I’ve just come back from a real estate conference in New York and this is the sale they are all talking about in Manhattan – an apartment at 15 Central Park West – which a Russian fertilizer billionaire named Dmitry Rybolovlev bought for $88mil for his 22year old daughter! They are saying he paid full price! It has shattered any previous New York record.

http://15centralparkw.com/

So amongst the doom and gloom we hear on the news all the time, there is a little bit of rosiness for you!

Locally, as the real estate market kicks into gear, we are all wondering what sort of year it is going to be.  Last year at this time, we had already had the Queensland floods and were about to experience the affects of the Christchurch earthquake quickly followed by the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.  Understandably, everyone was very jittery.

The first auctions for our area are scheduled for Saturday 11th February so all eyes will be on these properties and before those auctions the Reserve Bank will meet next Tuesday, 7th February with all indications there might be an interest rate reduction.

However it turns out, Beach & Bay is looking forward to another year of assisting past clients and new clients in the smooth, stress-free sale or purchase of their property.

As featured in Cronulla Buzz, Surf Scientist Dr Rob Brander took to the shores of North Cronulla beach recently to discuss the danger of rips. After releasing purple dye into the Alley (an infamous rip) demonstrating how surf conditions work, it became clear just how dangerous the surf we love so much can be. The dye was carried around 50 – 70 metres out in the current then came back into the shore, like most rips do, showing the importance of the ‘stay afloat’ technique and most of all, don’t panic.

As well as running the educational program Science of the Surf (SOS), Dr Brander is a senior lecturer at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UNSW. The program is designed to reduce the number of drownings and injuries on beaches.

Dr Rip’s presentation attracted around 80 people watching from North Cronulla Surf Club’s deck. He was encouraged by the public and is hoping to attract a bigger audience when next summer rolls around – we will keep you posted with details!

It’s on! Wake up bright and early Sunday morning on 18th March and head down to Cronulla Beach for the 1km swim at 9:30am or, for those with a little more endurance (or those participating in both events), the 2.3km Cronulla Shark Island swim kicks off at 10:30am for all divisions. Looking forward to watching a picture perfect finish on the beach as the athletes run through the flags about 10 metres up from the waters edge.

How do you know who wins?
Both swims will be timed by using an electronic tag system attached to a Velostretch ankle band and detection mats at the finish line. There are a few requirements that must be followed when using the timing band,  including attaching it around your left ankle and leaving it on for the entire duration of the swim course.

Fashion guidelines
Only conventional swimming costumes made from lycra and/or polyester are to be worn, with no neoprene or any other ‘high tech’ material with any flotation support.

• Males: Briefs only with no arms, legs or any part of the costume covering their body above the waist
• Females: Either one or two piece costumes with no arms or legs

Is it safe?
As safe as can be! There will be inflatable rescue boats, jet skis and board paddlers patrolling the course. As always each swimmer is responsible for their own physical condition and enters the event at their own risk. However they’re will be eyes watching you; any swimmer deemed incapable of completing this course may be brought to the shore at any time at the discretion of the Water Safety Manager.

Time to enter!
Postal entries must be received by Thursday 15th March or else late entry will cost you an extra $5 to $10 more.

• 2.3km Shark Island Swim: $45
• 1km Beach Swim: $35
• Both events: $60

Today is my last day at Beach & Bay Realty. I wanted to take a few moments to say a heartfelt goodbye. I got so lucky 4 years ago when Beach & Bay took me in as an 18 year old, fresh out of highschool. I’ve LOVED working here and have nothing but praise for Kylie, Natalie, Henk, Nadine, Misa and Kirstie (my second family). I have learned so much working in real estate with a company made up of people who enjoy their jobs, work really hard and encourage you to dream big.

Working with a boss like Kylie Emans has been inspiring. Firstly, because she’s a successful business woman. And secondly, because she’s someone who strikes the perfect balance between dedication to her career and enjoying the rest of life. Her love of travel has had a huge influence on my vacations and I’m sure most 22 year olds can’t say they’ve been to 4 continents and 12 countries during their work holidays.

Not only this, Beach & Bay has taught me that regardless of how big your company is, you can make a difference. Since I’ve worked here we have raised almost $40,000 for various projects – including building a classroom in Ghana, Worlds Greatest Shave, raising money for Tenelie Pawley, Swags for Homeless and kicking booze for Dry July.  Everyone can make an impact on the world around them. There’s no excuse!

