first home

To rent or to buy, that is the question. With mortgage rates at record lows, loan serviceability costs have become cheaper overall. Yet housing affordability continues to plague a generation of would-be first-time buyers, especially in inner-city suburbs ... More

Dear Paul, I fractured my skull in the Royal Australian Navy 30 years ago and have developed epilepsy. I went into a massive depression and PTSD and turned to drugs and gambling as a pain reliever. Thanks to the staff at National Centre for Veteran's ... More

Back in the good old days, and I'm talking the Middle Ages here, there were no such things as children. Just pause for a moment to think about that, and soak up the serenity. "Children" didn't exist because society treated them merely as small ... More

The "Home First, Super Second" proposal championed by Liberal MP Tim Wilson would allow couples to withdraw $40,000 of their super to buy property, but Industry Super Australia warns this could result in an 8-16% median increase in capital city property ... More

Dear Paul, My fiancee and I are long-term renters, always in credit, no problems. I work for a state government agency and my average income is $85,000. My fiancee does not work, but this may change in the near future. We live on the NSW south coast ... More

Millennials are caught between a rock and a hard place: whichever way they turn they seem to be stymied. As a demographic they stare down the barrel of stagnant wages, insecure work and high property prices. Expecting them to put more into super is ... More

The NSW government's plan to abolish stamp duty in favour of a broad-based land tax is a bid to remove one of the major hurdles people face if they want to move homes. Under the proposed changes, announced as a part of the state budget, home buyers ... More

After a run of good fortune for first home buyers, the great Australian dream may be about to slip out of reach. Things have been on a steadily improving trajectory for first home buyers. "First home buyer activity continues to surge with monthly results ... More

Australian property values strengthened nation-wide through January, but what does this mean for first home buyers? According to CoreLogic, property prices rose 0.7% in January and are up 1.7% on a year ago. Quite a thing, given we're still in the ... More

You get approved for a home loan. Happy days. But then COVID-19 hits, your employer loses revenue and puts you on JobKeeper. Despite still being gainfully employed, the bank comes back and lowers the approved amount. This experience, had here by a reader ... More