Your Stories, Your Tales -> Our Far South Pot Pourri

A few tips before going away.

Test your alarm and make sure it is in working order. Do this in good time before you go away as December is a busy period for security companies and should the system require servicing you may need some time to sort it out.

Ensure your property is secure - that there are no holes in the fence or other vulnerable points of access to your home.

Ensure all bushes or trees close to your doors and garage are trimmed, to avoid the possibility of intruders hiding behind them

Stop all newspaper and other deliveries (if applicable) and arrange that someone collects your post while you are away. An overflowing post box or piles of newspapers are like a welcome mat for burglars.

Make sure anyone visiting the property (with your permission) knows how to use the alarm system correctly.

Ensure that all your outside locks are a minimum of four lever locks or double cylinder security locks and that all are in good working order.

Install an outdoor light or lights with timers and motion sensors to act as an additional deterrent.

Make sure your household and property insurance is paid, up-to-date and active.

Do not leave a message on your answering machine stating that you're out of town.

Ensure that you have not left a key on the inside of an outer door that has glass panels or glass near the door lock.

Leaving dogs on the premises is a good security measure but obviously make sure they are well looked after while you are away.

Radio Ascension made it through to Fish Hoek on the 15th September 1991. The radio station used to transmit the BBC World Service 24/7 on 1485 khz with 500 watts.

Owners of expensive urban properties have been relatively sheltered from the recession, a new research report suggests.

Residential properties in the price band with an average value of R1,86m haven't lost value in nominal terms in recent years - and now they are leading South Africa's residential property market out of recession.

FNB Home Loans' analysis shows that South Africa's priciest properties (top 10% of metro suburbs) enjoyed an annual gain of just over 36% in the first quarter of 2004.

The worst average price scenario for these priciest properties has been in recent times, when selling prices increased by a nominal 1,7% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2009.

"The average price of houses in this category dropped by 9,9% y/y in real terms in the third quarter, compared with a real price decline of 5,5% recorded in the preceding quarter," said Absa's top residential property analyst Jacques du Toit.

The general expectation, meanwhile, is for South Africa's property prices to be back in positive terrain next year.

Loos and Kellerman argue that it is possible that the "Top 10%" of areas were less affected by the economic slowdown, as one finds more accumulated saving/wealth amongst higher income households cushions the blow in recessionary times, whereas areas lower down the price ladder are often characterised by households with low savings, causing greater financial stress in bad times.

Interesting. This implies that Simon's Town home-owners have been sheltered from the recession.

Although the study looked at an average price band of R1.86 million, and Simon's Town's average higher, I believe the conclusions are applicable to Simon's Town property owners.

A nice list with ideas in and around Simon's Town and Cape Town

Like many of the European settlements here, it has a Euro theme; Stellenbosch was Dutch, Simon’s town more English than England ( with no where to eat except pubs and fish and chip places)and Paternoster is Greek: lots of simple white one story concrete houses, with tiny courtyards all set into the hillside overlooking the wharves.