This no gimmick! You can indeed buy your house for
half the amount that you are expected to pay if you do not do anything. Say for
example, you get a loan for R500 000 today, you have to repay it at R4 340 a
month over 20 years. You will end up paying R1 041 390.
My book shows you how you can pay half this without
stretching yourself. For example by adding just R100 a month you save R36 000.
If you roundup your bond payment to R5 000 a month, you cut your repayment period
by five-and-a-half years.
Phindile Kunene, editor of the COSATU magazine, Shop
Steward, said in her review of my book: How
to buy a house for half the price. Said: “How to buy a house for half the price
is a must read for all South Africans, especially those who fall outside the
State low cost housing subsidy net. It is an important and timely book given
the demand for housing amongst young black South Africans who either resort to
buying homes through finance capital or to renting town house complexes in the
country’s suburbs,” Kunene said.
“It
is particularly relevant when considering how banks muzzle and rob thousands of
South Africans of their right to decent housing by evicting defaulters and
repossessing hundreds of homes yearly.
“This
book is an empowering tool for those currently facing the might of finance
capital. It can teach you how to play
the game to your benefit; how to beat the banks at their own game and how to
maximise the gains out of a situation that is not designed to favour you. This
alone, makes the book a good read.”
The
book, which is written in simple language for anyone who can read English to
understand looks at the housing situation in South Africa and the fact that the
government, despite its good intentions, can never meet the housing demand.
The
waiting list is growing longer and there are now approximately 8 million people living in informal
settlements.
It
also looks at:
- Whether to rent or to buy and the advantages of buying over renting
- How much bond one qualifies for, that is the maximum amount a bank can give you based on your income and how you can calculate this for yourself
- How to get out of debt and what the debt situation is like in South Africa (South Africans owe more money than Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan set aside to run the country this year)
- How to save for your first house, the important point being that saving has nothing to do with how much you earn but how you use what you earn
- Buying your first house, what is required, payments you have to make besides the deposit for the house such as transfer fees and bond registration
- Buying a flat which you have to do on what is called sectional title and what this entails
- Buying land to build your own house, the advantages and disadvantages one of which is that normally it is more expensive to build your own house than to buy an existing one
- How to save thousands on your bond by making simple incremental payments on your bond. An extra R100 a month on a R300 000 bond for example will cut your 20-year bond by 21 months- yes, one year and nine months.
- Saving millions- how lump sum payments will cut your repayment period even further. If you decide to pay your annual bonus of R9 000 on a R300 000 bond and continue to make your usual monthly payments, you will pay off your house in 11 and a half years instead of 20.
- Kunene was not alone in her praise of the book. Justice Nicholas Ndou, a former Senior Legal Advisor to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and former Secretary of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, had this to say:
“This
concise and simple yet comprehensive guide to owning a house or shelter is a
fundamental tool in the search for and the acquisition of an affordable decent
home. It is trite that although the concept of privately owning a house is
today regarded as fundamental, its universal acceptance is of recent origin. It
was not until the 15th century that there was movement from community ownership
to private or individual ownership of property like houses.
“Over
the years the demand for houses has increased as the population increased. The
number of people who could afford houses diminished. Speculative and other
negative forces entered the fray. This resulted in a need for interventions.
Charles Rukuni took up the challenge in this guide.
“As
a seasoned journalist, his writing on affordable housing brings a combination
of talents of journalism, social theory and practical-mindedness. He vigorously
informs potential home buyers and seekers and other stakeholders that housing
is recognised in international
law
as a fundamental economic and social right.
“He
avoids substituting illusion for reality. I am convinced that this work will be
of considerable assistance to housing practitioners, students, financers of
housing projects and government officials whose duty it is to deliver
affordable and decent housing.”
Renowned
political activist and author of Through
the Darkness- a Life in Zimbabwe, Judith Todd, added her voice:
“This
brilliant little book should help vastly improve your life. It's value has been
demonstrated by the author himself who, starting from 1983 with very
little, now owns four houses. It is a joy to read as the fundamental
information and financial advice provided is spiced with wit and compassion.
Rukuni really wants us all to have a secure home, the essential foundation from
which to seek the abundance life should promise.”
This is what some of the readers who bought the book
had to say:
“Dear Charles, I collected my book on the 26th Jan
already. I came home that day and started reading, I couldn’t put the book
down. So I finished reading that same night. I really enjoyed the book, and
received valuable information. I just wish me and my husband bought our house
much sooner than we did.”- Cynthia Jasmith-Ikaneng -Johannesburg
“Hi
Charles, I got the book and thank
you very much. I just finished reading it now (every chance I got at work I
read), I’m in my early 30’s and intend to get married very soon so buying a
house is one of the things that are on my mind. I must say I like the way you
compiled it as it makes it very easy to understand and there were lots of
things I was not aware of but now I know (thanks to you). You should see the
highlighter markings I made. I will most definitely tell everyone I know about
it and that they should get a copy, it’s a great guideline and I am going to
apply it and I can’t wait for my girlfriend to read it when I get home.”- Lungisa Gqirana- Kimberley.
There you have it.
The book is also available as an ebook from Amazon, which means
you can download it in less than a minute once you have paid.
For companies, I believe this is an ideal present
for your workers. I have a few printed copies of the first edition which I am
selling in bulk in batches of 50 and above. I only have 2000 copies. I am also
prepared to brand the book for you- that is, publish it in your colours.
No comments:
Post a Comment