Preparing for the time of your life

  Preparing for the time of your life The choices we make in life have a big influence on our personal happiness and also on the wellbeing of those we love. Sometimes we anticipate choices with a sense of excitement. And sometimes life throws us curve balls in the form of unexpected events and important decisions.   Perhaps you are thinking about a career change or how to achieve a better work/life balance? Maybe you …

Dreaming big with property

  Dreaming big with property Owning your own home has long been the Australian dream. Even if it means making a significant upfront investment, the long term gains are generally personally and financially rewarding. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the price of an average Australian home increased by about seven per cent a year between 1986 and 2013. In dollar terms, the average home has grown in value by 6.3 times over the …

How can I make my dream home a reality?

  How can I make my dream home a reality? Only you can choose the best home for you. But finding a smart way to buy it will probably take some help. Just like engaging an architect to draw a blueprint of your dream home, you may like to consider speaking to a financial expert to help plan the best way to finance your new home. How expert advice can really help There are plenty …

How can property make me better off?

  How can property make me better off? If you’ve built up some equity over the years, it may be time to look at the options your property may give you. Here are four possibilities that could help you: You could buy an investment sooner. Borrowing against the value of your home—which is one way you can access your equity—may enable you to buy an investment sooner than if you had to save the money. …

Ready, set… auction!

  Ready, set… auction! Bidding for a property at auction can be stressful but you can reduce the stress involved. Before you consider bidding use our tips to make sure you’re prepared and know what to expect. Step 1: Work out the costs Working out how much you can afford to repay on a home loan plus all the associated costs of buying a property—like stamp duty―is the first step. Of course, buying at auction …

Gen Y investing in home and away

  Gen Y investing in home and away Gen Y has been brandished a generation of non-savers but that is not the reality. Gen Y is saving but unlike earlier generations they are not necessarily saving for a home. Some of that move away from saving for a home comes down to the high price of property, particularly in the major cities. According to the Bank for International Settlements, Australian house prices are the second …

Investing in a holiday home

Investing in a holiday home Is it really your great Aussie dream? It happens every year. You’re strolling down the high street of your local beachside town enjoying a long hot summer with the family when a holiday home in the real estate agents’ window catches your eye. And you start thinking: “If we had our own place, we could go there all year ‘round and instead of contributing to someone else’s financial future we …

3 ways to get a foot on the property ladder

3 ways to get a foot on the property ladder Creative ideas for younger Australians to invest in property It won’t come as a huge surprise to learn that Australian homes are among the most expensive in the world. In a recent surveyi every Australian town and suburb was rated as ‘seriously’ or ‘severely’ unaffordable. And if you’re in a capital city it’s even worse, with the average Sydney home costing nine times average household …

Property Myth Busting

Property Myth Busting If you’ve always thought property prices only go up… With so much emphasis on property in the media, it can be difficult to sort fact from fiction. But before investing in any type of asset—including property—it pays to consider the pros and cons, and any commonly held misconceptions. We bust 3 property myths. Myth 1: Prices always go up Believing that property always goes up is understandable—especially given prices have dramatically increased …

Downsizing – is it right for you?

  Downsizing – is it right for you? If you are heading towards retirement, or perhaps already in it, downsizing may have crossed your mind. And you might have some questions – does it make sense financially? Is a smaller home better suited to my situation? At first glance, it would seem that downsizing is a popular choice amongst older Australians. However recent research (Downsizers and Other Movers – The Housing Options Choices and Dilemmas …