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Tourism is not something that can best be imposed from outside.
It is something that is most successfully promoted by the enthusiasm of those who live in a place, people who demonstrate that where they live has special interest and charm and is worth spending time in and returning to, or at least telling others about their experience. Word of mouth means a lot.
We have a lot of people who come to Armidale for reasons other than tourism. We can all help the image of Armidale by being aware that it is in our interest to be proud of where we live, to show it off to best advantage and to encourage people to visit at least some of the ‘special’ places during their visit. Every extra few hours spent happily can benefit everyone if visitors become ambassadors for the place.
One of my favourite ‘musts’ for people I meet is to urge them to take the time for a trip out to Dangars Gorge and Falls. It is just 21 km from Armidale along the Dangarsleigh Road, past historic Palmerston, now Peterson’s Wines.
The Gorge is spectacular and, with or without much water, it never fails to genuinely awe people.
National Parks Ranger Don Hardman is a fund of information.
The pools at the bottom of the falls are home to eels, which are reputed to make an epic trip to near New Caledonia to breed. Their offspring then return up the ranges to those same pools.
The Gorge area is also home to the rare Brushtailed Rock Wallaby, best seen at dusk, and also to the rare Eastern Quoll. As well, many bird species, from the great Wedgetailed Eagle, to Rosellas, Thornbills, Finches and Peregrine Falcons are to be found.
There are rare wattles and a variety of trees on both short and longer walks.
To just be there is to have a most tremendous feeling of place. The area has been visited over millennia by the various aboriginal peoples who travelled from the coast and inland to meet and trade. Today’s visitors mostly come to marvel at the power and wonder of nature.
And this is such an easily accessible taste of just one of the National Parks so near Armidale.
On top of all these attractions I have to admit to a personal fascination with the true story of the visit of Signor Vertelli to the Gorge in 1866. Recorded in the Armidale Express, his visit has so many romantic aspects, but has sadly been down played by National Parks, perhaps in a misguided fear of copycats. Nobody banned guns because Thunderbolt used them, and Vertelli was certainly no criminal!
Vertelli was the ultimate small businessman – he advertised his visit ahead of time and invited the public to see him cross the Gorge on a wire. He tried to get a band from Uralla, which couldn’t make it. But over 200 tourists from the district did take up his invitation and arrived by horse, buggy, etc. through the bush, carrying picnics.
His wire wasn’t long enough so he added some rope (which stretched and he had to walk uphill for the last bit). He walked across, 600 feet in the air, then again pushing a wheelbarrow, then somersaulted across.
He did what he’d advertised and received “about eleven pounds”, collected from the crowd.
The Express reported that “a pleasant time was passed. There was an extensive series of picnics among the rocks, and the scenery being very fine, people enjoyed themselves heartily”.
Vertelli then continued on his way, leaving Australia at Cooktown.
Some people may remember that some years ago I had contact with Philippe Petit, the man who, among other feats, walked a wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York. He was keen to come to Armidale and we exchanged correspondence about a project for a while. In the end – the usual long story – it didn’t happen, but it was exciting while it lasted!
However our indefatigable local MP Richard Torbay did consent to re-enact the walk at The Creativity Have-a-Ball at NERAM, supported by other prominent locals in the performance. He made a marvellous Signor Vertelli!
Let’s bring Vertelli back into our tourist equation. I believe in do-able New Year resolutions, and that’s one of mine.
Vertelli’s story is Icing on the Cake!
P.S. The extraordinary tourist experience with Fleet Helicopters over the gorge county deserves a column of its own. A tourism operator from the Bungle Bungles envied the closeness to town of the Armidale gorges and said that his flourishing business would be three times the size if he had the same natural tourist advantages we have.
Let’s celebrate the gorges and their wonders.
Local Real Estate Comments from Peter Cooke and the Team at Richardson & Wrench.
> Choosing the Right Agent for You.
