rolled back from the excess of funds?City managers quote figures of expected loss of revenue.What has been done with the excess funds received in the past few years?
These are the questions you should ask your elected local representatives. When the money was coming in hard and fast, we did not hear of budget cuts or saving for an economic setback. The money was incorporated into another new budget, which meant more spending. The time is now to vote yes for tax change. Local government will be in the position we would be in if our income changes. It is not a doomsday scenario, as many city staff members would like you to think. The new tax proposal will exempt the assessed value of your home between $50,000 and $75,000 in addition to your present exemption. This does not apply to school districts. This is also where you hear the $240 (minimal) in tax savings. That in itself is a small part of the amendment. Save our Homes benefits will be able to be passed on to a new home (up to $500,000). You can now move and not fear rising property taxes. This portability will enable the homeowner to move up or down in the value of a new home. Opportunity to move into another home with the portability tax benefits will definitely help our sagging real estate market. Also, individuals will have an exemption of $25,000 of tangible personal property. There are many small businesses that this would benefit. The final portion of the tax revision would limit the assessment of business and nonhomesteaded property to 10 percent a year. This is too little and too late, but it is a start. The boom is over for now, and double-digit increases in value are a thing of the past. Vote yes on the proposed tax reform amendment on Jan. 29.
Mayor Plans Budget Cuts, an Aide Says January 19, 2008Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
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edit postMayor Michael R. Bloomberg, squeezed by rising costs and sharply falling revenues, plans to cut spending rather than raise taxes to balance the city budget next year, according to an aide familiar with his thinking.
In his seventh annual State of the City address to the City Council on Thursday, Mr. Bloomberg will propose that more politically pleasing path for managing the fallout from the turmoil on Wall Street and what appears to be the end of extraordinary surges in the real estate market.
But if the fiscal outlook worsens, the mayor may rethink that approach and weigh raising property taxes or rescinding a $400 rebate to homeowners, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid upstaging the mayor.
The rebate and the property tax reduction approved last year will be included in the mayor’s preliminary budget, which will be presented next week. Mr. Bloomberg and the City Council will negotiate the final budget in June.
There already are signs that the situation on Wall Street is worsening and that the state, which is struggling with its own economic problems, will reduce aid to the city. State aid now accounts for $11 billion of the city’s $59 billion budget.
“The mayor always said that we have to keep a constant eye on whether we can afford these tax cuts, and based on where we are right now, they’re still alive and moving forward,” the aide said. “The mayor feels that he can propose this in part because when the storm clouds were still distant on the horizon we started making hard calls about cutting government spending.”
Mr. Bloomberg’s announcement, coming amid a steady stream of reports of economic gloom, could help buttress his popularity as he weighs running for president as an independent.
Last year, with an unexpected surplus from the superheated real estate market and generous bonuses and company profits on Wall Street, Mr. Bloomberg reduced the property tax rate by 7 percent, continued the rebates that homeowners have received since 2004 and moved to eliminate the city sales tax on footwear and clothing.
At the time, he committed to the property tax cut for only one year, saying it was meant as a reward to New Yorkers who had borne the burden when he raised property taxes by 18.5 percent early in his tenure.
The property tax reduction costs the city $1 billion a year, and the rebates cost $250 million. In recent months, Mr. Bloomberg and his budget officials had hinted that the reduction might not last as they warned of lean times ahead. They reduced revenue estimates, froze hiring and asked all agencies to propose spending cuts.
Bloomberg officials have remained tight-lipped about what or how much would be cut, but the aide said that Mr. Bloomberg would try to save money within the government and would look to labor unions for help. Mr. Bloomberg has moved aggressively to settle contracts through the end of his term in 2009, agreeing to generous pay raises that are a major factor in driving future deficits, fiscal experts said.
This month, the Independent Budget Office, which is financed by the city but does not report to the mayor, projected a $3.1 billion budget deficit in the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
The office estimated that the deficit would increase to $4.6 billion in 2010 and to $6.3 billion in 2011, largely driven by higher labor costs and a weakening housing market. And it cautioned that those gaps could widen if Wall Street’s difficulties worsened or the housing market declined further.
On Tuesday, the city’s Finance Department released data suggesting that more trouble is on the way. It estimated that this year’s valuation of property in the city, to be conducted in May, will be only 1.44 percent higher than the last assessment. That would be the smallest gain since 1998.
