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All the talk in recent times has been around interest rates and exactly just how far the RBA could potentially go when they eventually start their tightening cycle, and how quickly this will occur. While we all understand that interest rates need to move back to a more balanced level than what we’ve been experiencing,…
With each passing day, the rumblings around interest rate rises continue to grow louder. With the latest CPI data from Australia showing that inflation is now sitting at 3.5%, the calls keep coming for the RBA to act sooner rather than later on interest rates. We’re also hearing a similar story out of the US where…
Over the past few weeks, we’ve slowly started to see auction clearance rates across Sydney and Melbourne begin to fall as significant new listings have hit the market. This has coincided with the removal of lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT and the onset of the seasonally strong spring selling season. While the mainstream…
As house prices continue to surge higher across the country, investors need to be more pragmatic than ever when it comes to identifying good opportunities. Around the country, the latest data from CoreLogic suggests house prices on a national basis have increased by more than 20% over the last 12 months. Record low-interest rates have…
Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), who appears ready to crack down on lending.
Recently, we’ve seen a very clear shift towards capital growth. Looking at the latest data from CoreLogic and it’s clear that property prices are increasing rapidly, with dwelling values up by 18.4% around the country in the past 12 months.
It was announced that Brisbane would be the host city for the 2032 Olympic Games. While this is a positive for the nation, for property investors, the first thought is naturally what does this mean for property prices in Brisbane going forward?
As residential house prices across Australia continue to remain very strong, the latest update from the RBA has painted a slightly more hawkish picture for what lies ahead with interest rates.
Given the significant impact low rates have had on stoking the property market, it has many people asking, how will any rate rises change that dynamic going forward?
As Australian real estate prices across the country continue to rise at a rapid pace, we’re starting to see the same old headlines getting rolled out about investors rushing back into the market. However, the truth of the matter appears to be a little different.
The latest set of figures from CoreLogic has confirmed what most homebuyers already know, which is that house prices are rising at a record pace. In March, house prices increased in value by 2.8% across Australia, which is the fastest rate we’ve seen since October 1988. Spurred on by record-low interest rates and a host…
After a period where we’ve seen some of the lowest interest rates in history, investors are now starting to take a closer look at what rising bond yields are telling us. Over the past few months, the yield on both US and Australian Government bonds has been rising sharply. As it stands the yield on…
Property prices across the country are continuing to rise thanks to a combination of low interest rates and low supply, and in the process creating a tricky environment for buyers. According to the latest data from CoreLogic, house prices rose nationally by 2.1% in February, marking the biggest one-month gain since 2003. Notably, both Sydney…
When COVID was beginning to unfold across Australia and the world in the early part of 2020, property experts and media pundits began to predict sharp falls in house prices. The Commonwealth Bank forecast a potential 32 per cent house price crash with the other major banks also believing we would see similar drops over…
The NSW Government has announced a plan to abolish stamp duty and replace it with a land tax, in a bid to make property transactions easier and help people move homes when they need to. Here are some Australian expat tax advice Under the proposed changes, homebuyers in NSW will be able to choose between…
It appears as though the Government and the RBA are pulling out all stops in a bid to get people to borrow, invest and spend money to stimulate the economy and create employment. The latest decision by the RBA to slash interest rates to a record low 0.1 per cent and embark on a range of QE…
Some of the topics covered today included:
– Structuring your #Mortgage to your advantage
– Benefits of Negative Gearing for Expats
– How to position yourself for Capital Gains Tax in the future
– Navigating the difficult Bank lending environment
– Refinancing your mortgage using accumulated lazy home equity
– Buying new investment property off the plan with a small deposit
– Winning strategies to build your property portfolio
– How to legally reduce your #Australian tax liability
The odds of an interest rate cut at the next meeting of the RBA appear to be increasing by the day, after Governor Lowe’s speech last week all but implied it was about to happen. If a rate cut does eventuate on Melbourne Cup day, it would see the official cash rate fall to 0.1…
The latest house price data from CoreLogic has been released and it’s showing what many in the real estate industry have known for some time, that house prices are starting to climb in six out of eight of our capital cities and across many non-metro markets. Earlier in the year, when COVID was just starting…
