With the economic shutdown across the country still putting the brakes on many industries, there has been a flow-on effect through many different industries.
For investors, one of the problems they’ve been facing is whether or not their tenants are going to be able to pay the rent for the next six months. We’ve already seen Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s moratorium on evictions cause confusion across the country and now the states have been slowly catching up and imposing a range of different laws that will protect renters.
However, there are some people, including the real estate bodies that still feel landlords and investors have been disproportionately impacted by the rental law changes that will likely be in place for the next six months.
So how are landlords across the east coast faring with the recent emergency measures?
NSW
The NSW State Government has followed suit with most states and is implementing a six-month moratorium on evictions for tenants who fall into arrears with their rental payments. So at this point in time, landlords are unable to evict tenants.
Instead of a payment to tenants who are impacted by COVID-19, if landlords are under pressure because the rent is not being paid, the Government has looked to land tax relief.
If a tenant has lost 25% of their income, the landlord (property owner) is able to get a 25% discount on their land tax. However, the landlord must then, in turn, pass that on to the tenant.
VIC
Unlike NSW, Victoria has worked to give relief directly to tenants. A rent relief payment of up to $2,000 has been made available to tenants who are experiencing hardship because of COVID-19.
The program is a part of an $80 million rental assistance fund, set up by the Victorian Government, however, there are some strict criteria that need to be met before a tenant qualifies.
The renter must be earning less than $100,000 per year and have less than $5,000 in savings. They must also be paying more than 30% of the income in rent.
The Government has suggested that the onus will fall back on the tenant and landlord to negotiate the terms.
As with NSW, there is also the six-month moratorium on evictions.
QLD
Early in the piece, it appeared that QLD was going to be one state that severely favoured the tenant. However, the real estate bodies lobbied hard and a number of the areas have been would back, bringing the program more in line with the rest of the country.
Like both NSW and Victoria, there will be the six-month moratorium on evictions, which is backdated to 29 March. They cannot also be listed in a tenancy database for rent arrears.
If tenants have a fixed-term lease that is due to expire during the COVID-19 pandemic, they can extend their lease until 30 September 2020 if they choose.
Tenants can break a lease with capped fees if they have lost 75 per cent of their income and savings of less than $5,000.
They will also be able to claim COVID-19 rental relief if they have lost 25 per cent of their income and if their rent exceeds 30 per cent of their income. There is land tax relief available and it is available if tenants fall into financial difficulty.
A tenant can also refuse to have a physical inspection of their property for non-essential reasons but will be required to do a virtual inspection. Owner obligations for routine repairs and inspections have been relaxed, but regulatory requirements to ensure tenant safety in the rental property continue to apply.
Challenging Times for All
It’s important to note here, that rent in arrears will still need to be paid. If you are impacted by a tenant that has fallen on hard times, it’s important to work with together on the issues.
Generally speaking, the hardest-hit areas of the market appear to be those that are reliant on tourism. Outer suburbs are lower socioeconomic areas are likely to be the ones that feel the brunt of job losses and reduced income levels – which would lead to an inability to pay the rent.
High yielding short stay accommodation has been an appealing investment in recent years with the rise of platforms such as Airbnb but now many are asking whether it’s worth the risk, compared to traditional long-term rentals in blue-chip areas.
We always look to invest in premium locations aimed at the higher end of the market and in times like this when the quality of tenant is more important than ever, it’s clear how vital this is.
Buying a property to rent out is a significant investment that will put extra cash into your pocket every month.
You might have narrowed down the suburb you’d like to invest in, but where exactly in this suburb should you invest? Studies say that properties in close proximity to budget supermarkets are in demand in the rental sector. Here’s why….
Time
Most people
need to dedicate time out of their busy daily schedules for regular trips to
the supermarket. Whether they’re stocking their cupboards monthly or in need of a few odds and ends each week, they’ll
visit a supermarket without fail.
People
looking for rentals are more likely to choose a property near a budget
supermarket than one that takes significant time to reach, as many Australians
already battle lengthy commutes to and from work. Grocery shopping already
takes time – from navigating the store to waiting in line – so most people don’t
want to spend more than 20 minutes from start to finish. Therefore renting a
property close to a supermarket would be a good investment.
Students, single professionals, pensioners and even parents with young children appreciate the convenience of being able to get what they need from a store when they need it. This makes a rental property close to a store appealing to a variety of possible markets – unlike schools (which only appeal to parents) and nightlife (which only appeals to students and singles). A supermarket’s ability to stock everything from diapers to cigarettes to milk makes it a good common denominator.
No Car? No Problem
If given the option, most people would prefer not to drive unnecessarily.
If your investment property only offers single car parking or off-street parking, residents will prefer to visit places in walking distance rather than risk losing a coveted parking spot.
