Aquis is the big decider

WELCOME to 2016! A year where our business, and indeed all real estate practitioners within the Cairns marketplace are, or should be approaching, with great optimism and enthusiasm. The forecast predictions made on the performance of the property market during 2015 were, in my opinion, “spot on”. A 4 to 5 per cent lift in the medium house sale price was forecast and this is the result that is evident. Resident and permanently rented units continued to firm in buyer popularity – more so to the owner/ occupier than the investor. The market for lifestyle “holiday let” apartments, which is the market segment that has been most affected since 2008/2009 has also, I feel, turned the corner, albeit very cautiously. Strong income with reasonable holding costs is what affects sales in the arena. The lower Australian dollar, erupting volcano in Bali and security concerns in some countries, has driven a greater number of tourists to Cairns and we have seen an increase in both tourism numbers and the room rate value. For 2016, there are two trains of thought: A. Without “Aquis” I believe Cairns will again have a steady, progressive year. B. Should “Aquis” be approved and confirmed, the market could be stood on its head. WET and humid weather is bringing prolific pests out of the woodwork as termite inspectors field a surge of calls from concerned Cairns residents.

Pestaway owner and director Belinda Cooper said termites were becoming more obvious to homeowners because the warmer temperatures meant the destructive insects could migrate without tunnels.

“This time of year it always gets busy,” she said.

“Their ideal temperature is 30 to 32 degrees and they like 100 per cent humidity.

“You tend to see them more because they are wandering around the place.

“They are still munching around the rest of the year, but you don’t see them as much – they are not as obvious.”

Cairns was saturated with about 330mm of rain in December, almost double the mean rainfall average of 175.9mm for the month in 2014.

“It’s the perfect time of year