FAQ - PropertyValue

From where do you source your property information?
Our property information is sourced from the Valuer General's Office in each state.
The Valuer General's Office is an independent State Government organisation that keeps records of all property sales data within each state. The PropertyValue Postcode Profile reports contain the most up to date demographic data compiled from a variety of sources including; Veda Advantage, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Victoria Police Statistical Service Bureau, the Queensland Office of Economic and Statistical Research, Australian Federal Police, and the ABS Vehicle census.

How current is the information?
The PropertyValue database dates back as early as 1990 and is updated monthly using fresh data from the Valuer General's Office in each state. The demographic data used in the PropertyValue reports is from the latest census. Where possible (e.g. Age) the data has been projected forward to report current demographic trends.

How accurate is the information?
The PropertyValue data is derived directly from the Valuer General's Office. The data from the Valuer General's Office is refreshed monthly, ensuring PropertyValue has the most up to date and accurate sales history available. The data models used by PropertyValue to generate our reports have rules which allow us to detect abnormal values in the data and remove them from calculations. Abnormal values include extremely high or low property prices in certain areas and invalid addresses. By removing such abnormalities, we are able to maximise the accuracy of our information. We also use median values rather than averages which further enhances the integrity of the data.

What geographical areas do you provide reports for?
The PropertyValue property reports currently cover NSW, ACT, VIC, SA, WA and QLD. Plans are underway to expand our service to include the provision of such reports for all Australian states.

How long does it take from when a sale is made to when it's in the PropertyValue database?
From the time the property is transferred (usually 4-8 weeks after the contracts are signed), there is an average delay of approximately 8 to 12 weeks until we receive the data. Some properties are processed more quickly while others may take longer. A very small proportion can take many months. In particular, country areas and newly developed units are slower than most to have their sales processed.

What is a median price?
A median price is simply the middle price. Half the properties sold for more than that price. Half the properties sold for less.

Why do you use median prices instead of average prices?
We use the median price rather than the average price, to ensure that erroneous data does not affect our statistics. An average price can be affected by one or two extremely high or extremely low prices. A median is not affected to the same extent.

What is capital growth?
Capital growth is the general increase in property values over time. Forecast capital growth is generally used by investors and other potential property purchasers to determine how much their property might be worth, at a given point in the future. For example: In June 2000, the price of a house is $200,000. In June 2001 its price is now $220,000. The annual capital growth on this house is therefore $20,000/$200,000 which equals 10%.

What format do the reports come in?
PropertyValue reports are supplied to you in three formats:
1) The reports are viewable online for a period of one year after purchase.
2) For a period of one year after purchase you can download your report by logging in and clicking on 'My Reports', then click on the Download link next to the desired report.
3) The reports are emailed to you in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). You need Adobe Acrobat software to view your reports in this format. A link is provided on our site allowing you to access the Adobe software free of charge.

What if I don't have Adobe Acrobat? What version will I require?
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the reports emailed to you from PropertyValue as Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free software that lets you view and print PDFs. If you do not already have this software, please download it from Adobe.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

What is the file size of the reports?
The average size of each Free Postcode Profile, Postcode Sales History and Individual Property Report emailed to you in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) will generally be no more than 200KB. The Investor Report will be no more than 2MB. Given this, most email accounts should be able to receive reports without any problems. If for some reason your reports do not arrive by email, these reports will be available online for up to a year from purchase, visit 'My Reports' and logon to download your reports.

What is 'My Reports'?
'My Reports' is the section on the website where any report you have purchased in the past year will be listed. Visit 'My Reports' and logon to view your reports.

Postcode Profile Reports

What does the Free Postcode Profile Report include?
The Free Postcode Profile report contains 12-month house and unit median prices for a postcode, and broad level demographic information relating to population, country of origin, education, transport, occupation and much more.

For quick comparison, the postcode selected is compared to the state average. The Free Postcode Profile report includes actual percentages for all categories giving you a detailed break up of the area's key characteristics.

This information is invaluable when one characteristic dominates a category, which is often the case.