For now, though, Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal is likely to find support within the City Council, where many of the members will be forced out by term limits next year and are running for other offices.
“The property tax is one of the things that really psychologically keeps the middle class in the city and allows us to compete significantly with Nassau and Suffolk and Westchester,” said David I. Weprin, chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee and a candidate for city comptroller. “For people living in the city, especially with the property values having gone up so much, one of the attractions of living in the five boroughs is the relatively low property tax.”
Adding that he was “very excited” about the proposal, Mr. Weprin said that the Council would look closely at any proposed cuts to city agencies.
“That’s what we should be starting to look at, what they’ve suggested to do, as long as it doesn’t have a major effect on basic services and reducing major programs,” he said.
Mr. Bloomberg’s speech, which will be delivered at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool and Rink complex in Queens, will lay out a policy blueprint for the year. Next week, his budget address will provide more detail about spending reductions.
What You Get for … $850,000 December 30, 2007Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
Uncategorized. ,
edit postWHAT: A three-bedroom four-bath house on a two-acre island in the south fork of the Holston River with around 3,000 square feet of space.
HOW MUCH: $895,000
SETTING: Bristol is on the border of Tennessee and Virginia, about an hour away from Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia and two hours from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Bristol Motor Speedway, a Nascar track, is nearby.
COMMON SPACES: A great room, with oversized windows and river views, has a double-height stone fireplace and a vaulted ceiling.
PERSONAL SPACES: The master suite has its own fireplace and his-and-hers baths — both with showers and one with a jetted tub. The other bedrooms have private baths.
OUTDOOR SPACE: A screened-in porch, a deck and a wide footbridge from the island to the bank of the river.
AMENITIES: A wet bar and three fireplaces.
TAXES: $1,891 a year
CONTACT: Loretta Trayer, Lake Country Sotheby’s International Realty (706) 453-7855; www.10thomasisland.com
Sandpoint, Idaho
WHAT: A three-bedroom two-and-a-half bath house on five acres with 3,026 square feet of space and views of Lake Pend Oreille and the surrounding mountains.
HOW MUCH: $864,900
PER SQUARE FOOT: $286
SETTING: The area is known for outdoor recreation like skiing, boating, golfing and biking. There are also music and arts festivals in the town.
COMMON SPACES: Custom wainscoting, molding and built-ins, as well as redwood accents throughout. The great room has large windows with views of the lake and mountains and is open to the dining area and kitchen. The house has a wood-burning stove, beamed ceilings and hardwood floors.
PERSONAL SPACES: The master suite has a separate shower and jetted tub as well as a walk-in closet and sitting area. The other bedrooms share a bath.
OUTDOOR SPACE: A covered porch and a deck.
AMENITIES: A two-car attached garage, a dumbwaiter from the garage up to the kitchen, and a wine cellar.
TAXES: $2,638 a year
CONTACT: Cindy Bond, Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby’s International Realty (208) 255-7561; www.sandpointrealestateonline.com
Phoenix
WHAT: A five-bedroom three-and-a-half-bath house with 5,237 square feet of space.
HOW MUCH: $800,000
PER SQUARE FOOT: $153
SETTING: The property is in the Desert Hills area of north Phoenix, near the 3,000-acre Cave Creek Regional Park.
COMMON SPACES: The kitchen has alder cabinets and a center island. A recreation area overlooks the entryway. The floors are covered with either travertine or carpeting.
PERSONAL SPACES: Two master suites, one on the main floor and the other on the upper level.
OUTDOOR SPACE: A covered patio and a deck.
AMENITIES: An oversized four-car garage with a bay for an R.V.
TAXES: $2,332 a year
CONTACT: Sharon McKenley, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage (602) 647-2978
Collier’s Top 10 stories of 2007: Real estate slump the biggest deal of the year December 30, 2007Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
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edit postIt was the year of upheaval for top-ranking educators in Southwest Florida.
A college president acknowledged an affair and resigned, while the Collier County School Board fired its superintendent. It was also the year of dry weather and the year a new town and university opened in Collier County.
