While buying a quality asset in a capital city location is likely to see you own a property that grows in value long term, saving a six-figure deposit isn’t achievable for everyone.
A lot of change has swept through the property market over the past few years, and even decades, and, more recently, things have become increasingly volatile with the COVID-19 threat.
“Only two out of every 10 Australians currently aged 65 and over are actually financially independent”
It’s given rise to a concoction of setbacks – both real and perceived – that can make it seem increasingly difficult for people to catch their first break in the property game.
According to a recent ANZ CoreLogic housing affordability report, it can take Sydney borrowers up to 11.4 years to save a 20% property deposit. This is slightly less in Melbourne at 10.1 years, and in Brisbane at 7.9 years (assuming that 15% of a borrower’s gross annual income is to be saved).
So, how can you take your first strides into property and keep moving towards a future that holds the prospects of greater wealth – without waiting for close to a decade to do so?
AllianceCorp managing director Jason Paetow says building a range of property investments is an ideal way to diversify your portfolio and reduce your risks.
“Provided you purchase in different markets – so you’re not just doubling up on a single investment – purchasing both directly and indirectly can be a great way to maximise profi ts and lessen the impact of any market downturns,” Paetow explains.
“It’s the same reason we encourage clients to hold properties in different states and to hold different types of properties, both cash flow positive and cash flow negative. You’re not relying on a single asset to deliver returns.”
Investors don’t necessarily have to adopt the traditional mode of investing by saving for a large deposit, in order to see the benefi ts, adds director of Income2Wealth Paul Wilson.
“When an investor is trying to be creative by manufacturing a return on their investment, if their capacity is small, they [might] take on more risk, and if they are not skilled, they may be adversely affecting what they are trying to achieve for themselves,” Wilson says.
“But there are ways in which investors can participate in property investing without having to take on all of the risks themselves, which is where these other methods of investing exist.”
With an array of alternative entry points to peel back for their benefits and potential risks, we have roped in the nation’s leading property experts, who home in on each investing strategy and put a spotlight on how some of the more unregulated playfields, such as those of property joint ventures, have evolved to better protect the investor.
Read more:
The A-REIT path to property investing
