The SA Reserve Bank’s recent decision to keep interest rates on hold has made many property investors breathe a sigh of relief, the alliance Group said on Monday.

Both investors and property owners had realized that the country was most likely at the top of the interest rate cycle, Alliance group chief executive, Rael Levitt, said in a statement.

He added that investor sentiment in the residential and commercial property market had improved significantly over the last two weeks.

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The Estate agent is often castigated as being the low life, skimming money from the top of people’s property sales. But in the current property market, it is our sympathy rather than our hatred that should be leveled towards the estate agent.

Times are certainly becoming hard: it is estimated that 150 branches are closing a week and that by next year, 4,000 agencies will have gone down the pan.

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There is something fishy about last weekend's storm that hit the Western Cape.

Many residents of Port Owen on the West Coast reported hordes of small fish appearing in their backyards and on the roads shortly after one particular heavy cloudburst took place.

Our Bergriver Bureau Chief, Lance Masfen, took a photo of what appears to be one of these sky-loving fish, which he found on the second-storey stoep of his house.

Do you have something similar to report? Write to us or send us your photos.

This year Greyton and the surrounding mountains have been covered in snow setting the background for picturesque Greyton. Cold nights with log fires are the order of the day.

For many this is the best time of the year as only one in five cold fronts that hit Cape Town have any large impact on the area. It is also the ideal walking, riding and fun weekend destination within easy reach from Cape Town via the N2.

The Rose Festival will soon be here and already early buds and blossoms are changing the winter landscape to spring.

Click on the photos to view a larger version...

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This article was published in the Property Trader.co.za Magazine dated Friday 29 August, 2008.

“Life rights” is still a vague concept to many considering buying into a retirement scheme and, as such, is open to abuse.

So says Sifiso Msomi of Shepstone & Wylie’s property department, who explains that a retirement development can be sold on either a sectional title or a “life rights” basis.

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