Over time, history has proved that investing in fixed property has always been considered one of the very best financially sound, long-term investments one can make. This is because property values keep pace with inflation. As a general rule, property appreciates about 5% pa although in some years it appreciates more, in other less depending on the buoyancy of the property market.

Currently investing in the South African property market is considered to be one of the best investments in the world because the property prices still continue to grow. Growth has increased 244% within the last 7 years! It is no wonder that South African property has become an attractive financial vehicle to foreign investors.

Owning your own home has definite rewards. You can very easily buy into a growing market and build up your personal investment portfolio. By owning a home you are able to gradually upgrade your living standards every few years.

If you choose to rent a property, you can certainly expect your rent to increase every year to keep pace with inflation, but your monthly mortgage repayments are fixed at the same rate for a pre-determined period e.g. 240 months (20 years).

Paying off a fixed amount on your mortgage each month is like a forced-savings! This reward is greatly improved if you are able to pay off more than the mortgage lender stipulates as repayments. This means your principal debt is reduced quicker, reducing the time over which your repayments are made and saving you HUGE amounts in interest to the mortgage company!

You can financially benefit too from any refurbishments or renovations you make to your property because they will increase the value of your property. Most important are room additions, especially bedrooms and bathrooms, expensive floor tiling, outdoor entertainment areas etc. The advantages of owning a home include independence, freedom and financial control.

A “hot” market is a Seller’s market. During this time properties can be sold within a few days of being listed and sometimes properties sell above the asking price! A “slow” market is a Purchaser’s market. During this time properties may languish on the market for some time. Such a market allows you, as a Purchaser to offer a lower price for a property and the Seller is more likely to consider your offer.

Gathering and analysing comparable sales information is paramount in determining a base price range for a particular home. This can be done by trawling through all the dailies or property newspapers and gathering information or meeting with various Estate Agents to hear what they have on offer. A more time-efficient and easy method is to use www.sa-properties.com. It will list all homes in a particular area within the same price range to ensure you are provided with realistic comparisons. All property listings enjoy an identical presentation format so it makes property comparisons simple and easy and where comparisons are conducted on an “apples with apples” basis.

Start looking for a home to buy....click here.