Update

We put in an offer on Lot 31 North Boambee Road and it's been accepted. We had to agree to $5,000 more than we initially offered, but we're still buying it for $9,000 less than asking price and considerably less than it was offered at when it first came to market last year. Property sales here are handled very differently to the UK, and we should be signing papers in about 4 - 6 weeks time at most. By the way, estate agents' percentages are very high! Our vendors will be paying between 3 and 5% of the offer price in commission! Thank goodness we nailed our estate agents down when we sold in Bristol, and paid 1.2%.

We don't have to pay Stamp Duty on the purchase because it's under $500,000 and, by chance, as Michael didn't own any property in Australia before he moved to the UK, we miraculously qualify for a First Time Buyer's grant of around $8,000 towards the purchase price. Hooray! I guess you could say that the First Time Buyer's grant plus the lower offer on the property have together paid for our second (second-hand) car and the first semester's accommodation fees for Patrick at university...

... Which brings me onto my second update, which is that Patrick got into the University of Queendsland at Brisbane! Hooray, again! We still have issues about accommodation, but with a bit of luck they might be resolved. Some of my begging letters received a firm rebuttal from the colleges concerned, but one - an email to St Leo's which is, amusingly, a Catholic college and men only - received a positive response. There are no promises, but Patrick had a good telephone interview with the Rector (Brother Vince Skelly of the Christian Brothers order), and we hope to hear something by the middle of next week. I must say that it would be very amusing and ironic if Patrick does get into St Leo's. The college sounds great, and Brother Vince comes across as a very nice man. But Patrick...? In an all-male Catholic college...? He, he, he!