What can I use these reports for?
These reports provide a quick insight into an area's suitability and affordability for different people's needs. The reports are useful for people considering purchasing or selling a property, investing in property, moving interstate, and renters of properties who may be considering moving to an area they are not familiar with.

Postcode Sales History Reports

What does the Postcode Sales History Report include?
For NSW, QLD, SA, WA and ACT, the Postcode Sales History report includes a historical record of recent sales within a selected postcode over a 12-month period. This includes date of sale, sale value, address and dwelling type (house or unit). The report contains two sub sections, one for houses and one for units. For your convenience, the listings are further grouped by street and date of sale. For details on Victorian reports please click here.

What can I use this report for?
The Postcode Sales History report is useful for people considering purchasing or selling a property, whether it be for investment purposes or simply to live in. Because the sales are recent and addresses are included, actually visiting the properties will give you an excellent first hand idea of property prices in the area concerned.

How far back do the reports go?
The Sales History Reports show recent sales over a 12 month period, regardless of the volume of sales in different postcodes. For details on Victorian reports please click here.

Does the report include land only sales?
The Postcode Sales History report may include land only properties listed under the house section, but we do not specify if the property is land only.

Why are the Victorian Postcode Sales History Reports different to the other states?
Due to contractual restrictions with the State of Victoria, the actual sale date and price can not be revealed. Therefore, PropertyValue provides its own addresses, and property estimates in place of the actual sales values.

Individual Property Reports

What does the Individual Property Report include?
For NSW, SA, QLD, WA and ACT, the Individual Property Report includes an estimation of the property's current value, median prices in the area, a sales history of recent and surrounding properties, a map detailing local amenities and their proximity, and an indication of past and future capital growth. For details on Victorian reports please click here.

What can I use this report for?
The Individual Property Report is useful for people considering purchasing or selling a home or investment property. It is also particularly useful for exploring a property's proximity to local amenities such as schools, shopping centres, parks and hospitals.

What is the difference between sales reported in the Postcode Sales History Report and sales reported in the Individual Property Report?
The Postcode Sales History report is a historical record of recent house AND unit sales within the selected postcode over a 12-month period. In comparison, the Individual Property Report includes up to 10 of the most recent sales and up to 10 of the geographically closest house OR unit sales (depending on what type of dwelling you are requesting the report for). We recommend you purchase both reports, as it is often valuable to look at the entire sales history for the suburb over a 12-month period, in conjunction with those sales in the property's immediate proximity. Please note, this excludes Victorian reports.

How accurate are your estimations?
Drawing on our extensive experience in data modelling, our property price estimates are based on a combination of detailed statistical models and sales information from the Valuer General's office in each state. The data from the Valuer General's Office is refreshed monthly, ensuring PropertyValue has the most up to date and accurate sales history available. The data models used are specifically designed to detect abnormal values in the data and remove them from calculations. Abnormal values include such things as extremely high or low property prices in certain areas, and invalid addresses. By removing such anomalies, we are able to maximise the accuracy of our information. We also use median values rather than averages which further enhances the integrity of the data.

What details will the colour map of the area include?
The colour map details the property's proximity to local amenities such as schools, hospitals, parks, shopping centres, and public transport. In addition, we provide you with physical distances to key amenities and places of interest where possible.

What does the 'capital growth' graph display?
An important factor to consider when investing in property is how its value has, and is likely to, change over time. For ease of understanding, this report includes a colour graph, which will allow you to quickly compare growth rates in the area to those of the state as a whole. This is graphed using cumulative annualised growth rates over a 5-year period and incorporates a forecast of the property's likely value in 5 years. This type of information is invaluable when determining the suburb's investment potential.

Why are the capital growth rate figures and graph missing?
If your Individual Property Report is missing the suburb growth rate figures and graph, it is because there is insufficient sales activity in this area to display this information.

Do you provide estimations for every property in Australia?
PropertyValue provides access to more individual property price estimates for Australian houses and units, than any other supplier of property related information in the country. Whilst we do not provide estimates for every property, we cover almost 100% within NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and the ACT. Plans are underway to supply estimates for the remaining states.

