News & Media

Rent or buy? How to know what's right for you

Thursday 05 Sep 2019

The great Australian dream of owning a home once drove a fairly predictable housing pattern. People would rent for a while, save for a deposit then dive into home ownership at the first opportunity. Times have changed. Rising house prices and a need for lifestyle flexibility have many making the choice to be long-term tenants instead of homeowners. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of buying versus renting. A case for renting Location: A long work commute takes a rea ....

More info

How to relist your home for sale

Thursday 05 Sep 2019

Everybody deserves a second chance, especially when it comes to their property. Vendors want the best sale price, and so do agents, but sometimes things just don't go to plan. It can be for a number of reasons - it could be the time of year, or maybe there weren't enough photos on the listing, it could just be that it's not a seller's market. Whatever the factors are, being unable to sell a home in the first listing is a position that no one really wants to be in, but life is complicated and if ....

More info

5 ESSENTIAL INVESTMENT PROPERTY TIPS

Thursday 22 Aug 2019

Buying your first investment property can be a bold step towards a more prosperous and secure future. But it also poses risks. The Successful Investor’s Michael Sloan outlines five strategies to help you take the right path. 1. Equity Most people use the equity from their home to help buy their first investment property. They can then use the equity from both their home and investment property to buy their next property. This makes owning a portfolio of properties far easier over time. For ....

More info

Boost your rent by up to 30% without renovating

Thursday 22 Aug 2019

In almost every capital city, median asking rents for pet-friendly apartments are higher than for homes that don’t allow pets, according to Domain Group data.That means landlords who allow pets could boost their rental return by simply checking a box. Apartments advertised as pet-friendly are rarest in Melbourne, representing less than 3% of all rentals, followed by Adelaide (6%) and Sydney and Canberra (both 7%). Houses are more likely to be pet-friendly, but the proportion is still low i ....

More info

Ultimate spring selling guide

Monday 05 Aug 2019

Spring is arguably the best time to sell a house with the property market "springing" into action. A period known as the Spring Blitz, during this time properties seemingly sell themselves.   To get the most out of the season there are a number of things you'll need to do to stay ahead in the game. Like the weather, the competition is heating up. Our guide will give you the tips on how to sell your house, stand out from the crowd, and identify the possible pros and cons of a spring sale. &n ....

More info

Buy Your First Home Sooner

Monday 05 Aug 2019

The First Home Super Saver Scheme and First Home Deposit Scheme could help you buy property sooner. Here's how. Before the recent federal election, both the Coalition and Labor vowed to support a new scheme helping first home buyers. The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) is yet to become law and is different to the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS). However, both schemes will work in conjunction and if you are looking to buy your first home, it is worth understanding how the two schemes ....

More info

Interest Rate Cuts and the impact for borrowers

Thursday 18 Jul 2019

THE RBA interest rate announcement on July 2, has been well-received by industry experts and many banks have already announced borrowers will receive interest rate relief. The RBA's decision to cut interest rates will help affordability for home buyers, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA). "The second cut in as many months is a major boost to housing affordability," REIA President Adrian Kelly, said. "Subject to the banks passing on the cuts in full this means that for eac ....

More info

10 signs it could be time to sell your house

Thursday 18 Jul 2019

Is it the right time to sell your house? Have you been flirting with the idea of a new, modern home or gazing at properties you imagine yourself living in? You're probably experiencing those fledgling feelings of desire that put the cogs in motion. How to know when to sell your house isn't an easy decision to come to. Especially, when your home is filled with cherished memories. More than wanting a new home that checks all the updated boxes, you also need to consider a range of influences that w ....

More info

8 steps to getting started in property investment

Thursday 27 Jun 2019

8 steps to getting started in property investment Admit it, you’ve been thinking about investing in property.  You’ve read the books, magazine articles and reports. And you’ve been religiously checking realestate.com.au for properties. But when push comes to shove, you never follow through. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, despite real estate being a national pastime, only 8.4% of Australians, or roughly 2.1 million people, owned an investment property, ....

More info

9 tips for saving on tax on your investment property

Thursday 27 Jun 2019

9 tips for saving tax on your investment property Property investment is hard work, but it’s also rewarded with plenty of tax breaks.  And so we spoke to Dr Adrian Raftery, a tax expert at Deakin University’s business school, about how property investors can maximise their deductions. Here are his top tips for saving tax on your investment property in 2019. Investors can claim deductions on everything from repairs and maintenance to travel and borrowing expenses. Picture: reales ....

More info