Recent content by bea.shaw

NGN 775,000,000, based on the average condition and the 200 m² floor area. Before putting much confidence in that, I’d want to know whether the stated area is entirely internal and whether the building reserves suggest near-term costs. Those details could matter more than the bedroom count.

A simple property-by-property sheet would settle most of this: actual location, initial asking price, current price, first price-cut date, days marketed, condition, financing status if known, withdrawn or sold, and completed price where available. Add a short note on seller motivation only when...

Residency needs its own questions. Ask separately whether owning the property affects immigration status, whether your tax residence changes any treatment, and what reporting may still be required in your home country. Those are different issues, and an answer about one should not be taken as an...

I’m stuck on “new-build” combined with “dated finishes” and “average condition.” Is it a recently completed building with a dated specification, or an older unit being marketed as newly refurbished? Those are different condition adjustments.

I wouldn’t automatically call it too thin without the monthly figures. A fixed cash amount is less informative than how long it covers essential outgoings. My approach would be simpler: keep the emergency fund untouched, get an actual moving quote, price only inspection items that cannot wait...

The dates and loan assumptions have to match first. Otherwise even a detailed comparison will give a false winner. I’d put the two offers side by side for the full 36 months, showing initial fees, monthly payments, the balance remaining at month 36 and any cost of selling or refinancing at that...

Don’t let annual property charges disappear just because they are not technically closing costs. Ask for the current charge schedule, what period the next demand covers, whether anything is outstanding, and how charges are apportioned at completion. Also ask what evidence you will receive...

Could you clarify the furnishing? “New-build” describes the building but not whether the flat has beds, wardrobes, a dining table and equipped kitchen. A floor plan or at least the room layout would also help establish whether all three bedrooms are practical for adults.

Agreed on selection bias, although completed sales have their own timing problem: they describe earlier negotiations, not necessarily today’s mood. I’d still collect them where available, but compare like with like—same development, similar size and condition—rather than treating every sale in...

The narrow sample creates another question: are all the buildings from comparable parts of Cape Town, and are you applying one consistent definition of mixed-use? Sound residential units above practical commercial space are a different proposition from a building with major repairs or difficult...

The seasonality explanation can be tested without accepting any agent’s interpretation. Group new listings by month, then note when the first reduction occurs and whether the property is sold, withdrawn or still available. If the 72-day figure reflects a recurring seasonal lull, several listing...

Before choosing a venue, I’d set an RSVP deadline and ask whether people are definitely attending or only interested. That should reduce the risk of booking for the wrong capacity. Please also say upfront whether the meetup will be free or whether attendees may need to share a venue cost.

I’d actually begin with your purpose rather than the local board. Are you considering a first investment, renovating your current home, or simply learning? Completed-price data is useful, but it won’t by itself tell you whether a particular duplex works after finance, maintenance, vacancies, and...

A workable first version seems to be: optional collapsed fields, a small fixed set of factual features, “not stated” as the default, and a separate notes box that is not used for filtering. Add the report/listing distinction only if the initial Lima trial shows people need it. That keeps posting...

Which neighbourhoods are included, and are all the flats completed and ready to occupy? A city-wide sample can hide major differences between nearby areas. Pre-completion marketing could also make the visible period look longer than the time a finished unit has genuinely been available.