News

How an 80-year-old vendor sold his home online

Selling your home online at the age of 80… what could go wrong? Read the amazing story of Cyril, the elderly vendor proving that you don’t need to be a Millennial to get on-board real estate technology. It’s an unlikely pairing — an 80-year-old vendor and an online bidding platform that’s at the forefront of property sales. But that’s exactly what happened when Mint Real Estate, and founder of Openn Negotiation, Peter Clements met Cyril...

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Law firms lose millions to hackers in ‘highly sophisticated’ email scam

This article is but one example of the way email can be used to steal from clients. Lawyers Conveyancing has taken cyber-security a step further, and we no longer send important documents as attachments to emails. Instead, all clients have access to their own Secure Document Exchange (SDX) portal where documents can be exchanged safely and with a time-stamped audit trail. At least two Queensland law firms have lost several million dollars after falling victim...

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Court Finds Solicitor Forged Wife’s Signature

by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate During 2008 the Commonwealth Bank made loans totalling $13.5 million to Matthew Perrin, his wife Nicole and their family company. Among other securities, the bank relied on guarantees and mortgages apparently signed by Nicole. Some of these encumbered Perrins’ (previously unencumbered) sprawling Cronin Island family home held in Nicole’s name. During 2008 the Commonwealth Bank made loans totalling $13.5 million to Matthew Perrin, his wife Nicole and their...

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Real Estate Commission – A Corrupting Influence

An EzineArticle by Peter Mericka. Real estate commission is the way in which real estate agents are paid for the services they provide. They receive a percentage of the price received for the property. Effectively, the real estate agent requires the seller of a property (the vendor) to sign over to the real estate agent a part of the property being sold. Another way of looking at it is to say that the real estate...

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Bucknells’ Guide To Commercial Property Investment

News postings by Tim O'Dwyer - Nigel Bucknell was originally a scientist. His wife Janet was a mathematician. Both are now successful commercial property investors, and clients of mine. Their first investment was a small shopping centre. They currently have industrial, shopping centre, motel, caravan park and sporting centre investments.

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Wrong Advice From NSW Office Of Fair Trading

Applications for an ex gratia payment will be quite common in the future, unless the NSW Office Of Fair Trading start looking closely at the relevant provisions of the NSW Property Stock & Business Agents Act 2002. An ex gratia payment is made in the exercise of the prerogative power of Government. A payment may be made if a person has suffered a financial loss or other detriment directly as a result of the workings of Government. This...

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Move Over Marx Brothers, Here Comes the Bligh Government

OPINION by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au Real estate consumer protection goes west as a result of a convoluted dog’s breakfast amendment to the law, according to Tim O’Dwyer. Linda Lavarch MP noticed two Legal Aid lawyers sitting in the public gallery during a recent session of State Parliament. “They had tears in their eyes as the Attorney rose to speak,” she later told her parliamentary colleagues before explaining how these lawyers saw...

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