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Estate agency Cape Town – Pam Golding

SA HomeBuyers is proud to be working with one of the most established property agencies in Cape Town

Estate agencies in Cape Town - Pam Golding

Pam Golding is South Africa’s largest independent residential and commercial estate agency and has been a well-known brand since 1976. The large portefolio of property ranges from residential to commercial property and includes game farms, wine farms, holiday rentals, vacant land, guest houses, golf estates and residential developments. With the help of Pam Golding we have been able to source from a superb property portfolio in the most sought after areas.

Scanning estate agency websites to find that dream home that you are looking for can be time consuming. Part of our service is to search properties for you and present you with a shortlist of properties that comply with your search criteria.

Tell us what you are looking for and we make it happen:

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    Shopping in Hout Bay

    The shopping in Hout Bay comes as a pleasant surprise to most visitors and those thinking of buying a property there.

    Shopping in Hout Bay – the Mainstream Mall

    This magnificent modern mall with dozens of excellent shops is an ideal venue for urban sophisticates wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of crowded corridors. Mainstream Mall in Hout Bay is a mix of trendy outlets in a unique complimented by the nearby Fisherman’s World cottages and craft workshops.

    Mainstream Mall provides shopping in Hout Bay that is unique because of its village environment. Mainstream Mall has a vast and varied selection of retail outlets including health and beauty outlets, clothing and shoe shops, restaurants and cafes, banking as well as national stores such as Woolworths (with enlarged food and deli market, plus clothing and homeware), CNA and Clicks.

    Handicapped friendly facilities and baby changing facilities provided for shoppers, with plenty of parking – most of it undercover. 24 hour security and CCTV cameras offer a secure environment for your shopping convenience.

    The centre is located just on the way towards Chapman’s Peak Drive and close to the beach. The shopping in Hout Bay, Mainstream Mall includes,  Health and beauty, Clothes and accessories, Leisure, Home & décor, Food & restaurants, Banking, Services and Estate agents.

    The trading hours are:
    Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm
    Saturday 9am – 4pm
    Sundays + Public Holidays

    Shopping in Hout Bay – the Markets

    • The  Sunday Hout Bay craft market brings a  ‘villagy’ vibe to shopping in Hout Bay, with a wide variety of African curios, pottery, wire crafts, Ostrich eggs wooden sculptures and even pony rides.
    • A must for Hout Bay residents, tourists and locals from far and wide – experience a truly different vibe for shopping in Hout Bay.The Bay Harbour Market offers shopping in Hout Bay that is a celebration of the diversity, creativity and culture that make South Africa such a unique country. It provides a uniquely-social shopping and an eating experience with an atmosphere that is friendly, vibrant and entertaining…. and, above all, distinctly South African! What is also nice about this shopping in Hout Bay, is that it also serves as a platform for community-building and upliftment by providing opportunities for the development of creative and business skills towards the creation of sustainable business.

    Shopping in Hout Bay – Fresh Fish

    Fisherman’s Wharf Fishmarket
    Take a walk around the Fisherman’s Market at Mariner’s Wharf, where you have the opportunity to buy fresh Prawns, Mussels, Oysters and Seafood. Try some delicious Smoked Snoek from The Fresh Oak Smoked Snoek Shop. Or even make your buy straight off the fishing boats for freshness guaranteed – if you are shopping in Hout Bay, buying some fish is a must.

    Hout Bay property wood sale

    Braai wood sale

     

    Known as a Riviera town and nestled between 2 mountains and the sea, if you choose Hout Bay as your home you will enjoy enviable views, great schools, superb restaurants and lots of activities. The shopping facilities in Hout Bay mean you don’t have to travel far and for those that already live there –  they are reluctant to leave their idyllic home.

    In the unlikely event that the shopping in Hout Bay proves inadequate, never fear, for a short 20 minute drive over Constantia Nek is the superb Constantia Shopping Village. In the other direction the coastal road to Cape Town provides access to the V & A Waterfront and all of Cape Towns many amenities.

    Summary

    As part of our thorough process in understanding your needs, our buyers consultant will include information on the shopping in Hout bay.

    Contact us for more information by e-mail or telephoning our area buyers consultant

    Marco Garuti on + 27 (0) 83 2658800

    Hout Bay – Restaurants and coffee shops

    Not short of stunning scenery Hout Bay also offers a variety of very unique restaurants and coffee shops.

    Dunes restaurant and Suikerbossi are both known for their child-friendly setup. Dunes is right on Beachroad, features a playground and serves scrumptious food including a good selection of seafood from the ocean across the road.

