Text and email may be popular ways to get in touch, but Michael encourages you to build relationships with local real estate agents the old-fashioned way – calling them or meeting them face to face. Building relationships with agents could mean you get info before it hits the real estate websites, like those properties that don’t even go to market.
Everyone’s heard of the golden rule of real estate - location, location, location. But Michael puts another rule before that – research, research, research. This includes going out and meeting agents to get a feel for property values and performance histories in the area, visiting real estate websites and talking to other home owners about their experiences.
Michael recommends looking into the government assistance that might be available in your state to help you get into your first home sooner – things like the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) or a Home Buyers Assistant Account (HBAA).
According to Michael, don’t necessarily let what might be currently happening in the market put you off if you’re keen to buy a home – for example, if the market’s falling. Michael points out that there’ll always be bad buys in a good market, and good buys in a bad market.
It’s important to do your research, as well as remind yourself what appeals to you long-term about buying a home. Those potential benefits (not just the financial ones) could far outweigh anything in the short term. Think of the sense of ownership and security you’ll feel by not renting - not to mention having security in retirement. In Michael’s words, you can be the “master of your own destiny."
Thinking of buying an investment property? See why property is a long-term investment.
Cracking the code: Connect Events
Whether you’re building a deposit or actively looking to purchase, researching buying your first home can be confusing. Buyers agents. Auction vs private sale. Offset accounts. Interest rates. Contracts. The list goes on. We want to straighten it out for you, at Connect Events: Cracking the Code. A panel of experts from across the property industry have come together and are ready to answer your questions on the home buying process.
Get in touch with a Home Lending Specialist, and they’ll respond within one business day. You can talk on the phone, meet at a branch, or have a Mobile Lending Manager come to you.