On Friday, the Federal Government announced the biggest change to lending standards we’ve seen since the GFC and it could make finance a lot easier to obtain for property investors. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is poised to put some of the responsibility back on the borrower and away from the lender in a move that aims…
Despite the ongoing media speculation about large 30% plus falls in house prices, there are still plenty of strong residential property markets across the country. Of the nation’s 15 market jurisdictions (8 capital cities and 7 regional markets), 11 have house prices higher than they were at the start of the year Interestingly, some of the…
As Melbourne heads back into lockdown, the headlines are still painting a very negative picture for the Australian property market as a whole. The latest data from CoreLogic is suggesting that house values have fallen modestly over the past two months and now with limited auction activity in Melbourne for the foreseeable future that could…
With the announcement of the HomeBuilder package from the Federal Government and a host of other incentives being offered by various State Governments, building a new home or buying off the plan has just become a lot more popular. However, when looking to buy off the plan Brisbane or building a new dwelling, there are…
All the talk recently has been surrounding the Federal Government’s latest incentive for the real estate sector, known as HomeBuilder, which is a $25,000 grant to encourage homeowners to build and renovate. The package has not been without its critics as the criteria to qualify is relatively restrictive. You need to firstly be earning less…
It was very likely that when the latest CoreLogic data was released on house prices, there were a number of doomsayers who were a little disappointed. While prices across the major capital cities did decline by -0.5 per cent, this is a long way from the 30 per cent falls that some were suggesting. Overall, while there…
The current lending environment in Australia is arguably as restrictive as its ever been. After the GFC, lending standards around the world changed, making it far tougher to get a home loan than it has ever been before. At the same time, we’ve also seen APRA in Australia, clamp down on easy lending in a…
The impact of COVID-19 has seen unprecedented changes made to the way we live our lives, and for many people the way we earn an income. With social distancing measures grinding industries to a halt, the financial fallout is going to be significant. Despite the fact that the Australian Government has rolled out a number…
Property prices have started the year in the same fashion they ended 2019, but the RBA is starting to take note. The latest data from CoreLogic has shown that over the January period, house prices in both Melbourne and Sydney have continued to push higher and there appear to be more increases in store for…
I have always struggled to comprehend how this legislation is going to actually reduce the pressure on housing affordability as the ultimate outcome will probably be that fewer homes will be listed for sale as owners choose not to sell their main residence to avoid incurring any capital gains tax as a result of a…
2019 has started to look like a tale of two halves. In the early part of the year, property pundits were doom and gloom as the political and regulatory fallout from the most recent housing boom weighed heavily on market sentiment. APRA had been hard on lenders and that was keeping borrowers under wraps. At…
When asked most people would consider Sydney to be a far stronger economy than Brisbane, with far higher wages. Sydney is a global city by most measures, not dissimilar to the likes of New York or London. Sydney is one of the economic powerhouses of Australia and along with Melbourne is growing at a rapid…
As investors and homeowners have been cheering the recent rebound in house prices in Sydney and Melbourne, the housing regulator is once again keeping a close eye on how it is unfolding. Over the most recent quarter, house prices in Sydney and Melbourne have rebounded sharply. Sydney has increased in value by 3.5% in the…
There is growing speculation that the RBA is rapidly running out of bullets to fire after the latest rate cut saw the official cash rate fall to a record-low 0.75%. But that hasn’t dented the sharp rebound in property prices with prices jumping by record levels during September. The move by Governor Lowe and the…
The early indicators are starting to look good for property prices as buyers are starting to show their hands ahead of the Spring selling season. Across the board, the indicators are starting to suggest that the recent weakness in property markets in many states is starting to scream opportunity for savvy buyers. The most obvious…
The share economy has changed the way many of us operate from how we get around (Uber), to how we get our food delivered (Deliveroo) and even where we choose to stay when we travel (AirBnB). For investment purposes, using a platform like AirBnB can also be an excellent way to boost the yield on…
It’s pretty clear that the Australian Government is doing whatever it can to clamp down on those Australian’s living and working overseas who are (generally speaking) not paying taxes in Australia. One of the ways they have started to do this is by calling up non-residents to start paying off any of their student debt….