Bye Bye!

"Sure Rachael, you can be a bald receptionist"

A classroom built in 2008

Kylie Emans - Boss, Mentor, Friend!

The ever smiling Merv (middle), may he rest in peace.

I’ve also grown to appreciate the idea of quality vs quantity. Being a small independent agency we may not be the biggest or have the most listings, but we work really hard on the ones we have.  I am so grateful to get the opportunity to work on marketing the Sammut Developments Drift Apartments. Standing in the penthouse apartment and admiring the incredible architecture and view of the ocean will be a highlight!

The agents at Beach & Bay work together and so I’ve discovered the joys of teamwork. It’s not a cut-throat competitive environment, rather coming to work is one place I know no matter what, I will be supported. How lucky am I to have that so early in my life! It’s certainly set the bar high for any future work situations.

I have enjoyed working with families from the Sutherland Shire and being a part of their buying and selling experience. I have met some amazing locals who have had an impact on my life. A shout-out must go to Merv who visited the office on a weekly basis. We sadly lost Merv last year and I still double-take whenever a grey haired man walks by.

Finally, working on the I Love Cronulla project with the team has also been a wonderful experience, as I’ve gotten to know my community both online and offline. It’s also taught me – when it comes to business (and life) to do things differently, and to take the entire focus off the dollar. Sure, I Love Cronulla doesn’t make us any money as a real estate company, but it keeps us connected with the area and we get to know the locals. No complaints here! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has gotten involved, who comments, who provides feedback and suggestions, you’ve been terrific! I am moving to The Inner West so from now I’ll be checking the site as a visitor for tips!

So goodbye team, goodbye blog, and goodbye Cronulla. It’s been great!

The one kind of donation that only costs you your time: Blood donation.

Almost three years ago I turned 16 and, with the help of my school taking part in the Vampire Shield (and later winning the trophy for that year), I decided to donate blood. Fortunately I was lucky enough not to inherit my father’s ‘faint at the sight of blood’ trait so blood tests and needles didn’t phase me all that much, plus my mother has been a regular blood donor for as long as I can remember so I thought I’d give it a go. I was over 16 but younger than 70, had not had a tattoo recently, was not pregnant or had not just given birth, did not have a serious heart condition, was not low in iron and had not lived in the UK for a total of 6 months or more between 1980 and 1996, which made me one of the special ones who were eligible to donate blood, hooray! Of course you also have to be feeling healthy and a few other things, have a read of the FAQ’s.

Needless to say, the donation went smoothly! I’ll admit I was a little scared at first, then soon after discovered there was no need to be!  A short 15 minute drive home from The Shire Donor Centre at Miranda and I could relax on the lounge after all my hard work! I took home a bandaged arm to prove how tough I was, as well as the fact that I’d just saved 3 lives, that felt pretty special.

470mLs is the standard donation for the average adult, which is less than 10% of your total body volume and takes around 5 – 15 minutes depending on the person. This amount can be given safely every 12 weeks. Look after yourself afterward – drink plenty of water, fruit juice etc and avoid alcohol for 8 hours and any strenuous activity or heavy lifting for 24 hours. The human body is truly incredible, within 24-48 hours your blood supply will be fully restored!

Did you know:

• 1 in 3 people will need blood at some point during their lifetime
• 1 in 30 currently give blood

You don’t have to be all that great at maths to work out that those figures just don’t match up, especially with over 27,000 blood donations each week needed across Australia to meet demand.

Sharing the most popular blood type in Australia, O positive, with 40% of the population, it is always in high demand which once again makes me feel pretty special. But in saying that, so are all the others of course!

Initially I thought blood donations were used mainly for those involved in traumatic road accidents, however this only accounts for 2% of all blood donations, whereas cancer and blood diseases by far make up the larger portion of where blood donations assist others (see graph below).

When you give blood, you give life. Interested in making a donation? Call 13 14 95 or visit the Australian Red Cross Blood Service website.

Fozzie Bear exasperatedly asks during one of the funniest moments in The Muppets, “What’s more illegal, Kermit: kidnapping Jack Black, or destroying the Muppet name for good?” A horrified Kermit replies: “Kidnapping Jack Black, Fozzie!” I’m so glad that the team behind this wonderful film, including screenwriting duo Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman and director James Bobin thought differently, resurrecting Jim Henson’s once-beloved but now culturally-extinct Muppets characters for another adventure. In the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island, the gang is brought back together when the Muppet name is threatened and they are pitted against a ruthless oil tycoon.