The walk could even be used as an opportunity to walk the dog or get some exercise, killing two birds with one stone.
Having a supermarket down the road with everything a tenant needs is a massive boost to the popularity and value of your property.
If you are looking to invest in rentals, the first places you should look at should be near budget supermarkets.
For more advice on investing in property in Australia, contact Wise Guru today.
The fact that property is an unpredictable
market to invest in is nothing new. How then do property investors take
calculated risks that yield success? Is it all just a guessing game? While
there are formulae to calculate a possible outcome at any given moment,
property investment projections are far more complicated than that. There are
so many elements to factor in when weighing the implications of an investment
that there usually isn’t a single, universally correct answer. We’ve compiled a
few distinct behaviours exhibited by successful property investors to guide you
in the right direction.
1. Honesty Is The Best Policy With Tenants
As a property investor, you’ll probably need
to attract tenants and maintain a healthy business relationship with them. How
do you do this? Property investment isn’t a highly regulated industry, but you
could opt to always be honest instead of taking advantage of this. It will help you develop a positive reputation,
marketing you as a trustworthy landlord to future tenants.
2. Always Find The Best Possible Loan Deal
When sourcing a property loan, it’s imperative
that you make comparisons first. Don’t just jump in on the first deal you’re
offered. There’s always someone willing to offer
a better deal. Loan amount and interest aren’t the only important factors – check
for benefits and added extras as well.
3. Pay Attention To Who’s In The Area
Before you decide on an area to invest in, do
a little research on the businesses that the area
attracts. Large fast food and supermarket franchises only set up shop where they
believe they’ll have a steady stream of
local customers. What does this mean for you? A revolving door of potential
tenants, that’s what.
4. Plan Ahead – Use Your Head And Not Your
Heart
The most important habit of successful
property investors is planning in advance
and in detail. With an investment as huge
as property, you can’t afford to act on a hunch. You need to punch in the
numbers, allocate funds and make provisions should the market move in an unanticipated
direction. This helps mitigate your risk
effectively, protecting your pocket in the long run.
If you’re keen on learning how to apply these
habits or anything else related to making a property investment, contact Aussie
Property Guru to chat to an expert today.
There are many myths and false beliefs that you may be feeding yourself, that may be hindering your progress as a property investor. We are here to debunk some of these myths and help you make progress in seeing the property investment industry for the wealth for the opportunity that it really is.
Many of these myths are actually just excuses. Take these first seven, for example. With advice from the experts – like the highly qualified team at Aussie Property Guru, you’ll see that all these “excuses” disappear.
Myths About Property Investments That Could Be Holding You Back –
#1 You need to have a lot of money to make a lot of money.
#2 I Don’t Have Nearly Enough Money To Invest In Property.
#3 My job and pension will be more than enough for a comfortable retirement.
#4 I don’t have the brains to invest in property.
#5 Investing in property is way too complicated for me
#6 Property investment is full of unbeatable risks
#7 Understanding the timing of investment markets is too complicated
All of the above beliefs are destructive and keep you off the property investment ladder. It’s time to start believing in yourself and the legitimate profit opportunities that the property investment industry offers you if you team up with a top property investment expert.
And here are some more common myths:
#8 The rich have all the luck
In some cases this is true, but most of the time people have dedicated time and effort into choosing investments, getting expert advice and building their wealth.
#9 Diversification is a key to becoming rich
Ever heard of Jack of Trades yet Master of None? It is far better to focus on one investment and do it properly than to be dealing with tons of stocks and investments that you don’t understand.
#10 Paying off your house is essential
Oh is it? And what do you do with this asset once you’ve paid it off? Think about that for a moment.
#11 All the best property investments are already gone
New hot properties are coming onto the market every single day. Do you know where to look? If not, you should ask the professionals who know exactly where the best deals are to be found.
#12 I’ll have to do it all myself
No, you won’t. Why not get the help of a professional to ease the stress and give you support?
#13 One mistake can ruin everything
Life is about making mistakes. You can always make a comeback if you are willing to get up again. You’ll make fewer mistakes if you’re smart about finding the right property investment advisors.
#14 Debt is a no-no
Sometimes taking a loan can benefit you in the long run – and if you’re going to have debt – this is the best kind to have.
#15 I Can’t
This is the biggest hurdle to overcome! Start saying ‘I can!’ and choose an investment advisor carefully and you will!
Hopefully, the debunking of these myths will give you the confidence to make your first property investment! Aussie Property Guru has a top-class reputation for helping our clients grow their wealth with smart property purchases, so give us a call today.
Most markets in the world consistently go through periods of growth contraction, and the property market is no different. While some might feel that this constant shift means that getting the most out of their property investments will be difficult, it is the opposite. If you are looking to make a property investment in Australia understanding the property cycle is one of the best ways to ensure that you are ready for any changes. After all, an event that you know is going to happen, is an opportunity.