But none of those was the top story of the year, in the view of Daily News news staff. The staff reviewed many stories that made headlines in 2007 before agreeing on these as Collier’s top 10 stories for the past year:
1. Real estate market, construction stall
It was a tough year to be a real estate agent or a manager for a local home builder.
The housing market slump continued to make headlines as the number of homes on the market ballooned, prices fell and sales slowed. Southwest Florida developers, including the Bonita Bay Group, WCI and Centex, made deep staffing cuts in 2007, leaving hundreds of people to search for work.
According to a Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR) report, 3,114 residential sales closed in Collier County, excluding Marco Island, from January to September 2007. That nine-month total was down 15 percent from 3,675 closings in 2006 and down 58 percent from 7,437 closings in 2005.
As closings fell, so did the median home price. In 2007’s third quarter, homes sold for a median price of $375,000 in Collier, down from $395,000 in 2006, according to NABOR. In Lee, the median price for a single-family home fell to $239,300 in the third quarter, down from $249,800 last year, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.
But prices at the market’s high-end remained strong. There were record-breaking sales in Naples, Marco Island and Captiva in 2007, including the $40 million sale of a Gulf-front estate home in Naples.
Meanwhile, as adjustable rate mortgages reset to higher interest rates, borrowers were hit with higher payments. Foreclosures hit a record of 3,574 in Lee in November, up from 1,809 in September; in Collier, there were 395 foreclosures in October, up from 179 in September.
2. Baker out; successor is Thompson
It started with a question about how the Collier County School District gave credit to students who were taking the same Advanced Placement course.
Less than four months later, it would lead to a contentious School Board meeting that resulted in the ousting of Superintendent Ray Baker and the board’s 3-2 vote to bring current Superintendent Dennis Thompson to Naples.
Baker’s termination came a week after a report was released following an investigation into how credits were given at Collier County high schools. The report indicated that some students were receiving different credits for taking the same course, and the district added the term “honors” to course titles, even though the Florida Department of Education didn’t authorize it.
Despite public support for Baker, the board voted 3-2 to void his contract, saying he neglected his duties. Board members Pat Carroll and Kathleen Curatolo dissented.
The board then voted 3-2 to enter into negotiations with-then Rockford, Ill., Superintendent Thompson. In August, the board came to an agreement with Thompson, hiring him less than one month after Baker was fired.
Thompson is paid $240,000, about $33,000 more than Baker was.
Baker has filed a lawsuit against the Collier School Board. The suit claims that School Board members Linda Abbott, Steve Donovan and Richard Calabrese conspired against him by violating the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law by communicating in secret and with each other to declare his contract void before the July 31 public meeting.
3. Ave Maria University opens; first resident
Ave Maria University and town opened this summer in eastern Collier County.
By around 2025, plans call for 11,000 homes and a 6,000-student major Catholic university on what was formerly 5,000 acres of farm fields. The whole project centers on a massive 100-foot Catholic place of prayer called an oratory that was completed this month.
Ave Maria is the combined vision of billionaire Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan and local developers Barron Collier Cos.
In 2002, Barron Collier Cos. CEO Paul Marinelli approached Monaghan with an unusual development deal: The company would provide the land and Monaghan would provide the university that government officials in Michigan wouldn’t let him build to his liking. Monaghan, now 70, accepted, beginning five years of construction and permitting that culminated this July in the town’s formal opening.
The university, which has about 450 students currently on campus, opened following 41⁄2 years at a temporary North Naples location in August.
4. Drought prompts first-time ever once-a-week watering limits
One of the worst droughts in Florida’s recent history drove the South Florida Water Management District board to implement for the first time Level III, or one day per week, water restrictions.
The district board voted in favor of the restrictions, which take effect Jan. 15.
Homeowners aren’t the only ones affected. Farmers and golf courses will have to cut back water use by 45 percent.
“We’re not just in any old drought. We’re in the biblical drought,” Shannon Estenoz, a member of the water management district’s governing board, told the Daily News. “We’re in the drought of enormous proportions. At some point plants are going to die.”
Ultimately, everyone will have to suffer in a drought that could produce the driest two years in Florida’s recorded history, board members said. Since 2006, the district received an average of 82.5 inches of rain. The record low set in 1955-56 is 84.6 inches.
