GOOD DEMAND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3283, 2 July 1943, Page 5

GOOD DEMAND

FARMS IN THAMES VALLEY

PAEROA AGENTS BUSY HOUSE SHORTAGE IN PAEROA A number of farms in the Thames Valley have been changing hands of recent weeks and in Paeroa the demand for houses far exceeds the supply. A Paeroa solicitor stated that he had been inundated lately with farm transfers and he had been obliged to draw up a .schedule of appointments. Apart from the normal changing over of farms which takes place at this time of the year with, the season. Paeroa agent.- stated tnat one factor m the brisk' demand was that lathers were looking ahead and preparing for the return of their sons from the war. Some farms are buying extra land or planning to divide their own farms among their sons and buv a new holding for themselves. The demand is mostly for farms up to 100 acres. Although there had been inquiries from men returned from the present war. in very few cases, if any, had farms been sold to these men, it was stated. Plenty of Money ‘‘There is plenty of money about at the present time,” commented one agent. “Nevertheless buyers are shrewd and want value for their money. They are more careful than they were in the last boom period.” Prices, however, were stated to be good. One reason why some farmers were selling up at the present time was that they considered, with the present prices and with new measures being introduced in Parliament, that this was a good time to sell if they intended to retire. While the difficulty in obtaining labour was also thought to be a factor, one agent said he did not consider this a major reason. Farmers were mostly looking ahead and planning for the future. Sale of Houses A demand for houses in Paeroa compared with the supply was also reported by land agents. “Some farmers are retiring into town and want houses,” said one. “With so little building having gone on it is hard to cope with the demand. It-may be that inquiries seem even more numerous because of the short supply, but in any case a number of houses have been sold lately."

Buyers seemed to prefer a house with a garage, even if they had no car, possibly because they had the feeling that it could always be rented out or used as a shed, and was there if ever they did decide to buy a car when conditions improved. “Although some houses are being sold we lose sales because of the Fair Rents Act,” said an agent. “Sometimes a prospective buyer says he will purchase the houses provided we can get the tenants out and that often means we are faced with a deadlock. The tenants say they will stay where they are unt.’ 1 we find them somewhere else. In one case a tenant even refused to let a prospective purchaser look over the house.” In some cases people who decided to sell their houses changed their minds when they looked around and found that no other suitable house where they could transfer was offering at a price to pievent the change from being a loss.