How to... PROPERTY INVEST

Many new investors are asking whether now is the right time to start their investment journey? The reality is that despite what’s happening in geopolitics, financial markets or the broader property market, there is always an opportunity to find high-quality investment opportunities. The real key is to understand how to buy in the current market and what factors to consider.

AFFORDABILITY IS RELATIVE

With house prices having risen by 20.6 per cent in the past 12 months (according to CoreLogic), many experts are now talking about how affordability is a key issue. While it certainly is tough to afford a property in the likes of Sydney and Melbourne, the advantage investors have is that they are not limited to any one market. Typically affordability is poor in many markets that have seen huge surges in growth in a short period of time. However, there are many markets where growth has been consistent and still trending higher. Look to identify suburbs where houses are still affordable relative to average household incomes. There are over 15,000 suburbs across the country and not all of them have moved to the point that they are not affordable for local owner-occupiers. Many suburbs are still seeing steady growth while others