The cycle
In short, the cycle takes place over four stages:
Boom, where the market experiences a lot of growth over a given period of time
Bust, in which the market becomes saturated, and prices begin to stagnate
Bottom during which prices fall back to lower levels. This part is also called a correction.
Recovery, where the market begins to stabilise, and growth resumes
It should be noted that the contraction phase of the cycle doesn’t mean that prices plummet, and are actually closer to a slowing of overall growth.
In Australia
Australia, like many other countries, is not relegated to a single cycle. Instead, various locations go through their own localised cycles. The best way to show this is to look at Brisbane’s current growth, versus Sydney’s moderate to slow growth over the past couple of month in terms of its suburb’s median house value.
Experts normally state that these cycles take place over various years, but after the financial collapse of early 2000, some of these cycles have been occurring more frequently.
One of the biggest reasons for the increase in cycles is the changes made to monetary policy, although it’s not the single determiner of growth. Unemployment, consumer sentiment, job security and other socioeconomic factors also play a role.
Your opportunity
The increase in frequency of the property cycle means that if you keep a close eye on these changes, that you can optimally invest in property that’s ready to go into a boom phase, ensuring that you achieve maximum return. If you don’t have the time to keep your finger on the pulse of Australia’s real estate market, why not let us do the hard work for you.
Contact us today to kickstart your property investment returns.
To many it might feel like the Sydney property market is difficult to penetrate in terms of property investments. Seeing as most suburbs within 50km of the city’s central business district have a median house price higher than $500 000, this sentiment is understandable. However, if you still want to reap the benefits of investing in Australia’s profitable property investment market, there are some great options, and today we’ll be looking at one of the best: Brisbane.
Why Brisbane
Recent projections show that the Brisbane property market is well on its way to showing some great growth opportunities for property investors. Paired with the fact that the amount of council areas in Greater Brisbane like Logan, Ipswitch and Moreton Bay have a large amount of suburbs with very affordable median house prices, means that it can give a great return for investors.
Invest closer to the CBD
If you feel that you want to invest in property that’s closer to a large CBD, you should consider Brisbane. One of the city suburbs, Bracken Ridge, has a median house price of $495 000, and is less than 20 kilometres from the city’s central business district. Better still, the suburb was also a beneficiary of the state-funded transport upgrade, which has helped to reduce commuting times.
Interstate migration
Due to the price discrepancies between cities like Sydney and Brisbane, we’ve been seeing a large amount of interstate migration, which makes sense. One of the strongest driving factors for people is affordability. When you combine Brisbane’s developed and affordable real estate offerings, it makes sense that more people are moving to this bustling city. This also means that if you are looking for a property to invest in that has tremendous potential, you should definitely keep your eyes on Brisbane.
We can help
If you are interested in investing in Brisbane’s growing property market, but not sure how to get started, we are just a click away. Contact us for more information about the investment opportunities available to you, and whether Brisbane will be the right fit for your property investment needs. Our team of investment specialists is ready and standing by to help you find the property that’s perfect for your investment objectives.
Buying a house is seen by many as one of the most important purchases you can make in your life. This means that the decision to go through the time consuming and costly process of getting the property you want can be intimidating, leaving first-time buyers feeling trapped with their decision. Luckily, you are allowed to cancel your home loan before settlement, and in this post, we’ll give you a brief rundown of how the process will play out.
First things first – Read your contract
Even if you are within your rights to cancel your home loan agreement, your contract may have stipulated certain penalties, breach of contract clauses, or amounts mentioned to recoup administrative fees in the case of cancellation. Be sure to read through your contract to make sure you understand what can be expected of you going forward.
How cancelling a home loan works
Not many people know, but before you go into settlement you are fully within your rights to cancel a home loan agreement. That being said, you should make absolutely sure that you cover all your bases, and that starts with your first step, phoning your lender.
While speaking to the lender, you might have to supply a reason for cancelling, which will give the lender the necessary information to let you know if you have incurred any penalties for cancelling.
Once that is done, make sure that you take down the time and date of the phone call, after which you should cancel your home loan in writing. Yes, you just had the discussion with your lender, but by ensuring that they receive a signed declaration of your decision to cancel, this can only help you in the long run, if you run into any problems.
As we said above, be sure to sign your declaration, and make some copies, just to make sure you have documentation on file. Keep in mind that with your physical copy, you can also send one as an email attachment just to cover all your bases.
If you need any help with cancelling your home loan contract, or want to know exactly what your rights are, you are welcome to contact us as soon as possible.
Summer is definitely in full swing, and what better way to enjoy the New South Wales sun than a trip to the beach, or a dip in your pool? However, if you own and or rent out your property investment in NSW, you have to make sure that your swimming pool complies to the latest minimum safety requirements that have come into effect last year. If you are unsure what to do, we’ve made a handy guide to show you the way.
