Property

Many Australians that are getting close to retirement have more money tied up in the family home than they have in income producing assets that they will need to fund their retirements with. While the family home is exempt from capital gains tax, it is a non-income producing asset and will require a substantial amount of money to maintain each...

If you have been paying close attention to the strata title property market in recent years, you may have heard the term "volumetric subdivision". If you haven't heard of it you soon will. As far as Canberra is concerned, property can come in two simple forms; either a single title piece of land or a unit in a strata titled...

'Looking to invest in Canberra? Like all astute investors you know the next important step is choosing the right agent. Here are my 11 tips for a stress free property investment. 1. Have 2 months mortgage payments in an offset account, just in case there is an unexpected expense; e.g. a tenant is a couple of days late in the...

'When it comes to money, I rely heavily on the advice of my accountants and financial advisers, even though I consider myself better than average in my understanding of money, finance and investment. I am, however, smart enough to acknowledge this is a complex environment, and hubris is not my ally when it comes to making sound decisions for my...

When I started my career in the strata industry ten or so years ago, I was told in no uncertain terms that part of the job would require me to conduct strata meetings outside of business hours on site at peoples units or townhouses. Since that day, it has been abundantly clear to me that this is a steadfast rule...

"I am pleased to commence contributing a column on strata management for B2B magazine. However, before jumping in, it is important that we all address the elephant in the room - the fact that far too many people in Canberra have had poor experiences with their strata managers. During my 10 years as a professional within the property industry,spanning strata...

Have you ever considered buying an investment property but have been daunted by the task and fear of getting it wrong? There are some fundamentals that you need to understand to be a successful property investor. This includes doing your research and finding a qualified property investment advisor who can help you through the process. You'll need to assess the...

To me, the introduction by most Lenders of a 100% linked mortgage offset account offering was the best thing since sliced bread in providing the opportunity to reduce mortgage interest charges. Other than the mortgage holder using the account nothing more need be done to gain the benefit of reduced interest charges. What could be easier? And yet, I am...

We are fast running up to the end of the tax year. It is time to review your financial arrangements and consider the steps that you may be able to take to minimise your tax obligations. Please discuss with your financial advisors your income protection position, managing capital any gains and losses, superannuation strategies including additional contributions, and, optimisation of...

As mentioned in my April column about the benefits of investing in property through your Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) there are tight restrictions and essential processes in proceeding down this path Compliance with each of these elements can be quite daunting but there are legal, financial planning and mortgage brokering professionals who have expertise in SMSF investment property purchasing...

Your self managed super fund (SMSF) can borrow to invest in real estate. Over the last few years more Australians are realising the benefits of managing their own super and in particular, investing in property through their super fund. Dreaming of spending your retirement on a golf course, or sailing the Greek Islands on a yacht? Aren't we al. Well,...

Based on recent trends and commentary, it would appear that the Canberra residential property investment market short to possibly midterm prospects for solid capital growth and 'secure' positive investment return on new purchases are not particularly bright. In my view, even though interest rates are very attractive at the present time and continue to attract buyers, the combination of the...

To me, the introduction by most Lenders of a 100% linked mortgage offset account offering was the best thing since sliced bread in providing the opportunity to reduce mortgage interest charges. Other than the mortgage holder using the account nothing more need be done to gain the benefit of reduced interest charges. What could be easier? And yet, I am...

In the prefect world property investment and owner occupied mortgage holders will fix their repayments at or near the bottom of the interest rate cycle for a period of time that is sufficiently long enough to ride through the next peek. Endless articles have been published on this subject but few, if any, are reliably instructive as to actually picking...

When a deal involves financing a newly completed property for investment purposes a key element in a Lender's assessment of the loan application is the anticipated gross weekly rent income. Typically the rent projection is determined by the valuer at the time that the mortgage valuation report is prepared. The valuers anticipated rent income should closely match the independent property...

Australian residential property buyers are increasingly turning to finance / mortgage broking service providers for assistance. The primary reasons for this are simple: * a residential property finance broker is an expert who specialises in defining what type of financing option will work best for a client * they do the leg work wading through the large range of loan...