In these awful times investing in Property may be the only sensible  investment option.
Some people still have money to invest and seeing as the share market has taken a real dive, the Property market may be the saving grace. With interest rates so low it is perfect and with building a home having more tax advantages then in buying an existing home, building an investment is the best option. People may be worried about finding tenants in these times, but there will always be people who need to move for some reason, be it from a marriage break up or having to find a new job.
Also the build timeframe is normally around 10-12 months so hopefully by the time the home is finished the world will be back to being safe and healthy!!
Above is a picture of a Dual Key design, this is a home that has 2 residences under the one roof. One side is normally 3 or 4 bedroom and the other is 2 bedrooms. 2 rental incomes under the one roof and these designs generally fit on a normal 450m2 block.
​The Dual Key design may also be the way people own property after this pandemic, pooling finances together with older relatives to get into the property market and keep loved ones close.

And so my building journey begins! I thought it would be great to start a blog on the building of my own family home. Considering this is what my business is about...Building a new home!!
I will talk about all the steps that need to be taken from buying the land to selecting colours! 
Giving everyone an idea on what is involved in building.
This is our fifth build! My husband and I love building and we surprisingly agree on colour schemes! I think we would be really grumpy with each other if we had to renovate.. too much stress and too much mess!!
This picture is our block of land. We brought the land in April 2017-paid our $1000 deposit and then paid 5% of the land price on "exchange of contracts" 2 weeks later.
The block wasn't even "built" ,all we could see was a big giant pile of dirt up on the hill and knew it was around that area according to the estate plan. From this plan we could also tell the measurements of the block and the slope the land would probably have. For our block the slope is under half a metre.
This is the tricky bit with banks...they can't actually identify the block in these early stages,most people have a pre approval from the bank(the bank tells them how much they can borrow) at this stage and then it is a matter of taking a "leap of faith" with paying the deposit to exchange contracts because the formal loan approval cannot happen until closer to Registration.
Registration is where the land is registered with the LPI office (land and property information) and the boundaries are clearly marked and can be identified by Council.This is also the time that the builder can see the land clearly and the bank can send the valuer out to look at the land.
Buying a block of land off the plan happens all the time.The land sells so quickly in Newcastle that land developers release stages for sale with a registration date 6-12 months after the sale.
Around January this year we were given notice that our land would be registering very soon,so we needed to organise our Finance. Up to this point we had a pre-approval and so it was action stations when were given this notice and all our pay slips and other information were forwarded to the bank so a bank valuation could be ordered for the Formal approval to be given,
We had house plans drawn up by then as well, we are building with one of our Fixed Priced Turn-key builders.They have their own architect who, for a fee ,can draw up a concept plan with all the ideas you have in mind and present it to the builder for the fixed price. This is an awesome service because we were very clear on what we wanted and couldn't find that within their standard plans.
Our block registered mid February this year ,as soon as this happened we were given notice that we needed to Settle on the land within 2 weeks.
We are now waiting for Settlement and are checking that everything is okay with the bank and conveyancer for settlement day.
After settlement happens the builder can move forward with the building process!!
This will be the next exciting step!
​Kerri-Ann

Appletree Grove Estate is being developed in West Wallsend providing new housing and investment options for Newcastle and the Hunter.

Appletree Grove Estate is ideally located minutes from the F3 Freeway, close to schools and shopping centres. Past the popular suburb of Cameron Park, from Appletree Grove Estate you can easily access the Link Road into Newcastle or take a scenic drive to the Hunter Valley Vineyards. 

Developers of this Estate are keeping with the well established heritage feel and infrastructure of West Wallsend and Holmesville, ensuring that new housing and facilities complement the surrounding dwellings.

With plenty of opportunities for house and land packages for both first home owner and investor budgets, this is a great time to take advantage of the First Home Owners Grant. 

Also, we offer the most  friendly and accessible property management in Newcastle. 

The team at Carnelian have been reflecting on the changes they have witnessed in the building industry.

Twenty years ago in most Lake Macquarie suburbs, hardiplank was the trend in building. It was popular because you could paint the house any colour you wanted (one client painted her house purple and pink) and it was very cost effective and quick to build.

In most recent times the majority of houses being built are rendered brick with a combination of brick and colorbond. This has been brought about due to strict bushfire zoning restrictions imposed on most land estates. There are circumstances where houses have a brick façade and the sides and back of the house are clad in colorbond. This adds an interesting feature and provides the opportunity for a variety in colour as well as meeting the bushfire restrictions.

A full brick veneer is still the most expensive way to build, however a combination of brick and colorbond provides an architectural difference to the home as well as being cost effective.

Have you been asking yourself the question... "Where do I start in selecting the right location for my investment property?"

You may already have a few suburbs in mind, so how do you pick the right one? Here are 5 tips that are sure to help.

1 - What are the current rents in the area? Check online through domain.com.au or realestate.com.au and see what a typical 3 or 4 bedroom home rents for. When you factor in the cost to buy or build will you receive a good rental return on your investment. Also keep an eye on the supply, if there are pages of rentals available in one particular area it may be a case that there is too much supply for the demand.

