The Rawson Property Group’s experience over the last two or three years has confirmed that owning a home improves an individual’s – and his family’s – sense of self-worth and reinforces the bread-winner’s determination to earn enough to keep up monthly bond repayments. It is, therefore, a big step forward in the on-going battle to achieve social stability, says Tony Clarke, Managing Director of the Rawson Property Group.
Discussing this matter with trainees recently, Clarke said, “I want you all to see yourselves as agents for good. The more South Africans become home owners, the greater the country’s chance will be of achieving peace and individual wealth accumulation.”
One of the most encouraging aspects of the group’s growth over the past three years (an average rate of 35% per annum) has, says Clarke, been the way in which home buyers in lower priced areas – such as Kuils River, Mitchells Plain, Grassy Park and Macassar at the Cape, Chatsworth and Cato Manor in Durban, Bez Valley and Buccleuch in Johannesburg, as well as much of Pretoria East, have emerged and committed themselves to home buying.
“It is, of course, a cliché but what we are seeing — first hand — is the emergence of a new middle class, one with values which place much importance on their children’s education and in keeping up appearances.”
The net effect of this upsurge in demand at the lower house price levels, said Clarke, is that Rawson franchisees serving these less affluent areas have been busy and both stock shortages and price increases have become evident for the first time in many years here.
