Ashleigh Hall's Blog

Warburton’s 30th Annual Sports Club Auction

ashleighhall — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:34:38 +0000

The Warburton Millgrove Sports Club is holding its 30^th annual auction this Sunday at the Mac Sparke Recreation Reserve in Warburton (the Warburton Oval!).

This auction is a great fundraiser for many clubs and groups who use the facilities including the Warburton Millgrove Cricket Club, the Warburton Millgrove Football/Netball Club and the Warburton Scout Group.

Goods available for auction on Sunday, which starts at 10am, have in recent years included garden furnishings, agricultural machinery, vehicles, motor mowers, chainsaws, toys, bric-a-brac, motor bikes, antiques, plants, bicycles, household utensils, building materials and tools.

MasterCard, Visa and Eftpos will be accepted for payment on the day.

There will also be stalls run by local community groups and other sports clubs to add to the community atmosphere and provide even more opportunities for bargain hunters.

To donate goods or to register for the auction on a commission basis, phone Jeremy Crunden on 5966 2201.

Preparing your Yarra Valley Property for Bushfire Season

ashleighhall — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:52:23 +0000

Well it’s that time of year again when everyone living in our Yarra Valley area has to start looking at preparing their properties for the upcoming fire season. Usually this is just a precaution and very rarely do we have to worry about it, but in that rare case that your home is threatened by a bushfire it is good to be organised.

The Country Fire Authority’s (CFA’s) website, www.cfa.vic.gov.au, has lots of great tips on preparing your house and property for the summer season.

They recommend that anyone living in dense bushland areas, grassland and / or the coast prepare for the fire season and also have their individual fire plans ready. The CFA website can also provide you with tips on how to have the best fire plan.

As we have said many times before, everyone here at Andrew McMath Real Estate love living in our wonderful area. Unfortunately however, like many other areas in Australia we are at risk of bushfire during the hotter months so it is best to be prepared should one start.

Yarra Valley Real Estate on Top Again

ashleighhall — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:10:19 +0000

Yarra Junction has taken out a Top Award for the Eastern States at this years Annual Awards

Andrew McMath Real Estate and our sales team has been named as being among the nation’s elite sales professionals.

Our office was named the winner of Professionals Real Estate Group’s Top Office of the Year for the East Coast of Australia at last month’s annual awards night held in Sydney.

Our office won against over 100 other Professionals offices throughout the east coast of Australia for the honour and we are thrilled to receive the award.

We are very proud of what we have achieved this year and would like to thank the Yarra Valley Community for their support. Real Estate Agents throughout the Professionals Network are very competitive and it is a major achievement for us to win one of the group’s major awards.

It is great to be recognised outside of the state level and these awards are in recognition of a standard of excellence in property that is among the best in the nation.

Our Sales Agents also had a fantastic night taking away many different awards. It was great to see all our agents in the top 10% of the East Coast of Australia and also for our Sales Manager, Ashleigh Hall, to be placed in the Top 3 Agents for the East Coast of Australia.

Yarra Valley Professionals Provide Pink Approach for NBCF

ashleighhall — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:20:40 +0000

Apart from providing the community with information
on, and guidance with all things property, there is a more significant role that not only we here at Yarra Junction but all Professionals agents undertake as part of their day to day responsibilities.

We are soldiers for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) in helping to defeat breast cancer.

Each year all Professionals offices, including Andrew McMath Real Estate, commit to raising funds for NBCF, and increasing awareness and importance of early detection of breast cancer.

As Diamond partners with the NBCF, Professionals undertake the responsibility to raise a minimum of $250,000 per year. To date the Professionals Group has donated over $1.7 million to the NBCF.

Professionals fundraising commitments culminate in October each year with the NBCF Pink Ribbon Month.

We here in Yarra Junction annually hold various events and fundraisers during October, with our annual “Pink BBQ” being held soon.

Apart from fundraising efforts coordinated by our and every other Professionals office, a percentage of commission from each property sold is donated to the NBCF.

Everyone can help out this month. To make a donation to the NBCF, or purchase merchandise, drop into our office at 2460 Warburton Highway in Yarra Junction.

Who’s number 1? We’re Number 1!

ashleighhall — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:08:13 +0000

Last week our sales team left the Yarra Valley headed off to the Carlton Brewhouse in Abbotsford (they were excited about the brewhouse part!) for the most recent Victorian Professionals Quarterly Awards … and we won!

Andrew McMath Real Estate in Yarra Junction was ranked, for the second quarter in a row, as the Number 1 Office in Victoria for the Professionals Group! Our entire team were absolutely thrilled to receive the award as we were up against all the other offices, many of whom are much larger and work with a very different demographic to ours.

Along with this award our sales agents also won prestigious individual awards for themselves. Ash was awarded Number 1 Sales Agent in Victoria for the number of sales while Chris was ranked Number 1 for the Value of his sales. Ash was again placed in the Top 2% of Sales Agents along the East Coast of Australia while Chris & Kate were in the Top 10%. Both Chris & Ash were also recognised for selling over $4million of Real Estate in one quarter.

Congratulations to our team for a wonderful quarter and we all look forward to the next awards night to see if we can be the Top Agents, three times in a row!!

Why don’t you join the other excited owners?

ashleighhall — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:05:55 +0000

We’ve mentioned the gorgeous properties at “Santina Rise” before, but as there are only a few left we wanted to mention them again, so you don’t miss out.

Construction on these quality residences in the beautiful town of Yarra Junction in the Yarra Valley has begun and they are looking fantastic. A few different plans are still available however all brick veneer townhouses boast three bedrooms, two bathrooms and some offer an extra study nook.

