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Mar 29, 2024
Top 10 restaurants we’re enjoying in Fairy Meadow
From traditional Australian dishes to international cuisine, the Fairy Meadow restaurant scene caters to all taste buds and cravings. Whether it’s Japanese, Lebanese or Australian pub fare, if you’re feeling a bit peckish take a look through the selection in your own backyard. In no particular order, let us take you around the world with some incredible flavours and cuisines that we're loving in Fairy Meadow right now. Fujiyama Teppanyaki Restaurant Love real Japanese food? The teppanyaki experience at Fujiyama includes a master chef cooking your food barbecue-style right before your eyes to create an entertaining experience. Ideal for group bookings and family outings, you’ll watch as the chefs chop, toss, marinade, slice and juggle your food in front of you. For a calmer dining experience, the downstairs or balcony areas offer Asian fusion dishes. Along with specialising in Japanese cuisine, the restaurant also offers a large selection of Chinese food for lunch and dinner. 12 Daisy St The Charles Hotel This Fairy Meadow staple features a beer garden with a huge range of beers on tap, Charlie’s Bistro with burgers and classic Australian pub food with regular specials, large Sports Bar with state-of-the-art facilities, and affordable and recently renovated accommodation by Nightcap Hotels. The bistro menu includes the freshest, locally sourced and house-made ingredients. The Charles Hotel hosts daily events, promotions and giveaways. 98 Princes Hwy Fairy Meadow Bowling Club Centred around bowling competitions, the club also entertains through a host of events, such as musical acts, raffles and trivia. Along with the entertainment, Fairy Meadow Bowling Club is also known for its bistro with a classic menu and generous serves. Menu items include seafood, steak, chicken and burgers, along with a kids menu. The venue also includes specials and seasonal event menus, like New Year’s Eve and Australia Day. 2 Cambridge Ave Fraternity Club A venue packed with dining options and entertainment, you can take your pick. Dining options include La Trattoria, featuring a cosmopolitan menu and authentic Italian flavours with large portion sizes of pastas, meat and poultry dishes, and seafood dishes. You can choose to eat indoors with a dedicated bar and room to seat 300 people or in the al fresco dining area, while the kids play in the enclosed outdoor playground. For something more special, book a two-course banquet. Alternatively, try Il Bene, which has become the home of authentic Italian wood-fired pizzas. Creating a traditional pizza restaurant atmosphere, it features hand-made pizzas using quality ingredients. 11 Bourke Street Spice Kitchen Mauritian and Thai Within an intimate setting, Spice Kitchen offers a fusion Mauritian and Thai cuisine using fresh produce with aromatic spices and herbs. Incorporating traditional cuisine from the owners’ heritage, the restaurant is renowned for surprising guests with unique dishes from its vault of recipes. Each dish has a focus on fresh ingredients from local farmers’ markets. The restaurant also caters for special events, including birthdays, business lunches, dinners and cocktail receptions. Shop 1/128 Princess Hwy Cabbage Tree Hotel Featuring classic pub fare, menu items range from schnitzel to steaks, to wings and burgers. Cabbage Tree Hotel is also renowned for what it says is “the best sports bar in country NSW”, featuring sporting events up on the big screens, meat raffles and trivia nights. The venue also offers function packages for events, including baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, baptisms, engagements, weddings and Christmas parties. It can help arrange everything from a 2m gold window arches, floral arrangements, balloons, candy cart, light up numbers, and table decorations. 73 Princes Hwy Al Amir Lebanese restaurant An authentic Lebanese restaurant, it prides itself on offering the full flavours of classic Lebanese cuisine. The Al Amir menu includes cold and hot mezza dishes, food from the grill like kafta mishwe, mixed plates for one, banquets to feast for four or more people, salads like tabouli, and traditional mains such as Mansaf chicken and Shish Barak. Ambience Centre, Shop 6, 118-126 Princes Hwy Outback Steakhouse Part of a chain of restaurants in New South Wales and Queensland, Outback Steakhouse is renowned for its steaks and seafood. With an extensive menu, it offers appetisers, signature steaks, Outback favourites like lamb chops, pasta, combination dishes like Surf and Turf, and burgers and sandwiches. It also serves up a range of cocktails and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. 228 Princes Hwy Fairy Meadow Silver Restaurant If you love Chinese food, Fairy Meadow Silver Restaurant caters for everything from honey chicken, to sweet and sour pork, and Mongolian beef. With generous meals, the restaurant also caters for children’s meals. 100 Princes Hwy Dhok Koon Thai Restaurant For authentic Thai food set within fancy decor, Dhok Koon provides a great experience and large portion sizes. Dishes range from pad thai, duck, green curry and red curry. 23-25 Princes Hwy Looking for more cafe style food? Check out the 10 best cafes in Fairy Meadow. To learn more about the area or buying, selling or leasing a property in Fairy Meadow and surrounds, contact Joanne on (02) 4285 7400. Do you want to know what your property is worth in the current market? Search your address for an Online Property Report....
