Happy financial new year. For those of us who are accountants, it will soon be coming to the busy time as we all complete our income tax returns. For the rest of us, this is a great time to pause, take a deep breath, and take stock of where we are at. The perfect time […]
Buying a house at an auction can be stressful and daunting. Because of the way an auction process works, the pressure and stress can be overwhelming, even for experienced buyers. Here are some tips to help you get ready for auction day. Do your research There is no substitute for research. Get to know what […]
Getting a home loan has become a bit more challenging lately. In the past 12 months, lenders have tightened their lending criteria and made the borrowing process more difficult. Lenders are now looking at a borrower’s actual living expenses, rather than relying on an index such as the Household Expenditure Measure, or some other formula […]
With the summer months and post-Christmas Sales fast approaching, often the temptation is to splurge on new clothes, dinners out or expensive holidays. Whilst these activities might seem like a lot of fun right now, they can be very dangerous to your bank balance especially if you are paying off a mortgage. There are […]
Buying a home is a major decision that takes planning, research and careful budgeting. Here are some tips from ASIC’s MoneySmart website to help you get started.
The study involved over 9,000 Australians, surveying the attitudes and behaviours of Australians towards money, including subjects such as managing finances; saving and spending; planning; retirement and super and insurance and Investments. According to the 2015 BT Australian Financial Health Index, 45 per cent of people who gave themselves a physical fitness score of at […]
Interpretations of ATO Tax Rulings may be challenged. Here is an article by Max Newnham about a case study on the future intentions of a client and how the capital gains tax treatment would apply. The details in this case study are that the client’s intention was to buy, develop and sell properties for a […]
According to CoreLogic RP Data, house prices in Sydney and Melbourne have fallen in the December 2015 quarter by 0.99% and 0.73% respectively. The talk in the street is that auction clearance rates, especially in Sydney have also fallen. The drop in auction clearance rates may be due to tighter lending conditions imposed by APRA […]
You may have seen media reports recently announcing that many lenders have increased the interest rates that they charged for investment property loans. Despite record low interest rates, lenders have elected to increase the cost of borrowing for investors. Lenders have also over the recent month changed their lending policies towards investors. This is […]
Before you buy a property, check this out: Due diligence checklist – for home and residential property buyers http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing-and-accommodation/buying-and-selling-property/checklists/due-diligence