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“We need to move – this house is too small / needs too much work / doesn’t suit our lifestyle anymore/ isn’t in the right location.”
Whatever the reason you decide you want to up sticks and move houses, you would do well to remind yourself that the cost to move homes doesn’t simply start and finish with the difference it may have cost you to upgrade to new digs. (more…)
It’s hard to believe this month marks three years since we all heard the term Global Financial Crisis for the first time.
And now as part of the world’s history, the GFC acronym is almost part of our common vernacular – the term bandied by everyone from politicians and economists to the man on the street.
That’s because although everyone may not understand all the intricate events that lead to the GFC – they do understand the impact it had on our economy and the threat that it posed to our livelihood and our very way of life.
So if it was so powerful – what lessons have we learnt from it? (more…)
Just to set the record straight, I’m the first one to admit I love a latte and that I get mildly excited at the notion that I can have the odd business meeting in the comfort of my local café.
So with my confession out of the way I hope you’ll now forgive me for sounding like a party pooper – but in Australia’s rush to culturally embrace a cosmopolitan café society, we’ve ignored the fact that the Europeans who were responsible for much of this influence, can more readily afford their style of entertaining, simply because they don’t share our philosophy and love affair with property ownership.
And therein lays a stumbling block for some. (more…)
As the major parties and the independents continue their talks and Australia stays in political deadlock, there’s a glaring issue that no party has really directly addressed – and that’s housing affordability.
Because although there has been much talk about what they may do with respect to specific contributors to the economy, there hasn’t actually been any specific policy or initiative mooted by either party to address why some Australians simply can’t get into the property market.
And the issue largely comes down to the supply of property and the main issues concerned. (more…)
How times have changed.
Gone are the days when families had takeaway once a week (which usually consisted of fish and chips on Friday night) or when the biggest family night out was heading down to the local Chinese restaurant.
The fact is, it’s a tell-tale sign that things have changed when you can watch a 5 year-old eat sushi with chopsticks better than you can!
In short, there’s been a generational change in how we go about our social lives – and for some borrowers and aspiring home buyers, they simply can’t afford it because some of these social habits are holding them financially captive. (more…)
I’d like a dollar for every time I’ve heard a politician talk about the issue of debt during the current election campaign.
And while there’s no disputing that debt is certainly a problem in Australia – whether it’s government debt or consumer debt, it still comes down to how to manage your way out of the situation, which is why it’s at the heart of who will win office this Saturday.
So as I’m not a Federal Treasurer or Finance Minister there’s no point putting in my two bobs worth on how to address government debt.
However….what I can do is shed some light on the issue of consumer debt by going through the ten main causes. Because often when you see individual triggers of debt it can become easier to eliminate the cause, rather than trying to manage the symptoms. (more…)
Pretty soon we’re going to start seeing advertisers including the word ‘Christmas’ in their ads as we ride the financial rollercoaster toward the last quarter of the year.
And for many of us, although Christmas brings with it the thought of a busier social calendar, it’s also traditionally the most expensive period of the year – which more than often results in a financial hangover that ironically occurs at the same time you’re trying to celebrate the promise of a fresh start to a New Year.
So if you’re a borrower who’s really feeling the pinch from rising rates and that scenario all too familiar to you – the very thought of it should be enough to make you read on……. (more…)
With so many young people eager to get into the property market but struggling to save enough for a decent deposit, there’s much to be said about staying at home for longer and being Packed to the Rafters as a way of eventually reaching their goal. (more…)