Empower Blog Property & Financial Investment

Bank Loyalty, Does it pay off?

Over my journey in this profession, I have meet many great people and continue to work for most of them in helping them achieve their goals whether it be securing their first home, refinancing or planning out their pathway of financial independence through investment in Residential property.  As I do with every client I ask them the same question ...

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Property Prices on the Up – Investors coming back….

It appears in just a couple of months that sentiment and actual property prices have come full circle, from the gloom and doom being reported back in March / April of this year.  The logical reason for this is that the data that most analysts report, such as the Real Estate institutes in each state, is up to 2 to 3 months following the actual resu...

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RBA Rates Decision – June 2009

The Reserve Bank chose once again to leave interest rates on hold today, leaving the cash rate at 3%. Commentators are now questioning whether the cash rate will actually get down as low as 2.5 to 2%, which is what was forecasted earlier this year. On the fixed rate side of the fence, the movement was up, with St George and Westpac both movin...

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What’s the Cheapest Loan?

If I had a dollar for every time……. so the saying goes, and in my case it relates to people asking me what is the best interest rate at the moment or who’s got the cheapest loan? I wish there was a simple answer to this question, and believe you me, when I first started out in the finance industry I was also naive to think that surely this...

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Housing Affordability Dramatically Improves

Housing affordability improved by 14.6% in the March quarter according to the HIA - CBA First Home Buyer Affordability Report The largest improvements were recorded in Hobart, Adelaide, and Sydney. According to the report, a combination of the boost to the First Home Owners Grant, record low interest rates and relatively stable house prices mean...

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RBA Rates Decision – May 2009

The Reserve Bank decided to keep it powder dry this month and left the cash rate on hold at 3.00%.  They are taking this neutral position in light of seeing what effect the rate cuts made earlier this year are having on the economy.  The overall consensus of the market is that the cash rate is still forecast to drop to between 2.50% and 2.00% lat...

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To Fix or Not to Fix – ‘The question on everyone’s mind…..’

Depending on long term funding costs and increased demand for fixed loans, fixed mortgages can actually go up when the cash rate / variable mortgages are going down, as we have seen just recently. Fixed interest rates don’t automatically move in the same fashion as variable mortgage rates do. So in my attempt to make an informed comment on this ...

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The ‘NOISE’ is back – Property Prices Falling

The latest REIV median house prices for Victoria were released on Saturday and the media responded with all the noise we have come to expect.  Toorak properties prices fall by over 20%, Albert Park down over 10% for the quarter etc, etc.  However, as usual the ‘details’ were somewhat overshadowed by the sensationalist headlines and 30 seconds...

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What’s happening in Easter this year?

A shortage of good property and increased interest from First Home Buyers leading up to the June 30 deadline for the Boost Package to lapse is making it hard going for both home buyers and investors in the ‘quality’ locations both in Melbourne and within all major Australian Cities. My comment is twofold this month: 1. Staying the course:...

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RBA Rates Decision – April 2009

The Reserve Bank announced today that the Cash Rate would be cut by 25 basis points to 3.00%. This decision brings rate to record lows, as Australia’s economy moves into recession, after a record period of economic growth. The big question is will the banks be passing on any of this latest cut, as they are still claiming the costs of funds ...

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Where will the ‘Smart Investors Money’ go in 2009?

The Stock Market is shaky with both the ASX and NYSE pushing below 15 and 12 year lows respectively, as I write my comment piece this month. The low cash rate correlates to reduced bank interest returns for money invested in Term Deposits or Savings Accounts. The same goes for Government bonds. The media continues to talk up the doom & gloom...

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Positive Cash Flow Property

Given the well documented shortage of available residential property to house our growing population, rents have been on the increase for some years now.  In fact, rents across Australia grew by 9% last year and forecast figures quoted in 2007 were for rents to increase by as much as 50% over the next 5 years, whether that figure actually material...

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RBA Rates Decision – March 2009

Today the RBA announced it will keep interest rates on hold for the month of march @ 3.25% In these interesting times it has only taken the RBA since September 2008 to drop the cash rate by 4.5%, when in the last tightening cycle it took them just under 6 years to raise the cash rates 3%, so maybe such a dramatic reduction to date is allowing th...

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