    Coming from Llundudno, Suikerbossi is up on the hill at the start of a popular hiking trail along the 12 Apostels featuring dramatic views. This is also a popular wedding venue.

    Hout Bay Lookout Deck - CapeTownians love this place for sundowners

     

    Pakalolos is popular with a young surfy crowd. Despite the lack of view, expect to find a loungy atmosphere, surf videos and food inspired by overseas surf travel.

    Marc’s grill is a humble little restaurant that’s famous for its steaks. Steaks are matured and grilled by the owner in an open kitchen.

    On the last bend before Chapmans Peak, you will find Hout Bay hotel. Its a popular venue for sundowners and calamari dishes on the deck.

    At the The Lookout Deck you dig into fresh scrumptious seafood dishes while watching the local fishermen unload their catch in the harbour.

    Nautical hospitality in Hout Bay

     

    Katima serves upmarket Thai cuisine in the oldest remaining building in Hout Bay. It also features a sparkly cocktail bar and a relaxing courtyard perfect for warm summer evenings.

    The Warf
    , Hout Bay’s harbour area, is jampacked with restaurants mainly attracting tourists.

     

     

    Hout Bay Schools

    As SAHomeBuyers we realise  that funding the perfect property is only part of the decision making process when purchasing a new home. What about the amenities, location, shopping, restaurants, security and of course the Hout Bay Schools.

    For our clients with family, part of this decision making process will of course include what Hout Bay Schools are suitable for their children.

    Hout Bay Schools offer a number of different options for all ages.

    Hout Bay Schools

    One of the attractions of Living in Hout Bay is the quality of Hout Bay Schools and easy access to many others.

    Hout Bay International school – “to provide excellence in education provision within an international perspective”

    When considering appropriate  Hout Bay Schools , many expats settle on the Hout Bay International school. It enrolls children from the age of  3 year. Their motto – “to provide excellence in education provision within an international perspective” sums up what this popular school is all about. It is due to its standards and reputation that the International School is one the of the Hout Bay Schools of choice.

    Cape Town is the perfect place to grow

     

     

    One of the stand out features, of the  International, amongst Hout Bay Schools is that it offers an international curriculum based a combination of the South African National Curriculum and the British National Curriculum which is delivered through the innovative pedagogy of the International Baccalaureate (IB). The Cambridge International Examinations and IB Diploma provide externally assessed qualifications recognised throughout the world.

    Kronendal primary school – It takes a village to raise a child is is this Hout Bay Schools motto.

    Another favorite amongst the Hout Bay schools is the Kronendal primary Bay Schools is the Kronendal primary school which was established in 1901. The community school Kronendal truly understands the old Xhosa saying: It takes a village to raise a child. Making sure parents are very involved in the school, Kronendal in Hout Bay can offer great infrastructure with affordable school fees. “A Kronendal student learns to understand and appreciate different cultures, uniquely preparing them for the real world. We believe in helping each student to identify and enhance their gifts. Kronendal has become respected as a feeder school for many of Cape Town’s top high schools. Many of our students have gone on to excel thanks to the grounding they received at Kronendal Primary.”

    Ambleside Hout Bay School

    Another Hout Bay School with a proud reputation is the Ambleside Hout Bay School. Its teaching methods are based on the insights of the British educator, Charlotte Mason.  She did not claim to be an innovator, but rather a compiler of the timeless, practical insights into the nature of children and education, which have guided the practice of great teachers throughout the ages.

    Other Hout Bay Schools

    Bayside Christian High
    Hout Bay Christian School
    Llandudno Primary (5 minutes away)
    Moravian School
    Sentinel Primary
    School for the Deaf

    There are in addition a number of nursery schools, creches and playgroup

    Schools close by in the southern suburbs, including Bishops, SACs and Redham are just a mere 20min scenic drive away from Hout Bay.

    Summary

    As part of our thorough process in understanding your needs, our buyers consultant will include information on Hout Bay Schools, as part of your viewing we will introduce you to Hout Bay Schools.

    Contact us for more information by e-mail or telephoning our area buyers consultant

    Marco Garuti on + 27 (0) 83 2658800

    Consumer protection act – does it affect property sale in South Africa?

    Cape Town property sale - Hout Bay real estateThe long awaited Consumer Protection Act (CPA) came into effect in South Africa on 1 April 2011. Fundamentally changing the way business is conducted in South Africa, the law regulates the way products and services are marketed and makes South Africa among the most consumer-protected countries in the world.

    We have explored the most important changes relating to Real Estate property transactions below:

    Most importantly the Consumer Protection Act grants consumers the right to cancel certain contracts within a “Cooling-off” period of five business days.

