Tag Archives: capital-gains
Sustained recovery in Spanish property market looking more likely
Improved confidence in the economy, a wide spread belief that property prices have finally hit rock bottom and more readily available financing are all helping encourage sales in Spain, according to experts. It has been widely reported that the summer months saw a recovery in the country’s property market with some seeing sales increase by 8.8% in June compared with the same month in 2013. Lending also increased, up by 19% in June 2014 compared with June 2013 and there was also a slight rise in prices which saw a 1% increase in the second quarter of 2104, the first quarterly rise for six years. According to a new analysis from the Spanish Brick Company the next two to three quarter will give an indication whether or not this is a sustainable recovery or a circumstantial rebound. ‘The main difference between 2007 and 2014 is that in 2007 the majority of buyers were speculative; they bought with a view to selling it on in a couple of years, with a gain of up to 20%. Now, investors are looking for long term investments, using the rental market to make a profit,’ said the firm’s Daniel Talavera ‘Any yield higher than 5% is considered a noteworthy investment and a 8% to 9 % yield is a real money maker. Regarding Capital Growth and Capital Gains, Spain delivers good results now but is suffering expensive taxation,’ he added. The research shows that before the economic crisis 40% of mortgages were taken out by immigrants. This has now fallen to only 3%. The average age of buyers has also gone up. The percentage of buyers younger than 25 has fallen from 16% to 3%. When it comes to investors, the volume of foreign investments is constantly increasing and 2013 saw a 16% increase on 2012. It is not uncommon for 80% of an estate agent's client base to be foreigners. It points out that the difference in house prices between 2007 and 2014 varies according to the region. Prices have dropped at a rate of between 30% and 70%, and, on average, it is estimated that houses are now 58% cheaper. It also highlights the importance of getting the price right. The economic situation created a negotiation culture. Before the housing market crash, the asking price was non-negotiable but according to the firm currently only 70% of offers get to completion and often these offers are only accepted because the seller is under pressure to sell due to mortgage obligations, unemployment and pressure from costs associated with the property. The typical seller has also changed. Financial entities have become the main Spanish real estate developers, followed by privately owned used homes and, lastly, new build developments. The biggest change to the type of home being bought has been an increase in the number of rooms compared with the buyer's initial expectations. Before the crisis, prices meant that the buyer had to lower their expectations when it came to the number of bedrooms. Now, a… Continue reading
Property value growth in Australian capital cities flat in September
Residential property values across Australia’s capital cities were virtually flat over the month of September, according to the latest RP Data CoreLogic Home Value Index. There was a 0.1% rise in values over the month which translates into a 2.9% capital gain over the third quarter of 2014. However, the flat result for September masks the fact that five of Australia’s capital cities recorded a fall in values over the month whilst only Sydney with growth of 0.8%), Brisbane with a rise of 0.7% and Adelaide up 0.9% recorded an increase in dwelling values over the month. The September quarterly was once again driven by exceptionally strong conditions across the Sydney and Melbourne markets where the quarterly capital gain rate was 4.1% and 3.7% respectively. Additionally, Adelaide recorded a solid increase in values over the September quarter, posting a 3.1% capital gain. Brisbane was up 0.6%, Darwin up 1.4% and Canberra also up 1.4%. But Perth saw a fall of 0.6% and Hobart was down 1%, the only two capital city markets to record a decline in values over the September quarter. Values are now 9.3% higher over the 12 months to the end of September 2014, with every capital city recording an increase in dwelling values over this period. Sydney values are driving the growth trend, increasing by 14.3% over the past year. The data shows that a substantial gap exists between Sydney and the next best performer, Melbourne, where values increased by 8.1%. Darwin was the third strongest performer over the past year with a 7.1% capital gain, followed by Brisbane at 6.4% and Adelaide at 5.8%. Hobart values were 4.6% higher over the past 12 months while in Perth values were 3.2% higher. Canberra recorded the lowest rate of annual capital gain at 1.7%. Despite the ease in capital gains over September, other indicators remained strong over the first month of spring. Auction clearance rates continued to beat the 70% mark week to week while volumes across RP Data real estate agent and valuation platforms remained strong which indicates heightened levels of industry and mortgage market activity. According to RP Data’s research head Tim Lawless, more listings are entering the market place as the weather warms up. He said that the big test for the housing market will be whether additional stock is absorbed by an increase in buyer numbers. ‘The annual rate of appreciation in dwelling values has actually been moderating since reaching a peak in April this year. The fact that the annual trend of capital growth has been trending lower is an important factor to note as it highlights that the rate of capital gain is no longer accelerating,’ he explained. ‘Even though housing market conditions remain very buoyant, we have been seeing the 12 month trend drifting lower since peaking at 11.5% in April. A moderating annual trend, as well as the relatively flat September result, is likely to be welcome news to policy makers and potential buyers after the… Continue reading
