Buying
‘I never thought this day would come’
A NEW Farm couple has explained why they finally sold a property that had been in the family since 1893. It was one of many sold under the hammer at Queensland auctions today.
First home reality check
ARE you saving to buy your first home? Here is some advice from recent first home buyers, so you can learn from their mistakes.
Fab five bedders
These roomy, light-filled homes all offer different aesthetics, but each features more than enough room for the whole family.
The no-brainer property investment
WITH rental returns north of $900,000 per annum as well as significant government incentives, deep-pocketed investors will be flocking to the auction room.
Property in 2017: what you need to know
INDUSTRY experts predict one segment of the property market is set to take a big hit next year as price growth slows down.
Beachside wonderland
This beautiful five-bedroom home offers space for the whole family — and some truly incredible views over the sea.
Is this Australia’s best house?
THIS home was built to be the “best house in the world”, and it is absolutely insane. It’s just won the top honour at the nation’s architecture awards.
Style and substance
A great location and a clever layout makes this impeccable Glebe address practical as well as beautiful.
‘Millions in a precarious situation’
WHEN we talk about housing affordability, we are usually referring to first-home buyers. But there is a hidden crisis when it comes to home ownership.
Is it Sydney’s smallest apartment?
THESE tiny apartments in Sydney are about the same size as a single-car garage. And they’ll set you back $250 a week.
Queenslanders lead fixed rate loans
Queenslanders have the highest level of fixed rate mortgages in the country, new data shows.
‘One of the strangest decisions I’ve seen’
REAL estate mogul John McGrath has slammed the Federal Government for bungling the housing affordability crisis.
How to buy in Bondi for just $96
THE company selling apartments by the brick is offering Australians the chance to buy a pad in Bondi. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
Mortgage hack takes years off your loan
WITH interest rates not expected to drop further, Mark Bouris says there’s a simple hack homeowners can use to make savings themselves.
Where property values have risen
PROPERTY values rose in six capital cities during October, but took a tumble in some of the smaller markets. This is how your city performed.
Why Government’s wrong on affordability
REJECTING the role property investors have played in driving up house prices is “extremely naive” and dismisses the hardships young buyers face today.
Reborn and seeking a buyer
New isn’t always better — these art deco apartments would make any lover of interiors swoon.
Small suburb a property hotspot
THE smallest suburb in Brisbane has been flagged as a real estate hotspot by property expert John McGrath. See his other top picks for southeast Queensland.
Footy wives kick fifth renovators’ goal
THE talented Three Birds Renovations team — whose connection dates back to their husbands playing for the Parramatta Eels — have secured the sale of their fifth residential house project.
NBN a must for home buyers
ACCESS to a high-speed internet has topped home buyers’ shopping lists with some buyers rejecting properties without it or making lower offers.
Women save faster than men
FORGET the stereotype that women waste their money on new clothes, bags and shoes. New research reveals they save for a home deposit faster than men.
Bad news for housing affordability
IF YOU thought buying an apartment would be a cheaper way to get a foot on the property ladder, you might have to think again.
Resort living year-round
A pool, sauna and gym are yours to use every day of the year — and work is only walking distance away.
Young people are smarter buyers
GEN Y may not have the wealth of the baby boomer generation, but they might be wiser when it comes to the property market.
Mortgage repayments to get tougher
THOSE falling behind on their mortgage repayments is set to increase over the next year. And the people most at risk is surprising.
Why you shouldn’t buy a house right now
FORGET the pressure to be a homeowner. These are the reasons why it is smart not to buy a house right now.
Property prices spark renovation craze
THEY can’t afford to upgrade to a new property, so homeowners are rolling up their sleeves.
House gets a ridiculous new neighbour
A NEW apartment complex has been built next to a single-level brick semi, in what is every homeowner’s nightmare.
Smell this? The scent that will sell your house
WANT buyers to pick your home and pay a premium price? These are the smells that sell and you may be surprised what tops the list.
Why owning a home is overrated
DON’T worry if you are finding it hard to break into the property market. New research shows Aussies don’t rank owning their own home that highly.
Where it’s hardest to find a rental
THIS capital city is a property investor’s dream. With Australia’s lowest vacancy rates their properties shouldn’t be empty long.
Suburbs black-listed by the bank
FIRST home-buyers can expect an even tougher battle, after a major bank hiked its minimum deposits for loans in “risky” suburbs.
Do or die on high house prices
WE’VE heard it before — the government is promising to address high house prices. Will it work or is it just empty words?
Who bought this converted church?
TWO hundred people gathered at a southeast Queensland property at the weekend, keen to know who was next in line to buy a converted church.
Finally, some hope for homebuyers?
IT TAKES eight years for a couple to save enough for a deposit for a home in Sydney, and it’s nearly as bad in Melbourne. But at last, there could be hope.
