Hey, my name is Andrew Duncan.
On my blog, you will find real estate tips, advice and market commentary, along with articles about climate change, plant-based food, personal finance and travel. I love working with nice people, solving problems and living in Wellington, NZ.
UPDATED: May 2020 Everyone wants to avoid a multiple offer situation. We all want to negotiate directly with the owner, one on one. It’s programmed into our genes to want to start off low, see what the vendor comes back with and maybe meet in the middle if it works for us. To buy a home any other way feels…
UPDATED: May, 2020 Learning how to negotiate while buying and selling real estate is a tricky business. The process can be full of traps that you can’t be expected to know about as most people only enter the market every 5-7 years. If you only rode a bike, drove a car or swung a golf club every 7 years you…
Please note: I am not a qualified financial adviser and the opinions offered here are purely my own. It is critical that you seek professional advice from a solicitor before embarking on any property purchase. Read: Don’t buy a home without speaking to these 5 people first What a scary time it has become for first home buyers, especially if you…
After more than a decade in real estate. I have seen the value that a really good salesperson can add to the process. I have seen houses sell for prices that blew me away – because the salesperson running the marketing campaign knew how to position the property. They knew how to attract the right buyers and how to create…
This article will give you tips on how to avoid paying too much when buying a home. It focusses on the emotional side of the decision-making process. Why do some people end up paying too much? FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is an immensely powerful emotion and it can drive us to do crazy things in the heat of the…
In this weeks mailbag, we discuss whether it’s a good idea to make a pre-auction offer. Read on for tips, advice and a little-known clause that could give you a massive advantage when making an offer pre-auction. Question: When (is it a good idea) to do a pre-auction offer? This property is priced within its evaluation range 650-680 price indication….
Let me guess – your salesperson promised you the world and bought you an atlas? What constitutes enough of a reason to fire them and start over? Let’s discuss the 7 signs you need to fire your real estate agent, and how to do it. Did you know… When you sign a listing authority, giving salesperson Sally Lotaleads permission to market…
You get one chance at selling your home for the best possible price. Isn’t it important that you get it right? When it comes to selling your biggest asset, it’s easy to make mistakes. Problem is, those mistakes can be extremely costly, and hard to recover from. These are the most common traps I see owners falling into. Avoid them at…
In a market where the majority of properties are marketed by Tender / Auction / Deadline Sale, it is critical that you become proficient in valuing property as quickly as possible, so you can: A: Avoid missing out on your dream property by pitching your offer too low, and… B: Avoid paying too much for a home you fall in…
This article was featured in the January 2020 edition of ‘Your Home & Garden’ magazine. Thinking of selling? These 5 steps will provide you with the best possible return on time and money invested when it comes time to sell your home: 1. Painting You should paint bathroom ceilings if they need it, paint kitchen cupboards if the colours are…
