9 reasons why you shouldn’t buy an investment property

Are you looking to get into property investment, or maybe you’re keen to add to your existing property portfolio?

It’s that time of year when many Aussies are revisiting their financial plans for the coming year.

Well maybe you should by an investment property…

But maybe you shouldn’t.

Fact is, I’ve spoken with hundreds and hundreds of investors in my time and I’m often surprised when they tell me their reasons for investing in real estate.

Many just get it wrong.

You see…while property investment is an excellent vehicle for growing lasting wealth, occasionally it’s the wrong fit for particular people.

In fact, sometimes, there are some very legitimate reasons why you just shouldn’t do it.

So you shouldn’t buy an investment property if:

1. You’re buying a property to pay less tax

Many naïve investors think negative gearing is an investment strategy.

Their accountant tells them they need to save tax so they chase tax deductions or depreciation benefits and as a result they often overpay for new or off the plan properties while ignoring the fundamentals of property investment.

They think they need negatively gearing and get excited that for every dollar they lose they save 49 cent. 

Now that’s crazy, especially as new stock almost always comes at a premium and has limited (if any) medium term capital growth prospects.

That’s not the way to grow your wealth through property.

Just to make things clear…

A property is negatively geared when the costs of owning it – interest on the loan, bank charges, maintenance, repairs and depreciation – exceed the income it produces.

In my mind this is not an investment strategy – it’s a short term funding strategy, which only make sense when used to purchase high capital growth investment grade properties.

These tend to be established houses, townhouses or apartments in desirable streets in top locations in the inner and middle ring suburbs of our 3 big capital cities.

2. You’re buying because you’re disappointed you’ve missed the property price growth over the last decade

Have you heard of F.O.MO? – the Fear Of Missing Out.

It usually happens at the end stage of every property cycle when people read of the windfalls made by those who bought property a few years ago, however that is obviously the time of the property cycle you need to be more cautious in your investing rather than over optimistic.

Of course it’s an understandable emotion, but investing with emotion leads to bad judgement.

And it is exactly this type of emotion that makes you easy prey for the property marketers and spruikers who will offer you a way to get rich quickly.

And while property values started increase in the last quarter of 2020 and the value of well located properties are likely to be considerably higher at the end of this year that they are  currently, there’s no need to rush in at this early stage of the new cycle.

Sure you should get your foot in the door of this emerging property cycle if you can, but it should be done strategically not emotionally.

3. You want to get rich quick 

Many beginning investors want to “get rich quick.”

However, property investing is a long-term endeavor.

I’ve found it takes average property investor 30 years to become financially free.

Often it’s takes 10 years to learn what not to do –  we all make investment mistakes when we start out.

Then it takes three to five years to undo the mistakes of the first decade, often selling off underperforming properties.

Then it takes two good property cycles to build a substantial asset base of investment-grade properties

Warren Buffet said it well when he said ‘Wealth is the transfer of money from the impatient to the patient.”

4. You don’t really understand how property investment works

Many people mistakenly believe they understand property investment because they own a house or have lived in one.

So they end up buying a property close to where they want to live, where they want to retire or where they holiday.

Again, these are emotional reasons to purchase a property rather than selecting based on sound investment fundamentals.

On the other hand, successful investors have formulated an sound investment strategy that suits their risk profile and helps them achieve their long term goals and one which has stood the test of time.

5. If you’re not financially fluent 

If you haven’t learned how to budget, spend less than you earn and save or if you’re not good at handling debt then property investment may not be for you because the large amount of debt you’ll take on for your investment will either get you into financial trouble or keep you awake at night.

Of course if you’re scared of debt, and many people are because they don’t fully understand the difference between bad debt and good debt, then steer clear of property until you better understand the power of leverage, compounding and time has on well located properties.

6. If you want a multipurpose property 

If you are buying your property with the aim of creating wealth but also as your future home, or as a part time holiday home or somewhere to retire in the future, then perhaps you are wanting that one little property to achieve too much.

I’ve never found that a mixed use property delivers premium investment returns – something has to give.

For one, there are too many emotional factors at play.

Of course, adhering to a proven investment strategy will mean you’re more likely to buy an investment grade property and not make this type of mistake.

7. If your finances are not in order

Property investment is a game of finance with some real estate thrown in the middle.

To get into property you should have a stable job, profession or business with a steady income and need to be attractive to the banks so they lend you money plus you should have sufficient stashed away in a financial buffer to see you through the inevitable rainy days ahead.

8. You don’t have enough money

If you can’t afford an investment grade property, either because you haven’t saved a sufficient deposit or you can’t service the loan repayments, then rather than buying a secondary property, in my mind it’s better that you wait and buy an investment grade property.

One of the reasons that around 50% of those who get into real estate sell up in the first 5 years and the main reason around 90% of investors never buy more than one investment property is because the first property they buy underperforms and they lose confidence.

In my mind, less than 5% of the properties currently on the market are “investment grade” – the type of property that will outperform the averages with wealth producing rates of return and stability of price when the markets eventually turn.

This means you need to buy the right property in the right location (remembering that the correct location will deliver around 80% of your property’s performance.)

So, if you can’t afford this type of property sometimes the right thing to do is “nothing.”

You make your money when you buy your property, not because you buy it cheaply, but because you buy the right property.

9. You’re trying to time the market or find the next hotspot 

Sure property markets move in cycles and it would be great to buy near the bottom, or find a location that will be the next hotspot, but the landscape is littered with investors who tried to time the market and failed.

Instead the right time to buy real estate is when your finances are in order and you’ve got the ability to purchase an investment grade property.

Remember there is not one property market in Australia so there will always be opportunities somewhere.

Rather than wait and buy real estate; you buy real estate and wait.

The bottom line:

When it comes to buying property, there are plenty of reasons to take action, but there are just as many reasons to hit the pause button.

If you’re not sure on your next move, speaking with a professional property advisor may give you the clarity and direction you need to move forward with purpose.