Real Estate

Affordable housing

Recent strong price growth across our capital cities has seen low-income and essential service workers such as teachers, nurses and emergency service workers priced out of most inner city markets. However, these areas still require the services that these workers provide. The provision of affordable housing for these low and middle-income families is required to ensure a diverse range of households have access to housing across all areas of our capital cities. However, at present, it has not been feasible for developers to provide affordable solutions. The government, therefore, needs to step in with incentives to ensure the delivery of affordable housing can occur. After all having nurses live near hospitals, and teachers live near schools just makes sense.

Removal of stamp duty

The high cost of selling, buying and moving home has reached a point where people are reconsidering and/or delaying their next property move. Recent strong price growth, and the fact that stamp duty is calculated on the value of the property, means that it has reached a point where it is having a big impact on the budgets of property buyers.

The scrapping of stamp duty would directly assist housing affordability by helping increase the mobility of the population and encourage owner-occupiers to up-size and downgrade into a property that suits their changing needs without being slogged with an exorbitant tax. This will insure more properties become available for sale, helping balance supply with demand and insuring more families get to grow up in their home of choice.

Sponsor: Sell your house Sacramento CA

Regionalization and decentralization of government services and businesses

The growing population across all capital cities and the increasing cost of providing infrastructure to the masses mean that decentralisation of businesses, households and government departments is becoming essential.

With more than 90 per cent of the Australian population living in capital cities, there is a need to incentivise businesses to relocate, or start-up, some or all, of their business in our major and minor regional centres.

This regionalization will boost the economies of these smaller regions and provide employees access to more affordable housing in these areas. It will also elevate some stress and demand on infrastructure, services and housing in capital cities.

Do You Know What to Consider?

Depending on your family and financial situation, as well as your local property market, there will be a number of different things you look for when you’re buying a property. These factors can drive a price up or down, and perhaps even give you an edge at the negotiating table. Let’s take a look at what you should be keeping an eye on when you buy.

Schools

Everyone wants the best education possible for their children, and a lot of the time this means securing property in the zone of a great school. Even those without children can benefit – the demand for this type of neighborhood can really drive up prices, making nearby property a great long-term investment.

Crime

A safe home is a great home. And while the Australian Bureau of Statistics noted a decline across 2013 for a wide range of offences, including robbery and motor theft, it’s still important to keep your family safe. Part of this is checking crime reports for a neighbourhood you want to buy a home in, and making sure it’s going to be a stable place to live.

Accessibility

If you’re in your older years, you’re unlikely to want a home with 50 stairs to climb to reach the front door! Likewise, if you drive, you need to make sure a driveway or garage is on hand as well. On top of this, you might want to check the main roads to your neighbourhood – are you going to be stuck in traffic on your daily commute to work?

Another important part of accessibility is public transport. Having bus and train lines run near your neighbourhood means easy access to all that your city has to offer – and less money spent on petrol!

Conveniences

Finding the right stores, markets and outlets that suit your lifestyle is crucial to picking a neighbourhood. Can’t go without your 8:30am coffee on the way to work? Then you’re going to need a neighbourhood with a good local cafe. If you only buy organic, then you’ll want a neighbourhood with a local farmers market.

Noise

While public transport is great, you might not want it right outside your door – the rumbling of buses and trains can be a pain when you want to sleep! The same goes for neighbours. Consider going for a late night drive through a neighbourhood on the weekend to gauge noise levels, and decide if you really want to move there.

Visuals

A daytime drive helps too: How does the neighbourhood actually look to the naked eye? Are power lines blotting out the sky, or is it a paradise of rolling green parks? By digging in and looking around, as well as doing some research, you can find a neighbourhood that truly meets your needs.

You may also like to download our free Open for Inspection House Checklists here OR our Open for Inspection Apartment Checklist here.