News Bulletin
In the news this week…
Commitments rise for new homes; tax deductions for your investment property; and windows with views into different worlds…
Hunting lifestyle housing for seniors
Have you been involved in the design, building or renovation of a home to suit the lifestyle needs of older Australians?
Master Builders Australia, in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, has opened nominations for the 2010 National Lifestyle Housing for Seniors Awards, which acknowledge builders who deliver high quality, practical and liveable family homes that are adaptable to the changing lifestyles and needs of older Australians.
More loans for new houses
Loans for new homes and investment housing rose in April, according to dwelling commitments figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The number of loans for the purchase of new dwellings grew by 6.3 per cent in April and by 1.3 per cent for investment housing.
Tax considerations of property
As we near the end of another financial year, you may be starting to think about putting in your tax return, particularly in relation to an investment property.
No doubt you've heard the term "negative gearing" in relation to investment property. In simple terms a property is said to be negatively geared when the rent from the property is less than the annual expenses. In Australia you may claim this loss as a deduction against other income, such as your annual salary.
Affordability declines
Housing affordability has once again declined in Australia, according to REIA Deposit Power Housing Affordability Report for the March quarter 2010.
During the first quarter of 2010, housing affordability decreased across all Australian states and territories, with the proportion of income required to meet loan repayments increasing nationally from 30.7 per cent in the December quarter 2009, to 32.6 per cent in the March quarter 2010.
Housing finance up: April figures
Homeowners took up $13,707 million worth of loans in April, according to figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
This is an increase of 0.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted, and the first rise in six months.
The total value of owner occupied housing finance commitments excluding alterations and additions decreased 2.4 per cent in trend terms.
Windows to different worlds
There's nothing quite like the outdoors, though when you're inside, a room with a view can be just as good. But not all rooms can afford a view or even enough natural light, and that's The Sky Factory's time to shine.
With a range of Luminous Sky Ceilings & Virtual Windows - windows into other worlds via vivid static images of sunny beaches, shady forests, rolling hills etc. with fluorescent light backing - you can transform the mood and feel of a room and quickly forget you were ever separated from nature.
If a static image just won't do, the Sky-V and E-Scape ranges offer seamlessly-looped video footage of nature scenes that come with corresponding audio files.