Having trouble keeping track of how the first home owner grant works in your state or territory? You’re not alone. Here’s your jargon-free guide to the grant. The first home owner grant (FHOG) varies depending on where you live and the rules also change year to year, so it can be tricky to keep up with what you’re entitled to. If you’re looking at buying your first home, here are the essentials you need to know. What is the first home owner grant (FHOG)? Introduced in 2000 to offset the effects of the GST on home buyers, the FHOG provides a one-off payment to people who are buying or building property for the first time. Depending on where you live, these grants generally range between $7,0
Taking care of basic maintenance tasks before you sell your home is a no-brainer, but a quick and not-too-costly renovation can add a lot of appeal for potential buyers, and may boost the final sale price. 1. Basics first Fix those little faults that you no longer notice – leaky taps, rusty gutters, broken window catches. They can make a huge difference to a buyer’s perception of value. 2. Landscape the garden A well-kept garden can create a low-maintenance feel before buyers even step inside. 3. Bring the outside in Opening living areas to the garden can be as simple as adding big bi-fold doors that create an inviting sense of flexibility. 4. Take the inside out The garden is a place to
At Herron Todd White, they’ve jumped on the unique opportunity afforded by having offices filled to the brim with exceptionally talented professionals. They’ve put out the call to each and every hub and asked them to reveal their market predictions for 2018. This month’s emailed issue is bursting at its virtual seams with our experts’ opinions on how property will track in their patch – price sectors, suburbs and accommodation types all get coverage. And there’s nothing impotent about their predictions either. While others may fear to put pen to paper and tell you how it is, the team have toughened up. The calls they make in this month’s release will be revisited come year’s end where, i
At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.50 per cent. There was a broad-based pick-up in the global economy in 2017. A number of advanced economies are growing at an above-trend rate and unemployment rates are low. Growth has also picked up in the Asian economies, partly supported by increased international trade. The Chinese economy continues to grow solidly, with the authorities paying increased attention to the risks in the financial sector and the sustainability of growth. The pick-up in the global economy has contributed to a rise in oil and other commodity prices over recent months. Even so, Australia's terms of trade are expected to decline over th
