housing affordability

National Property Statistics

Adelaide property values have recorded a modest increase of 0.1% during the month of November, according to the latest CoreLogic Home Value Index released today, Monday December 3, 2018. This small increase contributes to an annual return of 1.4%. While this small increase may not be music to the ears of property investors and owners, it certainly is sounding better than Sydney and Melbourne, both continuing their pull back with -1.4% and -1.0% respectively.

Source: Corelogic.com.au

As always, please be in contact should you need assistance with any property matter.

If interested in an individual property appraisal or statistics on your suburb or local area, please be in contact through SA Listings.

Justine

National Property Statistics

Australia’s housing market correction continued through August with the CoreLogic Report National Home Value Index tracking 0.3% lower over the month. Since peaking in September last year, values have been consistently tracking lower, down a cumulative 2.2% through to the end of August 2018.

The good news? Adelaide! As we have continually said, slow and steady wins the race, and while 1.0% annual growth does not seems spectacular, it points to value and affordability in South Australia. This coupled with renewed business confidence in the State is great news for both home owners and those looking to get into the market.

Source: Corelogic.com.au

As always, please be in contact should you need assistance with any property matter.

If interested in an individual property appraisal or statistics on your suburb or local area, please email info@salistings.com.au.

Justine

1 July Property Legislation Update

Well we are a few weeks into the new financial year and, as is usual, property owners and investors should be aware of various changes to property rules from the ATO.

Australia wide, the greatest and possibly the one with the biggest impact on investors, new home buyers and developers is the requirement for purchasers of new residential premises or potential residential land to withhold an amount of the contract price and pay this directly to the ATO at settlement.

Essentially, this means for affected property transactions, purchasers will need to:

split the amount of GST from the total purchase price,
pay the GST component directly to the ATO by a disbursement at settlement, and
pay the GST exclusive purchase price to the property developer (vendor).

The new rule imposes requirements onto the vendor/developer as well. Developers need to give written notification to the purchasers when they need to withhold.

The actual liability for the GST remains with the property developer, however there are no changes to how property developers lodge their business activity statements.

Should you be contemplating purchasing new residential property or potential residential land there are a number of forms that need to be completed by the purchaser or their representative (a conveyancer or solicitor) after contract signing and prior to settlement. Speak to your agent or conveyancer to ensure you comply with the new requirements or visit https://bit.ly/2tLbVri for more information from the ATO.

1 July 2018 also marks the date from which first home buyers can access super contributions for the purpose of buying their first home. Since 1 July 2017 eligible Australians have been able to make voluntary super contributions of up to $15,000 a year, to a maximum of $30,000 over more than one year, to their superannuation account to help purchase their first home. Since 1 July 2018, eligible Australians are able to apply to their super funds to release these contributions (and earnings) for the purposes of purchasing a first home.

Finally, another change on 1 July 2018: Australians aged 65 years + can make a non-concessional (after-tax) contribution into their super account of up to $300,000 from the sale proceeds of their family home (main residence) if they have owned the property for at least 10 years. Couples will be able to contribute up to $300,000 each, giving a total contribution of up to $600,000.

Again, please visit the ATO website https://bit.ly/2udPt9Jor discuss with your financial advisor for detailed information related to your particular circumstances.

Justine Thomson

National Property Statistics

12 MONTH MEDIAN GROWTH – SEPTEMBER 2017

	HOUSES	UNITS
ADELAIDE	2.5%	4.1%
MELBOURNE	11.5%	3.5%
SYDNEY	7.8%	4.3%
BRISBANE	3.3%	-2.1%
CANBERRA	7.7%	2.9%
DARWIN	-9.1%	-8.7%
PERTH	-2.4%	-3.6%
HOBART	6.8%	2.4%

12 MONTH MEDIAN PRICES – SEPTEMBER 2017

	HOUSES	UNITS
ADELAIDE	$445,000	$375,000
MELBOURNE	$702,000	$520,000
SYDNEY	$940,000	$715,000
BRISBANE	$530,000	$410,000
CANBERRA	$655,000	$430,000
DARWIN	$492,000	$390,000
PERTH	$500,000	$400,000
HOBART	$390,000	$290,000

If interested in suburb statistics for your local area in South Australia, please email info@salistings.com.au

Justine Thomson

Top Tips for First Home Buyers

To assist First Home Buyers get a step up on the property ladder, there are a few incentives you need to be aware of. To help assist, SA Listings has compiled this go to “Top Tips” for first home buyers looking to purchase in SA.

Top Tips Towards Home Ownership

First Home Super Saver Scheme: You can make contributions to your super account from your before tax pay to save for a house deposit. You are limited to $30,000 per person and capped at $15,000 per year. If you are self employed or your employer does not allow you to do salary sacrifice, you can claim a tax deduction on the after-tax contributions. To find out more, contact your Superannuation Fund direct.