Mar 15, 2024
Choosing the Right Real Estate Agency to Sell Your Property: A Guide for Landlords
There comes a time in every investor’s journey where they consider reducing their property portfolio to either free up some capital or reduce debt. This question is probably best answered by your Accountant. And although marketing a property for sale, whilst continuing to receive an income from rent is very appealing, there are a few extra considerations to take into account when you have a renter in place and you are thinking of selling. As a landlord considering selling your property, one of the most crucial decisions you'll make is selecting the right real estate agency to represent you. With various agencies vying for your business, it's essential to weigh your options carefully to ensure a successful sale. One common question landlords often face is whether to stick with the company already managing their property or explore other options. In this video Joanne Danckwardt of One Agency JD Property Agents discusses the factors to consider when making this decision and provide guidance to help you choose the best agency for your needs. [youtube id="YSiDUdBZGLg"] If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Evaluate Experience and Expertise When assessing potential good real estate agencies, consider their experience and expertise in selling properties similar to yours. Look for agencies with a proven track record of success in your local market and expertise in handling investment properties, with superb negotiation skills. Determine whether the agency has experience working with landlords and understands the unique challenges and opportunities associated with selling rental properties. Review their marketing strategies and resources to ensure they have the capabilities to effectively promote your property to potential buyers Seek Recommendations and Reviews Ask for recommendations from fellow landlords or trusted professionals in the real estate industry. Personal referrals can provide valuable insights into the performance and reputation of different agencies. Additionally, research online reviews and testimonials from past clients to gauge the satisfaction level and experiences of others who have worked with the agency. Schedule Consultations Take the time to meet with representatives from potential real estate agencies for consultations. Use these meetings to discuss your goals, ask questions, and assess the agency's approach to selling properties. Pay attention to how responsive and attentive they are during the consultation process. Choose an agency that demonstrates a genuine interest in understanding your needs and objectives. Evaluate Communication and Transparency Clear and transparent communication is vital throughout the selling process. Evaluate how effectively the agency communicates with you and their willingness to keep you informed every step of the way. Ask about their communication channels, frequency of updates, and how they handle feedback and inquiries from potential buyers. If you choose to sell the investment property whilst still tenanted, it is important to remember there are strict rules that must be adhered to. It is important to be aware of the legislative requirements when selling a tenanted property. In our experience, it works best when - The renter is provided with plenty of notice, it helps them to get organized. The process is clearly explained to the renter right from the start and it is adhered to throughout the campaign The property manager has a good relationship with the renter and is the one who initially gives them the confirmation that the property is going to be sold. They can then reassure them if they have any concerns. The selling agent takes the time to introduce themselves and sits down with the renter to create a plan to minimise the disruption to their lives as much as possible Potential buyers are made aware of the conditions of the current lease agreement eg the notice periods required if they wish to move into it themselves Both the selling agent and the property manager are “on the same page” and understand what all parties are trying to achieve. This will give both the owner of the property and the renter confidence in the process. If you're ready to discover the secrets to being ready to sell your home, download our free insider secrets to being ready to sell checklist. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Choosing the right real estate agency to sell your property is a significant decision that can impact the success of your sale. While sticking with the company already managing your property may seem like the easiest option, it's essential to carefully evaluate all your choices. Consider factors such as experience, expertise, potential conflicts of interest, recommendations, and communication when making your decision. By selecting a reputable and reliable agency, you can confidently navigate the selling process and achieve your desired outcomes as a landlord. If you are thinking of selling your investment property, contact us today. We can provide insights tailored to your specific market, and run you through how the process would look for your investment, including any potential obstacles that need to be navigated. With the right approach and timing, you can capitalise on the advantages of selling your investment property in the current real estate market. If you feel you could benefit from our experience with buying and selling, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, or you know of anyone who may benefit from our real estate services, we’d love to chat. Our number is 0426 264 771. We look forward to talking to you soon. ...
