Australian Real Estate Blog

Luxury River-Front Property For Sale - Flooded Only Once (Or Twice)

Peter Mericka — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:54:00 GMT

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au What do you do when a property you have contracted to sell is damaged (by flood, fire or whatever) before settlement? What do you do if you are the buyer of that...(read more)

Three Tales of Deceitful Real Estate Agents Successfully Sued

Peter Mericka — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:56:00 GMT

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au Real estate agents are rarely prosecuted or sued. Sure, we regularly hear about misbehaviour in the real estate industry and occasionally a real estate agent appears...(read more)

Consumer Affairs Victoria - Lame Response to Corruption Allegation

Peter Mericka — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 06:32:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd In my last blog posting I wrote about Consumer Affairs Victoria's failure to address bribe induced corruption in the...(read more)

Why Corruption Flourishes Under Consumer Affairs Victoria

Peter Mericka — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:41:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has a sorry history when it comes to regulating Victorian real estate agents and, in...(read more)

Real Estate Regulators - No Fault With Real Estate Agent's Caveat Clause

Peter Mericka — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:21:00 GMT

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au Not only had the buyers purported to “charge” the property with the seller’s agent’s commission liability while consequently consenting to the agent’s lodgement...(read more)

Let Me Invite You To Google+

Peter Mericka — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:54:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Readers may or may not be aware that Google has announced a new social networking facility that will compete wit Facebook,...(read more)

Conveyancing Consumer Alert - Beware of the Sneaky Stamp!

Peter Mericka — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:04:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Real estate agents have no automatic right to lodge a caveat over a client's property to secure the payment of commission....(read more)

Lawyers Selling Real Estate - It's Time!

Peter Mericka — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:51:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Consumer Advocate Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd I would like to hear from lawyers who would be interested in selling real estate in competition...(read more)

Commission Rage - Real Estate Rabies

Peter Mericka — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:14:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Consumer Advocate Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Rabies is a terrible affliction. It can can quickly turn a friendly family pet into a belligerent...(read more)

Silence Is Not Golden In Real Estate Negotiations

Peter Mericka — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:53:00 GMT

OPINION by George Rousos Director Industry Training Consultants george@itc.nsw.edu.au François-Marie Arouet, better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French writer and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including...(read more)

Conveyancing Consumer Alert: Art Deco Disappointment

Peter Mericka — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:49:00 GMT

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au This story does not end, as many do, in a court case. But it begins, as many do, with a property advertised for sale: "Charmingly preserved Art Deco features abound...(read more)

Peter Mericka Explains - My Problem With Real Estate Agents

Peter Mericka — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:49:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd This is my first attempt at video blogging. Please provide me with your feedback, and any tips you have to offer on improvements...(read more)

If Governments Trust Estate Agents, Why Shouldn't Consumers?

Peter Mericka — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:48:00 GMT

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au To my mind agents particularly should be prohibited from giving buyers so much as a bus timetable, and from recommending even the local Chinese restaurant. Needless...(read more)

Enzo Raimondo & REIV - Misleading Advice On Property Valuations

Peter Mericka — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:18:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Enzo Raimondo is the CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), but he is not a lawyer. In fact, Mr. Raimondo...(read more)

Estate Agents Covering Up Failed Campaigns

Peter Mericka — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:50:00 GMT

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd It you can't make it, then fake it. In the real estate game this translates as a withholding of information so that the...(read more)