Affordability and the Cost of Living in South East Queensland, Australia

by Tracie Hocart, Residential Property Solutions

Affordability, Cost of Living, GFC, Resources Boom, skills shortages, budgets, cheap holidays, strong Aussie Dollar, infrastructure spending, under supply of housing – these are just some of the phrases appearing frequently in the media today. And, I’m sure it’s not just isolated to Australia. In fact, throughout the world, countries are going through a time where cost of living, affordability and the health of world economies are big news. This is no surprise given that we are all continuing to ride out the last waves of the Global Financial Crisis – some doing better than others.
Since the GFC, consumers in Australia have changed their habits. They have had to. Banks have tightened their lending policies for individuals, and more so, for businesses. Individuals and families have started to save. Prior to that consumer spending was at significantly high levels. Everyone wanted luxury and spent to get it.

Retailers here have really felt the pinch, with less consumers opening their wallets. Competition in this sector is fierce. Not only are retailers forced to sell products at increasing discounts they are also experiencing the trend of many consumers shopping on line to purchase these goods. This is fantastic news for consumers. In fact, this has meant many consumers are not prepared to pay full price for anything. We are now armed with the knowledge on how to get a bargain and where to go to get that bargain.

In Australia, we are also experiencing a resources boom, the envy of many countries in the world. We are seeing the Chinese showing a lot of interest in investing here, and of course, in our resources. This is part of the reason that our economy has been so robust in the face of the GFC. Unlike many of the world’s economies, we were fortunate to ride out the GFC without slipping into a recession. Another reason behind this has been the government’s stimulus package that included accelerated spending on large infrastructure projects, and also consumer spending incentives.

Our housing sector has taken a bit of battering during the last two years. Prior to this, residential property was climbing in value, and outpacing other investments...

Read more: http://www.expatfocus.com/australia-affordability-and-cost-of-living-south-east-queensland

The Expat Experience; When Friends Leave…

by Dhyan Summers


Almost all expats have had the experience of good friends leaving, unless of course, we leave first. Many times I see clients in my practice who have had one or several good friends leave and they express sentiments such as “what’s the point to even making friends?” They may feel like they don’t want to open up and make new friends if they’re just going to leave. This brings up many interesting issues and is near and dear to my heart, as it is something that I’ve also had to deal with during my years as an expat.
As I am now an expat ‘old-timer’ in New Delhi, (I’ve been here 3 ½ years) I have had to deal with the loss of several good friends in the last year. One friend in particular had become a kind of soul sister to me very quickly. I knew she was leaving shortly when we first became friends, but decided to allow our friendship to deepen because it was giving me so much, and to break off our friendship made no sense. So I went into it with my eyes wide open which didn’t help a bit when she left. I felt her loss profoundly and was deeply saddened by her departure.

Yet I knew then (and still know now) that I wouldn’t have traded the experience of our friendship in order not to feel the pain and loss. For one thing, I was a better person for the experience of knowing this friend. But more importantly, it would have gone against one of my basic beliefs which is to experience life as fully as possible.

If I were to turn away from every experience that involved an element of risk or loss, my life would be very shallow indeed. Athletes and adventure sports enthusiasts know that there is always a risk involved in what they do, but the joy of the experience weighs in heavier than the thought of losing, or the element of danger involved...

Read more www.expatfocus.com/expat-experience-when-friends-leave

Insider Service - extract from "The Expat's Pajamas"

by R.S. Gompertz

After you’ve lived in Spain for a while, you’ll grow immune to the occasional frustrations that once got under your skin. The squat matriarch who bustles in front of you in the crowded bakery to grab the last baguette won’t offend your sense of fairness; she lived through the war, after all. You’ll find deep reserves of patience for the car stopped ahead of you, hazard lights flashing, while the driver, who’s also your neighbor, calmly paralyzes traffic to milk a cash machine and chat with the local tobacconist. As an advanced expat, you’ll share stories of the under-equipped plumber – recommended by your trusted neighbor – who stranded your family without a working toilet, leaving you in the middle ages for the entire month of August.

It’s all part of the expat experience. When and if you return “home,” you’ll realize that whatever land you come from isn’t much better anyway.

So new expats take heed! Before complaining about what may seem like injustices, ask yourself honestly: did you invest the time up front - typically one or two generations - to build a relationship with the baker, the tobacconist, or the plumber and his extended family?

