Have you been patiently waiting in the wings, wondering whether or not to buy your first investment property in 2023?  You’re not alone. Many investors have been spooked, what with all the changes in the market.  Whether or not now is the right time to invest really depends on your financial situation and goals, but there are certainly some compelling reasons to at least consider it.  The drop in housing prices may be stabilising  As investors, it may be a g...

Understanding all the different parties involved in buying a property can be a minefield.   The real estate agent. The building and pest inspectors. The mortgage manager. The buyer’s agent. The auctioneer.  Well, here’s another one to add to the list – the conveyancer. Conveyancing is an important piece of the puzzle to ensure things go to plan with your shiny new property acquisition. Let us explain.  What is a conveyancer?  Conveyancing...

With interest rates on the move, many people are shopping around for home loans.   If you’re considering refinancing, it’s a good idea to be aware of a few pitfalls when doing your research. Here are six mistakes to avoid.  Mistake #1: Only looking at the interest rate  Sure, getting a more competitive interest rate is appealing, but there are other factors to consider when comparing loans. For example, you may benefit from features such as an offset account...

Finding it difficult to enter the property market in a location you love? Have you considered rentvesting? It might just be the answer for renters who want to live in a location they love, while still entering the property market in an area they can afford. Read on to hear FinancePath Director, Chris Collard’s, thoughts on the pros and cons of rentvesting and advice on the best places to buy. The pros and cons of rentvesting So, why do people rentvest? According to Chris, one of the...

If you took advantage of record low interest rates in 2020 and 2021, it’s time to put a plan in place to manage what could be a significant change in your home loan repayments upon expiry of your fixed rate loan. What happens when your fixed rate loan expires? Your interest rate will revert to a variable interest rate and as a borrower who took advantage of historically low interest rates your interest rate may increase by between 2 - 3%. On a $500,000 loan 30-year loan, a 3% increas...