Follow our Smartline blog for up to date latest Australian finance and property news.
With a median house price in greater Sydney of more than $1.15 million, and the median house price in greater Melbourne around $915,000, properties under $500,000 start to seem appealing. But what if affordability and capital growth could be measured hand in hand? Turns out, they can. CoreLogic recently released its Top Affordable Suburbs Report, […]
Read More
A new report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) released this July, investigates housing affordability in Australia and proposes new directions for housing tax reform. Why is housing affordability a problem in Australia? Housing affordability has been in steep decline in recent years, despite strong economic growth. The lack of affordable housing […]
Read More
Got an idea for a business? With more and more Australians setting up businesses, it’s an exciting time for Australia’s economy. Whatever business you are entering into, the success of a small business hinges on good planning, effective decisions and strong support networks. Setting up will take time and can be complex. But here are […]
Read More
Purchasing a property can be stressful enough, considering the amount of coin you are dealing with. Getting a pre-approval from your lender before you make an offer on a property should bring you some peace of mind and ensure that you won’t end up in serious hot water. A pre-approval is an indication from a […]
Read More
According to a recent Grattan Institute report, home ownership rates have fallen in recent years for all Australians, but particularly for younger people and people in a lower income bracket. ‘It’s been a perfect storm of rising incomes and falling interest rates, rapid migration, tax and welfare settings feeding demand, and planning rules restricting supply. […]
Read More
As anyone of middle age will attest, turning 50 can creep up on you. We know that 50 is the new 40! But if you want to take out a loan and you are over the age of 50, you may need to provide more information about your future financial position before you can borrow. […]
Read More
There is a lot to think about when choosing your new home. Brick or timber. Backyard space. House size. Number of bathrooms. You get the picture. But how important is location? Here are 4 things to consider when deciding where you will buy. House prices The location of your next home will naturally determine how […]
Read More
Buying a property off the plan can be cheaper than buying an existing property if you’re buying in a rising market. In theory, you pay a deposit to lock in a price and the value will have gone up by the time you pay in full at settlement, several years later. But it doesn’t always […]
Read More
You’ve seen the headlines, and possibly the cranes dotted along the horizon: construction is booming in cities across Australia. But how does this affect you? Inflated construction costs According to the recent International Construction Costs 2018 report by built asset consultants Arcadis, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane rank in the 25 most expensive cities globally for […]
Read More
Happy New Financial Year! Rather than cringing at tax time, let’s celebrate by setting some meaningful financial goals that can help you get ahead, and live the life you want. Assess your debt How are your credit card bills? Are you drowning in interest repayments? If the debt is weighing you down, now’s a good […]
Read More
Nick Tinning and fiancée Naomi Parkes thought securing a loan to build their house would be relatively...
Read More
Running his own successful IT project management business while growing his investment property portfolio means Matt Richardson...
Read More
Kimberley and her partner Todd were looking at buying a home together. They had each contacted their respective banks but were...
Read More
