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October 31, 2011

When it comes to finance, never say never


One of the most disheartening prospects a homebuyer faces is rejection. First there’s the possibility that the offer they put in on their dream home or ideal investment might be declined, and of course, even more soul destroying is the chance that the banks will leave them high and dry with no money to even make a deal in the first place.

BY ROLF SCHAEFER

As we witnessed during the global financial crisis in 2008, when the world economy starts to show significant cracks, lenders get nervous. Their lending criteria becomes more stringent and they seem to want every last detail of your life story before even glancing at your home loan application. Read more →

October 28, 2011

Who wants to be a property millionaire?


It would seem Australia is set to live up to its global status as the ‘lucky country’, with the number of millionaire households expected to almost double in Australia over the next decade.

BY MICHAEL YARDNEY

While $1 million might still seem like a lot of money to many people who are struggling with rising household debt – and it would definitely go a long way in developing countries where you can buy a whole lot more for a whole lot less – in reality a cool million just isn’t worth as much as it used to be.

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October 26, 2011

Getting good help


I’ve heard the experts say it a million times: one of the keys to being a successful investor is surrounding yourself with a good team of people.

BY VANESSA DE GROOT

But while I’ve heard it many times, this tip really hit home for me recently, when I bought an investment property in Brisbane.

I decided to use a mortgage broker to sort out finance for my acquisition beca

use I thought it was the best way to go. I used one for my last purchase and everything went smoothly, so I figured it would be the same this time around, and what’s more, I thought it would make things easier for me because I wouldn’t have to deal with the back and forth dealings with the bank.
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October 24, 2011

Should you be able to access your super to buy a home?


Recently there have been discussions on whether potential homebuyers should be able to access their superannuation to buy property.

BY PETER KOULIZOS

When I heard this strategy being suggested, my first response was ‘no’. The main reason I was initially against the idea is that I was concerned that if some superannuation funds had been invested into the family home and something went wrong, it would also jeopardise their retirement.
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October 21, 2011

Land banking – a property development strategy for the times


How many times have you driven past a property and said to yourself, “If only I had bought that property when it was for sale five years ago?”

BY MICHAEL YARDNEY

Who wouldn’t have bought more properties 10 years ago if they knew they would have doubled in value, like many well-located properties have done over the past decade?

Fast forward to five years from now – would you like to own a property development site that cost you much less than its current price?

Well maybe you should consider land banking – a strategy used by many professional property developers.

Read more →

October 20, 2011

Set up your board of directors


Having a good property manager is like having a board of directors for your property investing business.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

A good rental manager is kind of like your custodian board of directors. You, as chairman, take a sabbatical, heading off to the next thing to take up your time, while leaving them with a book of rules.

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October 14, 2011

Why apartments will outperform houses


Backyards, barbeques and big houses have been the norm for Australian homeowners over many generations. But what of future generations?

BY MICHAEL YARDNEY

Some demographers suggest we’re so much in love with the idea of having big spaces to raise a family that it’s impossible for us to change, despite the fact that Australia will likely have to absorb 2.3 million additional households over the next 15 years alone and we’re not sure where we’re going to put all these people.

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October 12, 2011

It’s hard to be cool


Given that I’m a female, many of you reading this will probably stereotype me as being a fairly emotional beast – at least somewhat more than a male.

BY VANESSA DE GROOT

Yes, I accept that many women are prone to crying at the drop of a hat, or perhaps losing their cool easily, and there’s obviously a very good physiological reason for that! But despite this, being overly emotional is not something I would describe myself as. In fact, I pride myself on being a cool cat, not one of those chicks that can’t keep it together.

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October 11, 2011

Come out winning in a soft market


Statistics are beginning to show an increase in the number of property investors taking advantage of what has widely been spruiked as a buyers’ market.

BY CATHERINE CASHMORE

Not only is this evident in the increased numbers of buyers lining up outside ‘open for inspections’ and attending auctions, Australian Finance Group (the country’s largest mortgage brokering group) reported their mortgage sales hitting an 18-month high in August – that’s some $2.7 billion, with 38 per cent going directly to property investors.

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October 7, 2011

Is retiring mortgage free an unattainable dream?


Not too long ago the great Australian dream of home ownership was considered a way to fund retirement.

BY MICHAEL YARDNEY

Ask any Baby Boomer and they’ll tell you they were taught to get a good job, buy their own home, pay it off and voila! You’ll be set for your golden years! While that’s not exactly true – it takes a lot more than just one house to fund retirement – it’s scary to think that many Gen Ys won’t even have the opportunity to own their own home outright when they retire in thirty to forty years’ time.

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