Gold, and bricks and mortar.

These two investment vehicles have a solidarity of performance and stability that the sharemarket and bonds and cash holdings have never had.

They say time is the healer of all things but give gold and commercial property a little time and they have always been the cream that rises to the top even when the whole world is in a financial panic.

If we think about the game of monopoly we all know that those who end up winning are those that hold the commercial assets.

If you decide that commercial property is the investment vehicle of your choice then the next question is what to buy and how to manage it.

Are you buying the building to operate your own business from, or will you need to find a tenant and deal with a lease?

If it’s the latter, then it’s important to know a little about property management and what is involved.

The actual cost of property management is borne by the lessee or tenant and forms part of the outgoings which are the additional costs over and above the rent paid by the lessee.

This includes council rates, insurance, body corporate fees and  water and sewerage.

Commissions vary between agents with a range of 5 to 6 per cent of rent and outgoings reasonably standard, depending on distance to the property being managed.

For your money you can expect your agent to collect the rent and the outgoings, pay the bills and monitor the condition and maintenance of the property.

The agent will also represent the owner at body corporate meetings, offer advice on rent reviews, and if necessary, pursue rent arrears.

We find that clients who own multiple properties in most case prefer to have their properties managed.

Properties under management are often more attractive to interstate and overseas investors, especially if the management history shows quality tenants and sound maintenance practices.

Extra costs are incurred at the time of negotiating a new lease with the lessor charged a letting fee to take into account the extra time taken to prepare the documentation and settle the contract.

The original inhabitants of the Noosa area were the Gubbi Gubbi , also known as the Kabi people and the remains of many significant ancient corroboree sites are in existence as testimony of our first people’s love of the region. The Kabi people had been visiting Noosa for some 40,000 years before Europeans first arrived and the tribe was famous for its annual Bunya nut festival which it held not far from Noosa in the Blackall ranges. This festival is reputed to be the oldest known festival in the world.

Some of the earliest Europeans to visit Noosa came around the 1840s and were looking for grazing land and timber. As they guided their boats up the Noosa River they must have been awestruck by the natural beauty that was presented to them as they were flanked by the untouched tracts of luscious green forest. Later the prospect of finding Gold at Nearby Gympie attracted further settlers as well as the emergence of a tourist trade as Noosa began to develop into a popular getaway location for neighboring city dwellers.

Early wealth was created by a thriving timber industry and before long several fortnightly timber carrying trips to Brisbane were being made by a paddle steamer named the Culgoa. These ceased when it was tragically wrecked on the Noosa Bar in 1891.

Noosa’s name comes from an Aboriginal word that means shade and is a probable reference to the relief offered from the sun by the abundance of trees in the area; of course the climate in Noosa is as close to perfection as one can get with mild to warm temperatures all year round.

Noosa Heads took on more shape as Hastings Street and its environs were surveyed and gazetted in 1879. A road to Tewantin was opened in 1929 further adding to the shires infrastructure. Also in the 1920’s the Noosa Tourism office was established along with The Noosa Surf Life Saving Club consisting at the time of just a tent on the beach.

From small beginnings Noosa has become a celebrated and stylish cosmopolitan holiday oasis with a permanent population of 55,000. The wisdom of its founders has ensured that no high rise development will be permitted and that land release for development is strictly limited, thus carrying an inherent population cap, protecting Noosa’s wonderful and unique attributes for future generations to enjoy.

Real Estate in Noosa is some of the most sought after in the Country, frequently resulting in some of the fastest rising property prices in Australia. This produces a vibrant real estate industry made up of some of the most appealing properties attracting buyers from all over the world.

R&W Noosa are at the fore front of Noosa real estate and have been for some 26 years.

If you would like to take advantage of the current ‘pause ‘in the real estate market, please contact Noosa’s most experienced real estate agency-Richardson & Wrench Noosa, also known as R&W Noosa.