Posted to The Age (13/12/12) on 16/12/2012 at 2:23 PM
Commenting on "Election the unknown for next year's market"
http://theage.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/election-the-unknown-for-next-years-market-20121212-2b9vu.html
The apartment market in Sydney and Melbourne has been oversupply for many years, and many have not increased in value in real terms. Living in an apartment is a lifestyle choice, so says the apartment dwellers. Apartments used to be called flats in the 60s and 70s, including those high rise housing commission buildings. Like many single syllable word, flat is an English term, while multi-syllable (normally three or more) apartment American. In short, apartments of today are glorified, jazzed up flats.
Unless one has been used to living in an apartment such as those from high-density living places like Asia, it is difficult to understand the mentality of many who choose to swap their more comfortable home for a cubby house. The amount of body corps fee, all other associated costs and lost opportunity in investing a large sum of money for air-space instead of land, should be more than sufficient to have a full time person looking after a family's daily needs.
I still enjoy looking out of my window to see the beautiful flowers in the gardens, taking the shopping out of the car boot and entering through the door from the garage straight into the house, and having my video turned on reasonably loud to experience to the surround sound effect. Oh no, I can't see myself living in an apartment everyday!
Have I lived in an apartment before? Yes, I have stayed at my friend's luxurious apartments / condos overseas on several occassions, but did not like it.
Commenting on "Election the unknown for next year's market"
http://theage.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/election-the-unknown-for-next-years-market-20121212-2b9vu.html
The apartment market in Sydney and Melbourne has been oversupply for many years, and many have not increased in value in real terms. Living in an apartment is a lifestyle choice, so says the apartment dwellers. Apartments used to be called flats in the 60s and 70s, including those high rise housing commission buildings. Like many single syllable word, flat is an English term, while multi-syllable (normally three or more) apartment American. In short, apartments of today are glorified, jazzed up flats.
Unless one has been used to living in an apartment such as those from high-density living places like Asia, it is difficult to understand the mentality of many who choose to swap their more comfortable home for a cubby house. The amount of body corps fee, all other associated costs and lost opportunity in investing a large sum of money for air-space instead of land, should be more than sufficient to have a full time person looking after a family's daily needs.
I still enjoy looking out of my window to see the beautiful flowers in the gardens, taking the shopping out of the car boot and entering through the door from the garage straight into the house, and having my video turned on reasonably loud to experience to the surround sound effect. Oh no, I can't see myself living in an apartment everyday!
Have I lived in an apartment before? Yes, I have stayed at my friend's luxurious apartments / condos overseas on several occassions, but did not like it.
