The first and most important step is to obtain your finance approval. Banks will need you to make a formal application. You will need to prove your income and savings and may even need to have pre-existing properties valued if you already own a home.
Depending on your situation, allow generally up to 30 days. You will need to supply the bank or broker up to date tax returns and profit and loss Statements to prove your current living expenses. You will need to be prepared to jump through hoops, but in the long run it will be worth it.
Obtaining finance can be a little frustrating for certain buyers. If you are a first home buyer or a small business owner, it is best to seek advice from an accountant or financial advisor prior to submitting an application. Your team will be able to advise you on how to approach your application and help you with the correct buying structures if required.
The selection of the investment really is up to you and your personal goals and circumstances. However we do have a strict selection criteria that our investors must consider prior to investing in any investment property.
Every kind of investment must have up-side growth potential and produce a suitable return based on the buyer’s requirements. Be in a low risk suburb or estate and more important, the investment must be in the right street. As a buyer be prepared to walk away from a property that does not meet all the criteria required.
Never buy with your heart, always buy with you head. Make your investment all about a long term growth strategy and have a specific plan and purpose for the investment and understand why you are investing before you start the process.
You are your “biggest risk”. We have no control of your decision making process. We recommend you surround yourself with property experts, such as the Horizon Property Alliance team, who you can speak to if something adverse happens with your investment or your life. We will help you to create a suitable team of independent advisors to ensure you and your property are geared correctly in case of an emergency.
Selling at the wrong time in the market is in our opinion the biggest risk. When you invest in a property it is important to understand how to structure your investment so you are safe. We guide you through all the pit falls and help set up your property investment journey, so you are educated prior to entering into a property investment contract.
We believe all buyers should keep their options open, there is not one size fits all. It really depends on your personal circumstances and the position you are in today. As long as you buy right and consider long term safe investments. You should avoid high risk areas and make decisions on where the numbers stack up best, whether that be new or established.
New and old have similar potential. We look at all kinds of investments and decide based on many factors, each investment needs to be treated as a business opportunity and the numbers must be within the zone.
We are asked this question every day.
Look for suburbs and estates close to everything, schools employment, public transport and major infrastructure projects are the most common answers most experts say.
We also research areas in regions that are about to boom, we look for areas which are under the radar that have not been sensationalized yet, we like to buy before the herd. We research change of zoning and streets with development potential, looking ahead at future town planning opportunities and buying before the area booms.
This is how maximum returns can be achieved for our clients.
Markets go up and down, boom or bust.
In any market a good property in the right location over the long term should grow in value. It does not really matter when you buy as long as you have a plan and a long term “in and out” strategy. Well researched street specific property with up-side potential will always return capital gains if you apply a hold and pay down strategy.
We are always on the look for out of line sales. Properties with strong income, high rental demand and below current market value if possible. One of the secrets to investing is to actually commit and take action and to buy with a long term view to own it.