Stamp Duty Savings: There are a couple of ways you can save on shelling out too much stamp duty! The SA Government allows for a stamp duty concession if you purchase an apartment off the plan anywhere in SA. What does “off the plan” mean? This means it is a new building that is yet to be constructed or it is a new building for which construction has commenced and the Commissioner is satisfied the work has not been substantially completed or it is an existing building where the Commissioner is satisfied that the building is to be substantially refurbished and the work has not yet commenced or has not been substantially completed.

The amount of stamp duty concession that applies depends on two things:

What stage the construction is at from the date you enter the contract and
What the market value of the apartment is that you purchase.

To calculate how much stamp duty you need to pay for an “off-the-plan” apartment, there is a great calculator available on the Revenue SA website: Stamp Duty Calculator

Another way to save on stamp duty is to build. By purchasing a block of land and then building, you only pay stamp duty on the land, saving you considerable money. This additional money can be put towards the build rather than to State Government coffers. For example, if you buy a block of land for $150,000 and build a home for $200,000, you will only pay stamp duty on the land only. At current rates the stamp duty on $150,000 would be $4,830. If you had purchased an established home at $350,000 the stamp duty would be $13,830. This is a saving of $9,000! As a first home buyer this is a considerable amount of savings.

First Home Owners Grant (FHOG): The FHOG is a once of grant paid to eligible first home buyers on the purchase of a new build or construction of a new home. To be eligible for the grant the market value of the property purchased must be $575,000 or less. The amount of the FHOG is $15,000. If you purchase a newly built home, the grant is paid on settlement, if you construct a new build the grant is paid on date of first progress payment.

Pre-construction Grant for “Off-The-Plan” Apartment Purchases: For contracts of “off-the-plan” apartments entered into between 20 June 2017 and 30 September 2017 the State Government is currently offering a $10,000 pre-construction grant.

Savings: Don’t forget good old fashion savings. By saving a few dollars everyday, this can go a long way towards your first home deposit!

At SA Listings we know it is tough for first home buyers to dip their toe onto the property ladder but with sound knowledge and a good understanding of managing your money, the dream can be a reality! We hope this blog assists all those aspiring first home owners and should you have any questions, please send us an email or message us on facebook and we would be happy to help.

Justine Thomson

Please note: Information provided in this blog is current as at date of going to print

Take Advantage of a Government Incentive

NRAS, or the National Rental Affordability Scheme. Don’t be bamboozled by the big words, the scheme is easy to understand and provides benefits to a wide demographic of people in Australia. Not only do investors benefit from NRAS but so do tenants and those looking to get a step up on the property ladder. So what is it? Why did it come about? And how does it work?

NRAS is a Federal Government initiative introduced in 2008. It was designed to encourage investment in residential housing to assist people on low to moderate incomes with an opportunity to rent homes at 20% below market rent values. It is not social housing; rather, it is a scheme to provide affordable private rental homes to individuals and families who meet the income threshold. To attract investors, tax-free incentives are provided to those who invest in and own approved NRAS properties.

NRAS was designed to assist in addressing housing supply and affordability. Pressure on the private rental sector, increased rents, the difficulty of low to middle income households to access affordable private rental homes, plus the reduced supply of public housing contributed to the NRAS initiative being created.

NRAS provides benefits to both investors and tenants:

Tenants: Eligible tenants can access private rental accommodation at 20% below the market rate. Tenants’ income may increase up to 25% before their eligibility is affected. Current income eligibility rates are available here: https://goo.gl/vHuAtF

If you are interested in renting an NRAS property and meet the eligibility criteria, it can be an affordable housing solution, to assist you in meeting your financial goals.

Investors: Approved investors are eligible to receive the NRAS incentive for up to 10 years for each approved dwelling where the conditions of allocation for the dwelling are met including renting the property at least 20% below market value rent.

The NRAS incentive for the 2017/2018 year is as follows:

Federal Contribution: $8,335.75

State Contribution: $2,778.58

Total Incentive: $11,114.33

The NRAS incentive comprises two components: the Federal Government contribution is a tax offset and the State Government contribution is a direct cash payment.

The benefits for investors can be significant. For example: If Jane invests in an NRAS property where the market rent is $300, she must rent the property out at $240 per week to be eligible for the NRAS incentive. Jane effectively receives $3,120 less in rent per annum for her property. However this is more than compensated by the above annual NRAS incentive she receives from the Federal and State Government. To understand the full benefit of the NRAS incentive and what it means to you financially, it is best to speak with a qualified Accountant or Financial Planner before purchasing an NRAS property.

SA Listings has a strong understanding of NRAS and works closely with relevant providers in South Australia. SA Listings currently has a NRAS property available in Evanston, South Australia. To find out more about NRAS either as an investor or as a tenant, please contact SA Listings for more information.

