If you have seen the movie Money Pit, in which Tom Hanks and Shelley Long play a hapless couple whose home renovations plummet from bad to disastrous with every swing of the hammer, it’s easy to see why buyers should be beware.
Switching home loans could help pay down your mortgage sooner, providing you are refinancing for the right reasons and understand what’s involved. Here’s our guide to refinancing to help you make the right move when the time comes.
Recent changes by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) have led to significant tightening of investment lending criteria by the major lenders.
By the time we save for our first home, upgrade to a bigger or better one, earn enough money to pay the mortgage and bills and live life in between, it’s not surprising many of us don’t contemplate investing in property until we are middle-aged or beyond.
They claim you don’t really know anyone until you live with them – and the same could be said for tenants. You won’t really know what they’re like until they move in.
After 18 months of record low interest rates, many Australians are wondering what’s in store for 2015. With the official cash rate so low, is it a case of what goes down, must go up? Or can we expect the interest savings to continue into the year?
Limited cash flow and equity mean many first-time property investors feel the need to chase down a bargain to enter the market. But, like most things in life, you usually get what you pay for, which – in the case of property – can mean unrealised returns or even losses. While there’s nothing wrong with paying less in the hope of making more, investors need to understand when a cheap property is truly a bargain and when they could be selling (or rather buying) themselves short.
Your home is likely to be the biggest purchase you make, so it’s something you want to get right. Mistakes can be stressful and costly. Here are the biggest ones buyers make and some tips to help you avoid them.
When mum and dad investors consider property, most look no further than the residential market. While homes and apartments may be seen as simpler and safer options, many investors are prepared to defy tradition and set their sights on the commercial sector.
New home sales are back on the rise, fuelled in part by many investors and owner-occupiers buying off the plan. The concept is straightforward: put up a deposit (usually 10 per cent) to help the developer fund construction and pay the balance when the build is complete. Apartments are now springing up at a rapid rate in capital cities and popular holiday locations with the confidence that property prices will rise, handing buyers a tidy capital growth when they eventually take possession.
