http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.estherhe.nz en-us Fri, 15 May 2026 18:09:37 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/150366/thinking-of-selling-act-now-to-beat-the-spring-rush/ Every year we see a big rush of properties go up for sale in spring. The weather is improving, gardens are blooming, houses look better and feel warmer. Sellers are also motivated by timelines, wanting to move before the end of the year. No one wants to be on the market over Christmas!This spring rush can result in a backlog of properties sitting on the market, with supply outweighing demand. Buyers can start to hesitate with so many homes to choose between. Owners end up competing with each oth... Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:42:31 +1200 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post150366 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/143097/five-things-to-know-before-you-make-an-offer/ Making an offer to buy a home can be a daunting process. There are decisions to make around price, conditions, and settlement date. Then you have to negotiate all those terms with the owner, who might have very different ideas on market value. On top of all that, throw in potential competition from other buyers and you have quite a situation!Here are 5 key things to know before you make an offer. They will help you navigate this process and come out the other side with a home you absolutely love... Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:55:14 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post143097 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/142057/is-now-the-time-to-sell-your-investment-property/ Owning an investment property can be a challenging experience. Dealing with high mortgage interest rates for an extended period, along with big increases in council rates, insurance and maintenance costs, it can feel like the cards are stacked against you.If those costs are so high you end up having to work just to maintain and pay for your rental property, it's natural to wonder whether it's really worth keeping.Would you be better off with that money invested elsewhere?Investment property owne... Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:10:22 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post142057 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/141827/what-to-spend-money-on-before-you-sell-your-home/ Homeowners who are considering putting their property on the market often feel like they can't take that major step without renovating their home first. They want their property to look its absolute cosmetic best before taking the plunge.But is this the right approach? Is spending loads of money actually necessary? And where should you invest your money to get the best possible return on investment?The natural tendency when getting ready to sell would be to focus your energy on cosmetic improvem... Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:29:59 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post141827 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/141456/what-is-the-best-way-to-sell-your-home/ As real estate markets have evolved, numerous options have been tested and developed. Gone are the days of simply using an asking price. Now we have deadline sales, auctions, tenders, buyer enquiry over, price by negotiation, expressions of interest, set sale dates and many more.Each salesperson and each real estate company will have their preferred selling strategy, but how do you, as the owner, make the right choice? How do you know which option is going to help you get the best possible price... Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:21:20 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post141456 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/140383/5-key-features-of-a-great-investment-property/ Many homeowners fall into property investment, almost by accident. They end up buying the home next door when it comes on the market, or they buy a home from a family member who is looking to sell.Or sometimes, when an owner moves to a bigger home, they keep their existing property as a rental.Falling into property investment can work out just fine, but you will increase your chances of building long-term wealth with an intentional strategy backed up by a specific set of buying criteria.If you u... Wed, 15 Jan 2025 10:46:14 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post140383 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/136321/the-true-cost-of-a-low-commission/ Are you thinking of hiring a real estate salesperson to market your home?One of the first questions that will come to mind is - how much commission will they charge? Once you have interviewed 3 or 4 salespeople, it's easy to fall into the trap of hiring the cheapest one, without understanding the implications that can have on your final sale price.Every property sits in a wide potential value range, and while the market determines that value range to some extent, the salesperson you hire and the... Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:23:01 +1300 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post136321 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/136294/understanding-property-cycles-to-grow-your-net-worth/ Property markets go through natural cycles which historically last approximately 7 - 10 years each. During each cycle, prices don't rise in a linear fashion. Rather, they increase at a fast rate during the boom (2-3 years), which is usually followed by a correction (6-12 months) and then a plateau period (3-4 years).Typical Property Market Cycle:Boom (2-3 years) -> Correction (6-12 months) -> Plateau (3-4 years)Please note: These time periods are indicative only and past performance i... Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post136294 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/136290/when-to-hold-out-for-a-higher-price/ It can take a lot of work to get your property on the market: Last-minute fix-ups, hours in the garden, decluttering, choosing an agent, getting ready for viewings, and finding somewhere to move to.It all takes time and money. And once you've gone to all that trouble, it's natural to want to secure the absolute best price you can for your home.Inevitably though, sellers often end up in a situation where the first offer comes in below initial price expectations. So what should you do if you find ... Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post136290 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/post/133529/why-its-good-to-get-low-offers-on-your-home/ Who would want to invite a low offer on their home? What a crazy idea.In this article, I’m going to explain why you should welcome low offers on your home and how they can help you sell your property.When we go on the market our defensive side comes out, we become determined not to let an agent or a cheeky buyer get the best of us.I’m here to tell you that’s the wrong approach to take. You need to welcome all offers. Even those low ones from buyers who you think might be trying to ‘steal... Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.estherhe.nz/blog/#post133529