Learn Property

Our property guides explore a wide variety of subjects – from buying and selling a home, to property investment, renting and finance.

Bad Smells a Deal Breaker for Home Buyers

By Peter Sarmas on 10 Jul 2013 2 Comments

Do you have a property for sale that just doesn’t seem to be getting any interest from the buying market? The problem could be simple – your house is giving off the wrong scent. Recent research suggests that unappealing odours in homes could be sending buyers running in the opposite direction, costing you money ...

Investing Outside your Neighbourhood

By Greville Pabst on 20 Jun 2013 No Comments yet, your thoughts are very welcome

When investing in property, it is typical for buyers to purchase in areas they know well. Unfortunately, this strategy can sometimes be at the expense of investment performance. Astute investors select property based on the facts ...

The Pros and Cons Of Having A Mortgage Offset Account

By Peter Sarmas on 19 Jun 2013 1 Comment

With the NAB announcing that they’ve cut their five-year fixed-rate by 29 basis points to the 20 year low of 5.55%, you may be thinking that now is a good time to make the switch and fix your home loan’s interest rate. Before you decide, take some time to research the different types of home loans ...

Renting Versus Buying

By Greville Pabst on 6 Jun 2013 No Comments yet, your thoughts are very welcome

Both renting and buying have their advantages and disadvantages. Approximately 30 per cent of Australian households currently rent due to the affordability, the flexibility to relocate and the ability to reside in otherwise unattainable areas ...

The Importance of Landlord Protection Insurance

By Peter Sarmas on 5 Jun 2013 No Comments yet, your thoughts are very welcome

While the majority of tenants take good care of rental properties, there are always exceptions to the rule. This is why landlords need to have the right insurance cover should they find themselves in a situation of dispute. Only 54 per cent of self-managed landlords had their property insured – leaving 42 per cent of self-managed landlords vulnerable to a potential loss ...

The Basic Characteristics Of Property As An Investment

By Pete Wargent on 4 Jun 2013 3 Comments

I sometimes get so engrossed in analysing ABS figures, like the nerdy CA that I am, that I forget that some blog readers are new to the idea of property as an investment. Let’s take a look today at six of the basic characteristics of property as an investment and what causes prices to move ...