Can a local authority refuse to open a new owner’s account when the previous owner still owes the local authority an outstanding amount? This question was dealt with by the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, in July 2022, when a newly registered owner took the previous owner – as well as the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality as second Respondent – to court.  

You’ve finally found your perfect home, made an offer and applied for finance to assist with your purchase. But when you receive the mortgage letter from the bank, you’re left trying to understand unfamiliar terms and concepts including prime interest rates, repo rates, and fixed or variable interest. Here’s what you need to know to make sense of it all.

Buying a home is an overwhelming enough task without being hit by unforeseen costs. The best way of avoiding unpleasant and costly surprises is by carefully looking at your affordability and making use of convenient tools such as transfer cost calculators and bond calculators to simplify the process.

Buying a new property is simultaneously an exciting and stressful experience. One of the important processes that can be quite overwhelming for buyers is the bond application process which is a key element of most property purchases which is why you should get your ducks in a row to have the best chance of success.

The sale of a property can often bring with it unforeseen expenses, but this needn’t be the case. To take the mystery out of bond settlement costs, we have put together this brief overview so that sellers can plan appropriately and avoid being caught off guard.