Property Investment News, Tips, Tools, Strategies, Experiences, Case Studies, Outlooks
Question: I recently bought my first investment property, there was an extra $2000 special levy charged by the body corporate to repaint the whole building. I presume it falls under repair and maintenance so it is tax deductible, right? Answer: As the building was in need of a repaint when you purchased the investment property, …
Continue reading “Can I claim tax deduction for a special levy the body corporate imposed?”
Question: I recently bought my first investment property in April 2010. Unfortunately it wasn’t rented out until early July. I wonder if I can still negative gear anything (claim tax deductions) for the period that the property was vacant though I received no rental income? Answer: Although you didn’t get any rental income for the …
Property investors can achieve an average 233% return on investment property in Sydney if they buy in 1993 and hold the property to 2010. Sydney’s median house price rose 233 per cent between the June quarter of 1993 and the June quarter of 2010, from $188,050 to $626,444, according to the latest housing price figures …
Continue reading “Average 233% return on investment property in Sydney 1993-2010”
Wondering how much does it cost to renovate a bathroom? The fact is that bathroom renovation costs can vary dramatically. It could be anywhere from $5-$50k depending upon how big, extent of structural works, access to alter existing plumbing, quality & extent of wall and floor finishes. At the low end, though, a basic bathroom …
Continue reading “How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom?”
How much does it cost to renovate a property? According to Archicentre, the average renovation project in NSW is valued between $75,000 and $150,000. If you want to add an 80-square-metre ground-floor extension with inclusions, you’ll be looking at $164,526 to $310,896. Less than half of the expense will go towards materials. Labour will cost …
Continue reading “How much does it cost to renovate a house?”
Although it was a simpler process to refinance a mortgage than applying for a new loan, many homeowners are not sure about the potential savings from refinancing mortgages. Indeed, whether you can save money depends on the new interest rate, new loan term, new repayment, when to refinance, and the consideration of resale. Majority of …
Continue reading “Free refinance mortgage calculator makes it easy to refinance your home loan”
There is no property bubble, but property prices are more than 24% overvalued. According to an article from SmartCompnay, Goldman Sachs’ chief economist Tim Toohey has made an extremely valuable contribution to the Australia property bubble debate. In his recently released comprehensive report, A Study On Australian Housing: Uniquely Positioned Or A Bubble?, he took …
Question: We are moving interstate and own a property with a $300,000 mortgage that we would like to keep as an investment property. I would like to know: (1) Is it true that if we keep this as our primary residence we won’t pay capital gains tax if we sell within six years. (2) Can we claim tax deductions connected with …
Continue reading “Can we claim tax deductions when renting out primary residence?”
Can I get a LVR 95% home loan (you can download a free Excel LVR calculator)? The answer is yes. In August 2010, the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and the ANZ relaxed their lending criteria. Westpac lifted its maximum LVR to 92 per cent while the ANZ went further, to a maximum LVR of 95 per cent. …
Question: My spouse and I owned an investment property in joint names until my partner’s death 10 years ago, when I became sole owner. The property was sold last year. The property was not our main home. Do I have to pay capital gains tax on the half I inherited? Answer: If the property was …
Property is a long term investment and proven performer in any economy, but “get rich quick” courses and seminars offered by wealth creation ‘gurus’ are giving a bad name to the entire property investment industry. The problem is that these courses, which is normally free, are essentially capturing people who aren’t ready to invest and …
Continue reading ““Get rich quick” or just real estate property hoaxes & scams”
Are units or apartments good or bad for property investment? What factors should you consider when buying investment units or apartments? Many people invest in apartments because they often have a cheaper buy-in price than houses and are also thought to be a lot easier to maintain without gardens to worry about, and with the costs of …
Continue reading “Property investment strategies – How to pick a good investment unit or apartment”
Do you know the best places in WA to invest in property? Here is a list of WA’s top 10 suburbs and towns where there is potential for good capital growth or better-than-average rental yields. Top 10 Western Australia property hotspots Albany: Lifestyle features, government decisions, urban renewal Broome: Lifestyle features, boom town, government decisions …
Continue reading “Top 10 places in WA (Western Australia) to buy investment property”
Should I pick an investment property by capital growth or rental return? Should I invest in houses or units? Property investing has become a popular Australian past time with one in ten taxpayers owning a negatively geared property. But just what makes a good bricks-and-mortar investment? It’s not about buying any old house or unit, …
Continue reading “Property investment strategies – How to pick a good investment property”
Economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel is expecting house prices to rise between 11 and 22 per cent across the major cities over the next three years. Perth is expected to lead the trend, with house price growth of 22 per cent, in front of growth in Sydney and Adelaide of 20 per cent. House prices in …