When investing in property there are various different loan types that you can come across including fixed term loans, variable-rate loans as well as being able to use an offset account. An offset account has the potential to save you thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars during your mortgage lifetime. So what exactly is it and how can you use it? Alex Goldhagen from iBuyNew explains.

What is … Read more »

Being a landlord involves more than collecting rent and managing repairs. Over the years, the balance between tenant and landlord rights has been a constant pendulum swing; with both parties believing their rights could be improved.

As a landlord it’s imperative to understand both landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities. Knowing the process and protocol in your state will see you navigate your way around legislation correctly, ultimately staying away from … Read more »

Predictions that the Australian property market will burst continue to run rampant as the country faces the greatest credit-fuelled real estate market it’s ever seen. The market has seen a drop off in investor confidence and the repercussions of this are being felt from buyers to sellers with falling auction clearance rates and plateauing property prices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Here are our tips for property … Read more »

After showing strong conditions through to September, the final quarter of 2015 ends with capital city dwelling values declining by 1.4%.

According to the CoreLogic RP Data Home Value Index, dwelling values were absolutely flat across the combined capitals during December, with negative movements in Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra being offset by a rise in dwelling values across the remaining five capital cities. The Sydney housing market was the main drag … Read more »

Using a self-managed super fund (SMSF) to buy property is becoming increasingly popular but the decision requires careful consideration.

There are significant advantages to having a property in an SMSF for example tax effectiveness: your super fund will be taxed at 15 per cent which is considerably lower than most people’s personal tax rates.

However, there are a few things to bear in mind if you … Read more »

Before starting to look seriously at a property, most investors work out the yield on the property to see if it makes their shortlist. Although some investors buy property for other reasons – such as land banking, infrastructure potential or lifestyle reasons – most are mainly concerned with its current return and potential yield.

A yield is a measurement of future income on an investment. It is … Read more »

Over the last four years the number of investment property loans in Australia has grown by 37% compared to an increase of only 4% in the number of owner occupied loans.

Check out the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Research Consumer Single Source survey of approximately 45,000 people per annum thanks to Announcer.

Investors

The survey reported that the 35 to 64 age group accounted for 78% of the … Read more »

Announcer considers the pros and cons.

I’m confused – my bank teller is telling me to transfer my savings onto my mortgage but you are encouraging me to leave the money in my offset account. Isn’t the end result the same? Why am I being told something different from the bank?

Great question!

Besides the obvious answer that the banks would prefer the security of having your savings paying off the money they … Read more »

No investment is risk free, so the more you know about the less glamorous aspects of being a property owner, the more likely you are to recover if things go wrong.

Understanding how to manage the various risks associated with being a landlord enables you to make the most of your portfolio.

If you’re prepared for all outcomes, small bumps in the road won’t knock you out of the game. Lisa Indge shares her … Read more »

The buy-and-hold property investment strategy is the most commonly used among Australian investors due to its simplicity, passive nature and reduced risk compared to other strategies.

Adam Grocke at Smart Property Investment explains the investment strategy.

A buy-and-hold property investment strategy requires less investment knowledge, less risk and less deposit, making it a great entry level investment. The key to this strategy is to simply purchase a property and retain it until you have … Read more »