Insights

If the latest federal government budget is leaving you hungry for perks and savings, you’re not alone. We’ve had a brainstorm and here are four ways you could start working towards your property goals now.

Whether you’re rat running your local streets, or have a knack for always picking the fast-moving supermarket queue – everyone loves a good time-saving hack. Well, today we’ll let you in on a scheme that could get you into your first home years – yep years – sooner!

Who doesn’t love a tax cut? Most of us are now only weeks away from saving on our tax bills, with Stage 3 tax cuts to kick in from 1 July. But another key advantage is that the tax cuts could give your borrowing power a nice boost.

We all love the idea of nabbing a bargain property, but for most home buyers the real issue is whether they’re overvaluing a place – and paying too much in the process.

Where you put your car keys, who won the footy premiership three years back, the new prime minister of New Zealand’s name – all very much socially acceptable things to forget. Your home loan rate shouldn’t be on that list.

When it comes to buying investment properties, younger Australians are punching above their weight, with Millennials taking the title as the nation’s most active generation for property investment.

You may not feel richer, but if you’re a homeowner, there’s a decent chance your personal wealth has surged over the past 12 months thanks to soaring property values. And it could open up a world of exciting possibilities.

Nobody likes missing out on a good thing. But then again, who likes overpaying? So how do you strike the right balance when both fears can work against one another?

There’s something very special about moving into a newly built home or putting the finishing touches on a major renovation. Maybe it’s the look and feel of new paint and fresh flooring, or just knowing you’ve kicked a worthwhile goal.

Spare cash can be tight right now (cost of living crunch, anyone?). But if you’ve still got some savings plus a home loan, there’s a way you could make your surplus funds work harder.

Need a home loan in a hurry? You could be in luck. Plenty of lenders are keen to crunch loan approval times at present – but there’s a lot borrowers can do to potentially speed up the process, too.

Location may be a big driver of property prices, but in any given suburb a few streets can be all that separates paying top dollar for a home or potentially scoring a bargain. Here’s how to use a tool to find pockets of value in any given neighbourhood.