I'm searching for an Individual Property Report and it is registering an invalid address. Why?
If your search registers an invalid address, check that you have entered all components of the address correctly, as our Australia Post master address file will not recognise addresses that are partly correct. If our master address file does not have the address you have searched for, an invalid address will register.

I have a PropertyValue Report, however there's no historical sales information on the property I'm looking at. Why not?
The PropertyValue data is derived directly from the Valuer General's Office and dates back as far as 1990. The data from the Valuer General's Office is refreshed monthly, ensuring PropertyValue has the most up to date and accurate sales history available. Sales history information is unavailable for certain properties because they are either new properties/areas or they simply have not been sold recently. The latter is common in communities that tend to be more stable, sought after or traditional. As mentioned previously, there is also a small time lag before more recent sales enter our database.

How do you calculate the 10 closest sales?
To calculate the closest sales in the Individual Property Report, PropertyValue trawls our database for properties within 600 metres of the target property. This distance is calculated "as the crow flies", and where fewer than 10 properties are displayed, it is because our database holds fewer than 10 properties within this distance.

Victorian Property Reports

What does the Postcode Sales History Report for Victoria include?
The Postcode Sales History Report for Victoria includes a maximum of 100 property sales over a period of 12 months (whichever comes first). The report details the month of sale, an estimated value of each property, and a current estimated minimum and maximum price for that property. The estimates provided are based on information from the State of Victoria, while all address details are supplied by PropertyValue. This approach makes the PropertyValue Individual Property Report the most comprehensive set of sales data you can access on a property in Victoria.

How do you calculate the Estimated Values for the Victorian reports?
Our "Estimated Value" is PropertyValue's current estimate for the individual property. It takes into account real capital growth movements in property over the past 10 years and is derived using statistical models which incorporate recent historical sales data related to the same property (if available) and recent historical sales for properties in close proximity to the address in question.

What does the Individual Property Report for Victoria include?
The Individual Property Report for Victoria includes an estimate of the property's current value, median house and unit prices for the area, estimated values for up to 10 properties based on recent sales, and estimated values based on past sales for up to 10 surrounding properties. In addition, we have included a map detailing local amenities, and an indication of past and future capital growth for the property in question. The estimates provided are based on information from the State of Victoria, while all address details are supplied by PropertyValue. This approach makes the PropertyValue Individual Property Report the most comprehensive set of sales data you can access on a property in Victoria.

Why are the Victorian reports different to the other states?
Due to contractual restrictions with the State of Victoria, the actual sale date and price can not be revealed. Therefore, PropertyValue provides its own addresses, and property estimates in place of the actual sales values. This approach makes the PropertyValue Individual Property Report the most comprehensive set of sales data you can access on a property in Victoria.

Investor Reports

What does the Investor Report include?
A report featuring information on both historical and predicted capital growth trends within the residential property market. The report contains statistical data including median house prices, capital growth over various historical periods, projected capital growth for the future, maps showing capital growth by suburb, median rents, rental return and vacancy rates. The report is split into 5 main sections, including a comprehensive analysis of those suburbs which have enjoyed the highest capital growth over a 5 year period.

What can I use these reports for?
This Investor Report is for property investors and home buyers who want to find the best performing suburbs based on capital growth rates and rental yields.

What is predicted capital growth?
Predicted capital growth is an estimate of capital growth for the next 12 months. It should be viewed as a guide of likely growth rates and relativities among suburbs. PropertyValue does not warrant the accuracy of this growth estimate and does not accept liability for any decision you make using it.

What is the rental return?
This is calculated using median property prices and rental data for a specific suburb. The weekly rent for a suburb is multiplied by 52 to annualise the amount. This is then calculated as a proportion of the median price for the suburb.

What is the vacancy rate?
The vacancy rate represents a measure of rental demand for properties in a given area. It is a guide to relative demand for residential properties. Vacancy rates are presented at a state level.

PropertyValue Membership

How do I become a PropertyValue member?
Simply click on 'Login', which is located at the top right hand corner of the PropertyValue.com.au website at all times. From here, simply fill out the appropriate fields. By becoming a PropertyValue member, you receive a range of benefits that might include; introductory prices on new reports, free PropertyValue newsletters, report package deals, handy property related tips, and the opportunity to enter PropertyValue competitions.