Selecting the right agent is one of the most important decisions prospective vendors make. There are many factors that should be taken into consideration, but one of the most overlooked is ‘cultural fit’. Too often vendors base their decisions on agency size, fees charged or a previous relationship without considering whether the selected agency operates in a ‘vendor supportive’ manner. The best sales results are achieved through a partnership between vendor and agent that sees both parties effectively contributing to the process. So take the time to find an agent that you can work with, the one that ‘fits’ you best.
There are a number of ways to market & sell real estate, including auction, private treaty, expression of interest and tender. There is no ‘best’ way, and the selected method should only be arrived at after considering the specific property and its attributes, the vendor’s preferences and motivations for sale, whether the market is rising, falling or is stable and the general seasonal conditions. Make sure that your agent can justify in detail why a particular method is being recommended and how this will deliver the best results for you. Request information about what is being achieved right now.
When it comes time to have your property appraised, remember that the agent who puts the highest value on it is not necessarily the ‘best’ or even the agent that holds your property in the ‘highest regard’. Agents should always be able to justify their appraisal by reference to recent comparable sales and taking into account the particular features of your home. The consequences of listing your home at an unrealistic price can be significant. This might include many months (or even years) on the market, disruption to family life, dissatisfaction with the agent and eventually selling at a price way beneath what you had hoped for. As far as pricing your property is concerned, all that glitters is rarely gold.
Marketing is one of the most vital elements in an overall sales strategy. Vendors often do not get involved in developing a marketing plan and allow the agent free reign on advertising what, when & where. Take control of your property’s marketing by requesting that the agent prepare a detailed marketing plan, including a web strategy, setting out which publications are to be used, what ad sizes are to be run and on what dates.
This will allow you to make comment on the breadth and depth of the marketing to be employed to ensure that it meets your expectations. Keep the agent accountable for delivering all the advertising promised.
Vendors often simply look at the fees charged when making decisions about selecting agents without stopping to assess what the underlying value of their offer is. An agent’s commission should reflect the services they provide and the value they add in the provision of those services. Look for agents that have marketing, advertising and sales processes in place which maximise the sale value delivered to you, their clients. Saving a few dollars on fees up front might cost you thousands later.
Spend the time to identify the right agent. It could be a very lucrative and worthwhile investment.
To all those responsible for selecting R&W to receive an Armidale & District Chamber of Commerce New Business Award for 2009, we were greatly encouraged. Thank you.
When Sue Dee asked me to write an occasional column for Focus, the question was, what was the focus
So I thought that the focus should be on Armidale and its hinterland and on all of those things that are the icing on the cake.
I wasn’t always a Pollyanna by any means, nor even a ‘glass half-full person’. It took a lot of different life experiences in a lot of different places.
Maybe it’s – ahem – maturity that makes me look at the pluses in life now.
But Armidale certainly makes it very easy to do so, and it doesn’t need a season of goodwill for those of us who live here to know how lucky we are.
Although more and more people are coming to join us, the city is actually nearly the perfect size for what used to be called ‘civilised living’.
As my son said years ago, it is big enough that people don’t inevitably know who you know and what you’re doing, but small enough that when you are strolling down the Mall with some time on your hands there is always someone ready for a chat.
There has to be a critical mass living here for us to deserve all the things we have and often take for granted – the range of educational opportunities from pre-school to university, the cultural and community opportunities, the sporting facilities, the range of shops and businesses, the ability to still relate to the earth and the seasons and what they can produce rather than to be distanced as so many metropolitan people so sadly are, and the incredible natural wonders that surround us only minutes away.
Education is without a doubt the major business in the town – the economic multiplier effect from the schools, the University of New England, TAFE, the Conservatorium, NERAM etc. etc. spreads out into most businesses.
Without the university, Armidale would be a very much smaller place with a lot fewer services, and a lot less opportunities to be taken up by those who seek them out.
