Market Info, Real Estate and community news for Waitarere Beach

The Market

I read this on a Real Estate website that I found quite interesting

"Clearly with a stock level of around 8 month worth of sales - the supply far outweighs the demand with a consequential ability for buyers to be patient and selective - allowing them not to be panicked into a buying frenzy as was the case over the past couple of years. As for sellers, the competitive effect of this amount of stock of potentially alternative options for buyers means presenting a property in the best light to attract a buyer and then ensuring that price expectations are realistic.
A reality is that properties are selling - just not in the amounts that they used to so if you plan to sell, you need to be
realistic to the market.
However as with any statistics caution needs to be applied as these statistics are broad based across the whole country, and just as there is no median house, so there is no marketplace for all 57,000 properties.
The fact is that real estate is a local market."

February 2008

Sales for 2008 so far

The market has changed with the situation with the world economy affecting the New Zealand market. We are definitely noticing the local market has stabilised price wise – the uncertainty of buyers, sellers and the general public re the economy, interest rates etc opposed to 6 months ago is playing a major part of the current real estate environment.

One thing to note about this market is when things start to get tight, luxuries such as holiday homes and baches are the first thing to get shelved. We find that as result, Waitarere Beach prices and the demand for our properties become quieter.

We do have a lot of listings at Waitarere Beach which is usual for this time of the year, some having been on the market for quite some time. This type of market is where it gets hard for our Vendors to stay positive.
We do keep an eye on how the local market is going as well as the other beaches around the West Coast.

With all the listings, we are in the process of setting up new systems. One thing we are putting in place is monthly reviews where we evaluate with you the interest, advertising and price etc. Please bear with us through this.

A bit of general information about the summer break;

The fabulous summer weather bought loads of visitors and beach goers out to Waitarere Beach. From all accounts, everyone was relatively well behaved. The local Policeman that lives at the beach and is based here over the peak period along with the beach wardens, kept the boy racers and any trouble makers under control. New Years Eve also went relatively well and the weather was fantastic. The annual New Years Eve party that’s held by one of Waitarere Beaches property owners is getting a great reputation. Keep your eye out for your invite to this year’s party!!

One interesting incident, a boat tipped over in February but thanks to some quick thinking, they got rescued. I’m sure the owners of the boat were very thankful.

Close Up featured the safety of cars on NZ beaches, using Waitarere Beach as an example. Susanne tells me that it made her feel very proud of Waitarere Beach and our community.

Just to update the Beach farm; the blessing is being held on Sunday the 16th March. Also we are excited to hear the bulldozers are starting construction next month. We are looking forward to seeing become a reality

Recent and Upcoming Events to keep an eye out for…

We just had the IHC Special Olympics fishing competition last weekend. From all reports, a good day was had by all with a great turnout, however unfortunately not many fish got caught. I believe the organisers got the tides wrong!!

Waitarere beach fishing club has their fishing competition coming up at Easter, and that event seems to be growing each time they hold it. Good on Murray and Gordon who are the organisers! I hear the fishing club meetings are a popular event on the calendar r the local fishermen, over 200 members, only $5.00 to join. Look up more info on our website.

The community is holding an Easter Fair run as a Waitarere Beach Community Fund Raiser on the 22nd March 2008

There will be plants, stalls, children's rides, bouncy castle, food stalls, music, kitchen fire displays from the local fire, arts and crafts, Rawleigh products, jewellery, tools, temporary air brush tattoos and much more!

All money raised will go back to the community. It is from 10.00am-2.00pm. And is held at the Waitarere Beach Domain. Entrance is FREE. It would be lovely to see everyone there.

The annual Great Forest Marathon is also coming up on the 5th April 2008. You can visit www.greatforest.org.nz for more details and registration forms.

Sally and Susanne

End of December 2007

There are loads of events happening at Waitarere Beach this year to keep the visitors and holiday makers busy and as the weather seems to be shaping up to be the best in many years; it will play a fabulous part. The Big Dig of course is being held again on the 2nd January at 2pm.

There will be Beach Wardens patrolling the area over the summer break with a Policeman who is staying out there for al of January. There is no tolerance on drivers that don’t follow the rules…several cars have already been clamped!!
Finally, a Waitarere Beach couple won $10,000 in our Harcourt’s competition. To enter you needed to sell over the certain time frame…Congratulations Janet and Alan

Sally, Janet & Stuart presenting the winning cheque
Susanne was in Taupo at the time of the photo

Thanks you for all your patience and loyalty over 2007.
We look forward 2008 and wishing you a Merry Xmas and a fabulous New Year.

