Topic
Financial & investment
Stamp duty, LMI, cash flow, depreciation, CGT, and the maths behind a property decision.
20 articles
Stamp duty thresholds by state in 2026, and the cliffs that surprise buyers
Stamp duty in NSW jumps 1.5% at $1.043M. A purchase $5,000 above the threshold costs $15,645 more than one $5,000 below it.
The CGT main residence exemption, and 6 traps that catch otherwise careful sellers
The capital gains tax main-residence exemption seems straightforward. Six edge cases catch out sellers every year.
First home buyer concessions. The 5 schemes nobody explains in one place.
FHBAS in NSW. FHBG federal. FHOG state-by-state. First Home Super Saver. Family Home Guarantee. Five schemes, all stackable in some combinations, none
LMI. When paying it makes you richer.
LMI on a $1M purchase at 90 percent LVR is $20 to $25k. The opportunity cost of waiting two years to save the extra deposit is often $80 to $150k
After-tax cashflow. Why investors who model it pay less tax.
Pre-tax negative cashflow is what most investors track. After-tax cashflow shows what the property actually costs you per fortnight.
Depreciation. Why a 2010 build still has $40,000 of deductions left.
Capital works deductions run 40 years from build date. A 2010 dwelling has 24 years of deductions left. A depreciation schedule costs $700 and unlocks $30
The 6-year rule. Moving out of your PPOR and keeping the CGT exemption.
You can move out of your principal residence, rent it for up to 6 years, and still claim the main residence exemption when you sell, provided you do not
Interest rate sensitivity. How a 100bp move changes serviceability and affordability.
A 100bp rate move changes monthly serviceability on an $850k loan by $620. The buyer who qualifies at 6.5 percent does not qualify at 7.5 percent.
Offset accounts vs redraw. The difference that matters when you sell or convert to investment.
Offset and redraw both reduce interest. Offset preserves your principal balance. Redraw does not. The difference shows up when you sell, refinance,
The rentvesting play. When it works and when it does not.
Rentvesting means renting where you want to live and buying where the yield is. It works in cities with a wide rental-to-purchase ratio.
State-by-state stamp duty changes proposed for 2027
Three states have announced or proposed stamp duty reforms for 2027. NSW property tax pilot. VIC threshold review. SA pensioner concession expansion.
Investing in 2027. The post-rate-cut playbook.
The RBA has signalled rate cuts. The maths of investment property changes when borrowing costs fall 100bp. Here is the playbook for the 18 months
Negative gearing in 2027. What changed, what didn't, and what it means for the next purchase.
The 2024-26 negative gearing reform debate concluded with substantive change to the deductibility rules. What investors planning a 2027 or 2028 purchase
The 2027 rate curve. Where the RBA is heading and what it means for property.
The cash rate has fallen from 4.35% to 3.25% across 2026. Markets price further cuts in 2027. The implications for property buyers, refinancers, and investors.
SMSF property in 2027. The rules, the traps, and when it actually works.
Self-Managed Super Fund property investment carries specific structural advantages and equally specific traps. The 2027 framework reviewed, with the deal math.
Rentvesting in 2027. The real numbers, the trade-offs, and when it works.
Rentvesting (renting where you live, buying where you can afford) has become mainstream. The actual deal math, the lifestyle trade-offs, and when
Stamp duty vs land tax in 2027. The state-by-state position.
NSW, VIC, and ACT have all reformed property taxation in different ways since 2023. The actual position in each state in 2027 and the implications for buyers.
Rental yield vs capital growth. The trade-off that defines your investment.
Higher yield typically means lower growth and vice versa. The trade-off is the central investment property decision.
Rent vs buy in 2027. The honest math, free of property industry spin.
The rent-vs-buy calculation has shifted with higher prices, higher rates, and changed tax rules. The honest 2027 math, with the lifestyle factors that
30-year vs 25-year mortgage. The decision that costs $80,000 in interest.
A 30-year mortgage offers lower repayments but substantially higher lifetime interest. The 25-year alternative saves $80,000+ on a typical loan but