Brisbane suburbs where prices will rise
HOUSE prices are predicted to rise in 29 Brisbane suburbs, with a surprising one-third coming out of one area alone. But it’s not all good news: Three have been highlighted as “danger markets”.
Two reasons this home sold for $1.5m
IT’S a three-bedroom, one-bathroom brick and tile home 15km from the Brisbane CBD. It just sold at auction for more than $1.5m. An agent explains why.
When $1 million for a home isn’t enough
AN investor who bid $1.1 million in an auction for a stunning home in southeast Queensland has missed out on the sale after being outbid - but just barely.
Queensland tops growth charts
THREE Queensland municipalities have hit the front of the latest national growth charts, with more suburbs logging a rise in home sales than anywhere else in the country.
Squatter’s $1 million plot foiled
HE TRIED to get his hands on a $1 million fortune by moving into this dilapidated house and refusing to leave — but it all fell apart.
Suburbs where first home buyers reign
FIRST home buyers are muscling out investors in parts of Sydney as they take advantage of stamp duty concessions.
4 ways to find your dream home
PROPERTY expert Andrew Winter outlines his top tips for home buyers as part of The Courier-Mail’s biggest ever Real Estate liftout this Saturday.
The great myth about first home buyers
WHO said first home buyers lack the discipline to get into the property market? Turns out they are giving up more than smashed avo.
The great Australian nightmare
ONCE you’ve made the decision to chase the great Australian dream, prepare for a world of pain. Oh, and say goodbye to Saturday mornings.
Sale of waterfront unit helps charity
A SOUTHEAST Queensland luxury waterfront apartment is for sale, with part of the proceeds going to charity. And the lucky new owner will get a bright yellow beach buggy with their purchase.
Save a deposit; keep your smashed avo
Successful millennial property investor and businessman, Andrew Morello, shares his tips on how to save for a deposit, without necessarily giving up smashed avocado.
A ray of light for first-home buyers
AS A growing number of Chinese buyers walk away from off-the-plan apartment sales, expect prices to come down, down.
The key thing house hunters overlook
WE MAKE sure the dream new home is close to public transport, plenty of natural light or built-in wardrobes. But there’s one thing you should be checking.
Queensland housing confidence up
QUEENSLAND housing confidence has hit the highest level in the country, a Big Four bank index has found.
What 24 years worth of avo toast will buy
Columnist Bernard Salt put Gen Y off-side when he said they should give up brunch to buy a home. Here’s our round up on what they can expect to afford.
Real estate advice from the dying
IF A terminally ill stranger told you their biggest life regrets, would you listen? What if related to that great Australian obsession, real estate?
Brady Bunch star’s fab new home
BRADY Bunch star Eve Plumb has splashed out more than $2 million on a fancy new pad in New York City. Marcia’s going to be so jealous!
Airbnb gets tick of approval
NEW rules could clear the way for property owners to open their doors to short term renters. So what does this mean for you and your neighbours?
Parramatta units shoot past $900k
PARAMATTA is the new home of flashy $900k apartments in western Sydney, the latest data shows. But is the price boom just a flash in the pan?
Families hit out at Bob the builder
A SYDNEY mum who shirtfronted Senator Bob Day over her unfinished home says she feels “sick” that his supporters have started a GoFundMe page.
Another cost for NSW homebuyers
IF you thought house prices were already inflated in NSW, the move to privatise the land titles registry could push them up further.
Investors missing out on thousands
PROPERTY investors could be up to $6000 better off if they just did this.
Great Aussie dream alive in Penrith
FIRST home buyers in western Sydney who are hunting for value and a backyard are flocking to house-and-land package developments.
Australia introduces rate tracker mortgage
RATE tracker mortgages are now here, but is it what we’ve been waiting for or just hype?
Industry experts offer buying tips
THE REAL Estate Institute of Queensland will hold a free Experts Guide to Buying Property seminar with advice for first-home buyers and investors.
Asian buyers eyeing off our beaches
A BOOM in demand for a part of Sydney’s iconic coast sees price records wiped out across its northern beaches.
What buyers really want in a home
A BIG backyard used to be a must-have for Aussie househunters, but increasingly they are looking at other considerations when taking the property plunge.
Inside the hotel of horrors
IT’S the notorious hotel where guests have been murdered, drugs injected and alcohol swigged. But it could be sold in a week.
Deceased estate sells for $1.026m
A DECEASED estate at Greenslopes has been sold at auction for the first time in more than 60 years.
The major homebuyer traps
THE property market can be a delicate balancing act. In a booming property market, the scales tend to fall in favour of the seller.
Radical change to interest rates
GREEDY banks that refuse to pass on RBA cuts could be forced to offer a radical new type of home loan, ending rates angst forever. But will it work?
Gen Y aren’t as selfish as we thought
A NEW study has revealed Gen Y might not be as self focused as many thought when it comes to getting into the property market.