November 07

OK, so we are now in the final stage of 2007…6 weeks till Xmas!! Can you believe its here already?

We find we get busy once the cold winter months make way for the warmer longer spring and summer days,
with this year being no different.

Since August, we have had 6 sales; 5 houses and 1 section. In fact we have only 1 beachfront dwelling and 1 section left!

We have another couple of contracts currently being worked on.

The Beach Farm continues to go well with approx
36 sites sold already.

Open Homes will start to wind down too, with only a few more weekends left before the week-before-Xmas rush.
Anything after the 16th December will be too close with last minute Xmas shopping and organising being the main function for everyone at this time.

Remember to keep in mind the holidays are coming up. If you are heading away, can you please let us know in case we need to get hold of you, or alternatively, if you are going to be staying at your property at Waitarere Beach over the summer break and don’t wish to have any appointments, please let us know? Mind you, we will not be taking anyone through any property on the stat holidays…even we don’t work on these days!! Generally speaking, we do get quiet during the core holiday period, as everyone’s getting over Xmas and enjoying a break. However we do generally pick up mid to end of January.

If you have any suggestions or advice on anything you don’t think we are doing, by all means let us know. Real Estate market at Waitarere Beach is not like the Residential market where you have an average time of sale…our buyers are mainly those looking for a second home and therefore the urgency is not as strong. We do have a lot of listings on the market at the moment, as we often do at the beginning of summer. This makes the market one of patience and persistence and if you have been on the market for the while, there is every chance that a sale will come, and the market does catch up to those listings that may not be getting a go due to the price. We do appreciate your tolerance and understanding in regard to this and be re assured we continue to work hard for your sale. We have noticed that the Waitarere Beach prices are continuing to go up, however the severity of the recent price hikes has calmed down.

Our Waitarere Beach website is gaining momentum receiving 1,742 hits in two weeks. Since the hit counter started counting beginning of this year, we have recorded a whopping 27,311 hits! Not bad for a little old Waitarere Beach huh!!

The Waitarere Beach fishing club is receiving great recognition too. They have had fabulous numbers of the local community supporting the club which is excellent to see and with summer months coming, there will be loads of fishing done I am sure.

Some good news for Café lovers…new owners have taken over the lease with the “Beach House Café” opening this week. We will be detailing open hours etc on our website at some stage soon, so please support the girls who are very excited about being apart of the local community.

Sally & Susanne

July/August 2007

The sudden and vicious arrival of winter in June which caused many parts of the country to experience very cold, wet, windy and in some cases devastating conditions also saw the real estate market enter a “wintry mode’, according to CEO of Harcourts New Zealand, Bryan Thomson.

The Waitarere Beach market however different than the Residential real estate market, is experiencing the ‘wintry mode’ too. This is usual for us being a beach based settlement; however we have been slightly busier than normal winter months with 7 new listings in the last month and quite a few more appraisals. There is no rhyme or reason for the sudden influx of properties on the market, it just swings in roundabouts! Our phones are ringing and the market is still strong.

May 2007 we achieved our highest sale to date at Waitarere Beach, and we believe the highest residential sale in the Horowhenua. Exceeding all expectations the property sold for a fabulous $1.55 million dollars. The property is of course beachfront and is a truly stunning location and home. The sale has now put prices on beachfront up a notch or two and has confirmed our beach community as being a strong investment.

Waitarere Rise “The Beach Farm” continues to also exceed all expectations with 33 sales to date. The developers had their Council meeting last week putting their case across to the Council for resource consent. We believe it went very well and hope to hear the result in the next two weeks or so. It is going to compliment the beach beautifully.

Our website is also above and beyond anything we ever expected with 15,518 visits since the counter got put on at the beginning of the year. We noted 2,000 hits in one month!! We are very proud of the recognition it is getting.

**News Release**
Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard has raised official interest rates by quarter of a percentage point to 8.25 percent.

Well, isn’t the year flying by? It is already May with the middle of the year just around the corner. Doesn’t time fly when you are busy…how important it is to enjoy the moments in between.

The Beach Market

The Waitarere Beach market has been busy over the summer months - as always. 2007 sales are detailed below with 21 in total - 11 sales at Waitarere Beach and 10 at
“The Beach Farm”. We have also done a lot of appraisals resulting in a number of new listings.

The internet continues to play a major part in our marketing with our Waitarere Beach website recording just on 11,000 hits since we posted the hit counter December 2006!
How about that!!! This activity points to a strong beach market which is holding its own,

Previously the beach market was mostly buyers looking for a cheap deal with a holiday getaway, but we are finding that more permanent buyers are searching out the beach lifestyle as well.
We also see that buyers are getting more educated with regard
to beach prices and are willing to pay so.
So many changes have taken place at Waitarere
Beach to reflect this.