Armidale is beautifully placed as a true university city and beautifully placed to capitalise on that in ways that benefit everyone, by no means just those directly involved in education. We have to make sure we maximise our possibilities.
But we have those heart/barbecue stopping attributes here too.
Armidale is the University City with a Portal to Gondwana – how cool is that!
The World Heritage people are pretty happy about it too. This is an aspect of where we live that I’d like to talk about in the future.
With all those wonderful other attributes that can make life here so pleasant, well – that’s all the icing on the cake. This month, make it a nice dark fruit cake with marzipan icing.
Season’s greetings, Susie Dunn.
P.S. (Sorry, I always have to have at least one other word).
Down the track I’d like to talk about the incredible job that organised sport does in this community, how we come to have 150 locals presenting opera with the Armidale symphony orchestra, the highly organised trading culture of the aboriginal people over millennia, the reasons why Hunter S. Thompson’s chum Ralph Steadman talked of “the little community of Armidale who dream of a New Universe and a clean world”, the fact that eels leave the pools at the foot of Dangars Falls to make their way to New Caledonia to breed and then make their way back up the ranges again, the amazing story of Signor Vertelli walking the wire across the same Dangars Falls in 1866, why the New England Regional Art Gallery is worth all the stresses that have surrounded it recently and why and how we should capitalise on the many visitors who come here for other reasons than ‘just passing through …’ Oh, what stories are out there … Icing on the Cake …!
Local Real Estate Comments from Peter Cooke and the Team at Richardson & Wrench.
> What is the Community 1000 Initiative?
The Community 1000 project was developed by Richardson & Wrench Armidale as a means of supporting local not-for-profit groups with real cash donations. This means that the whole community benefits through the funding of services provided by these great organisations.
When someone lists and sells their house with R&W during the remainder of 2009 (and maybe beyond if you twist our arm!), we will donate $1,000 on settlement to the local not-for-profit organisation of the vendor’s choice. It doesn’t matter if you are just considering selling your house or have it on the market already, we would be delighted to be appointed your selling agents.
Local community groups are encouraged to register their interest in the program. Simply write or send an email to us outlining who you are and the nature of your organisation. You will then be added to the list of local groups that may be nominated by vendors.
Donations have already started to flow, with the local RSPCA being the first beneficiary. Many other payments are due to be made in the coming months, to organisations such as CanAssist, PCYC & Vision Australia (Armidale), to name just a few.
It is a great initiative and so easy to be a part of. If you are a vendor, simply list your property for sale with R&W, and we will do the rest. If you are a not-for-profit organisation, just let us know who you are. It is that simple.
Come on Armidale … let’s get some funds into the hands of local not-for-profit clubs and organisations that really need it!
> Rate rises won’t hurt housing demand
The Reserve Bank’s decision to raise rates for the second consecutive month should not make a large material difference to housing demand, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has claimed.
According to HIA’s chief economist Harley Dale, figures show that sentiment towards buying new homes begins to falter when mortgage rates hit their 10 year average of 7.25 per cent.
Even with the latest rate rise, the variable rate on the average mortgage is still significantly below that mark, he said.
Similarly, the strength of the underlying demand stemming from the shortage of housing plus ongoing population growth means the sector should be able to absorb another rate rise.
“It is widely regarded that rates will rise moderately over the next six to nine months, and that’s at a time when we don’t have a lot of evidence of new home building recovery and nothing of the magnitude needed to bridge the housing gap,” Mr Dale said.
Source: Real Estate Business
Local Real Estate Comments from Peter Cooke and the Team at Richardson & Wrench.
> Reducing Property Investment Risks
Owners of investment properties can cut risks and maximise profits by paying careful attention to common mistakes made by novice investors. Sustaining returns can mean charging fair rents. As demand for the need to rent decreases any increases imposed can be important. Many novice investors fail to charge fairly and find themselves faced with vacancies, quick turnovers and lease terminations, all of which are major expenses. Impediments to income need to be avoided. This is why I suggest that owners of rental properties avoid the temptation to manage properties on their own.