Australia could very well be in for a period of ultra-low interest rates, which has the potential to drag on for many years. At least that is what money markets are currently predicting. The news that the RBA cut rates for the second time in as many months, might be bad news for yield hunters,…
Property markets in both Sydney and Melbourne are showing the early stages of prices stabilising with the first signs of growth since the market peaked in 2017. Australia’s property market has been reinvigorated by a host of regulatory and monetary policy moves in recent times that have led to a huge lift in confidence. The…
There is little doubt that much of Australia’s economic success has been built on the back of a very open policy towards immigration. Last year, 163,000 permanent migrants were granted places all across the country, in what was hotting up as a key election issue only weeks ago. Population growth is clearly a controversial topic…
Properties, like most things, gradually deteriorate over time. This means that after a certain period, your property will require a renovation instead of a repair. If you want to Buying Investment Property in Australia or you’re the owner of a Investment property, this won’t feel like a win-win situation. After all, a significant renovation means…
When we hear the words ‘investing’ and ‘real estate’, a trigger goes off in our minds, and we immediately think of dollar signs and how much money we’ll make from it. Before you jump into this long-term relationship, you should realise that your success depends heavily on your finances and factors that could impact it….
A new year has begun, and many Australians will be revisiting their investment portfolios to see if it’s still meeting their needs and achieving the expected outcomes. You might be deciding the enter the property investment market for the first time in 2019 or wanting to check if your existing property investments are still on…
Buying property in Australia can be a dangerous territory to navigate when you have no experience. Like all investments, it requires a keen understanding to reap its rewards and this will only happen if you understand the intricacies involved. The key is to avoid making these mistakes: Failing to do your research – Sounds like…
If you’re an expat and you plan on returning to Australia when you retire, or even before that, it makes sense to have a solid foot on the property ladder first. You may want to enjoy the climate and more laid-back lifestyle in your golden years, but if you’re planning on returning without working, then…
The decision to leave Australia for a long period is not an easy one to make. There are many things you’ll need to consider, and as you’ll soon learn, your responsibilities don’t automatically cease the moment you step onto foreign soil. If you’re currently living abroad, stay up to date with your tax obligations by…
When it comes to calculating the rental yield of a property, it’s only natural as a property investor to look for opportunities that show the highest amount of rental yield. However there might be a fair amount of risk attributed to high-yield properties, and as such, you have to be sure to take a holistic…
Owning a house is one of the most essential methods in wealth accumulation, but many people who are beginning to look at retirement, question whether they should still own their houses, or sell and rent. It’s a fact that one of your biggest expenses in retirement will be centred around housing, and this can become…
Investing in a property in another country is a leap that requires trust and confidence. Investing in Australian residential property developments from abroad remains a popular choice for many Singaporean residents and Australian expats, but, increasingly these investors are shying away from mass market properties and unit developments in favour of unique, boutique apartments purchased…
Ask a group of people what they think is the perfect value of a property investment and you will get varied answers. Some will recommend caution and choosing an affordable investment that gives slow but steady returns over time. Others will recommend stretching yourself and getting something a little out of your price range for…
If you own a home or are planning to buy property but might not occupy it for a certain amount of time over the course of a year, you might become liable to pay an annual vacancy fee, which can impact on your property investment return. If you want to find out more about the…
Investing in Australian property is a great way to make the most out of your portfolio, but when it comes to picking out the actual property, it might be difficult to choose the best one. To help you find the best possible property investment for your needs, we’ve put together some considerations you can make…
Are you a parent that wants to help your child with buying property in Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra or Sydney? Before you cash in that policy or take a lump sum out the bank for them to use as a deposit, a family guarantee might be a better option. What A Family Guarantee Entails A family…
Will Capital Gains Tax for “Principal Place of Residence” be Expats next hurdle? Here are 5 examples taken from the exposure Draft. (To read the full document please click the button below) – Vicki acquired a dwelling on 10 September 2010, moving into it and establishing it as her main residence as soon as it was…