5. Merwin’s resignation; Bradshaw FGCU president
January’s surprise resignation of Florida Gulf Coast University President Bill Merwin set into motion a nationwide search that ended with the hiring of Wilson Bradshaw, who is the third man to occupy the post since FGCU opened in 1997.
Merwin told a shocked audience at a hastily called press conference that he was resigning immediately over an affair with a faculty member. The announcement ended his eight-year stint as head of the university.
During his tenure, Merwin was applauded for his ability to bring in donors and beef up student enrollment on the south Lee County campus, which grew from 2,000 students to more than 8,000 during his presidency.
Bradshaw emerged from a field of nearly 60 applicants from across the nation to be named FGCU president in August. Before coming to FGCU, he spent seven years as president of Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn.
6. Construction starts on I-75
In an area starving for north-south regional roads, this year’s launch of the long-awaited widening of Interstate 75 to six lanes was big news. The 30-mile widening effort from Golden Gate Parkway in Collier County to Colonial Boulevard in Lee County is the largest construction project bid in Florida Department of Transportation history. The joint venture building the road is ACCI/API.
Plans call for one new northbound lane and one new southbound lane to be built to the inside of existing lanes, toward the median. The project also includes reconstructing the interchange at I-75 and Immokalee Road in Collier County.
If all goes well, the widened highway will debut by the end of 2010. In addition to widening the road from four lanes to six, the $469 million project includes 23 new retention ponds and the widening or rebuilding of more than two-dozen bridges.
7. Budgets cut; teachers revolt over bonus
The warning signs began this summer. The state predicted a general fund shortfall of $1 billion and the Collier County School District suspended negotiations with the Collier County Education Association, which represents 80 percent of the district’s teachers, after offering a 3.5 percent increase that was rejected.
In November, after negotiations had resumed, the Collier County School District said the district could only offer a 1 percent bonus beyond the step increases, based on years of experience, that each teacher received. That means that a teacher who has been teaching 10 years in Collier County would receive a $471.68 bonus for the 2007-08 school year.
The offer came after the district was forced to return $4.9 million to the state as a result of the state’s general revenue shortfall. In addition, the district had to give back more than $5 million because of declining student enrollment.
District officials said the state’s cuts could eventually go deeper, so they had no choice.
The offer enraged teachers, who rejected the offer and began working-to-rule, which means teachers come in at the contract-approved time and leave at the contract-approved time. Any work that cannot get done in that time is not done.
8. State Rep. Mike Davis dies
Southwest Florida mourned in September when state Rep. Mike Davis died of cancer.
Since 2002, Davis, R-Naples, represented District 101 in the Florida House, spanning eastern Collier County and part of western Broward County.
Davis, a businessman and community activist in Southwest Florida for nearly 30 years before running for office, was an advocate for affordable housing and improved transportation infrastructure.
9. Golden Gate Parkway-Airport-Pulling Road overpass opens
Collier County drivers took to the Golden Gate Parkway overpass once it was completed and opened in July, forgetting this was once a contentious project to take the parkway over Airport-Pulling Road.
The Golden Gate Parkway project cost about $38.3 million. Traffic analysts anticipate more than 80,000 vehicle trips per day at the site.
10. Barron Collier principal fired
Barron Collier High School Principal Ron Miller was a fixture at the Naples high school one day — and gone the next.
One month after his mysterious departure, the public had the reason. Documents released Dec. 18 by the Collier School District show Miller was removed as principal after district officials determined he engaged in inappropriate behavior, including sending and receiving pornographic e-mails.
The district found enough evidence to file five charges against Miller that eventually resulted in his termination, including engaging in sending and receiving e-mails from his work computer that were pornographic in nature; being alone in his office on multiple occasions during and after school hours with female employees and encouraging such behavior; and investigating a sexual complaint against a faculty member at Barron, which placed the district at legal risk.
Former Naples High School Principal Gary Brown has been named interim principal at Barron Collier High School until a replacement can be found. Miller is challenging that the district had the right to terminate him.
New York Habitat Debuts an Unfurnished Apartment Rental Service December 30, 2007Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
Uncategorized. ,
edit postNew York Habitat, a real estate agency with offices in New York, Paris, London and the South of France, is proud to launch an unfurnished rental division to offer unfurnished apartment rental in New York City. The carefully assembled team of Real Estate professionals has years of experience working on both furnished and unfurnished apartment rentals in New York and around the world.