2 - Infrastructure. What is available in the area - schools, shopping centres, transport, entertainment - either established or soon to be developed. All of these features attract tenants.

3 - Link Roads, Expressways. Are the suburbs you are looking at close to major roads that potential tenants could use to drive to work. In the Hunter and Newcastle area, popular roads such as the Link Road and soon to be completed Hunter Expressway, are great roads to access for employment. 

4 - Take a closer look at the suburb, what are the houses like? Are they well maintained? Do you see majority houses or units? If you can, take some time to walk through the local shops and see who is living in the area. Google street view could also assist in viewing the area. Residents who take pride in their homes and community create a positive environment which will attract quality tenants. 

5 - Remember, you do not have to invest in your own suburb. Great investments are available state and countrywide. 

Do you have other selection criteria when you are deciding on an investment location?

News this month regarding the approved expansion of Newcastle Airport will be positive news to investors and home owners in the area.

Port Stephens council has provided approval for an $80 million upgrade and expansion to Newcastle Airport.

According to Newcastle Airport...When completed, Newcastle Airport will have capacity to increase domestic passenger flow from the current 1.2 million to a potential five million annually, as well as provide infrastructure to allow for international flights. 

The redevelopment will provide the infrastructure needed for Newcastle Airport to be a global transport hub and significant alternate gateway into New South Wales.

For investors this will provide many great opportunities for growth. There will be workers coming in from outside the area for the term of their involvement and they will want to be close to their employment, so they will be looking for accommodation in the Port Stephens area. This will mean that demand for rentals will rise and the rents themselves will go up. Driving an increase in the investment return.

You also have one of the most picturesque areas in Australia around the Bay area so many of the permanent employees will be looking for nice homes in good locations to take advantage of the growth potential in the vicinity.

With this growth and demand you could see a boom in land and house prices within a
5 kilometre radius of the airport.

This is another area within the Newcastle and Hunter region that is showing great potential for employment, tourism and investment growth over the coming years.

The recent McGrath Report has noted that regional NSW is still a popular choice for investors. Those in City areas are looking for affordable and high yield investments and regional NSW offers both. 

Areas such as Ellalong and Gillieston Heights, experienced a considerable amount of growth over the past year. A local Lake Macquarie suburb has also been listed as one of the hot spots for 2013.
Click here to read the full report.

Kerri-Ann Hooper, Director of Carnelian Projects, shares a few thoughts on the coming year.

What are you most looking forward to in 2013 both professionally and personally?
Personally going to Disneyland with my family. Professionally helping more investors along their investment journey and seeing all the homes/dual occupancies being built..its very exciting to see a plan become bricks and mortar!

Can you take a look into your crystal ball and let us know what you think the property market in Newcastle and the Hunter will do during 2013?
I still think it will be a strong market particularly around Cameron Park, the Northlakes Estate is such a popular area.  It is close to Newcastle and Maitland and soon the Hunter Valley when the express way opens.  A great place for families and the rental returns are so strong, this is the area to watch. Also in regards to the Hunter there are still some areas where you can pick up land for under $100,000, these are the last of the bargains as land is heading towards the $200,000 and beyond in all areas now. 

Best piece of advice heading into a fresh new year?
Invest Invest Invest…but with the property market you have to remember to hold onto your investment for at least 10 years. It is not a quick gain but it will happen, all property goes up in value. 


What are you most looking forward to in 2013? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Housing shortage and low rental vacancies are two important factors for investors to consider when locating a great investment opportunity. NSW offers both especially in those areas outside the capital city.

The Hunter Valley offers great investment potential with elements such as housing shortage, next to no rental vacancies, infrastructure and employment growth. This was highlighted recently in an article in Property Observer. 

Property expert Margaret Lomas, presenting at Melbourne's Home Buyer & Property Investor show, discussed the current position of the property market and pointed to regional areas as great investment opportunities.

“Some regional centre populations are growing faster than the national average. And there is a growing affluence as well in some of these locations,” she says.


In particular Hunter Valley suburbs were highlighted as hotspots within the NSW market..

"The outlook is better for NSW due to a housing shortage in many areas and tightening vacancy rates.

She picks Blacktown on the Sydney fringe as one of her NSW hotspots as well as locations in the Hunter Valley including Branxton, Singleton, Cessnock and Muswellbrook."


Read the full article here.

With increasing costs of housing and living expenses, a majority of people in capital cities are looking for alternatives. This is evident in our closest capital city of Sydney.

As recently reported by Ben Smee in the Newcastle Herald, Sydney property squeeze drives Hunter's boom time , a study, by business research agency BIS Shrapnel, predicted the greater Newcastle housing market would be boosted by the ‘‘inward migration’’ of people fleeing the Sydney squeeze.

There are a significant number of advantages of relocating to Newcastle and the Hunter for Sydney siders feeling the squeeze. Less than 2 hours drive from Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter offer affordable properties, an attractive lifestyle and employment opportunities. Beaches, city and the Vineyards are only a handful of attractions to new visitors and investors.

An easy and attractive solution to the Sydney squeeze.