June 29, 2011
As a fellow Gen Y investor, it’s fair to say that the 20-somethings have only ever known good times. But when it comes to property, our expectations may need to be adjusted.
BY LAUREN CROSS
For Gen X (the 30-somethings), life on the property ladder was great; there was constant growth and equity gains during the early 2000s. In fact it didn’t really matter where you bought – you were guaranteed to make money somewhere.
June 27, 2011
Are we starting to see more distressed vendors than may have been reported?
BY CATHERINE CASHMORE
Australia wide, the delinquency rate has climbed from around 1.4 per cent to 1.79 per cent. It may be low in comparison to Europe and America, but it’s a figure the Reserve Bank of Australia should be paying close attention to because it seems there are other distressed vendors flying under the radar and trying to bail out before they get to the delinquency stage.
June 24, 2011
In the current buyers’ market we all want to buy our investment at the lowest price possible. But on the other hand, the vendor wants the highest price he can get.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
And you now know that the asking price quoted by the selling agent will usually be more than the owner is willing to take for their home. It’s just part of the real estate game – vendors know the asking price will come down as part of the negotiation process.
June 22, 2011
The average age of first homebuyers in Australia has risen to 31 years, up from 25 years in the 1970s, according to a recent survey conducted by mortgage insurance provider Genworth.
BY VANESSA DE GROOT
News reports largely attributed the fact that homebuyers are now six years older when they buy their first home than four decades ago to the age old issue of affordability.
June 20, 2011
I’m often asked what kind of things are really important to have in your car and available on a building site when getting started with doing renovations. So I’ve put together this list for you to consider.
BY ANA STANKOVIC
It’s by no means an exclusive list of what you should have available and this list is likely to grow with the more renovations you do, but it’s a good place to start and at the beginning of each renovation you should try and have as many of these things available as possible.
June 17, 2011
I know some commentators are recommending investors buy regional properties. I guess they see them as a countercyclical opportunity, but I would caution prospective investors to steer clear of regional Australia.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
I’ve explained my thoughts in a recent blog and new figures from RP Data confirm that property markets across regional Australia are weak as many areas struggle to find solutions to the loss of tourism and fewer sea changers.
June 15, 2011
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I was quite baffled by the Queensland Government’s decision yesterday to effectively double stamp duty for non-first homebuyers by scrapping the stamp duty home concession in the State Budget.
BY VANESSA DE GROOT
In fact, judging by the comments from the public on the few news stories I’ve read today on various websites I’d say it’s just about sealed Premier Anna Bligh’s fate of being ousted at the next election.
June 14, 2011
There’s no doubting the benefits of bricks and mortar as an investment option, not least of which is the property market’s resilience during a recession compared to other investment options. But new research that shows demand for residential rental properties is cooling may cause some landlords to question their investment strategy.
BY DAMIAN SMITH
The findings I’m referring to come from property research firm SQM, and show that national vacancy rates rose to 1.8 per cent in April, up from 1.6 per cent the previous month. The rise may seem insignificant, but in real terms there are now 48,000 properties sitting vacant around the country – 10,000 more than this time last year.
June 10, 2011
The rich are getting richer, according to the recently released BRW (Business Review Weekly) Rich 200 list. The total wealth held by this year’s rich list members was up 23 per cent on last year, in part helped by our resources boom.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
And just in case you haven’t noticed, the divide between the rich and the poor has never been so evident, according to BRW. The average income for Australian families is $80,000, with just 15 per cent of us earning $150,000 or more each year, which seems to be Treasurer Wayne Swan’s definition of wealthy.
June 8, 2011
I’ve been looking at property recently, specifically older units, and I can see that they’d make good investments – they’re usually contained within a solid building, they’re more spacious than today’s units and they’re often in good areas close to the city.
BY VANESSA DE GROOT
Looking at these units I think that they’d make a good investment for the aforementioned reasons. I also think that if you’re buying an investment you generally don’t want the property to be top of the line because tenants may not treat it as they would if they owned it.