Feb 23, 2024
Local story: Mass For You At Home TV series
Did you know Australia's longest running commercial television show Mass For You At Home is filmed right here in Fairy Meadow? The television show, which started in 1971, was moved from Melbourne to Wollongong when the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong won the tender in 2021. The 54-year-old show is filmed at the St John Vianney Co-Cathedral in Fairy Meadow four times a year over the span of a week. However, this year the show nearly didn’t go ahead. Executive producer/director Daniel Hopper shares why... Why did Mass For You At Home start? It was done out of Melbourne for 30 years prior to us. My understanding is they would film it at the Docklands Channel 10 Studio. They would film the entire year in January because, with the cadets and all the trainees, Channel 10 would use that as their training base for all their crew. They would shoot it all in three and a half weeks for the entire year. The whole purpose of it is for those that can't get to Mass - and this is way before the internet. The main audience has always been those in prison, in nursing homes and in aged care facilities - those that can't be in their parishes and can't get to church. It wasn't to replace the Mass... it was for those that couldn't be there, giving them some spiritual solace. It’s been going for 54 years now. How did the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong come to produce it? In about 2020, the crew responsible for the production handed it over to the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference, which is the ACBC - the peak body for all dioceses. That's when COVID hit. We started doing our Bishops Masses online. So when COVID hit, we couldn't go to church - we weren't allowed to during the lockdowns - so we started filming our Bishops Masses online and putting them up. We were one of the few that did pre-records instead of livestreaming it. We could do a three-camera shoot, and we could do it properly at the co-cathedral in Fairy Meadow, which is a nice church. We would do that each week. We would usually just shoot two a fortnight. Then when Melbourne said they couldn't do Mass For You At Home anymore, and they were only going to do it up until the beginning of Easter 2021. They'd seen what we'd done with the Bishops Masses and they said, "Would you consider taking this on or tendering for it?” I said, "Well, personally, it would be awesome. I can get the gang back and we get to do this, but it's a lot of work to do on top of your already full-time job”. I hadn't done broadcast TV before. It was another situation with God, saying, ‘Well, if you open this door, I'll walk through it and we'll see where it leads’. We won the tender and then we started. Our first one was on Easter Sunday 2021. How regularly do you film the episodes? We used to shoot five times a year, whereas now we do it four times a year. It takes a week for each of those. The whole thing was that if it truly is a national ministry entity, it shows around the entire country – in every regional station in Australia and every capital city. So I wanted to make sure that it's representative of that (by having priests flown from around the country). Is there a reason for the St John Vianney Co-Cathedral in Fairy Meadow? There’s a couple of things with that church – it’s aesthetically pleasing, which is why I chose that church. There's a tabernacle in the centre - so there's always a centre point of Jesus in the tabernacle. So every angle you're shooting from, you've always got that as a reference point in the background. So when you're shooting between three different cameras and you're editing, there's always a crossover and you're always in that same space. And then theologically, having Christ in the centre is always good. We bring our own lights in, but it has a lot of ambient light... so we can actually use the natural light. The carpet on the floor is better for sound. And the light-coloured background - a lot of churches there are a lot of dark woods and I didn't want that to be the face of what the church is. We want it to be welcoming. It doesn't feel closed in. It feels nice. It's welcoming. And it's reflective of what we're trying to do and what the mass is supposed to be. So the choice of that church is quite intentional. I's part of the Cathedral Parish. You’ve got this, for instance, we have the Xavier Cathedral here (St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Wollongong), and that's a co-cathedral. That's very rare. There are not many co-cathedrals in Australia. Fairy Meadow is bigger. For larger events, they couldn't fit everyone in there (Xaviers), so they use that one. But it means also that it's not used all the time. If you want to book it out for a week, it's easier to do with minimal disruption to them. There's many of those days where we can do a Hollywood wrap, which means just leaving it as is, walk out, walk back in the next morning. Do you receive much feedback from viewers? Our whole funding model is on fundraising. It's not cheap to do this. We do the production on the smell of an oily rag. We rely on people... donating to us. We get a lot of feedback from letters, phone calls, comments on our socials and on YouTube. The bishop then gets a lot of letters, and he gets a lot of letters from prisoners. I get emails all the time from children saying their parents had just passed away, but they'd watched the show every single day. It was their comfort, their solace, and their last thing to do before they died. For the first years - 2021 and ‘22 - we went over our fundraising target. It was like, this is brilliant. I thought, how good are we? Then last year, with the interest rate, with the cost of living... we were behind by about $100,000 at the end of last year. Then come early December, we got a letter out of the blue - someone giving us $96,000 in their will. That meant we could do it again. The Catholic Diocese of Wollongong will now continue until its contract runs out at the end of the year, with no plans yet set for the show’s future. Mass For You At Home airs on Sunday at 6am on Channel 10 and Foxtel, and and is repeated five times daily and repeated episodes on Ten Play. To learn more about buying, selling or leasing a property in Fairy Meadow and surrounds, contact Joanne on (02) 4285 7400. Do you want to know what your property is worth in the current market? Search your address for a Online Property Report....
