The reductions on transfer duty on properties which the Minister of Finance announced in his end of February budget are significant – but they will have relatively little effect unless they are accompanied by a less stringent approach to individual home loans on the part of the banks

The regulatory powers of the Estate Agency Affairs Board needed to be strengthened so it could govern the industry more effectively, Department of Trade and Industry acting director-general Lionel October said on Friday.

Growthpoint Properties announced an 8.1% rise in its distribution to 63.9c per linked unit for the six months ended December 2010 from the previous comparable period.

Towards the end of 2010, Bill Rawson, Chairman of Rawson Properties, said in an off-the-cuff comment that he could think of no better place for a South African with limited knowledge of world markets to invest in property right now than in South Africa itself

Foreign residential property buying in the Western Cape region declined in significance throughout 2010, according to the fourth-quarter 2010 FNB Estate Agent Survey.

Ongoing protests from leading figures in property marketing throughout South Africa about the difficulties of obtaining bond finance from the financial institutions are still, it seems, falling on deaf ears

Auction Alliance will be auctioning a property in Alrode containing warehousing and offices on February 16

The South African listed property sector held its own throughout 2010 relative to other asset classes.

Auction Alliance will take to auction a depot owned by Chevron South Africa in Polokwane on February 10

The residential property market has continued to lose growth momentum in November, recording 4.8% y/y growth compared with 6.5% previously.