    Secondly, the Act modifies the way the voetstoots clause is applied in Real Estate contracts.

    The third is about changes with regard to the letting of property.

    1) Cooling-off period
    If it comes to a property purchase because of direct marketing efforts, the real estate buyer has the right to cancel the sale within 5 business days. This law is commonly known as the cooling off period.

    Keep in mind this only applies to property sales due to direct marketing and not purchases due to marketing through show houses or traditional print ads. Nor does it apply to any property purchase made by a client that the estate agent is already working with. Such deals generated by mentioned forms of marketing do not fall within the scope of the Consumer Protection Act.

    There is some good news with regard to whats considered the start of the “cooling-off” period. The date of delivery of the goods is the official start of the “cooling-off period”.  In property terms this means the date of transfer of the House or flat into the buyers name, not the date of signature of the contract. In actual fact the buyer has 3 to 6 months to develop second thoughts. Of course a cancellation after several months can be complicated for all the parties involved. Also keep in mind that this is a yet untested law. It remains to be seen how it will be interpreted by the courts.

    The “cooling-off” period only kicks in when the property purchase price is less than R250 000. This clause is covered in South African Property Law, in terms of Section 29a of the Alienation of Land Act. This provision is not effected by the new Act and will stay in place.

    2) “Voestoots” clause
    “Voetstoots” is an Afrikaans term derived from Roman Dutch Law. It literally means “as is”. Prior to the introduction of the Consumer Protection Act, all property was sold “as is”. Luckily for the buyer, the  Consumer Protection Act modifies this.

    Since 1 April 2011, developers, speculators, and investors owning real estate portfolios who sell real estate in their ordinary course of business, can now be held liable for defects.

    An ordinary once-off sale does not fall within the scope of the Consumer Protection Act. Once-off sellers may continue to rely on the protection of the “voetstoots” clause.

    For more information how the Consumer Protection Act affects lease agreements click the link provided.

     

    The South African property market shows moderate improvement

    The South African residential property market showed a mild improvement and small increase in demand in August 2011 according to the FNB Estate Agent Survey.

    The percentage of sellers having to drop their asking price to finalize the sale increased still further from 87 percent in Q2 2011 to 91 percent in Q3 2011.

    The third quarter report confirmed that there was slightly better residential property demand. However, the agents did not indicate an improvement in the balance of demand relative to supply, which would suggest that property price growth is set to remain stagnant.

    John Loos, FNB Home Loans property strategist say the property industry remains tense. At least 23 percent of estate agents cited economic burden and general pessimism as key factors influencing their near term expectations.

    “We believe that while the estate agent survey demand is mildly encouraging, not too much should be read into it yet,” says Loos. Loos explains that the report also indicates a drop in the percentage of sellers selling their homes in order to downscale due to the financial situation.

    Cape Town in 2011 is clearly a buyer’s market. Loos says the average time that a property remains on the market before being sold rose from 15 weeks and 1 day in Q2 to 17 weeks and 1 day in Q3 2011. The percentage of house owners having to decrease their asking price to finalize the sale rose still further from 87 percent in Q2 2011 to 91 percent in Q3 2011 and the average percentage drop increased from 11 percent in the previous quarter to 13 percent in the third quarter.

    “We believe the financial pressure-related reason for selling is a strong source of support for the rental market.” He says a significant portion of these previous home owners probably move into the rental market for the time being as opposed to buying a cheaper home instantly. Estate agents taking part in the survey reported that 46 percent of sellers would be renting after the sale and 54 percent would buy again instantly.

    The survey also demonstrates that another cause for selling is selling in order to upgrade. The percentage of sellers in this category declined from 16 percent in Q2 2011 to 15 percent in Q3 2011. The percentage of sellers selling in order to relocate elsewhere in South Africa remained unchanged at 7 percent, lower than the 8 percent from mid-2010 to early-2011.

    The group of sellers dominating the residential property market is those selling to downscale to accommodate life stage. This group as a percentage of total sellers has increased to 23 percent, the highest percentage since the beginning of 2008. Estate agents reported a renewed increase in the number of serious viewers during show houses from 13.57 buyers to 15.05 buyers in the third quarter.

    Demand appears to stay weak relative to supply, with the average time on the market having risen in the third quarter. Loos [explains|says] that one of the most [worrying|concerning] trends continues to be the estimated average time that a property is on the market prior to [being sold|changing owners].

    “The average time has become more volatile from quarter to quarter since the market thinned during the 2008 recession.”