The Muppets is a film about two brothers who grew up watching The Muppet Show in their youth. Now as adults, Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (Peter Linz) continue to live together as Muppet fans in Smalltown, USA. Gary plans a vacation to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to celebrate their tenth anniversary, inviting Walter along so he can see the Muppet Theatre. Walter, made of felt like his idol Kermit the Frog, is ecstatic, however Mary is not – concerned that her future husband hasn’t grown out of his own “Muppet-hood”.

Throughout The Muppets I had a big grin permanently etched across my face. It’s a lot of fun. Full of insanely catchy song and dance numbers with great lyrics and amusing choreography, this zany modern tale remains grounded in the roots of the beloved television show, and has many self-aware winks to generic clichés. There are some great cameos; Jack Black, Animal’s anger-management sponsor, is kidnapped to appear on the show as a guest, while Chris Cooper has a blast instructing his associates to laugh ‘maniacally’ and even raps on one occasion.

Though flawed in it’s narrative and a little too cheeky with its nudges to capitalism and 21^st Century culture, you would have to be pretty hard to please to not find some level of enjoyment here. What makes this experience even stronger is the Pixar short, titled Small Fry, which precedes the film. It features some of the cast of the Toy Story films. Don’t be late.

The Muppets is currently in cinemas, having opened on January 12. I rate the film 4 Stars.

CRONULLA CINEMAS:
Tue 17th Jan: 9:30am, 12pm, 2:30pm, 7:15pm
Wed 18th Jan: 9:25am, 12pm, 2:30pm, 7:15pm
Thu 19th Jan & onwards: 9:50am, 12:10pm, 4:30pm

Just when you think you’ve recovered from celebrating the New Year (along with all the eating and drinking the holiday season brings), Australia Day rolls around! To mark the momentous 26th of January, the Sutherland Shire Council have organised a wide range of events taking place in Cronulla…. Keep reading!

Head down to Wanda Beach: Kick off your morning with the annual Jock Athletic Australia Day running festival down starting at 7am sharp. Followed by the Jane McGrath Classic 2.5km fun run/walk then, for the real challenge, have a go at the 6km Wanda Xtreme 6 Fun Run at 7:05am for a soft sand race (if tackling sandhills is your thing!)

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE STAGE?
1.00pm – ABBASBACK
2:15pm – ANSTO Science Show
2:45pm – The Crowdies Show
4:00pm – ANSTO Science Show
4:30pm – Carrie Lakin & Band
5:45pm – Mark Vincent
6:15pm – Official Proceedings
6:45pm – Rhonda Burchmore
8:00pm – David De Vito
9:00pm – Fireworks Spectacular

HOW TO GET HERE?
Train: Expect a train every 15 minutes on the Cronulla line until midnight
Park & Ride Shuttle: Parking is available at the Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club with a FREE shuttle bus service running every 30 mins to Cronulla Beach:

• Shark Park to Cronulla Railway Station: 11am to 8pm
• Cronulla Railway Station to Shark Park: 11:30am to 8pm, then 9pm to 11pm

Thinking of sitting in the park? Bring with you a picnic blanket and low rise chairs only so everyone can enjoy the view! Remember to check the fire restrictions in the morning if you’re planning on bringing a BBQ.

Most of all, we hope you all have a wonderful Australia Day, hopefully this weather sticks around! Look out for each other and remember to slip-slop-slap!

For more events see Cronulla Buzz!

Register and head down to Cronulla Plaza on Sunday 12th February dressed as your favourite superhero to raise much needed funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation as well as participate in a record attempt to break the Guinness World Record for….

“The most number of people wearing superhero costumes in one location”

This record is currently held by the US – 1,580 participants dressed up to promote the movie ‘Megamind’, including the likes of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt and Tina Fey on October 2nd 2010 in Los Angeles. They’ve held the record for over a year and now Cronulla wants a share!

Cronulla’s Day of Heroes will be one of the biggest events hitting the shores of Cronulla in 2012! For more details visit the official Facebook page here!

