Favourable conditions for property investors are again emerging as rents rise and higher interest rates start to take the heat out of the market. Weekly rents increased 4.7% in the 12 months to March. That’s the strongest growth in almost eight years, according to the latest REA Group’s PropTrack rental report. The low number of…
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Successful sellers will be adjusting their expectations this winter as we begin to experience a cooling real estate market after a 12-month period of record-breaking prices. Higher inflation and interest rates are starting to temper buyers’ exuberance, but it doesn’t mean selling your property is a bad idea. In fact, it’s probably quite the opposite,…
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The recent 0.5% rise in the target cash rate set by the Reserve Bank is not a cause to panic or shelve your plans to purchase a new property. It’s just part of the reality of our financial lives. The cash rate has increased to 0.85% to calm any chance of uncontrolled inflation and a…
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The record rainfalls we’ve experienced have caused many homes to feel and smell damp and even suffer from mould. Mould is unsightly, releases a lingering odour and, most importantly, is unhealthy. Luckily, it’s not a giant headache to put right. A combination of dampness creeping into your home and insufficient ventilation causes most mould problems. …
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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced four key areas it would be focussing on for tax returns this year. Target areas include any profit from investments in cryptocurrencies, claims relating to working at home (expected to be a hot area after the pandemic lockdowns), record keeping and expenses against rental properties. ATO Assistant Commissioner…
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Wage growth continues to fail to keep pace with the rate of inflation, according to new figures. The Consumer Price Index rose 5.1% in the year to the March quarter, but wages grew only 2.4%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The disparity between the rates of inflation and wage growth represents a…
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Businesses will need to prepare for increases in contributions to employee superannuation, which will take effect from July 1,the start of the financial year. The super guarantee (SG) rate will move from 10% to 10.5%. Every employee now qualifies for a contribution regardless of how much they earn, following the removal of a $450 per…
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Business owners and flood victims have been warned to be wary of potential scams following separate warnings from Westpac Bank and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Westpac said it was likely there would be fake donation sites for the Lismore flood victims, as well as scammers posing as insurers, business executives and government staff claiming…
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Labor’s promised home affordability policies will be in the spotlight during the first 100 days of the new Albanese Government as thousands of first-time buyers hope to break into the property market. A centrepiece of Labor’s victorious election campaign was its Help to Buy scheme – a $329 million initiative to take equity stakes of…
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The recent increase to 0.35% in the Reserve Bank’s target cash rate has changed the mood of many homeowners who have a variable interest rate with their lenders. The question now beckons whether to move to a fixed-rate loan as protection from future interest rate increases, which most commentators agree are inevitable to fight spiralling…
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