Happy Bidding!

You open the paperÉ "Interest rate rises"

Turn on the TVÉ "Housing affordability's at an all time low"

Change the channelÉ "Reserve Bank Ð will interest rates rise again?"

We all know that everywhere you turn at the moment there's something negative about the property market. Whether it's regarding rate rises or the effect the crash in the US is having on our market Ð it's there in print or flashing across our television screens.

The market is somewhat in a state of confusion which is causing buyers to be hesitant, not make any quick decisions and keep their hands in their pockets when it comes to auction day.

If you're looking to buy Ð your ultimate goal is to secure a property for yourself that you love at a price that you're comfortable with. Often, purchasers are nervous about auctions. They've either never bid at one or just generally don't like them.

In today's market buyers should be loving auctions!

If you're at the auction of your dream home and no one is bidding that doesn't mean you shouldn't either. The best position to be in at auction is to be the final bidder. If the property goes above reserve, fantastic! You've just bought a new home. However if it doesn't you are in the position of having the first and exclusive right to negotiate a sale price with the Vendor Ð anyone else who may have been interested will miss out. You want to be in that first position.

If you're attending an auction sometime soon, here are a few golden rules to assist you in bidding confidently on the day.

1.
Set your price limit
You want to have set firmly in the mind your price limit before you bid. This will allow you to be confident that if you are the lucky purchaser that you haven't over extended your finances.

2.
Register as a bidder
At a Toop&Toop auction you're required to register your intention to bid prior to the auction. This allows both the auctioneer and agent to know which parties are interested, ensuring no one misses the opportunity to purchase the property.

3.
Don't be afraid to start the bidding
It's well known that at auctions nobody ever wants to start the bidding Ð but as one of our auctioneers often says "It doesn't matter where we start, it's where we finish that counts".

So put your hand up and get the ball rolling!

4.
Bid confidently Ð make sure you have the final say!

Should the property not reach reserve ensure that you are in the ultimate position to negotiate with the vendor by being the final bidder on the day.

We hope this helps however if you have any further queries regarding auctions feel free to contact your location Toop&Toop office and ask to speak with one of our auctioneers.

Happy Bidding!

Karen Raffen, CEO
 
 
www.toop.com.au <http://www.toop.com.au>
 
 
© Toop Real Estate Group

Go property hunting this Easter!

While a lot of little people will be going hunting for chocolate eggs this Easter, the long weekend is a perfect time to go hunting for your own dream home or next property investment.
Although a number of people go away over Easter, our Toop&Toop Sales team always find they’re very busy with enquiries during this time – especially on Monday after everyone has had a few days off to relax! So if your home is on the market currently you may be presently surprised with the number of eager buyers through your home this weekend.
For those purchasers who are out looking at properties, you’ll need a little something to keep the engines running – no, not more chocolate – why not try out this Hot Cross Bun recipe? They take a bit of time to make but you’ll love them!

Hot Cross Buns (makes 12)
4 cups plain flour
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups currants
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Flour paste
1/2 cup plain flour & 4 to 5 tablespoons water
Glaze
1/3 cup water & 2 tablespoons caster sugar

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and currants in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add milk. Heat for 1 minute, or until lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to currant mixture. Use a flat-bladed knife to mix until dough almost comes together. Use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
3. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 12 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto lined tray, about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Preheat oven to 190°C.
4. Flour paste: Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if paste is too thick. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner of bag. Pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are cooked through.
5. Glaze: Place water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm hot cross buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.

So if you’re looking for a new home over this long weekend, give us a call at Toop&Toop. Happy Easter & enjoy your house hunting!

Karen Raffen, CEO
 
www.toop.com.au <http://www.toop.com.au>

 
© Toop Real Estate Group

The Power of Two!

When Toop&Toop docked at the Port in July last year, there were a few people who found this a bit unusual - Why would Toop’s take an interest in historic Port Adelaide? Our response was ‘Why wouldn’t we?’

For Anthony & Sylvia Toop they were heading back to their roots, with Anthony’s mother born in Alberton and Sylvia having grown up in the area attending Woodville High. On top of this we could see Port Adelaide embarking on a time of huge development, growth and restoration, with the only un-developed port in Australia finally getting the attention it deserved!

Toop & Toop Real Estate are now bringing together two great brands with the acquisition of Malin Russell, one of Adelaide’s oldest independent real estate companies. Established in 1876, the company has a proud history as a progressive real estate agency, providing property expertise to the western and coastal suburbs of Adelaide.

We’re combining Malin Russell’s 132 year history with our 23 year history as one of Australia’s most awarded and innovative real estate agencies and South Australia’s largest family owned independent real estate company.

We’re very excited to welcome the Malin Russell team on board with their broad experience in both residential and commercial sales and residential rentals.

So if you’re looking to sell or lease a property, or if you’re after some Real Estate advice please contact the Toop&Toop Malin Russell team today on 8200 9888.

Karen Raffen, CEO

www.toop.com.au


© Toop Real Estate Group

Hoot & Toot!

There are many schools of thought within the Real Estate industry when it comes to the best way of maximising your property’s sale price.

At Toop&Toop we believe that a beautifully presented home not only increases your chances of attracting the right type of buyer but is a value added service that otherwise may not be tapped into. In order to showcase your home to the buying public, we back up this concept by providing our clients with professional photography & unique marketing through our own in house advertising studio – Hoot&Toot.

Within Hoot&Toot, no stone is left unturned in the quest to deliver the highest quality of materials with which to advertise your property. This is what we do for you…

At Toop&Toop we know that a picture really does speak a thousand words. To ensure your pictures speak the best words, we have a full time professional photographer who weaves his magic on every home with stunning results. We then back up this role with our full time photography assistant who ensures the photos appear at their finest across all marketing mediums.

From our classy signboards to the property pages on
www.toop.com.au, photos are very much the foundation of Toop&Toop advertising. We were the first to launch our Newspaper layouts in colour, and with continuous evolution and dedication from our studio, these pages continue to be constantly recognised as the highest quality advertisements in the weekend press and local papers.

If you’re reading this article and thinking “wow what a fabulous publication!”, then you’re looking at another Hoot&Toot publication  –‘The Address’ magazine.

With 6 skilled professionals ensuring all the cogs remain well oiled and in motion, our in house advertising studio work alongside your Sales Partner to ensure the marketing materials for your property are produced to the highest standard; In turn maximising the interest and sale price for your home.

So if you are thinking of selling don’t entrust the “look” of your home to anyone but Hoot&Toot!

 
Karen Raffen, CEO
 
www.toop.com.au <http://www.toop.com.au>

 
© Toop Real Estate Group