According to the ABS, the number of people refinancing their mortgage increased by over 63% in the year to May 2020. Quite often people think the only reason to refinance is to obtain a lower interest rate. However, this thinking is incorrect. Typically, you don’t need to refinance to obtain a lower interest rate (more about…
Melbourne’s Covid transmission outbreak has been widely publicised by the media. Melbourne’s daily positive test rate is relatively benign by world standards (i.e. 0.5-0.6% versus 7.5% in the USA). However, the reinstated 6-week lockdown of Melbourne is likely to have a negative impact on Australia’s economy. Melbourne is responsible for producing over 19% of Australia’s…
There have been a number of economists and commentators who have predicted that property values will fall anywhere between 10% and 32% this year. It seems like it’s almost become a competition for who can be the most bearish. However, my view is a lot less bearish. I believe property values won’t fall by more…
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CBA Economics stated last week that property price declines are “inevitable”. It has forecast that prices will fall by circa 10% in Melbourne and Sydney over the next 6 months. It cited many reasons for this forecast including higher unemployment, lower economic activity, lower mortgage volumes, falling rents and fewer overseas buyers. I wanted to…
Over the past few years I have observed a strong trend of investment-grade house prices growing a a much faster rate than apartments. It is true that all markets move in cycles and all cycles come to an end, eventually. It’s my thesis that several factors (such as the fall in the volume of new…
With the recent hikes in fixed and variable rates by the major banks many property investors are wondering whether it’s a good idea to fix the interest rate on their loans. Below are 11 points for you to consider when contemplating the fixed versus variable dilemma: Will you lose sleep if interest rates rise? There are typically…
The ALP’s proposed ban on negative gearing has been well publicised and debated. However, its proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) have received far less attention. I suspect that this is because investors tend to overestimate short-term consequences and underestimate more significant long-term outcomes. But, since most of us are long-term investors, I’d suggest…
No one wants to buy at the peak of the property market! Imagine if you buy a property and then a month later property values fall and it takes more than 2 years to recover to the amount you paid for it. That two years of holding costs (interest) for no gain. Would you kick…
Are your mortgages liabilities? That is, do you view them as negative things that you would like to eliminate if you had the money? If so, I challenge you to think of mortgages as an asset. In fact, doing so could dramatically improve your financial success. In the olden days… Decades ago, the clear majority of people…
Parents always want their children to have the best education. For some people, that means sending their kids to a private school. Of course, private schooling can be expensive and can have a big impact on your cash flow. But I’d like to suggest that the ‘cost’ is a lot more than the initial cash…
