Saturday, July 15, 2006
The price of property in a black hole
Hours turn to days, days to week and before you know it months passed. Everything is a blur. How did I get here? I want to buy a place of my own but property has gotten so expensive the last couple of years that I have no idea how to afford it. But I have a plan. I am turning a blind eye to the costs involved and I am finding a place. The problem of affording it will be solved once I find a place I like. What I find shocking is that places are getting smaller and smaller. Why do developers expect you to live in a shoe box? I guess profits are driving the industry, and if you can save a square meter and still make the same money then why not? Where are we going? Small cars, small apartments, small cellphones, small computers. Last time I looked there was lots of space. Now we try to squash everything into a single point. Exactly like a black hole is trying to do. I wonder what the prices are like. It seems like everyone these days is a real estate agent.
I hardly started looking and I have already found some agents that simply do not bother to show you places. I go through all the trouble phoned them (twice) and still they neglected to show me the place. Since the market has been on quite a run the last couple of years there are people trying to get crazy prices for their property. New developments are trying to sell for the same price as well established areas.
Another gripe I have is with the poor quality of websites in South Africa. http://www.privateproperty.co.za is the best site I could find. All the other websites seem to use a common package that they bought off the shelf and let me tell you it is....BAD.
I am spending every bit of free time to find the right property. As a result I hardly ever switch on my computer anymore. This blog has been rather quiet as a result.
Today I read an interesting piece on stopping time(or at least your perception of time). If you constantly feel like life just passes you by, one big rush, you have no time and no control over time. Find 10 minutes to do nothing, set an alarm, no peeking at the clock. Your perception of the time that passes will seem more than 10 minutes. Your day will feel longer and you will feel more in control of your time. Funny how the human brain works.
Till I manage to stop time. This blog might take some tim;)
I hardly started looking and I have already found some agents that simply do not bother to show you places. I go through all the trouble phoned them (twice) and still they neglected to show me the place. Since the market has been on quite a run the last couple of years there are people trying to get crazy prices for their property. New developments are trying to sell for the same price as well established areas.
Another gripe I have is with the poor quality of websites in South Africa. http://www.privateproperty.co.za is the best site I could find. All the other websites seem to use a common package that they bought off the shelf and let me tell you it is....BAD.
I am spending every bit of free time to find the right property. As a result I hardly ever switch on my computer anymore. This blog has been rather quiet as a result.
Today I read an interesting piece on stopping time(or at least your perception of time). If you constantly feel like life just passes you by, one big rush, you have no time and no control over time. Find 10 minutes to do nothing, set an alarm, no peeking at the clock. Your perception of the time that passes will seem more than 10 minutes. Your day will feel longer and you will feel more in control of your time. Funny how the human brain works.
Till I manage to stop time. This blog might take some tim;)
