Australia's Real Estate Industry Unites In Support Of Our Bushfire Affected Communities.

I’m proud to say that the Australian Real Estate Industry has come together in an unprecedented way to help support those communities affected by the recent bushfires which occurred throughout Australia.

Several industry thought leaders have joined together and the fundraising site BeyondTheBricks.com.au was recently launched with several real estate networks involved, including McGrath.

The support is being provided in numerous ways…

Funds raised will be going to The Australian Red Cross, the Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in a particular order as outlined below (Source: BeyondTheBricks.com.au)

WHY THESE CHARITIES

“As real estate agents, we work with people and are part of their local community. We want to support our communities through the three phases we ‘ve highlighted below. 

The Australian Red Cross and the Salvation Army are first responders. They’re the ones on the grounds, manning evacuation grounds, feeding people and making sure their basic needs are fulfilled.

St Vincent de Paul is mainly staffed by volunteers who live and work in every local community - they have 630+ physical locations around Australia. Not only supporting first responders they work with local communities through the rebuild and store phases, making sure those in need get what they need - whether it be financial support or the replacement of household goods. 

WWF are our fourth charity whose focus is on rescuing wildlife during the crisis but also on reforestation and restoring habitats/climate change.”

Source: BeyondTheBricks.com.au

Source: BeyondTheBricks.com.au

There are several ways that the industry are also looking to get the broader community involved:-

1. Offer Your Home To A Displaced Family

2. Attend A Local Fundraising Event

3. Make A Generous Donation

This afternoon the BeyondTheBricks.com.au website had just ticked over $600,000 raised so far.

To keep-up-to-date with the industry campaign and see how McGrath are involved, click here

Congratulations to all involved. This should provide a fantastic collaboration of much needed support.

Hopefully as an industry we can do a lot to help these communities get back on their feet faster.

Again, well done.

Regards

Greg Vincent

Equestrian Community Helping To Get Bushfire Victims Back in the Saddle

The equestrian community has rallied together very quickly to help come to the aid of the South Coast Bushfire Victims who’ve lost a lot of their horse riding gear in the recent fires.

A new initiative called the South Coast Horse Gear Donation Drive was launched yesterday on Facebook which only came about via a simple request for help posted to friends.

“This all started with Ash doing a post to her friends asking for anyone to help out her nieces down the South Coast that lost all their horse gear in the Xmas/NY fires. Well it didn't stop at gear for them, it went crazy and we had donations from the amazing equine communities all over Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter Valley. So two girls can only have so much gear so we reached out to all the horse lovers affected by the fires in Southern NSW. This brings us here now, we have so much gear we need YOU to speak up and ask for help - because we are here to help and get you back into the saddle.”

SOURCE: South Coast Horse Gear Donation Drive

If you have any equestrian gear you would like to donate, contact the South Coast horse gear donation drive or get in touch with your local equestrian community as many have already started up a collection drive.

For example, Councillor Emma-Jane Garrow shared this post earlier today showing this outstanding group of dedicated people from The Hawkesbury who have packed the ute and horse float full of donated equestrian gear and are delivering it to the South Coast fire victims tomorrow.

The photos above from their Facebook Page show some of the equestrian gear that has been donated already.

There are so many different ways that the bushfire victims have been impacted and relief efforts like this will be greatly appreciated by the South Coast community.

If you have any equestrian gear you would like to donate, I’m sure there’s still a lot more gear that will be required to help the bushfire victims get back in the saddle.

Congratulations to all involved and well done to all those horse lovers who have already donated towards such an ‘Outstanding show of support’.

I’m sure I speak on behalf of many fellow Aussies when I say that we are all extremely proud of what you’ve done to help those Australians who are in need at this time.

Congrats again. Brilliant effort!

Warm regards

Greg Vincent

#BackToBilpin - A Positive Local Community Initiative For Bushfire Relief

It’s been heartwarming to see how the local communities have rallied together already in these early weeks of the bushfire relief.

SOURCE: FACEBOOK.COM/BACKTOBILPIN

On Saturday 11th January this new initiative was launched via the newly created Back To Bilpin Facebook Page to help…

‘SPREAD THE WORD - BILPIN IS OPEN!

Bilpin, the Land of the Mountain Apple, suffered from raging bushfires up and down the Bells Line of Road over the peak Christmas period.

Bilpin is a boutique tourism hot spot well known for its B&Bs, apple orchards, fruit picking, organic produce, ciders and open gardens. Just 90 minutes from Sydney, it is a great day trip or weekend away.

Like many regions throughout Australia, the unforgiving Christmas fires hit right in the peak of the tourism season.

Local small businesses now need our help.

Hawkesbury City Councillor Sarah Richards along with Lionel Buckett from Wollemi Wilderness Cabins, Michael Sperling from Bilpin Country Lodge, Bilpin and head of Blue Mountains Accommodation and Tourism Association, and residents Michael and Jane Hughes came together to workshop ideas to let tourists know it was safe to return.

#BACKTOBILPIN was born!