By expanding to unfurnished apartment rentals New York Habitat will be able to offer a full selection of apartment rentals and to grow an exciting new market for the business.New York, NY (PRWEB) December 13, 2007 —
New York Habitat is pleased to announce the beginning of its New York Unfurnished Apartment Rental Department. Building on over 18 years of success in the furnished apartment rental market, New York Habitat has compiled a team of experienced professionals to serve the needs of clients looking for long-term housing in New York City.
In preparation to offer this new service, the entire organization has worked to put together a network of owners and partnerships with others in the real estate industry in order to create an ever-expanding roster of apartments. New York Habitat’s current offerings include everything from efficiency studios for cost-conscious consumers to luxurious lofts and penthouses. For information about pricing, view the latest
New York Habitat Apartment Price Range Table.
New York Habitat’s client base is unique compared to many in the industry because of the company’s international background. With agents speaking over a dozen languages and offices not only in New York, but also in Paris, London and the South of France, the company is particularly well equipped to deal with clients from around the world. The unfurnished rental department at New York Habitat will continue to offer clients unparalleled service.
This service is provided by some of the most experienced agents in the city. “I look at this as a chance to expand the company,” one of the founding team members, Victor Wareham, says. “By expanding to unfurnished apartment rentals New York Habitat will be able to offer a full selection of apartment rentals and to grow an exciting new market for the business.” The agents, like the company, take the view that service is paramount and offer the personal relationship that the larger companies cannot offer.
Founded in 1989, New York Habitat is a fully licensed residential real estate agency, specializing in both furnished and unfurnished apartment rentals in New York, Paris, London and the South of France (Provence and French Riviera). With the help of our multilingual and multinational agents, apartments can be selected from a worldwide inventory of more then 12,000 carefully chosen properties that are available from three days up to one year or more.
We invite you to view the current selection of apartments by visiting
The Unfurnished Apartment Rentals page of New York Habitat website. Check back on a regular basic to see the newly updated unfurnished apartment listings. If you are interested in renting an apartment, listing an apartment or learning more about this exciting new department,
Departamentos New York Sees Short-Term Vacation Apartment Rental Business Booming December 30, 2007Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
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edit postNew York, NY - December 20, 2007 — Latin American tourists and business travelers are rapidly increasing their online research abilities allowing them to identify and book accommodation alternatives to high priced hotels through local travel agencies (without hidden fees or difficult to calculate extras like taxes and local phone usage).
According to Departamentos New York, which is quickly becoming a leading player in the furnished short-term apartment rental business in New York City and Miami, apartments surpass hotels in comfort, lifestyle and are more affordable especially when traveling with a family group.
My husband and I, with our 3 children, stayed at a wonderful 2 bedroom apartment on West 73rd Street“My husband and I, with our 3 children, stayed at a wonderful 2 bedroom apartment on West 73rd Street,” explains Maria Elena Torres. “We enjoyed a more authentic, ‘living like the locals’, New York City experience for half the price of a hotel. We feel more at home when we are away from home.”
Departamentos New York services clients from Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, UK, US, Uruguay, Mexico and Colombia who, instead of going to a local travel agency, have understood that an online do-it-yourself search allows them to choose exactly what they need, faster and more accurately than discussing lodging options with a traditional agency.
Karina Meth, Departamentos New York Managing Director explains, “Our new website allows our clients (including travel agencies) to have better access to our accommodation options. While apartment prices vary, our customers save 25 to 50 percent off the price of hotel rooms. The key to our success is service, service, service. We help our clients find the perfect apartment for their trip, in their own language, within their budget, with great care and patience.”
As opposed to online classifieds websites such as Craig’s List, Departamentos Nueva York only offers apartments that are NOT owned by individuals who rent them when they are not there. Rather they are exclusively available for short term rentals, professionally managed and set-up for this purpose (some apartments even have cleaning/maid services).
Laura Martinez, a business traveler from Madrid, Spain talks about her experience, “Apartments are better located than many hotels, are better equipped, and represent good value for the money. They are less ‘touristy’ and I recommend them to all my colleagues…When you stay in NY for 2 weeks at a time for work, I much prefer to stay in an apartment where I can cook, receive friends and lead a more informal, normal life.”