What if I forget my password?
Simply click on the login box and check the box that indicates you have forgotten your password and we will email it to you.

I have a new email address. How do I change my email details? How do I update my membership details?
To update your email address and any other membership details simply click on 'Update' located at the top right hand corner of the PropertyValue website. You will then be taken to a screen detailing your personal profile, which you can alter as you wish.

Discounts & Special Offers

What discounts does PropertyValue offer?
There are three different types of discounts available to PropertyValue customers:
� Discounts on any second and subsequent report purchase in an individual shopping session. While the level of discount may vary from one report to another, purchasing any single report will make you eligible for discounts on all subsequent reports in the same shopping session. A shopping session is valid for 24 hours.
� Discounts for loyal users of PropertyValue. For every 5 reports purchased by a registered user, the next report will be provided at no charge.
� Discounts for entering a 'Promo Code', which will be provided on various promotional materials, from time to time.

What is a 'Promo Code'?
From time to time PropertyValue will run promotional campaigns that may involve an additional special offer or discount. This will appear on promotional material as a 'Promo Code'. Please note that there are other PropertyValue discounts available to all purchasers on an ongoing basis (see above).

Can I use two discounts in conjunction with each other?
This depends on the circumstances of the offer/discount. For example, the 'Promo Code' discount can be used in conjunction with the second and subsequent report discount.

What if I miss the expiry date for the promotion?
If you miss the expiry date, you will not be able to participate in that particular promotion, however you can still take advantage of the other PropertyValue discounts, which are available on an ongoing basis.

Is Online Shopping safe?
Shopping conducted through reputable online retailers is as safe as giving your credit card to retailers over the telephone, or using a credit card in a store or restaurant. The negligible difference between the numbers is striking, says market research firm BAIGlobal Vice-President, Andrew Davidson. "You are no more likely to experience fraud if you shop online than if you shop anywhere else," he says. "�It is all about perception" (The Age Newspaper, June 26, 2001).
If the site is secure (as is the case with propertyvalue.com.au), your web browser will display a special icon - a closed padlock or an unbroken key on the bottom of your screen - to show that a merchant has a secure transaction system. As well, the address of the web page will begin with "https" instead of the usual "http". This indicates that your credit card data is transmitted using encryption technology.

How do I know it's safe to do business on this site?
PropertyValue has a secure transaction system. Our 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure online commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, as the information travels over the Internet.

How do I pay for the PropertyValue Reports?
You will need to use either a MasterCard, Bankcard, Visa, Diners or American Express credit card. Once you have entered your details, we will email you your report/s and a Tax Invoice to confirm your purchase. Your report/s will also be made available to view online.

Do you keep my credit card details on file?
No, all credit card data, including card number, expiry date and cardholder's name are not retained after the transaction has been processed and cleared. In addition, all e-commerce transactions are carried out using a real time, automatic payment gateway.

What if my computer shuts down in the middle of a credit card purchase?
If your transaction was processed before your computer shut down, your report will be automatically emailed to you. If for some reason your report does not arrive, simply log back on using your email address and password, and click on the 'Your Reports' section. There you will find a facility that allows you to either view your reports online or download a PDF version of your reports onto your computer.

What do I do if my reports fail to arrive by email?
If for some reason your report does not arrive by email, simply log back on and click on the 'Your Reports' section. There you will find a facility that allows you to either view your reports online or download them directly onto your computer.

Can I purchase by phone?
Unfortunately we do not have a telephone or fax ordering service at present however this may change if customer demand warrants such a facility. We would appreciate you contacting us with your feedback if you really would like to purchase some property reports however are not prepared to use our online payment system. Whilst we cannot implement such a system immediately, this will allow us to gauge customer demand and provide alternative payment options in the future, if appropriate.

What is Your Shopping Cart?
Your Shopping Cart is the section on the website where your reports are listed before you proceed with your purchase. Your Shopping Cart displays the details and price of the reports. If you wish to add any reports to your cart or delete any reports that are in your shopping cart, please do so before you proceed to purchase.

