Finance QnA - Property Investment Q&A

• SMSF Q&A with super expert Martin Jandera

  Superannuation expert Martin Jandera answers your questions over the coming months about buying property through a self-managed superannuation fund read more

• Q&A: Buying property after changing jobs

  Question: I have recently changed jobs (two months ago) and my wife is expecting our first child in the next six months. With the housing market ripe for the picking, and having saved a 15% deposit, we’re thinking of buying our first home. read more

• Cashflow problems

  I've just bought my first IP last month and I'm already starting to get worried about being able to keep it for 7-10 years. I did all the calculations and with the current tenant and I'm cash flow neutral. I have variable loan paying interest only at the moment. Is there anything I should be doing now to make sure I can hold on to my property? read more

• Q&A: Using super to invest

  I believe that long-term property investment is much safer than investing in shares and would therefore prefer to use my superannuation to buy an investment property. Is this easy to do? read more

• Refinance or use cash?

  Question: I've been paying my PPOR diligently over the past three years and brought down my LVR to 60%. My broker advised that I could top it up to 90% and use this as a deposit to buy a new house or two units as an investment. I also have some cash (about $60,000) sitting in my offset account so I'm wondering if it's better to use this money rather than take out about $70,000 from my PPOR? read more

• Too many applications?

  Question: A year ago I applied for a personal loan. In order to ensure I got the best rate and product, I applied to about six different lenders. I only took up the one loan and I have made all my payments on time. I did a similar thing when I took up a credit card about seven months ago. I did my research and was offered about five different credit cards but I only took up one. read more

• Low-doc loans

  Q:I’m having problems getting a low-doc loan. I have a couple of properties in a trust and would like my next property to also be in a trust. I can get a loan with a 40% deposit or if I put the property in my own name, but they are two options I don’t really want or can’t do. Being self-employed and not required to register for GST makes it hard for me to ‘service the loan on paper’ as some of my income is of a cash nature. read more

• Leveraging UK assets

  Q:As a first-time buyer of your magazine (Feb 2010), I have to say how useful this edition has been and I have not even got past page 11! I would like to ask a couple of questions as UK residents who have been here for three-and-a-half years and are about to complete our permanent residency. read more

• Feeling the pinch of rate hikes

  Q:I bought my first investment property last month and I’m already starting to get worried about being able to keep it for 7–10 years. I did all the calculations, and with the current tenant I’m cash flow neutral. However, I still feel vulnerable with all this talk of further interest rate increases. I have a variable loan, paying interest only at the moment. Is there anything I should be doing now to make sure I can hold on to my property? Fixed loans seem to be going up every time I check. read more