Welcome to 2013.

I have just returned from holidays and whilst I was away, I thought of so many things to talk about this year in my weekly newsletter. I understand it is important to keep the information as current as possible and not focussing on the ‘out of date information’ can be difficult, but it is the key to making the right decisions.

History has shown that the way the one year ends is usually the way the next year begins, and we certainly saw that on Saturday with great numbers coming through our opens. The next 3 weeks will dictate whether that is the future direction or not.

I had a great trip, and visited some fantastic countries, all of which showed enormous potential which excites me for the future of this country.

What I found very interesting was a vending machine in a hotel in Abu Dhabi where you could buy gold watches, coins and up to 5oz gold bullion bars!!

I have only been back in the country for a couple of hours and the energy around the office really enthuses me. Whilst I was away I read many great books and followed the real estate and economic environment in Australia closely and in the countries I visited, out of interest. The difference was that I had time to digest the information, endeavouring to read between the lines and spot opportunities. One glaring point of difference is when you weigh up all the pros and cons when buying real estate in exotic and exciting places both here and overseas, is that when I dig down to the basic principles of sound investing I still can’t look past the north shore of Sydney as a great place to trade real estate. It may not be as exciting as many other places but with our building codes, our ownership structures and our banking codes, it certainly should be high on the list of anyone thinking of owning real estate.

For those thinking of selling, the same comfort should be respected as there is almost always a buyer for this real estate. As for those with lots of risk appetite, then most of the major Asian cities should be seriously looked at, however you run risks with building codes, ownerships titles etc etc.

If the end of last year is anything to go by, then I would strongly recommend you putting your property on the market immediately and encourage you to consider the auction method of sale, which enables you to move quickly and should the market change you can always delay and reposition the property to a time that best suits you.

Wishing you all a successful, happy and healthy 2013.

Thank you.