TO REGISTER: $5 for 1 superhero or $15 for 4, so bring a crowd!
WHERE: Cronulla Plaza
DATE: Sunday 12th February 2012
TIME: 10am – 3pm

To qualify for a Guinness Book of Records attempt, there are of course rules that must be followed (and thankfully there’s only five!):

1. Each person must be dressed as a recognised superhero
2. A recognised superhero is one that has been used in a published book, comic, television programme or film
3. Each persons costume must be instantly recognisable as the superhero they are portraying
4. All participants must be in position simultaneously and remain so for a minimum of 10 minutes
5. All participants must wear the costume for the entirety of the attempt

Sounds easy? It is! What a great way to spend a Sunday – cover Cronulla in Superheroes and dress up for a cause!

Presenting a major exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia‘s collection, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre is currently the only venue in NSW displaying some of the finest portraits by leading Australian artists.

Australian Portraits 1880 – 1960 (3 Dec 2011 – 29 Jan 2012) explores the move into abstraction from the late colonial period as well as the international influences upon Australian portrait painting. The exhibition showcases well-known works of art as well as little-known works including two masterpieces which have not yet been shown in public before.

Leading Australian painters featured in this exhibition include:

• Tom Roberts
• E Phillips Fox
• Hugh Ramsay
• Violet Teague
• Russell Drysdale
• George W Lambert and many more…

Visit Hazelhurst for free guided tours of the exhibition – January 15th &  January 22nd at 2pm

About Hazelhurst
Admission: FREE
Opening hours: Gallery 10am – 5pm,  Cafe 9am – 4pm
Location: 782 Kingsway, Gymea
Contact: (02) 8536 5700
Email: hazelhurst@ssc.nsw.gov.au

There is no denying that we now live in a digital world.

I’m writing this on my Iphone while catching the train (I looked up the timetable on app Tripview). After finishing this blog I will browse online news and chat with my friend in Canada via skype (again, on my mobile). After the conversation (which costs me nothing), I may even update my Facebook status telling my wider network how much I miss this person! And this is all in the space of an hour!

As a Communications student, social media manager at Beach & Bay and…average Gen Y twenty-something, it still baffles me when I see some real estate agencies afraid to embrace online technology. The World Wide Web makes distance much smaller and client bases much larger. Having an online presence is completely changing the way we can now market and sell real estate, and if you ask us here at Beach & Bay, we think it’s wonderful! One example of a new form of technology is the individual property website. They make sense really; your home has a fixed physical address, so why shouldn’t it have an online one too? Now that almost everyone in the world is embracing Facebook (seriously, if Facebook was a country it would be the 3^rd largest) and creating an online version of themselves, why then, shouldn’t your most valuable asset have its own landing page?

Individual property websites are fantastic tools for buyers and sellers alike. The links can be easily shared among friends and family and a wealth of information is provided to help decision makers assess if the property is right for them. Sure, a website may never replace seeing a property in the flesh and getting a “feel” for it sensually, but it’s the second best step! Also, there are other ways to re-create that emotional experience for the buyer – through videos, interactive floor plans and of course, good old fashioned real estate copy.

We currently have two waterfront properties which both have individual property websites. The listing prices are quite different and so the budget for marketing determined what kind of website we chose.

www.lillipilliwaterfront.com.au showcases a breathtaking waterfront in Randell Avenue Lilli Pilli and so is more exclusive. With a username and password (U: view, P: waterfront), clients can enter the details and explore the architecturally designed property from the comfort of their own homes. The interactive floorplan allows people to navigate around the rooms, clicking on the arrows and seeing the room as if they were standing at that spot. The video combines gorgeous location shots with music and takes buyers on a journey around the house. We dare you to watch it and claim you wouldn’t want to live there!

www.southcoastwaterfront.com.au showcases 84 Loralyn Ave, St Georges Basin, which is a perfect holiday home or artists retreat for those within a smaller price range. This is a more basic website and includes the details, photos and a printable floorplan. Our agency is located over 2 hours away from this property but this is not a huge issue when you utilise the technology at hand! Sending this website to inter-state buyers who might want to buy an investment property is so easy!

If you have any questions about marketing your property, please feel free to contact us. Our individual property websites are created in-house by our very talented web designer Michael Cerny.

Also; our Managing Director Kylie Emans is currently in New York attending the Inman Real Estate Conference so I’m sure we will have hundreds more marketing ideas very shortly!