About Departamentos Nueva York:DepartamentosNewYrok.com is a provider of short-term furnished apartments in New York and Miami (soon expanding to London and Paris) is exclusively dedicated to Spanish speaking travelers (Latin America, US Hispanics & Spain). Also known as Apartamentos Nueva York, the company provides temporary housing services for relocation, travel, and corporate housing sectors. Their booking and customer service office in Buenos Aires, Argentina is the perfect hub for servicing a South American clientele.
Student rental shortage October 25, 2007Posted by a1furnishedrentals in
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edit postBy Janine Beacham
WITH rentals so difficult to secure in Margaret River, some Curtin University students are wondering if the university should get housing.
Second year student Grace Lindsay said it took three months for herself and friends to find a house, and that the university could put in more effort to assist.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said.
“Housing is now worse than what it was.
“We were knocked back for about seven houses because we’re students, they went to families.
“We weren’t being fussy, we just didn’t want to be out at Prevelly because of all the driving.”
She said she believed many families were accepted despite only wanting short term rental, but the students were there for the longer term.
“It’s a big shame and it’s really hard,” she said.
She acknowledged it was also hard for students to find accommodation in Perth, with some students’ parents having to buying houses for their children.
Curtin Associate Professor Mark Gibberd said some local real estate agents had been very supportive but he would like to hear from people who can let their houses out to students.
“There’s a heck of a lot of houses empty,” he said.
“We’d like to have more people prepared to provide fully furnished houses for students.”
Ms Lindsay’s housemate Renee Christensen, another second-year student, said it was really hard trying to get housing.
“I’m 26 and I’ve had leases on my own, never had problems in Perth or Sydney,” she said.
“We’re told it’s really easy, but it’s not the case, especially over summer.”
Third-year Curtin student Aaron O’Brien said he and his girlfriend spent eight weeks a year ago trying to find a place in town to rent, but gave up due to a lack of availability.
He is now living on his family’s farm on Metricup Road.
“It’s really a bit of a nightmare,” he said of house-hunting.
“It’s a lot tougher down here than it is in Perth.
“It’s the tourist town factor as well.”
Curtin student Christan Murtha said his main problem with finding accommodation was the set viewing times, which are on weekdays.
This posed a problem for students who were studying, or still in Perth.
“It wasn’t the biggest drama,” he said.
“I’ve found real estate agents good in every way, but there’s obviously a high demand.
“I think it would be fantastic if (the university) had student accommodation.”
One student suggested accommodation to tide students over until they found permanent places would help.
Professor Gibberd said there was a perceived problem, but it was not as bad in reality.
“I’ve never lost a student because they haven’t found accommodation at the right time,” he said.
He said the university would consider obtaining student accommodation if there a need, but it was not immediately on the cards.
He has told some students to tell the university if they have problems finding accommodation.
“Sometimes when you get refused to rent accommodation it’s for a good reason,” he said.
“(But) we do quite a bit to help out these students.
“They need to let us know when they’re having trouble.
“We’ll interact with real estate companies and act as referees.
“The university actively reviews this kind of thing.
“Students are our business.”
He said anyone interested in providing students with accommodation could contact him on 9780 5830.
Margaret River First National senior property manager Robin Hopewell said they often had parents phoning them to ask if they could go on the lease document for their children, taking on the responsibility for rent and property (house owners are still made aware that students will live there).
However, Ms Hopewell said, the students often missed out as homeowners tended to prefer business people.
Even bigger companies such as banks were now looking at buying properties to house their staff due to the rental shortage, she said.
“We have lovely people who apply for every property but still miss out.
“This year we’ve been short of rentals all year, even in winter.”
She suggested that locals who had rooms to spare, such as retirees, might like to rent them out for students.
Empire Margaret River sales executive James Clark said they had no rentals available at all—letting out only four properties in four months, with two pages of waiting lists.
Acton property manager Yvonne McDowell said the lack of rentals in Margaret River was a huge problem for people of all ages, and was not likely to change.
“We need more investors down here perhaps,” she said.
“Because of the shortage, rents are going up.
“I don’t know if it’s a sustainable increase or we’re helping people to get further into debt.”
Professor Gibberd said many students were offered jobs locally, and became part of the community.
He estimated the students put at least $2 million into the local economy per year.
