ACTON Magazine Volume 82 - October 2013 | Page 2

What’s making news at ACTON! Strong start to financial year We are three months into the new financial year and the market continues to perform well. ACTON’s auction listings for the first quarter of 2013/14 are 70 percent higher than for the same period in 2012/13 and sales continue to grow, with sales results for August 35.65 percent higher than August 2012. The reduction to the First Home Owner Grant, which came into effect on September 25, is not expected to have a big impact on the market. The change was met with some dismay initially, but when you look at the bigger picture, interest rates are very low, prices are reasonable and first homebuyers, if they are eligible, will still receive $3,000, still pay no stamp duty on properties up to $500,000 and Welcome ACTON Baldivis Baldivis is booming and is very sought after by investors, and first homebuyers in particular - in fact Baldivis was the most popular suburb for first homebuyers in 2012/13. While the area has undergone a lot of development since the 1990s it still offers rural properties and larger lifestyle homes, which are also very much in demand. To meet the increasing demand from buyers and sellers, ACTON have opened a new Region in Baldivis. The new office will work in conjunction with ACTON Rockingham who have operated in the area for a number of years, but ACTON Rockingham Director Roger Moorhouse felt it was important to have an office in Baldivis to service the growing population in what is one of Perth’s biggest suburbs. The office is located at Unit 8, 10 Atwick Terrace, Baldivis. The team can be contacted on 08 9523 3888. ACTON gives Ceinwen a hand Last month Western Australian open water marathon swimmer Ceinwen Roberts attempted to earn the “Triple Crown” of open water swimming. Ceinwen had already completed the first two stages - the English Channel (34km from Dover to Calais) and the Manhattan Island swim (46km), and just after midnight on September 23 (U.S. time) she set out to complete the final swim, 32km from Catalina Island to mainland California. ACTON were proud to sponsor her and we are delighted to announce that she successfully completed the swim in 8 hours and 4 minutes. She is now one of only four Australians who have completed all three major swims and among just 77 people in the world. We congratulate her on such an incredible achievement! a reduced rate up to $600,000, and may be able to claim up to $2,000 under the Home Buyers Assistance Scheme. While overall stock levels have been fairly steady for some time, many ACTON Regions are experiencing a shortage of stock. Some prospective sellers were holding back in the lead up to the Federal election, but are now ready to take action and we are expecting to see more properties come onto the market during the strong spring selling period. With record low interest rates and ongoing strong demand, it certainly is a good time to sell and we are expecting a strong finish to 2013.