We are asking you to LIKE AND SHARE this page so we can get the word out to locals, Sydneysiders and tourists to come for a drive to Bilpin and visit our small businesses.

#BACKTOBILPIN NEEDS YOUR HELP.

Over the coming days and weeks, we will regularly feature local businesses and provide links to their pages.

Together, we hope this small grassroots campaign can revitalise the Bilpin economy.

Visit www.visitbilpin.com, www.visitbluemountains.com.au and www.discoverthehawkesbury.com.au to plan your day.’

It was great to see such a huge show of support just 24 hours after the #BackToBilpin Facebook page initiative was launched.

For example, the very next day, Robyn Preston MP, Member for Hawkesbury shared this post about how people were lining up to buy apple pies and refreshments to support the local businesses in Bilpin.

Bilpin is a beautiful part of The Hawkesbury and their retail trade (especially on the weekends) is such an important part of the fabric of the community.

Now that BILPIN IS OPEN, this community will require and appreciate any support to help them get through the coming year or more of re-building that’s required throughout Bilpin and its surrounding areas.

Also, some good news, the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens in Mount Tomah has re-opened and they shared this update on their website

The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah is now beginning to re-open to visitors, following the recent bush fires.

We at the Garden are extremely grateful to our staff, local community and emergency services personnel who dedicated their time and expertise in dealing with the devastating bush fires. 

Fortunately, most of the Garden’s plant collection, buildings including The Potager restaurant, accommodation, and venue spaces were unaffected by the recent fire.

Some areas within the Garden remain closed for safety reasons. For further details please view this map and observe signage within the Garden.   

For updates relating to The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden please follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you need to contact us, please use our temporary phone number 0492 442 245.

The Botanic Gardens also mentioned that, “The Blue Mountains community along Bells Line of Road has been significantly impacted by the fires. As you travel through the area, please consider visiting local businesses to support their recovery.”

When you head up to Bilpin takes some photos and share them on social media. Don't forget to use the hashtag #BACKTOBILPIN

Congratulations and a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone involved in launching this wonderful initiative for the Bilpin community.

Well done.

Regards

Greg Vincent

Sydney Metro Has Dramatic Increase To Buyer Activity And Property Values

Almost a year ago now, John McGrath featured in an article by Katrina Creer in the Rouse Hill Times where he predicted,

‘for those living in The Hills, incoming major infrastructure would add to market confidence. The $8.3 billion Sydney Metro North West, stretching from Tallawong station at Rouse Hill to Chatswood station, is set to open shortly while the North Connex could be completed by the end of the year.

I think current infrastructure has been partly factored into the growth of the area, however, upon completion when the vision becomes a reality and people can experience the benefits, it will have a further positive impact.’ - John McGrath - Rouse Hill Times 19/2/19

SOURCE: SYDNEYMETRO.INFO

John was 100% correct about the impact the Sydney Metro would have on property and the latest data trends from Domain.com.au have shown that there has also been a dramatic increase in online buyer activity for suburbs situated near the Sydney Metro.

Kate Burke from Domain.com.au reported, "‘Sydney home hunters are turning their gaze to suburbs along the new $7.3 billion metro line, with new data showing spikes in buyer interest in recent months.

The number of online property searches for suburbs along the Metro Northwest increased by as much as 37 per cent after the project opened in May, Domain data shows, with agents also reporting a jump in demand.

There are 13 stations linking Chatswood to Rouse Hill. Suburbs with metro stops had a combined 15 per cent spike in interest following the metro launch, for the period from June to December, when compared with the previous seven months. By comparison, searches across Sydney’s suburbs more broadly increased only 4 per cent over the same time period.’

There’s been nearly 4 times the interest (15%) from buyers searching for property near the Sydney Metro versus only 4% in other areas, yet Rouse Hill has experienced a massive spike of nearly 10 times the Sydney Metro average.

‘Rouse Hill, which has two stations, had the biggest uplift, with searches to buy in the suburb up 37.8 per cent. Cherrybrook, Macquarie Park and North Ryde were next with searches for each increasing more than 25 per cent.’

SOURCE: DOMAIN.COM.AU

This is also excellent news for acreage owners with strong price growth anticipated for properties located in suburbs situated in close proximity to either the Rouse Hill Station or Tallawong Station as today’s more modern acreage buyers seek a more peaceful, spacious rural life, they also yearn for convenience and an easy commute.

Working from the McGrath Rouse Hill office, our team have experienced the dramatic increase first hand and as the acreage specialist it’s been great to be able to be right in the thick of what’s happening so that I can have a greater insight into what’s ahead for the acreage market in the months ahead.

If you’d like to know what the forecast is for your acreage property or for your acreage suburb, don’t hesitate to get in contact with me.

Regards

Greg Vincent

Acreage Market Wrap 11th Jan 2020 - Find Out ‘How’s The Acreage Market?’

Happy New Year everyone. My name is Greg Vincent and welcome to this week’s Acreage Market Wrap where I share an insight into How’s The Acreage Market?