Sales for 2007

Due to the strong employment market, wage growth and positive
immigration, buyers continue to be confident about making longer term investment decisions when it comes to their housing requirements.

“The Beach Farm”

31 all up with 10 sites sold so far this year. The subdivision development process is now at the submission stage.

February 2007 Update

Mid February is here already and it seems the buzz surrounding
Christmas and New Years was so long ago.

Waitarere Beach real estate has been interesting over the past few months. Where winter is always quiet for us and the summer buzz usually starts around September, we have been very quiet right the way through Christmas 06 and New Year 07!
With the weather refusing to warm up we were at a stand still.
We knew that we just needed the sun to come out to re introduce the market to beach buyers and sure enough, mid January summer finally started and we took off in leaps and bounds. We have done a lot of appraisals resulting in a number of new listings.Several contracts have been accepted and several more are in negotiation. The internet is also reporting an increase in viewings over the past month, all this activity points to a strong beach market which is great for you, our Vendors.

Anyway the beach has been full the past couple of weeks with
the queues for ice-cream going out the 4 Square doors!
Hopefully we still have a couple of months of this weather left.

After the high climb in property prices our market is now reflecting the prices leveling out. We believe that the prices will never go down at Waitarere Beach, it has far too many pluses…and we aren’t suffering coastal erosion at all with our beach growing 1-1 ½ metres each year.

The Waitarere Beach fishing club is back up and running again,
with an already impressive member count.
They held a fishing competition during January with a fabulous
response from the local community.
Another competition has been announced for Easter 07.
This information can be found on our Waitarere Beach website.

Waitarere Rise, The Beach Farm continues to do well.
An exciting proposition to buy has just been introduced with a chance to win $100,000*conditions apply if you buy before July 31st 07. It is going to be exciting to watch its development.

Sales for January/February 2007

4 Ramona
58 Rua
60 Rua

September 2006 Update

We have a cafe/bakery that is opening up over Labour weekend!
It is located where the old Seaspray Restaurant was on the corner of Waitarere Beach Rd and Rua Ave -
Just opposite the entrance to the beach.
We know that it will be very well received.

Well, it’s been a year since we updated this news page. So it is long overdue! If anyone has any news, you can email us the information and we would be happy to include it on the website.

Everyone is now starting to gear up for those summer months
at the beach. We are finding the listings are coming in fast
and the phones are starting to ring.

The website is well recognized now with great feedback coming
in from all over the world! We have included a tide table too
for the fishermen and beach goers.

The Beach Farm has also taken off with a bang.
The first 20 sections get a 10% discount and we are have justabout sold that many already!
If anyone would like a booklet, please let us know and we wouldbe happy to send one out.

The whitebait are running, although we haven't heard of any majorcatches as yet...anyone who does have extra, by all
means you would be welcome to drop them off to Sally
(Susanne is not a fan of whitebait)!

21st December 2005 Update

Xmas is upon us all, how fast the year has gone. The spirit of Xmas is everywhere, the kids are now finishing school, and those long awaited holidays are finally getting close. For everyone going away camping, we hope it doesn’t rain like last years Xmas-New Years break. If you are around Waitarere Beach this Xmas, you should be right as it is always lovely weather there…am I right? Whatever your plans are, it always feels good to get everything done that you needed to so you can relax and unwind over the festive summer season.

We’ve had a reasonably dry winter this year. Autumn was also mild so up until recently, our region badly needed rain. Lately we have been experiencing fine humid days, turning to thunder, lightning and rain in the evenings. In fact it feels quite tropical. Waitarere Beach water tanks should be looking much healthier.

The beach has been filling up with people. We hear the sea is lovely and refreshing with many swimmers enjoying themselves for hours. We have noticed increased foot traffic around Waitarere Beach and now that school is out and it’s hot, the beach is the place everyone wants to be. The shop has been flat out in the ice-cream freezer and when ever that happens, you know that summer has defiantly started!

The front of the 4 Square is currently in the process of getting re-painted. The work is just about finished, and it looks fantastic. Just in time for summer. The 4 Square is licensed and will have their hours posted on the shop window. They are also getting the stock up for their busy season.

The Waitarere Beach Surf Club is also gearing up for another busy season. The beach is being patrolled all summer and the flags will be up. We appreciate their efforts; they do a fabulous job every year. We also have Beach Wardens on patrol too. We hope it is another safe year for everyone .