Many homeowners have experienced some form of shock when the global financial crisis hit our markets, and are wondering how to best secure their financial future, especially in terms of their retirement. Owning a house is one of the most essential methods in wealth accumulation, but many people who are beginning to look at retirement,…
“We’ll be Right” – Australia’s Economy has shrugged off financial crises for quarter of a century Firstly, as an update the RBA continued to keep the official cash rate at an all-time low of 1.5% at its April meeting, which it has done since last August. The interesting development since my last newsletter is that…
Australia’s economy on a roll, thanks to state governments Economist, AFR Mar 10 2017 Property developers are building more houses, farmers are exporting more food and foreigners are paying more visits. Brendon Thorne Gold rush in the late 19th century so enriched Charters Towers, an outback town in the state of Queensland, that it opened its…
Any seasoned investor knows that the younger you begin investing in property the better the financial gains will be down the road. Eager young investors are well-placed to reap the many benefits of property investment which continues to retain great appeal with Australians. It is reported that at least 20 percent of Australians are property…
I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and a prosperous 2017 ahead and let’s enjoy the festive season before we start afresh again. I think we should all be grateful that we have come through a year that had some nasty surprise outcomes for investment markets which didn’t really have any…
It is common for new property investors to feel overwhelmed when thinking that property investment might be the way that they achieve their wealth creation goals. In order to invest with confidence you need to calm or control as best you can any fears you might have. This is more easily done with the right…
Retirement may seem eons away but it is never too early to invest in your retirement plans. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy a more stress-free lifestyle in your golden years by making a few wise decisions today. Those decisions need to include suitable choices for retirement living. There has been much focus on retirement housing…
Singapore or Sydney? Both are world-class cities for both residential and commercial property investment. But in the world of real estate not all things are created equal. Statistics have revealed that Sydney ranks as the second most favoured city in the Asia Pacific area for commercial real estate, placing it above Singapore. The increased activity…
It’s been an interesting time since the last news article went out where the saying “Much ado about nothing” could be viewed as a paradox. We have seen global markets continue their run of serenity in a world that seems to becoming ever more challenging for investment professionals and investors alike. The VIX or global volatility…
As I speculated last Monday, the June quarter CPI report gave the Governor enough ammunition to act. The Reserve Bank said a rate cut will create “room for even stronger growth” as the inflation rate is set to remain below its target range and risks in the housing market abate. Read more.. The Reserve Bank…
Hi Everyone Commentators are divided as to the likelihood of the Reserve Bank of Australia announcing another interest rate cut in August, especially in light of the June Quarter CPI report that has just been released. The uncertainty surrounding Tuesday’s decision is reflected in the market, where pricing for a rate cut is about 50-50….
Hi Everyone, As we head into the end of the Financial Year for 2016 in Australia, I think it is worth looking at some of the perhaps surprising data that has appeared. Australia’s economy added jobs in April and the unemployment rate held at a 2 1/2 year low of 5.7 % as the number…
For the majority of us, we’ve all considered investing in property but may not know where to start. Our goal at Wise Guru is to ensure that our clients are educated and empowered to make informed decisions when it comes to investing. As a result, we’ve put together our top 6 steps to get started…
If you’re an Australian expat living and working in Singapore, without mandatory superannuation contributions, it’s important that you have an alternative retirement strategy in place. Investing in property can be a highly profitable strategy. With property prices in Australia climbing by approximately 10% in 2015, it’s no surprise that many are using residential property to…
Australian property is a popular destination for international investors looking for lower risk and consistent capital growth. We’ve outlined 5 top tips as a guide for international buyers looking to get started in investing in Australian residential property. 1. Yield or Capital Growth Rental yields in Australia will tend to range between 3 – 5%,…
I thought it would be relevant to share my thoughts about this concept that I keep hearing over and over from Fund Managers (especially in the Fixed Income markets) that we have entered a “New Age” of lower rates for longer. My experience in the past is that every cycle brings about this paradigm shift…