The Requirements
Your first step in ensuring that your pool is compliant, is registering it with the NSW Government Swimming Pool Register. Once registered, there are some guidelines you have to adhere to, namely the following:
Ensuring that your pool fence is at least 1200mm high, and if there is a gap between the fence and the ground, it may not be more than 100mm wide.
The pool must have a self-closing gate, and be able to latch closed from any position. It should also never be propped open, at any time, and should open outward and away from the pool
If you are leasing the property, your Residential Tenancy Agreement has to include a copy of the Certificate of Compliance, indicating that the swimming pool adheres to the necessary legal guidelines.
The Implications
Since these requirements have come into effect, it has become mandatory for all property owners that intend to lease or sell their property that has a swimming pool on the premises, to provide a copy of the Certificate of Compliance to the potential tenant or buyer.
The Certificate helps to show that the owner of the pool has taken all the requirements as set out by the law, which in turn offers the owner some form of legal protection in certain events, but keep in mind that as owner, you are obligated by law to ensure the pool’s safety on a continuous basis.
If you don’t have a Certificate of Compliance
If you haven’t had your pool certified yet, and are leasing your property, you are allowed to request an inspection from an accredited certifier or from your local council at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a certificate.
If you need any more information about these laws, or need help with obtaining your certificate, please don’t hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.
In the past, buying a home was viewed as a marker of adulthood, often preceding marriage and having children. Times have changed, and currently housing affordability is at an all-time low in Australia. As a parent, it’s normal to want to give your children a hand with property ownership, which makes sense, seeing as it’s estimated that a third of all first-time home owners will receive financial assistance from their parents. Perhaps they’ve had a baby and need a bigger home, or are ready to stop renting and put down roots. Whichever situation applies, here’s what you need to consider before offering them assistance:
It might be more than you think – it’s estimated that the average parental property loan exceeds $60, 000. It’s a good idea to have a realistic expectation of what you can afford to lend, and to make sure your child understands this. Communication is essential, as it might impact whether or not they can pay you back, as well as on your own future wellbeing.
Don’t do it if it impacts your plans – delaying a kitchen renovation or holiday so that you can lend it to your children is fine. What isn’t fine is if your loan will impact your ability to save for retirement, or look after yourself in old age.
Paying for a deposit is better than an ongoing loan – if your children would need financial assistance meeting their monthly loan repayments, this is a sign that they can’t afford to own the property. However, if they just need assistance with getting over the hurdle of the deposit, it’s likely they’ll be able to take care of themselves.
Plan for the worst – it’s a reality that many marriages end in a contentious battle of who get what. If you’re planning on helping a child finance a property, the last thing you want to have happen is for a divorcing spouse to walk away, having benefitted unduly. To avoid this, it’s best to formalise your loan and have a plan in place should several worst-case scenarios happen.
Provided you enter into the situation with both eyes open, you could be able to use your wealth wisely, to help your children secure a future for themselves and for their future generations. To get started you can contact one of our financial planners for advice.
Capital Gains Tax & the new changes for Non-Residents – Maximise the benefits of being an Expat
Sept 7th, 2017 | 6:30pm
Seminar Description
Our team is hosting a boardroom event covering the recent changes in Capital Gains Tax and how it may affect your Principal place of Residence. You will discover how to invest in the Right property whilst living in Singapore or offshore whilst maximising the benefits of being an Expat.
We’ll be covering key strategies to reduce your tax liability in Australia, shield yourself from CGT in the future, important changes in Australia’s lending policies for expats, as well as a repatriation checklist for key steps to take before you return.
What you’ll learn
– Latest Capital Gain Changes affecting Expats and “principal place of residence”
– The key ingredients to finding the right investment property
– lending with the new changes
– Winning strategies to build your own property portfolio
– How to buy a brand new investment property with very little or no down payment
– Location, location! The key areas to invest in for 2017
Who should attend this Seminar?
This seminar is suitable for anybody starting out investing in Australian property or those investors looking to continue to accumulate and expand their property portfolios.
Seminar Details
When Thursday 7th September, 2017 Time 6:30pm – 8:30pm (start at 7pm) Location One Shenton, 1 Shenton Way, Singapore 068803
(Meet at the lobby)
Seats are strictly limited so please ensure you reserve your place quickly. Please let us know if you’d like to bring along your partner or a colleague.
I look forward to hearing from you and do hope you can join us at this event.
Best regards,
Dr Andrew UnterwegerMB.BS, CFP®, Dip FNS, Dip FP, FPA, SMSF, AFA, MFAA, LREA Chairman
Dr Unterweger is a highly qualified financial and property adviser, experienced venture capitalist and successful investor