The dream of owning your own “castle” has changed a little, with many first homebuyers today buying an investment property first instead. Australians increasingly want to live close to work and where the action is, which is why most people like to live close to the capital city centres, but with prices rising across most…
Capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax you pay on profits from selling assets, such as property. You essentially make a capital gain when the difference between the cost of purchasing your property (or another asset) and what you gained from selling it is greater than zero – in other words, you made a profit….
Housing affordability for home buyers has finally turned a corner with the March quarter of 2024 showing improvement for the first time in three years, according to the latest data from the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA). But it’s really a tale of two cities. REIA President, Leanne Pilkington, highlighted that while housing affordability…
If you’re a first-time investor, champing at the bit to purchase the first property in what will (hopefully!) become your wealth-building real estate portfolio, it can be a daunting task knowing where to start. There is loads of advice out there on how to go about it, but possibly even more important than the “how-to”…
The interest rate hiking cycle might have peaked, but it’ll be some time until rates drop, borrowing capacity increases and Australia’s property market reopens to more first-home buyers. So it’s no wonder that housing affordability (or unaffordability) is such a popular topic at the moment. There’s no denying it has become a lot harder to…
Property investing is not always easy. The market has its way of humbling us when we become overconfident. But next time you read something in the media that scares you or your tenant causes you to stress reflect on the insights in this list of real estate investment quotes to keep you motivated. “Ninety percent…
Right now things feel awful. Tuesday’s Westpac Melbourne Institute survey shows three times as many Australians say their finances have worsened than say they’ve got better, and twice as many think the economy is getting worse as think it is getting better. The national accounts show real income per Australian (adjusted for inflation) has been…
Are we in an election year? Excuse me for being cynical, but each state seems to be bringing initiatives to help housing affordability. Don’t get me wrong… this is a good thing. However, when looking more closely at some of the initiatives, the numbers don’t really stack up. Build-to-rent scheme for essential NSW workers The…
Property investors are exiting Melbourne. In May, over 3,000 property investors decided to leave Melbourne, marking a 34% increase from the previous year, according to an article from the AFR. The article noted that nearly 4,000 ex-rental properties across Victoria were put up for sale, exacerbating the already critical shortage of rental options. Why is…
Conducting a thorough inspection is one of the most important things you can do when buying a property, whether it’s a brand-new or a second-hand home. But not all potential buyers know how to spot a lemon. The clue is in the name – it’s a property inspection, not a leisurely walk-through. Don’t feel pressured…
