May 17, 2013
The latest stats from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that Melbourne once again had the strongest growth of all capital cities, adding 77,242 people in 2011-12 to reach mid-2012 with a population of almost 4.25 million.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
Victoria added 88,966 people to close the financial year with 5.624 million people, just under 25 per cent of all Australians.
May 15, 2013
Like any good political and public policy enthusiast, I spent much of last night glued to my television for the announcement of the 2013 Budget and subsequent analysis from a whole host of wonks.
BY SHANNON MOLLOY
Similarly, like any good generation Y tech geek, I did so in tandem with a scanning of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. What struck me immediately wasn’t the seemingly equal split of public opinion on the slashing of the Baby Bonus, but the degree to which every Tom, Dick and Harry became an economic expert.
May 10, 2013
According to a recent article, financial planners often recommend that a couple would need close to $1 million in superannuation when they retire to live modestly, based on current average annual returns.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
In my opinion that’d only give them a very basic lifestyle since they’d in general live off the $40,000 in interest they receive on this, or on dividends from the shares in the fund.
May 8, 2013
Contrary to the shrieking of some commentators and bleeding hearts, negative gearing is not welfare for the rich. Many investors who provide rental accommodation stock and enjoy this modest tax perk are mum and dad investors.
BY SHANNON MOLLOY
We’re less than a week away now from the next Federal Budget and it’s unlikely to be a cause of celebration. The government has been at pains to ease the blow that’s likely to come, by announcing some measures early – the Medicare levy increase and changes to top tier super tax rates.
May 6, 2013
It was the heart of this Aussie family’s castle, but now it was about to be taken away. The Jones family was left reeling after a Brisbane City Council officer showed up on their doorstep to inform them they were about to lose most of their precious backyard.
BY TIM O’DWYER
The council had received a complaint from a resident about the family’s rear boundary alignment. As a result, council had conducted a site inspection with and discovered that sometime in the past the rear of their block had been effectively and illegally extended into the adjoining park.
May 3, 2013
Just like successful property investors share common traits that average people might not have, the most successful people in business work differently too. Inc.com recently had a peek at what they do – and why it works.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
Here’s what they found.
1. They don’t create back-up plans
Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.
You’ll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there’s no other option. Total commitment – without a safety net – will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.
If somehow the worst does happen (and the worst is never as bad as you think) trust that you’ll find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.
May 1, 2013
With a base of ambition, a sprinkling of confidence, dash of fiscal maturity and thick layer of realistic expectations, first-time buyers can be well on their way to cooking up a successful foray into the property market.
BY SHANNON MOLLOY
When I’m going through an especially busy period in either my work or social lives, I tend to become incredibly lazy at home. The ironing doesn’t get done and vacuuming goes from a twice weekly to a twice-monthly chore.
April 26, 2013
It’s official – we’ve overtaken the US as titleholder for home to the world’s largest houses. McMansions on big suburban blocks have long been held as the ideal great Australian dream, while smaller city apartments copped a bad rap as the cheap and nasty end of the market.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
Times are changing. Many homebuyers and tenants find themselves forced to reflect on whether their priority is square footage and a big backyard or getting into a property without breaking the budget.
April 24, 2013
The oft repeated claim that property doubles in value every seven to 10 years is, of course, a generalisation. Some areas do indeed achieve a 100 per cent increase in price, while many others don’t – and for a variety of reasons.
BY SHANNON MOLLOY
It’s possible to tip with relative success the areas that will perform well in the medium to long-term from a house price perspective. There are growth-inducing factors, such as population changes (housing demand) and construction of new dwellings (supply), which paint a pretty good picture.
April 19, 2013
Many young Australian families are having difficulty getting a foot on the rungs of the property ladder. Some blame the high cost of housing on greedy developers while others blame ugly wealthy investors using tax dodges like negative gearing.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
But is that really the case? There’s no doubt housing in our capital cities is expensive, but is it really unaffordable?