If not, the indifferent service you receive is no one’s fault but yours. Take time, lots of time, to build relationships. It may take years to become an insider, but once you’re in, you and your offspring will be treated like family.

Read more http://www.expatfocus.com/spain-the-expats-pajamas

It Takes Two to Tango: Socialization versus Expatriate Adjustment

by Dr Ben van den Anker

Whereas traditional views considered the expatriate the sole actor in his/her adjustment process; recent literature suggests an important role for host country nationals in the expatriate adjustment process. It seems that socialization tactics of the organization and the information-seeking process of the individual have been overlooked as factors in the success of expatriates. As well, expatriates will also experience socialization in the host country national culture. This distinction between socialization in organization and host country national culture is essential. Because incoming expatriates are new organizational members, it is likely that boundaries between organizational and national culture will not always be recognized as such.

Socialization in this context can be defined as the process by which an individual fits in or becomes adjusted to a new role in the organization and learns the content of information necessary for adjustment to this new role. Socialization is, therefore, essentially a learning process and has been described as an expatriate coping strategy (Stahl and Caligiuri, 2005). Six socialization dimensions can be distinguished: politics, performance proficiency, language, people, history and organizational goals/values. Lueke and Svyantek (2000) suggested that combining knowledge gained through research on both socialization and information seeking processes is essential in gaining an understanding of expatriate turnover. Their suggestion is supported by research confirming that the use of these socialization tactics would affect job satisfaction and commitment to the organization. Overall, financial costs of expatriate turnover/failure have been estimated between $2 and $2.5 billion in recent research.

Post-entry socialization experiences then may affect expatriates’ experience of fit and value in the new organization. Consistent with the general nature of socialization described above, Florkowski and Fogel (1999) link perceived acceptance of expatriates in the new organization to host socialization efforts. Socialization is dependent on two players, the host country nationals and the expatriates themselves. Discordant behaviour by...

Read more
www.expatfocus.com/socialization-versus-expatriate-adjustment

How Safe is India?

by J.D Viharini author of Enjoying India

In general, India is pretty safe, especially if you don't toss common sense to the winds. With the exception of a few hotspots, such as Chattisgarh and Kashmir, India is no more hazardous than most other countries in the world. In fact, you are less likely to be the target of violent crime here than in many places in the West. And in spite of all the fear-mongering about it, the odds of being caught in a terrorist attack are very small. On the other hand, there are a few safety issues you need to be aware of.
The biggest safety issue in India is actually the traffic. Indians are, for the most part, extraordinarily bad drivers, possibly the worst in the world (though most think they are pretty good). Whether you are walking, driving, riding a bicycle, etc., you need to be fully alert whenever you are out on the streets. In fact, alertness is the most important thing wherever you are when it comes to safety, both in terms of traffic and crime.

Talking on your cell phone while you are walking or driving is an invitation to trouble. There are many accidents that are cell-phone related, most of which could...

Read more www.expatfocus.com/how-safe-is-india

An Australian Christmas on the Gold Coast

by Tracie Hocart


Christmas on the Gold Coast is really something special. People ask me “Are you heading away over the Christmas break?” and I always say I would rather be here than anywhere else this time of year. Why would I head away when there is such a great atmosphere in the air? It’s that special time year when everyone is friendly & smiling (except for the usual grumpy people who have lost the smile reflex somewhere along the way.)

For us, living on the Gold Coast at Christmas time has always been a pleasure. Even when we lived in Brisbane we still managed to find ourselves down here at Christmas time. So many of our friends and family head to the coast and we find people landing on our doorsteps trying to organise get togethers everyday of the two weeks before and after Christmas. Thankfully most of our friends either have their own accommodation arranged or have holiday homes here. We generally have family staying here and there, but do not find that a problem. Happy to have them!

It’s really starting to get hotter that’s for sure. We have noticed the humidity during the past week after the rain. Like most people, who end up living on the Gold Coast, we have great insulation (keeping the house cool in summer & warm in winter), a pool, a covered outdoor entertaining area (patio) and air conditioning. So for us the heat isn’t too much of an issue – in fact I love it when the temperature hits the high 20s (28+°C) and early 30’s.

In the summer months around Christmas our social activities consist of lots of BBQ’s, sitting outside for meals, enjoying a ...

Read more about Christmas on the Gold Coast
http://www.expatfocus.com/australia-christmas-on-the-gold-coast