Customer Service

Can I contact you if I need to?
Yes, our contact details are listed on the website. You can contact us via email or mail. Our address is: PropertyValue, Level 19, 9 Hunter Street, Sydney NSW 2000, AUSTRALIA.

What if I have a problem outside work hours?
Unfortunately we only operate during business hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. However, we do endeavour to deal with all enquiries within one business day of receiving notification of a problem.

Are you interested in my opinion of your website and offerings?
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments relating to the PropertyValue service. We value our customers' opinions and would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions on ways that we can improve our website, products or services.

What is your refund policy?
If you are hesitant about any feature of a report, please contact us. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you are not satisfied with a report contact us within 30 days and we'll arrange for an immediate refund. Our guarantee excludes sales data recency which is not under our control. If you purchased a PDF or other electronic document, please wipe it from your computer's hard drive and destroy any printed copies. Then send us an email indicating you have done so.

How safe are my personal details?
PropertyValue respects your privacy and is committed to maintaining this privacy in relation to any personal information provided via this website. Under no circumstances will the personal details we request be passed onto any third party, without prior consent.

Will you contact me regarding future special offers and discounts?
If you select to receive information on special offers and new products/services on the registration page, we will contact you from time to time. Some of the PropertyValue special offers and discounts might include; introductory prices on new reports, free PropertyValue newsletters, report package deals, handy property related tips, and PropertyValue competitions.

Can I cancel my membership at any time?
Yes, to avoid being contacted by PropertyValue.com.au in the future, you should uncheck the "Yes, I want to receive advance notice of new products and special offers from PropertyValue" tick box by going to �My Account� after logging in.

Do you use cookies?
Cookies, which are industry standard and used by most websites, including www.propertyvalue.com.au, can facilitate a user's ongoing access to and use of a site. There are two types of cookies - stored cookies and session cookies. A stored cookie is a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. PropertyValue stored cookies are used to track your visits and make it easier for you to log in and view all your purchasing details such as shopping cart and special discounts as soon as you enter our site. They also allow us to track usage patterns and to compile data that can help us improve our content. If you do not want to be remembered by our site via stored cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allow you to deny cookies being stored on your hard drive. A session cookie is an identification key exchanged between the web server and your browser each time you request a page from a website. This is the only reliable method for the website to positively identify you as the current user. Session cookies are alive only for the duration of your browser session and are NOT kept on your hard drive. Please do not set your browser to reject all cookies or specifically turn off session cookies as you won't be able to log in and purchase any reports from our site.

Is PropertyValue shopping secure?
Online shopping conducted through reputable retailers is as safe as giving your credit card to retailers over the telephone. You should feel as safe as you would using a credit card in a store or restaurant.

Is my personal information secure?
PropertyValue takes every precaution to protect our users' information. When you submit personal information via the website, your information is protected both online and off-line. All credit card data, including card number, expiry date and the cardholder's name are not retained after the transaction has been processed and cleared. In addition, all e-commerce transactions are carried out using a real time, automatic payment gateway. We also do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. All of our users' information, not just the personal information mentioned above, is restricted within our offices. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific task are granted access to personally identifiable information. Furthermore, the servers that we store personally identifiable information on are kept in a secure environment.

Are my credit card details secure?
PropertyValue has a secure transaction system. Our 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure online commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, as the information travels over the Internet. All credit card data, including card number, expiry date and the card holder's name are not retained after the transaction has been processed and cleared.

Why did I receive a message saying your secure certificate had expired?
When VeriSign created the new root for its Global Server Certificates it provided this to browser manufacturers for inclusion in the root libraries of their browser versions. However, based upon the timing of the VeriSign root creation for Global Server Certificates it was not included in earlier browser versions. As of 7th January 2003, browser support for VeriSign Australia issued Global server certificates will be: Microsoft Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 (build number 5.00.2920) or later and Netscape Navigator & Communicator 4.6 or later. When establishing an SSL session, customers using earlier browsers that do not have the latest VeriSign Global server certificate root, may encounter a dialog box indicating the root certificate has expired. An option to continue is displayed and if selected will still provide an encrypted SSL session.