Sale auction is moving to middle

Posted to The Age (25/11/12) on 30/11/2012 at 4:05 AM
Commenting on "Sale auction is moving to middle"
http://theage.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/sale-action-is-moving-to-middle-20121124-2a0cn.html

The increase in sales by Barry Plant Glen Waverley may not be due to improved market conditions. The Glen Waverley office changed ownership during this year. The previous owner put in more effort in his winning race horse than running the business. Currently, Glen Waverly office belongs to a group who owns several offices; synergy and pooled resources seem to pay off.

Without given a more comprehensive set of statistics, it is difficult to say whether the increase is due to cannibalisation of other real estate companies’ business in the area.

When the boom dies, many smaller agencies had their last grasp of sales by offering extremely competitive commission to vendors, which could also explained lower sales in the previous year by larger companies. These competitors are now history, resulting in "less man more share".

Readers must also take note that there are a lot more houses not sold by auction. Many vendors cannot afford to pay money for an auction campaign which requires more advertising money to get additional exposure in various media. Many vendors are already having trouble to pay their mortgage, let alone advertisement.

Is housing recovery just a pipe dream?

Posted to The Age (19/11/12) on 20/11/2012 at 1:45 AM
Commenting on "Is housing recovery just a pipe dream?"
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/is-housing-recovery-just-a-pipe-dream-20121118-29k61.html

The up swing of the current situation is inevitable. It is not due to the reasons MJ have given, but the bank vaults are bursting with cash and they need it to generate more to satisfy their greed.

During the recession of the 70s, Australia was still at the forefront in many industries and wheat export. Many parts of the world were underdeveloped. The second recession was rescued by the good fortune that European countries spending like no tomorrow using debt. China became a rising star, manufacturing ferociously to satisfy the world's hunger for materialistic needs. The "Western" countries stupidly handed years of R&D to China to produce goods at low prices, creating a pool of unemployed due to factory closure.

Many Chinese factory workers are likely to be smarter than our engineers and builders because they have the inside knowledge and hands on practical experience. That brought great wealth and prosperity to many Chinese, not dissimilar to the early days of the Western countries. Is over dependence on Asian investment good? Definitely not, for the Asians.

Technology advancement creates online demand and opportunities for overseas manufacturers and service providers. This will fuel unemployment for many Australians, in particular the people who are supposedly to be in their prime ageing between 30 and 40. Without employment certainty and security, they will wake up not from the Australian dream but Australian nightmare, without a roof over their head!

Teleworking - still a pipe dream?"

Posted to The Age (12/11/2012) on 13/11/2012 at 11:19 AM
Commenting on "Teleworking - still a pipe dream?"
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/blogs/gadgets-on-the-go/teleworking--still-a-pipe-dream-20121112-297eq.html

If everyone works from home, the economy will come to a complete stand still. All the commercial buildings will be vacant, and every town and city landscape will be completely changed, devoid of human soul. While we cannot bury our heads in the sand and stop progress, it is illogical to make such broad statement.

Online shopping will soon be a norm for many people, but the warehouses need to be stocked, and surely the items cannot be produced virtually on a computer except on a real machine manned by human on location. The raw materials and finished products need to be transported, and trucks require drivers.

How can people move the wheat fields to the house, or grow all the fruit and vegetables in their backyard? For meat lovers, do they rear chickens and other animals in their apartments? Oh yes, what about the garbage collectors; how do you expect them to collect the waste and dispose of it remotely?

What one must keep in mind is that if the job can be done in a Melbourne or Australian home office, it can be done much cheaper in other countries remotely.