Professional managers are aware of local changes to rents being charged and can see that the rent your property achieves is competitive with others. Charging the correct rent keeps tenants happy and sees the premises cared for. This in turn helps ensure that the value of the investment grows over time, year after year. In most areas, the rental market remains tight. Yet vacancy rates can vary greatly from region to region and suburb to suburb.
If you are currently attempting to manage a property without professional assistance, it can pay to enquire about the low cost of professional property management. Self-management can lead to a failure to keep business records and tax matters properly aligned, as few private owners have access to the detailed accounting systems used by professional property management departments.
> Rush on First Home Concessions is Tapering Off
The response to date has been enormous, but with the cut-off point nearing, the rush to qualify for the financial concessions available under the First Home Buyers Scheme is beginning to taper off. The scheme expires on June 30, and while 12,664 buyers took up the opportunity to save in February, this sum is down 500 from the month before.
Buyers have been quick to take advantage of three factors working in their favour. These are (1) lowered interest rates (2) the enhanced first home owner’s grant and (3) lower property prices. The influx began after the Federal Government announced the First Home Owners Boost back in October. This increased the grant from $7,000 to $14,000 for established homes and from $7,000 to $21,000 for newly constructed homes.
Affordability was further enhanced with the NSW Government’s contribution of a $7,000 First Home Owner Grant and a $3,000 New Home Buyers Supplement. Reports from the Housing Industry Association claim that buying a home in Australia has not been this easy in years.
Local Real Estate Comments from Peter Cooke and the Team at Richardson & Wrench.
Local Real Estate comments from Rex Harper and the team at Century21 Harpers Real Estate.
If you want your property sold, it is very important to get the price right. Competition is fierce amongst sellers and the buyers are very astute. More and more sellers are choosing to market their home without a price. This style of marketing allows buyers to view the property and express their opinion of value. This feedback is provided to the owner helping them to set a saleable price. As part of our buyers’ information nights, we have included a section on how to buy at auction, and how to submit an offer under private treaty. This has empowered the buyers to feel confident in their decisions.
The following is a brief snapshot of what has been happening over the last four years. In the year of 2005 there were 500 sales in the 2350 postcode, an average of 41 sales per month with the median price of $215,000. In the year of 2006 there were 461 sales in the 2350 postcode, and average of 38 sales per month with the median price of $230,000. In the year of 2007 there were 498 sales in the 2350 postcode, an average of 41 sales per month with the median price of $250,000. In the year of 2008 there were 333 sales in the 2350 postcode, an average of 27 sales per month with the median price of $265,000. (Information sourced from RP Data).
As you can see the median price has continued to increase over the last four years, but the volume of sales over the last year of 2008 has decreased. The Armidale market is very resilient and continues to be an excellent place to park your money. What is showing up in our statistics is the volume of sales in the bottom end of the market has increased (under $300,000). The strength of the lower end of the market will be pushed through the market as people upgrade and move within the town. The top end of the market will continue to come back over the next twelve months, because there are fewer buyers.
First home buyers have never had it so good, with the first home owner grant of $7,000 being doubled to $14,000, and an additional boost of $3,000 a first home buyer can purchase a property with very little saved. Most banks are taking into consideration the grants and using tenant history ledgers to support loan applications. We have just conducted the first of a series of first home buyer information nights, which proved a success. Our next information night will be the 18th of February at 6pm in our office. We have limited seats available, so you will need to call our office on 6771 3277 to confirm your place.
Everything is pointing in the right direction, with interest rates low and looking like going lower and house prices stable, with plenty of choices under the $300,000 mark.
It seems that the only thing holding people back is the fear of losing their job. You can insure yourself against loss of income; there are ways to protect your mortgage. “Fortune favours the brave”, so do not let fear create in you the inability to make a decision. “Life is something that happens to you as you plan other things.”
Make sure you are a participant in life and not a spectator.
