Young families buying their first property are presented with a range of financial and practical challenges, and one of the most important is to ensure the home is safe for their children. If you’ve got toddlers and young children, you need to be confident your new home is child-friendly. Risks with swimming pools and spas…
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Losing a property at auction can be disappointing, but you must ensure that it doesn’t turn you into a vulnerable buyer. You have to remind yourself to fight the emotions of missing out and stick to the fundamentals of property search. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of feeling that you have to…
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A rental crisis that has struck post-lockdown Australia is allowing investors an opportunity to re-enter the market. Rents have risen almost 12% in the past 12 months and the vacancy rate stands at an incredible 1%, according to new data from SQM Research. These factors, combined with subdued pricing as our interest rates move north,…
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As a first-time buyer, or a current homeowner looking to refinance, you’ll find that it pays dividends to create a mortgage repayment strategy. Don’t make the mistake of just following your lender’s instructions. If you play the game smartly, you’ll discover a few tricks that will shave thousands of dollars off your payment schedule. Making…
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When you sit down to negotiate the purchase of a new home, do you know what’s on the table? Are you about to have a conversation that’s only about money, or is there more to talk about? This type of conversation is most common in the Australian market after a property has been passed in…
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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 idea of exploring the neighborhood to find a dream home is an incredibly exciting moment when you’re a first-time buyer. But you come back to earth when faced with the challenge of choosing a lender and mortgage product. The variety of interest rates and terms and conditions can be bewildering. As an experienced agent…
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Buying a home is one of the most significant purchases you’ll ever make, and it should be no surprise therefore that some administrative elements of your real estate deal are quite technical. These processes have been put in place to protect buyers and their money. Buyers probably ask me more questions about having to establish…
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It may sound crazy, but some sellers will try to remove real estate fixtures from their property after they’ve sold it to you. Stories of new owners arriving at their dream home to find light fittings missing or roses pulled from the flowerbeds are becoming increasingly common. Some sellers seem to have developed strong attachments…
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Applying for your first mortgage can be nerve-wracking. How much a lender is prepared to offer you will determine whether you can afford to buy a suitable property in your target location. It is also important to understand that your lender will only issue the loan after valuing the property you want to buy and…
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