Adding Up Farmland Value Factors
http://www.agricultu….jpg&type=admin Jeff Caldwell 09/17/2013 Death and taxes. The old saying is those are the only two certainties in this world. And right now, that’s especially true for the farmland market. There’s not as much land going onto the market for sale right now — for a few reasons — and that calls for anybody looking to add acres to their farm to always be ready to pull the trigger, says one farmland market expert. The proposition of buying or selling land, especially the latter, is typically an emotional one, and as such doesn’t always follow market fundamentals and dynamics in lockstep. So, in lieu of a textbook for how to approach buying land when considering these factors, it’s important to always be ready when the time arises that circumstances dictate a seller to pull the trigger, says Randy Hertz, accredited farm manager and land consultant with Hertz Farm Management, Inc. “Certainly, you need to be in buying position. As people get panicky, they may be willing to take a lower price or offer lower than the general public really would anticipate. It’s an emotional decision,” he says. That emotion is typically manifested directly in how buyers approach potential land buys from sellers who, whether it’s the settlement of an estate by multiple stakeholders or a retirement, may be facing just as emotional a set of circumstances themselves. Combine that with the fact that buying land is a long-term decision, and it can make it tough to forecast how any given land sale will shake out. Then, add on to that variables specific to years like 2013, namely whether the land was planted or laid idle because of adverse weather, and sale prices are tough to peg. All this adds to the importance of staying in that buying position, Hertz says. “As the markets go against you, it’s an angst. As prices go up, you feel good about things. There’s a lot of prevented-planting acres this year. In those areas, it certainly was negatively impacted by the emotions of struggling crops,” he says, adding that a recent Iowa land sale netted a lower-than-expected price because it hadn’t been planted in the spring because of the weather. “People get bullish at the top. People overstay the market. Farmers are notorious for this. They ride it up, ride it down, and right at the bottom, freak out and sell in the bottom third of the market. “It’s such an imperfect market,” he adds. Right now, a major factor playing into both the amount of land going up for sale and the price volatility those sales yield is the state of the economy, both on the macro level and in the ag sector. In the former, taxes and return on investment are huge factors. Farmland remains a solid investment compared to equities, and with the tax implications of selling land as they are right now, it makes it easy to hold on, even if the climb in land values is seen tapering off. “There are just fewer farms on the market now. The reason for that is when you’ve got a land market that increases in value, people don’t want to pay taxes on that increase. And, you’ve got low interest rates. They say ‘I’m earning 3% to 3 1/2% on rented land. What would I do if I sold? I’d have to pay tax on $9,000/acre in capital gains,” Hertz says. “You’re going to pay one-third of that in taxes, plus the privilege of 1% on a CD. So, you’ve seen a lot fewer farms for sale. Ones selling are ones stepping up in basis, estates or families fighting.” More specific to the ag sector, crop inputs and cash land rents will continue to drive where sale prices wind up moving forward. The former group influences the direction of the latter, and how close rents have kept up with the general fluctuation of land values will help determine the willingness of landowners on the fence to sell land. “The dynamics of the farm market, specifically inputs have rocketed. Cash rents have not kept pace with the profits farmers have gotten. People are wondering what will happen with cash rents,” Hertz says. “If you had not increased along with where it should’ve been, you probably should’ve gotten an increase. If you were pretty good but not at top of the market, rent will probably be pretty good next year. If you were at the high for cash rent last year, probably adjust downward.” Specific to the last few years in the heart of the Corn Belt, the shape of the current crop on top of how sharply the land market’s fluctuated in the last five years will likely contribute to how it flexes and moves in the future, Hertz says. That’s clear when comparing past moves in key states in the region. “Illinois and Indiana are really strong right now. They’ve got a good crop coming, and they have been somewhat toned-down in their increases. Certainly not as fast as the increases Iowa has seen,” he says. “You’re going to see some adjustments like that.” And while he fully expects the general rise in farmland values to taper off in the coming year, Hertz says current strong grain prices will likely keep the market out of the red, even if this year’s crops don’t amount to earlier expectations. “How could you ever look a gift horse in the mouth? We can sell new-crop soybeans for over $13/bushel cash. Those are phenomenal prices. Yes, we’re going to get kicked in the shorts with our soybean yield, but you still have to sell the stuff,” he adds. “You’ve still got to make a decision.” Continue reading