These properties also offer quality living for all the family and include a dishwasher, natural gas ducted heating, a lock up garage and a water tank. Located on Little Yarra Road in Yarra Junction, they are an easy walk to the main street, transport, schools & sporting facilities.

Why don’t you join the other excited owners and purchase your piece of Yarra Valley Real Estate.

Don’t delay. Visit our office today to have a look at the floorplans of the remaining properties.

Could this be the reason your Yarra Valley Real Estate isn’t selling?

ashleighhall — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:54:38 +0000

“Why isn’t my home selling?” is a very common question that the team here at Andrew McMath Real Estate hear when talking to sellers whose homes have been on the Yarra Valley Real Estate market with other agents for a long period of time.

We recently read a blog written by a colleague of ours in Woody Point Qld, Damien Misso, who also commented on how he hears this question often and some of the reasons he gives. Damien’s reasons are almost identical to the reasons we find here in the Yarra Valley so we thought we would share both blogs with you and hope that it answers some of your questions.

There could be a number of reasons why a property will stay on the market for a long time but there are three common reasons which we seem to see a lot. So if you’re a seller and you’re wondering why you can’t get your Yarra Valley Real Estate to sell then maybe see if it is because of any of these reasons:

1. Pricing – One of, if not the, first things potential purchasers look at when looking for a property is the price and because of this it is one of the most common reasons why homes stay on the market too long. If the asking price for your property is wrong you are probably missing out on a lot of potential buyers. Find out what the feedback is from the people that have inspected your property is. Do they think that the property is on for the right price? What price range do they think the property falls in? Remember that your agent can’t tell you what your property will sell for, they can only give you a guide to the market & let the market set the price.

2. Marketing – Apart from making sure that your Yarra Valley Real Estate is listed at the right price, it is also important to make sure that it is being advertised and marketed properly, after all how will your property sell if nobody knows it’s on the market? There are many ways that a property can be marketed –signs, the internet, office displays & printed advertisements are just an example. Here at Andrew McMath Real Estate we take it one step further and market your property using the most up to date technology including 3D floorplans, QR Codes and photo tours. If you are concerned that your property is not being marketed properly then speak to your Real Estate Agent about your options.

3. Presentation – The third of the 3 main reasons you property may not be selling is because of its presentation. There could be minor things about the presentation of your Yarra Valley Real Estate that is putting buyers off so you may need to give your property a bit of a spruce up or maybe a bit of a de-clutter. Remember that a buyer is always comparing your property to another one that they saw and they will most likely opt for the property that presents the best and requires the fewest improvements.

If you think that any concerns about why your property may not be selling, whether it’s one of the above reasons or another, or if you would like to have a chat about your property in general then please feel free to get in touch with one of our team.

Tips On Selling Your Home When You Have Kids

ashleighhall — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:27:56 +0000

Most people know that when selling your home, even when you have the best agent assisting, there is a lot of work involved & it can be quite stressful.

But what about when you have children? How do you explain the selling process to them & what are some extra things that could help them adjust to the selling process and the final move?

Talk to your children: The first thing we would suggest is talk to your children and make them aware of your plans to sell as soon as possible. You don’t want them to overhear you taking about it later on. Make the idea of moving a positive experience and get them to help you when it comes to presenting your home, this not only gives you a helping hand but also helps them feel involved in the process.

Go through their belongings with them: If you child seems to have a lot of toys & other items lying around (as most children do!), go through them with your child. Figure out what is possible to keep and what needs to be thrown out or packed away until you get to your next house. In general it’s probably a good idea to pack away really messy items like play-doh & paints, as these can be hard to pack up quickly if you’re in a hurry for inspections. You may also like to create incentives to help them keep their room tidy, such as some extra pocket money or maybe a trip to the movies.

Get the right agent to help: When you are selling it’s also helpful to have an understanding Real Estate Agent. You might require a bit more notice for inspections if you have kids, so you can get your home tidy. Some people don’t want inspections to interfere with their children’s daily routines. All our sales team at Andrew McMath Real Estate have children, so understand the difficulties in working (& cleaning!) around them & are happy to be flexible with inspections.

An Extra Tip: A great tip that we heard about recently was when it comes time for packing, put a couple of toys in each box. That way when you’re unpacking, your kids will get excited about opening up each box & will be more willing to co-operate & help out.

Overall selling & presenting your home when you have children doesn’t need to be a nightmare. Make the idea of moving a positive & fun experience for the kids and selling your home is sure to be easier for everyone.

Are you coming to Australias Biggest Morning Tea?

ashleighhall — Mon, 23 May 2011 04:47:44 +0000

Australia’s biggest morning tea is coming to the Yarra Valley. The lovely ladies at Flowers & Flavours in Yarra Junction are again inviting everyone to their “Biggest Morning Tea” which raises much needed funds for the Cancer Council.

Why not drop into Flowers & Flavours at 2/2465 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction (near the NAB bank!) on Friday 27^th May. $1 from every cup of coffee sold will go directly to the Cancer Council.

Please come & show your support for this worthy cause. All of us from Andrew McMath Real Estate certainly will!!

Do you want to win an Apple iPad2?

ashleighhall — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:27:24 +0000

Well you can with us because it’s on again!

After the huge success of our last promotion (one of our clients won one!) the Professionals are again running “Win an Apple iPad2 Everyday for 40 Days”.

All you have to do is give us a call and have one of our agents appraise your property.

You can then go into the draw to win one of 40 Apple iPads.

One iPad is being given away everyday by the Professionals Group for 40 days.

You can enter from today & the draw begins on June 9^th, 2011.