The Waitarere Beach Progressive Association has reprinted their Visitor Information leaflet. This is a must for all beach visitors to read. It has been done with permission for the Waitarere Volunteer Beach Wardens noting especially the use of vehicles on the beach. You will also find handy information; such as where the recycling bin is and what to do if you get a sting from a Bluebottle. Please have a read over this at some stage. The updated version can be viewed on our website www.waitarerebeach.net.nz.

Speed Cameras are going to be monitoring vehicle speed too this summer. It is important that everyone remembers that the beach is classed as a public road so the same rules apply. A 30kph speed restriction covers the beach entrance and 2.6km of beach in front of the township. This limit is strictly enforced.

Current Market and Property Information

It is hard to say what the Real Estate market is doing in general. The talk is still predicting a fall in prices. However we at our Levin office are waiting to see this happen in our market. This includes Shannon, Rural Levin, Waikawa and Waitarere Beach. In saying that, each place has its own market again.

We have known for a long time that Levin Township and surrounding areas would become a sought after place for businesses and their workers to live as well as those buyers looking for lifestyle or for the cheaper, more laid back, way of living. Part of the attraction is the location - being right on the main trunk line and having the warm weather, the cheaper costs of living and the ease of building rentals. This growth ripples througout the region. Obviously it is great for our beach settlement too being a mere 15 minutes north of Levin.

There have been a lot of property changing hands this year. We’ve noticed plenty of building has taken place, some just starting out, some renovations and some completely finished homes. It has been another solid year of growth, a very busy year for the community.

We do find each year, that coming up to Xmas means beach buyers are more likely to want to hold off any decisions till after the festive season. Solicitors and Banks closing over the holiday break always have an effect on real estate business. In the New Year, everyone gets back into gear.

Home values have leaped with the average capital value of Waitarere Beach dwellings at $200,000. This is a 97% increase. The average land price is $102,000 and that is 296% increase. A sizable increase!

These statistics came out with the new GV’s dated as of 1st September 2005. The latest values are getting closer to representing real value, far improvement on than the previous outdated values that were made public September 2002. Other factors do come into any one properties real value, so the GV is only a representation of value decided as at September 2005. I have taken the liberty to include your properties updated value.

October 2005 Update

Can you believe its just about Labour weekend and Christmas is two months away! We ask ourselves where has the year gone? Summer weather is also just around the corner. We have seen glimpses of it; let’s hope that we have a run of good weather this year!

Of course with Summer and Christmas fast approaching, holidaying at the beach seems to be on the minds of many. Our phones are going mad with enquiry on property and accommodation. Each weekend we are seeing more people heading out to our secluded Waitarere Beach. I’ve also noticed more bike owners heading out to our forest. Waitarere Beach continues to be more than just a getaway; it’s a great getaway!

We’re sure you’ve heard just how good our Whitebait season has gone this year. It certainly has pulled the prices down! I’m even caught some avid fisherman say that they’ve been getting so many there’ve had enough….kind of takes the word delicacy out Whitebait doesn’t it. I’m sure there’s plenty of us who have not managed to get out to the river for a share, and to us, it’s still defiantly a treat to score a whitebait patty or two.

Our website is getting more and more visits as word gets around about the site address and the quality of what the site holds. We even have people in Bangladesh who have it as a home page! It’s great for all our listings and also for the beach community itself. If you are aware of any up coming event, and you want it advertised on our website, just let me know and I’ll post it free of charge! The Fire station is holding an Open Day in Labour weekend; it is advertised on the website. We look forward to maybe seeing you there, supporting our community Firemen!

We have added an important page detailing some Waitarere Beach information that everyone should know. From rules about driving on the beach to what to do if you get stung by a blue bottle. Some essential points for Waitarere Beach visitors and we encourage all to have a read.

Harcourts are again running the $20,000 Xmas Cash competition. All our current listings automatically are in the running for it. If you market and sell your property between the 10th October and 19th December, you’re in the draw to win…it is that simple. How fantastic would $20,000 for Xmas be? Fingers crossed it goes to a Waitarere Beach home owner!

Current Market

Contrary to all the predicted forecast, the market continues to tick over well. In fact Harcourts have recorded some record months this year. Waitarere Beach is of course quite different to the ‘residential’ market where most of our buyers are looking for a holiday home. With so many pluses, Waitarere is certainly holding firm. I notice there is a lot on the market at the moment out at Waitarere Beach! It seems everyone is gearing up for the Summer rush.

Waitarere Beach holds too many pluses to not continue the upward trend we have been seeing with increased price results.