Justine Thomson

SA Homes Top Ten Wish List

I thought with 2016 recently ending and the New Year ringing in, it is an apt time to review the most common search words buyers use when seeking a property in SA, to assist any would be seller in 2017.

Many will be surprised pool is the number one search word when seeking properties in SA. For all those lucky enough to have a pool, the cost to run, maintenance and amount of times utilised often outweigh the benefits a pool can bring but at sale time this can be a bonus. A pool can be an attractive garden feature and for families a must have in our dry, hot summers. If your kids have flown the coop and you are thinking of ditching the pool, think twice, especially if you have plans to one day sell your home and downsize.

The old fashion granny flat is back in vogue! Statistics prove our kids are staying at home much longer these days and often do not consider leaving the family abode until in their late twenties or early thirties, sigh…. Grandparents are also becoming a part of the extended family, assuming a carers role for children when both parents work. To give extended adult families breathing space it is little wonder the granny flat is a highly sought after commodity. If you are fortunate enough to have a granny flat and are considering taking your home to market, it would be worth spending some coin on reinvigorating life into this space. If used as storage, clear out the boxes, de-clutter and style as you would a second home.

The corner block has always been a sought after find in SA but even more so since the State Government zoning changes. If you fall into the new zoning categories for higher density living, the corner block can be correlated to the golden goose who lays the golden eggs. Make sure you check with your council for current zoning requirements before putting your home on the market. The right zoning can add tens of thousands to your sale price. A good agent should be aware of the possibilities in your area when it comes to potential development or subdivision and should factor this into the market price.

Top Ten Property Search Words in SA

Pool
Granny Flat
Corner
Views
Beach
Shed
Esplanade
Cottage
Character
Investment

To maximise the return on your property consider the top ten search words and ensure your Agent takes full advantage of known characteristics your home has in meeting buyer needs.

If considering selling your home in 2017, we would love to hear from you and assist you in making the most of your properties attributes: salistings.com.au

Justine Thomson

Mum and Dad Home Loans

Christmas is fast approaching and we all appreciate the little gifts we receive from loved ones but is helping your adult child buy their first home a help or a hindrance?

It is not difficult to understand why adult children are turning to their parents for a step up on the property ladder. In a Parliamentary report titled, “Out of reach? The Australian housing affordability challenge” (8^th May 2015), there are some shocking statistics. Up until 2001 annual income grew in line with housing prices, since 2001 the growth in property values has dramatically outstripped growth in household incomes. NATSEM [National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling] data shows that house prices increased by 147 per cent compared to income growth of just 57 per cent between 2001 and 2011. In dollar terms, the median price of a house more than doubled from $169,000 to $417,500 while after tax income increased from just $36,000 to $57,000. Whereas in 2001 an average home price in Australia was 4.7 times the average income, by 2011 this had increased to 7.3 times.

This graph below (source: Master Builders Association), highlights the housing affordability issue in Australia.

The Housing Affordability Ratio is measured by dividing the median house price by the median income of the house purchaser. A ratio of 5 or less, below the green line, is considered affordable, a ratio of 7 or more, above the purple line is severely unaffordable. This horrific statistic can provide some insight as to why parents are assisting adult children fund their first home. Question is, should we be?

This can be a very difficult question to answer. Prior to gifting money to your adult child, funding their deposit or going guarantor on a loan, make sure you consider the following:

Will you have enough money to fund your own retirement if you assist your children?
If you go guarantor on the loan and your adult child’s circumstances change and they can no longer fund the mortgage repayments. Will you be able to meet these repayments? If not, there could be serious consequences for your own financial stability.
Should your adult child be in a relationship and live with their partner and things turn sour resulting in a relationship break up, watch the can of worms open up! If you paid the deposit or funded the home, the law may see it as a gift and the ex-partner walks away with half or more! Alternatively, if you are guarantor on the loan: What are the financial implications with the split?
Have you taught your adult child how to manage their finances on their own? If you are generous and assist them with their first home purchase they may not appreciate the value of a dollar. The best lesson in life when it comes to financial savings is delayed gratification. What you need to give up now to get something in the future can be a great value to instil in your child. If it is out of reach, then maybe it should never have been!
If the bank will not loan the funds to your adult child, the risk must be high. If you guarantor the loan you take on this risk.
Is your adult child willing to make sacrifices to invest in property? When I talk of sacrifices, I refer to their willingness to purchase in an affordable area that may be many kilometres from the city and to also manage their spending carefully.

This is not an exhaustive list but it does provide food for thought. If you do decide to assist your adult child it would be a good idea to ensure agreements are in writing and clearly understood. Life can often change course when we least expect it.

I have an adult child, still studying at University and living at home and understand the difficulty in wanting to provide for their financial future. Maybe times are changing and the reality of home ownership in Australia is now only a dream. Long term leases could pave the way for our kids into the future, so maybe you should be the one investing in another property!

Justine Thomson