Sydney property lawyer has recently given his five year old son an early 21st birthday present!  A Potts Point apartment to the value of $710,000 according to the Sydney Morning Herald on October 29 2013.  Is this good forward planning or denying the child the gift of self-sufficiency? - according to Richard Glover in the SMH the day after.  The father, lawyer Dion Vertzayas states he has moved to secure his son's future by buying a "bolt-hole" in the inner city...  but Richard declares in his article he is denying the boy the right of passage for his adult life.  Let us know if you think this is going to help or hinder this young man...

The Treasurer Joe Hockey was forced to defend the Australian housing market during a visit to the US in October, in an attempt to rectify foreign investor perceptions that a property bubble looms...  (according to Mortgage Professional Australia pp 6 December 2013)
Hockey was asked in an interview with US-based reporter Amanda Drury, if he was worried about a bubble bursting and causing a housing crash like the one the US experienced during the GFC.
"Not at all.  A lot of commentators, particularly over here, don't understand the Australian housing market," he replied.
"Australia is a long way from a housing bubble.  Rising house prices in Australia help to make some of the more marginal new housing developments affordable, realistic and deliverable".

At Wilson Financial we are often exposed to  a market segment that is wealth driven, focused on good debt, and not bad debt.  Call it those with ‘financial health’. However, MOST of us have had a nasty credit card bill, typically in our early twenties, which then haunted us for some time until we got rid of it. Do you remember your first run in with debt? Or are you still in the wars? You clearly are not alone...

Australian’s have become addicted to the equivalent of ‘financial fast food’  and now we are beginning to experience the associated ‘financial health’ risks. We need to start doing things differently or we risk being owned outright by the executives of large corporations who will stop at nothing to drive shareholder value higher.

Australia, like most other first world economies,  has a love affair with credit. We have a type of addiction to credit cards and the debt associated with them. A little over ten years ago the average amount owing per account holder was $965. In 2006 this amount had already grown to $1,428. According to RBA data the actual amount had blown out to a whopping $2,808 by as early as 2007.

The  conclusion we can reach is that Australian’s, on average, owe more than three times as much on their credit cards as they did ten years ago. 

It’s not just credit cards that are the problem though. The days of old fashioned lay-buys – where you would put a deposit on a purchase and then pay if off before taking possession of the item – have virtually come to an end. Instead, attend any homemaker centre on a weekend and you will see people queuing up to buy goods on 24 months ‘interest  free’ terms.

People no longer want to wait until they can pay for goods before they take them home. Today’s consumer wants everything now –  right now! Whatever happened to the psychology of earning something before you buy it? This is the core of where people are being trapped. It’s psychology and it’s having the character to shift your attitudes, and desires to a perspective of financial freedom, and away from material possession.  

Finance companies have ‘clicked’  to the opportunity, they operate on the assumption that the majority of people
will only pay the bare minimum (which can be as low as nil) along the way and then be unable to afford the ‘lump sum’  owing at the end. This is when the interest at an incredible 27% plus can
come into effect.

 If I had told you as little as ten years ago that  the people would be happy to pay $5,000 for a television, how would you have responded? It seems that our buying behaviour has changed dramatically, and with it the way we think about debt. Once upon a time the idea of carrying debt on a credit card was seen as foolish, it’s now normal to maintain a balance of over $1,000.

This assumption is backed up by actual figures.
The average credit card limit back in May 1996 was $2,951. By 2010 the average
limit had reached over $12,000.

Instead of debt being seen as temporary – something you get into and out of as quickly as possible – most now see owing  money as a natural part of life. Over the past decade or so we have been conned  into believing that consumer debt is normal and okay. Rather than think about  the stress associated with paying what is owed, consumers happily whip out the plastic and receive the positive association of earning rewards for spending.
It’s total consumer madness!

The marketing gurus are all ‘high-fiving’ each other while a new generation of slaves is being created – those who are
convinced that it’s a great idea to spend thousands of dollars to earn enough loyalty points to redeem a ‘free’  trinket worth a few hundred dollars (at most). Sadly, as they redeem their reward they forget that the balance owing is attracting interest at over 16% per annum, compounded.

In 2006 it was reported that the average Australian household had about $155 dollars in debt for every $100 it earned
after tax. Today that number has more than doubled but incomes have only grown by less than 25%.

This disastrous financial outcome didn’t just happen overnight, it’s a consequence of an extended period of financial abuse.  Today the average household will have to work a little over two years just to repay existing debt – and this figure is getting worse each year.

What are your personal experiences with debt? Do you know someone who has got themselves into trouble over their extreme spending habits? Let us know your experiences and if you have any questions about debt feel free to contact us to discuss the issues.

The top 10 turn on has shifted! 
1.   A good neighbourhood
2.  Garage
3.  Modern kitchen
4.  Large Bedrooms
5.  Air conditioning
6. Storage
7.  Modern Kitchen
8. Ensuite
9.  Outdoor Entertaining
10. Light and Airy


According to the MPA (Mortgage Professionals Australia)  and agreed to by at least two of my STAFF who are undertaking the building of a home.  We all love a good home after all so think about how yours meets these criteria, particularly if you plan to sell one day.
                                             

Should buying a property be like building a time  capsule? Acquired and then squirrel away the titles away in a deep dark place  for long periods of time. If the right buyer comes along, and offered you the  ‘right’ price, would you sell? 

Many experts would advise that selling property  is taboo when building wealth or developing a portfolio. However, with agents  fees at 2-3% per sale, and stamp duty at over 3% every time you buy, is buying  and selling too much eroding your profits? Where is the perfect balance in  today’s market, where the words ‘plateau’ and ‘housing bubble’ seem commonplace in public sentiment. Do you hold for 20, 30, 40 years?

What are some examples of when selling can be tempting
I

• Income has changed and you can no longer afford the property
• Unsecured debts have grown and you need to make some hard decisions
• Circumstances have changed and you need to change your lifestyle or home, via upgrade or downgrade
• The property is due for expensive repairs or the annual costs are blowing out

What are your thoughts about selling property? Are you in it for the long term or are you a property flipper? Let us know how  you feel about this topic in the comments section below, I’m sure there is a fabulous debate buried deep in this topic.