You do a walkthrough before a new tenant moves in, and everything looks fine. Then a few months later, they call to say a power point sparked when they plugged in the kettle. Electrical issues in rental properties often stay hidden until something goes wrong. The wiring might be decades old, the switchboard might be…
Glossy renders, drone footage, and a sales agent’s “prices are rising fast” pitch are not evaluation — they’re marketing. Most buyers who overpay or get stuck with an illiquid unit didn’t skip due diligence on purpose; they just never learned what to check before a number on a floor plan turns into a wire transfer….
Most investors have now heard that the 50 per cent CGT discount is going. Far fewer have worked out what that means in practice, which is that on 1 July 2027 every investment property in the country quietly acquires a second, permanent number in its file. Get that number wrong, and you carry the error…
Across Australia, thousands of people are waiting to find out if their homes will be built, after several separate construction company collapses. By far the biggest of those recent collapses has been the Bathla Group, a Sydney developer that’s been one of Australia’s largest affordable home builders. Owing about A$3.4 billion to private lenders, Bathla’s…
Australia’s cities are changing quickly. With population growth, housing shortages, shifting demographics and climate pressures, new expectations around how people live are all reshaping the development landscape. Property developers, because of this, are now dealing with an unusual mix of opportunity and risk. The demand for new housing is undeniable, particularly in established capital cities…
Australia’s economy expanded by 0.4% in the June quarter, with spending growth driven by record sales of imported electric vehicles. For the year to June, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.1%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, slightly stronger than market expectations. The bureau noted overall growth remained subdued, with spending growth and…
For Americans living in Australia, property investment can look like a smart way to build wealth. But without proper tax planning, it can turn into a source of unexpected US tax bills. Whether you’re thinking about buying Australian real estate or already own investment property back in the States, you need to understand how both…
For most people who buy a home, a mortgage represents the single largest debt they will take on in their lives. But what happens if the market value of a property you’ve bought falls below the amount you still owe on your home loan? This situation is called “negative equity”. In Australia, decades of house…
Australia’s migration system is complicated. It’s heavily influenced by politics and global pressures, which can make it difficult to understand. This often results in lively debates across the dinner table. But given migration is dominating public discussion at the moment, it’s worth explaining how the system operates so we all have a better understanding of…
Over the past week, all four of Australia’s biggest banks have reported falls of between 12% to 20% in new home loan applications since the May federal budget. After announcing it would keep interest rates on hold, the Reserve Bank confirmed demand for new home loans has “declined noticeably”. For anyone currently in the market…
