John Loos Quotations

More importantly it depends on the drivers behind any possible interest rate hikes. Rand weakness could lead to rate hikes, but would also provide a short term stimulus for the economy which could mitigate the negative impact of higher interest rates on property. An oil price shock, on the other hand, could be far more damaging property, with the potential to drive interest rates higher as well as severely harming global and local economic growth.

It is essential for Durban to expand its industrial capacity.

We are only two-thirds of the way through the long-term residential boom.

Commercial property, on the other hand, has the more positive outlook.

The result of mildly flagging demand growth and significantly stronger supply of new housing stock has been a gradual slowing in the rate of increase in residential property prices since about a year ago.

The slowing growth is reflective of a slowdown in the pace of growth both in house-price inflation, as well as more recently, a decline in the inflation rate in the total value of buildings completed.

This could potentially leapfrog the city past the others in terms of life quality and establish it as a world-class city.

Already we have seen a decline in office and industrial property vacancies and strong economic growth is bound to eat further into the vacancies. This should drive strong new development going forward.

It's still a fairly good story; the long-term boom will continue for some time.

Economic factors in the other three metros will play into Port Elizabeth's hands in the coming years.

They are now catching up. There was no commercial activity, while the (former white) suburbs were becoming mixed use areas which is why they became popular.

I hadn't expected much to happen on this front. It is positive for the housing market and it will be mild stimulus for house price growth.

If you look at building plans passed, there is still positive growth for residential property development and a lot of this activity is the flats and townhouse market.

In the end I think what comes out will be fairly moderate. This government wants FDI. Land ownership is an attracting force for FDI and the government has proven itself in the past to be fairly sensitive to investors' needs and wants.

Household borrowing is a lot more sustainable than people think.

I don't think there is need for panic. If there are to be restrictions, it will be mildly negative for the property market. Foreigners are not big players in the domestic market.