Gen Y aren’t as selfish as we thought
A NEW study has revealed Gen Y might not be as self focused as many thought when it comes to getting into the property market.
Fewer working due to rising house prices
RISING house prices mean more and more Australians are working less and retiring early. But this is not going to end well for the economy.
Mum and dad’s big lending problem
THE number of parents lending their kids cash for both deposits and mortgages is out of control. And it could harm our economy.
Scary truth about turning 40
THERE’S a lot about turning 40 that many don’t look forward to. But there is one thing about the milestone that many don’t actually realise.
Australia’s best holiday homes
WHETHER you want a romantic country getaway or a family beach holiday, the best holiday rentals across the country are revealed.
Affordable inner-city homes still exist
IF YOU are a first home buyer and have given up on your home ownership dreams, this could be the answer.
Inside $3.8m home of underworld figure
MELBOURNE’S most notorious underworld figure has put his house on the market, and the mobster has been living in a world of luxury.
Scary statistic about buying a home
IF YOU’RE putting off buying a property until you’ve got your career/relationship/life sorted, you’d best keep this in mind.
Fast food worker buys 13 homes
A PIZZA deliveryman has become an unlikely real estate tycoon after buying 13 homes and “semi-retiring” to live off his rental income.
The surprising news about property
FEELING down about the property market? Latest figures show that housing affordability has improved in six of the eight capital cities.
Fast food worker buys 13 homes
A PIZZA delivery man has become an unlikely real estate tycoon after buying 13 homes and semi-retiring to live off his rental income. How he bought the properties is just as surprising.
Proof homebuyers are screwed
ALMOST 50 per cent of Australians don’t own their own home. And, on this evidence, it’s not going to get any better.
New $700m village with its own Woolies
A MAJOR residential development in Sydney will create a new urban precinct with its own retail plaza and a massive Woolworths supermarket.
Australia’s ‘black housing market’
MANIPULATIVE rent-to-buy schemes being marketed by property spruikers are preying on our desires to own The Great Australian Dream.
Hundreds of thousands at mortgage risk
MORE than 300,000 mortgage holders could be at financial risk, left with little or no equity in their homes, with Aussies in some states in more peril than others.
Our ‘disturbing’ property secret
A BOMBSHELL report has exposed a “disturbing” secret at the heart of our property market. It spells big trouble.
Glaring trend in the housing market
THIRTY-FIVE to 2836. That’s the statistic that proves the great Australian housing dream isn’t what it used to be, and you better get used to it.
Iconic Sydney landmark sold
ONE of Sydney’s most iconic parcels of land has been bought by a Chinese conglomerate, two weeks before its auction date.
Real estate creates ‘illusion of a bargain’
A MELBOURNE real estate agency has been fined $330,000 plus costs for creating the “illusion of a bargain” by underquoting on 11 properties.
Latest twist in Chinese property boom
THE first wave of Chinese property buyers have matured. Now they’re adding a new twist to Australia’s booming real estate markets.
Big mistake homeowners are making
THE Apprentice host Mark Bouris says homeowners are missing out on a big opportunity to build wealth through the family home.
Our big home buyer mistake
THE Bureau of Statistics is having a very bad year. The bungled census was embarrassing - but this might just be worse.
Securing a mortgage is about to get harder
HOUSEHOLD debt levels have reached an all-time high and it is bad news for anyone applying for a mortgage.
Unique chance to own part of history
AN apartment in the historic Craigston block, owned by one of Brisbane’s elite, is up for sale, including its original character features.
Mind games and tricks in real estate
LIKE rabbits in headlights, home buyers are being caught unawares by these psychological traps — and they’re paying the price.
Millions ‘blown’ on empty houses
HUNDREDS of millions of taxpayer dollars have allegedly been wasted on investment in property that is now sitting completely empty.
Flatpack houses to solve housing shortage
HOW do we solve Australia’s growing affordability crisis? Introducing flatpack houses. Yes, it is just like Ikea.
People the property market is screwing over
SKY-rocketing property prices across Australia’s capitals are annoying for everyone - but downright prohibitive for one group of Australians.
The property advice you need
THE statistics are gloomy, but there is reason to be optimistic. Here’s how you can win the property market outside of the city.
Family feud over $6.6m mansion
DRAMATIC scenes marred the $6.6 million sale of this historic mansion, with a family feud erupting as the hammer fell.
Proof Sydney property is ridiculous
A HOME, or construction site, in Newtown is on the market for almost $1 million — and it has many interested buyers.
Chinese divorcing to buy property
LOVE doesn’t appear to conquer all in China. With couples lining up to divorce amid fears of limits on how many properties married couples can own.
Sydney deep in ‘bubble risk zone’
SYDNEY’S property market is one of the riskiest in the world, a report has warned. The price boom “may end rather abruptly”.