If securing your first home, stepping up to something better or securing an investment property is on your to-do list for 2015 then it may be in your interest to maximise your borrowing power. Understanding how much you can borrow will help you make critical decisions, especially when it comes to what to buy and when.
More Australian families are moving in with parents or in-laws in a bid to stake their claim in the property market and save everyone a bundle along the way. Multi-generational housing has risen by more than 60 per cent over the past three decades, according to a 2013 report by the University of NSW City Futures Research Centre.
After 18 months of record low interest rates, many Australians are wondering what’s in store for 2015. With the official cash rate so low, is it a case of what goes down, must go up? Or can we expect the interest savings to continue into the year?
The first announcement for 2015 has just been released and we have the news for you hot off the press. The Reserve Bank of Australia has today announced the outcome of its board meeting, and as speculated it has decreased the cash rate by 25 basis points. The official rate…
The final rate alert announcement for 2014 has just been announced and we have the news for you hot off the press. As widely expected, The Reserve Bank of Australia has today decided to leave the official cash rate unchanged at 2.5%. Australian consumer confidence has taken a dip since…
Are you heading off on holiday during the festive break? While you’re easing yourself into relax mode, opportunistic burglars will be ramping things up – summer holidays are a prime time for crooks. Unfortunately, homeowners commonly make the thief’s selection process easy – by failing to take some simple precautions. By taking a back-to-basics approach, here are some ways to help burglar-proof your house.
Limited cash flow and equity mean many first-time property investors feel the need to chase down a bargain to enter the market. But, like most things in life, you usually get what you pay for, which – in the case of property – can mean unrealised returns or even losses. While there’s nothing wrong with paying less in the hope of making more, investors need to understand when a cheap property is truly a bargain and when they could be selling (or rather buying) themselves short.
School’s almost out for summer, with most teenagers probably planning to do as little as possible except sleep in, hang out and spend mum’s and dad’s money. But the Christmas holidays are an ideal time for kids to pick up a part-time job and hopefully learn a little about life along the way.
It seems Australians’ love affair with renovating continues to blossom. We forked out more than $28 billion on refurbishments last financial year, with that figure set to jump further over the next three, according to the Housing Industry Association.
Designer Jake Phipps reinterprets a British cultural icon by lining a felt bowler in anodised aluminium transforming it into an eccentric light shade. Named Jeeves – after the iconic P.G. Wodehouse butler – the authentic bowler pendant light is sure to add some dapper Brit-class to your place.
