Rapid increases in interest rates have slammed Australian home owners with a mortgage to a point where they are now making the highest repayments in the developed world. Thankfully, one consolation is that generally house values are holding up. I know there is a big increase in home repossessions and loan defaults, and property values [...]

1. Get organised Before you even make the first step towards property research, make sure that your finances are in order, and that you understand all of the terms and conditions, and fees and charges associated with the home loan. Pre-approval of your loan will greatly assist you in negotiations when the contract of sale [...]

Hornsby Advocate 5 June 2008 Health professionals sent an anti-smoking message to teenagers in the lead-up to World No Tobacco Day on Saturday. Hornsby Hospital set up a stall in front of the new Emergency Department on Friday with giveaways, information and advice from drug counsellors on smoking. Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital drug consultation and liaison [...]

Hornsby Advocate 5 June 2008 Homebuyers right across NSW who are looking for relief from soaring interest rates and house prices have been disappointed with this year’s State Budget. The State Government failed to touch the stamp duty burden on buyers, although Michael Costa has recommitted to already announced plans to abolish the tax on [...]

Hornsby Advocate 5 June 2008 Less than three months after introducing the Shire-wide policy, it appears Hornsby Council will be forced to stub out its ban on smoking in Hornsby Mall’s outdoor dining areas after it found it could not be enforced. Hornsby councillors passed the controversial ban proposed by Cr Felicity Findlay on March [...]

Hornsby Advocate 5 June 2008 NSW Treasurer Michael Costa has delivered a big-spending State Budget, with a record $13.9 billion to go towards infrastructure – the biggest capital works program of any state government. But the Budget delivered little to Hornsby apart from the previously announced F3 traffic management plan and a sewerage scheme for [...]

Hornsby Advocate 5 June 2008 Matthew Taylor is a cricketer who plays well above his weight division. In an impressive season for Mosman in the Sydney grade Green Shield (under 16) competition, the Mt Colah teenager received the call-up to fourth grade. “I did really well (in Green Shield). I ended up as the second-best [...]