Feb 15, 2024
Maximizing rental income: Is your Property Manager working for you?
In the ever-evolving landscape of real estate, the maximization of rental income stands as the cornerstone of success for property investors. As landlords, the question that often lingers is whether our property managers that have been engaged are skilled at navigating the complexities of the rental market to secure the best possible rent for investments. The competitive nature of the real estate market necessitates a proactive approach to rental management and rent increases. Beyond simply finding tenants, property managers play a pivotal role in orchestrating a delicate balance—assessing market dynamics, negotiation strategies, and tenant relations to ensure property investors reap the maximum benefits from their property portfolio. In this video, Joanne Danckwardt of One Agency JD Property Agents delves into the crucial considerations that investment property owners must weigh to assess the effectiveness of their property managers in optimizing rental returns. [siteloft_youtube video_id="UptiQO_GowM" autoplay="1" suggestions="1"] If you're ready to discover how you can rent out your property with confidence, download our free Step By Step Checklist to Renting Your Property with Confidence. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST Rental Market Analysis It is important to stay informed of the local rental market. A Property Manager conduct regular market analyses to understand current rental trends, vacancy rates, and comparable property rents in the area. Regular Rent Reviews A Property Manager should have a proven system and procedure they follow to ensure they actively engage in regular rent reviews for all their managed properties. This in turn, should lead to a discussion of the benefits of adjusting the rent to reflect current market changes and ensuring that the property investor receives the optimal rental income. For example, a rent review might be completed with every routine inspection, and a rent review should be completed at every lease renewal. Negotiation Skills One of the most critical aspects of securing the best rent for your property lies in the negotiation skills of your Property Manager. Negotiation is an art that goes beyond settling on a rental price; it involves a strategic and nuanced approach that can significantly impact your property's overall profitability. A property manager with excellent negotiation skills understands the dynamic nature of the rental market. They keep abreast of current trends, fluctuations, and demand patterns, allowing them to position your property competitively. By leveraging this knowledge, they can skilfully negotiate rental rates that align with the market's highs and lows, ensuring optimal returns. Effective negotiation is not just about finding a middle ground; it's about advocating for the best interests of the property owner. A skilled property manager will confidently represent your goals, whether it's securing higher rent, favourable lease terms, or other conditions that enhance the value of your investment. Negotiation isn't solely about financial transactions; it's also about fostering positive relationships between landlords and tenants. A property manager with strong negotiation skills can strike a balance that satisfies both parties, reducing the likelihood of disputes during the lease period. This positive dynamic can lead to longer tenancies and a stable income stream. Every rental situation is unique, and negotiations must be tailored accordingly. Whether it's addressing specific tenant needs, navigating complex lease terms, or managing unexpected challenges, a skilled negotiator can adapt to various scenarios. This adaptability ensures that your property manager can navigate complex situations with finesse, ultimately benefiting your bottom line. Effective Marketing Strategies When an investment property is vacant, having a robust marketing strategy to attract a good tenant for your rental property will ensure plenty of exposure to attract the right and competition. Using various channels such as online platforms, social media, and traditional advertising to showcase your property effectively will ensure the maximum rental price is achieved for your investment property in the shortest possible time when your property becomes vacant. If you're ready to discover how you can rent out your property with confidence, download our free Step By Step Checklist to Renting Your Property with Confidence. YES, DOWNLOAD MY CHECKLIST As property investors, the key lies in partnering with Property Managers who go beyond the conventional, actively engaging in regular rent reviews, maintaining properties to the highest standards, and ensuring that every negotiation reflects your best interests. By doing so, you not only secure optimal rental income but also foster positive, lasting relationships with tenants. So, as you assess your property manager's performance, consider the comprehensive picture we've painted. Is your property manager getting the best rent for you and your property? The answer lies not just in finding tenants but in fostering a strategic and dynamic approach to rental management that ensures sustained success in the ever-evolving real estate landscape. If you’re not a One Agency JD Property Agents client, but would like more information on our property management service – contact us on 4285 7400 or jdpropertypm@oneagency.com.au. We are always happy to answer questions and offer advice, or offer a free rental property appraisal. We hope these tips have been helpful. If you feel you could benefit from our experience with property management, we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out. We hope that has helped you today. If you have any questions, we’d love to talk to you. Our number is 0426 264 771 or 0455 147 755. We look forward to talking to you soon....