Archive for July, 2009

Many of you would have read the story of how Paul Castran’s brother, John, survived an avalanche in NZ. They were heli-skiing in New Zealand when the side of the mountain let go. Angus was buried up to his waist in snow, but John was fully covered beneath about 1.8m of snow.

Angus was able to free himself, and with the guide, dig John out from more than 1m of snow. John is due back in Melbourne today to reunite with wife Sally and elder son Lachlan, and the rest of the Castran family.

There has been a large amount of media coverage, here is an extracts from the Herald Sun:

Speaking from Mt Hutt yesterday, the South Yarra father of two, 53, gave a haunting account of the most terrifying day of his life.

Trapped beneath 1.8m of snow after two avalanches ploughed into his five-man skiing group in the Ragged Ranges on Friday, Mr Castran described the 15 minutes he spent, alone, in the frigid dark.

He had been on a heli-skiing trip with his son, Angus, 23, and another man, Lynden Riethmuller, when the world turned white then deadly black.

Mr Riethmuller, a NSW company director, could not be revived after he was buried by snow.

Mr Castran, an experienced skier, was on an annual holiday with his youngest son when he was hit by a wall of snow.

“There was a point where I thought ‘This is it. I have seen my last sunset’, ” Mr Castran said.

“Then this second wave came five to 10 seconds later and there was this rustling noise, then terror really set in.”

Mr Castran knew a second avalanche had struck.

“I could feel the snow packing down, squeezing the air out of my body,” he said.

“I was trapped in my icy tomb.”

Mr Castran remembered to slow his breathing to conserve oxygen.

“It then became peaceful . . . I can’t remember anything until they revived me, lifted some of the snow off me around my neck and I looked up and saw these beautiful blue skies,” he said.

The multi-millionaire real estate agent credits with saving his life his avalanche beeper which shoots radio signals to nearby beepers and his “very strong” son.

Angus and one of the group’s two guides, Kevin, found the spot where Mr Castran lay buried and started digging.

They scooped out snow “big as a (Holden) Commodore” and began CPR on Mr Castran, who was unconscious.

His brush with death would change his life, Mr Castran said.

“I reckon I might relax a bit more, slow down, smell the roses,” he said.

“I have been to the other side and I can tell you this: there is nothing there. It is far better over here.”

Mr Castran is due back in Melbourne today to reunite with wife Sally and elder son Lachlan.

HOME sellers could be forced to publish their reserve price under proposals discussed yesterday to stamp out underquoting.

Interesting post in the Herald Sun today (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25810291-2862,00.html):

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria was summoned by Consumer Affairs Victoria boss Claire Noone to discuss ways to stop agents who deliberately underquote.

The meeting follows a Herald Sun investigation that revealed many properties were passed in at higher than advertised prices.

The State Government move comes two days after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said home owners would face fines up to $220,000 for underquoting.

Under new laws to come into force on January 1, home hunters who are duped will be able to ask for the return of pre-purchase costs if a property is underquoted.

Stockdale and Leggo chief Peter Thomas said deliberate underquoting was a serious problem that needed to be stamped out.

He said despite decades of experience in real estate he, too, had been duped and wasted time viewing properties that had been advertised for less then they were worth.

Last month, a REIV committee rejected a proposal that would have forced vendors to publish their reserve price before auctions.

But pressure to clean up rogue estate agents continues to mount.

Bennison Mackinnon boss Iain Carmichael said forcing owners to publish their reserve price would put an immediate end to underquoting.

"Make the publication of reserves mandatory and overnight, underquoting ceases," said buyers advocate David Morrell. "Overnight, dummy bidders disappear."

REIV chief executive Enzo Raimondo described yesterday’s meeting with the Consumer Affairs as useful.

But the REIV is believed to have declared its opposition to laws that would force vendors to publish their reserve price.

"The REIV will continue to work with CAV to outline best practice to its members and increase the provision of education to consumers," Mr Raimondo said.

Consumer Affairs spokeswoman Heather Abbott said the department would continue to work with the REIV.

"Both organisations share the same objectives — that is, compliance within the industry," she said.

"CAV will continue with its real estate compliance and enforcement program."