Whether it be after years of living in the same property or spotting a favourable shift in the market, every homeowner eventually faces the difficult question: is it time to sell and move on?

With the interest rate at its lowest in decades, after the welcome announcement today of a further 25 basis points drop in the repo rate, it may now be more financially prudent to buy rather than rent a home.

A fervent desire to reduce both monthly costs and traffic-congested travel times while residing in conveniently situated nodes has given rise to the ongoing success of the live-work-play lifestyle in South Africa.

Real estate has long been touted as a good investment on the basis of property having excellent value, but in order to capitalise in a dynamic marketplace, one has to understand the meaning of value in this context and the key factors which contribute to this value.

Bondspark CEO, Marcel du Toit says that there are several reasons behind the overall improvement of the local property sector this quarter.

Increased over the past two years, contributing to excess supply predominantly in the upper-ends of the property market.

Fortress REIT Limited, the JSE-listed property group, has funded a year-long “Trees for Homes” programme run by Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) in Sebokeng, a township in southern Gauteng.

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has deregistered seventeen (17) contractors and builders from its database of approved homebuilders following the outcome of the disciplinary hearing processes.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank has once again decided to leave South Africa’s repo rate unchanged at 6,75% and prime interest rate the same at 10,25%.

One thing is certain, apart from the overall inflationary impact, the spiralling cost of fuel directly impacts on the demand for conveniently situated, sectional title property in key economic hubs – close to the workplace, schools and all amenities.