It is easy to get drawn into a single minded focus on investment value, when working in a real estate-related industry, which is why our partnership with Habitat For Humanity often gives me pause for thought.
This inspirational organisation is a worldwide movement that believes everyone should have a safe and decent place to live, so it pulls together volunteers, corporate supporters and communities in need and builds homes so families get the opportunity to be healthier, happier and more secure.
The intriguing thing for me is this doesn’t contradict my position on the importance of real estate in an investment portfolio; if anything it underlines the fundamental value of bricks and mortar because it gives communities a foundation for thriving.

Why The Eckermann Group supports Habitat For Humanity in South Australia

Earlier this month, Habitat for Humanity with the assistance of generous sponsors and volunteers, helped a low-income family achieve the dream of building and owning their very own safe and secure home here in Adelaide.
The Eckermann Group was very honored and privileged to be invited to the dedication ceremony hosted by Habitat Executive Director Ben Sarre on Thursday 19 May 2016, in northern Adelaide.

We were part of a gathering of people who welcomed new owners, Karen and Kosta, into their new, custom-built home and wished them every success and happiness.

It struck me that whether it is Karen and Kosta or a family from a more established background, there is always excitement and anticipation surrounding the handing over a new home because lives and memories are about to become enmeshed with a special ‘place’.

Someone has to have the steady hand; that’s what your conveyancer is for

The further I have reflected on the Habitat For Humanity event, the more I have realised that as conveyancers in Adelaide and South Australia, many clients don’t just look to us for professional help, they look to us for the assurance they are making the transition to property owners the right way.
For a family like Karen and Kosta, connecting with Habitat For Humanity has been a life-changing break; helping guide them through the tangled web of legal and financial complexities surrounding the purchase of real estate.

For other first home buyers, they need to rely on a good conveyancing team to provide a steadying hand to guide them to calm waters on the other side of settlement.

Our ability to provide reassuring guidance through settlement is due to the large number of ‘files’ we’ve processed but I’d hazard a guess that Habitat For Humanity has a degree of confidence too, having built almost 800,000 houses around the world that are now sheltering more than four million people.
Every four minutes a family has a better home and a better life thanks to Habitat for Humanity.
And in our way, every day we help South Australian families transition to home ownership with confidence too.