Frothy Sydney prices
Sydney’s
crazily high house prices seem to have become a staple topic at barbecues and
sausage sizzles across the harbour city these days.
With
prices seemingly at or close the peak of the market cycle, should you even try
to buy today, assuming you can afford the high entry prices?
There’s
no 'one size fits all' answer to that question, but here are a few important
considerations...
Time horizon
With
the jobs market more fluid than ever before, we are changing jobs, locations,
and even careers far more frequently today than was the case for generations
past.
With
stamp duty levies on Sydney purchases now so high, it may only make sense to
buy a home if you are reasonably confident that you will be in Sydney for at
least a few years, and ideally longer.
The
transaction costs of buying a property can sometimes be up to 5 to 6 per cent of the
purchase price, and there are further costs to account for when you come to
sell.
First homebuyer incentives
The
New South Wales State Government has recognised this hurdle facing first
homebuyers and from 1 July 2017 has abolished stamp duty on all homes bought by
first homebuyers up to $650,000, while offering stamp duty relief for homes
priced up to $800,000.
The
NSW Government’s comprehensive package included other measures to promote
affordability too (albeit they aren't really designed to lower prices).
Given
the above, it may not be a bad time to purchase for first homebuyers, provided
you have a reasonable time horizon.
At
least historically, waiting for prices to crash in the most populous cities has
not been a fruitful strategy for those aiming to get onto the housing ladder.
Record building boom
The
above having been said, there are presently more than 82,000 new dwellings
under construction across the state, the highest figure on record, so some
areas are at a greater risk of falling prices than others.
These
areas typically include the suburbs where most new dwellings are built, such as
blocks of land on the city fringe, and high-rise apartments in some of the
suburban construction hotspots.
‘Rentvesting’
With
the uncertainty surrounding Sydney’s expensive housing market, more young
aspiring homeowners are choosing to rent where they want to live, while buying
an investment property elsewhere to get a toehold on the housing ladder.
If
well planned and executed this can be an effective strategy. There’s
even a new name for it: ‘rentvesting’.
What
do you think? Keen to hear your thoughts!
Come
to our Money for Life workshop on
Saturday 7 October 2017, for straight-talking, no nonsense financial education (click image for details).