Today I’m coming to you from the Windsor Downs Nature Reserve. It’s a beautiful part of The Hawkesbury with lots of walking trails and it’s a great place to escape away from the hustle & bustle of city life and enjoy the natural surroundings of the Australian bush.

I’m filming in here today for a couple of reasons...

Firstly, and most importantly I wanted to pay respect to all of the fire fighters and all of those families impacted by the recent bushfires which are still burning across several fire-fronts throughout Australia.

The devastating loss of lives, homes, communities and livelihoods as well as the enormous loss of wildlife and bushland is unimaginable.

What the firefighters have had to endure is inconceivable and we simply can’t thank them enough for all that they and their support crews have done for all of those communities affected throughout Australia.

It’s been so heartwarming to see both local and global support and donations flooding in during this time.

To do our bit to help, our McGrath community are rallying together as a network and during the month of January and February $200 out of each sale is being donated to the Red Cross bushfire appeal and we estimate that we should raise approximately $200,000 collectively as a group. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this initiative from our McGrath team.

It’s wonderful to see the good side of humanity as well as the amazing Aussie Spirit shining so brightly during these difficult times.

Now the second reason why I’m out here in the bush today is because it’s not only a beautiful spot, but also, it’s nice and shady. You see over the Christmas holidays I took the opportunity during the break to do a skin cancer treatment which as you may or may not be able to notice has left my skin quite red, blotchy and sensitive to the sun.

It will all clear up over the next week or two, and it’s a far better option than the alternative which could’ve meant getting the skin cancers cut out ...and so I thought this weeks Acreage Market Wrap is a good opportunity for me to raise some awareness about skin cancer and encourage everyone to be sun safe this Summer. So please make sure you slip, slop, slap.

So, ‘How is The Acreage Market?’…

Last month in December there were a total of 36 acreage sales across the region, with 18 sold in The Hawkesbury, 14 in The Hills and only 4 sold in the North Western acreage areas of Blacktown & Penrith.

At present there’s currently 382 acreage properties For Sale across the entire region with a lot more new acreage listings expected to come onto the market later this month.

A lot of acreage owners have been waiting until after Christmas to put their property up for sale and whilst there will be more listings, we should also see a lot more acreage sales happening in these coming weeks and months ahead as owners look to capitalise on a much more positive & active acreage market than it was this time last year.

Over the Christmas holiday period enquiries for acreage properties increased dramatically compared to the same time last year ...and during this past week there’s been a lot more buyer enquiries coming through.

I've also noticed that there's been a definite increase to the number of out-of-area, aspirational buyers looking to relocate to a more spacious and peaceful acreage lifestyle.

So, if you’re thinking of selling, ...now could be the right time to make your move , and who knows perhaps one of these buyers that I’m currently working with may just happen to be the right buyer for you.

For example, last month I sold a beautiful property at 35 Fitzroy Lane, Windsor Downs which sold before it even hit the market.

I achieved an excellent price for the owners who were thrilled with the outcome and they were really happy with the fact that we were able to sell it without having to advertise the property at all.

So, what else is new?

Well coming up this week, I will be launching an amazing property on 5 acres situated in a quiet location in Annangrove.

I think there’ll be some very strong interest for this one because it’s a modern, single-storey 5 bedroom homestead built by Rosewood homes.

The home features an extra-spacious open plan living area, 9 foot ceilings & ducted air throughout, enormous kitchen and a large theatre room.

There’s also a massive shed with 3 phase power, mezzanine storage, an awning down the size of the shed and a wide gravel driveway. It’s a brilliant set up for trucks, a tradie, car enthusiast or simply for storing away those big boys toys.

It’s a great property for the whole family. Photos were taken yesterday and it will be live on the internet early next week with the first Open Home being held next Saturday the 18th of January, ...unless it sells beforehand.

In other news, the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme kicked-off on the 1st of January.

Apparently hundreds of buyers have already applied for this initiative from the Federal Government. It’s only available for the first 10,000 applicants who qualify.

The scheme saves First Home Buyers approximately 20-30,000 dollars and it will help thousands of buyers to enter the property market who otherwise couldn’t afford to buy, which will have the domino effect of increasing property prices at the bottom end of the market and will help to fuel further price growth and buyer activity within the acreage sector.

For more information about this scheme check out this article

Also, in December the Federal Government had their controversial Capital Gains Tax legislation passed through the Senate which will have an enormous impact on thousands of Expats living abroad who currently own property here in Australia.

The Expats currently only have up until the end of June to sell their property if they want to avoid being slugged with a huge Capital Gains Tax bill in the future. If you want more information about this I wrote an article about this new legislation yesterday. Here is the link to the article

Also, while you're there, if you haven't grabbed a copy of it already, make sure you get your copy of the Summer edition of The Acreage Report 2020. It's packed full of great insights into exactly what's happening in the acreage market in The Hills, Hawkesbury and Sydney's North West. Grab your FREE copy here

So there you have it. That’s this week’s Acreage Market Wrap.

If you have any questions about anything I’ve mentioned in this video or would like to discuss any of your acreage plans with me, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Have a great week everyone.

Regards

Greg Vincent

New Capital Gains Tax Legislation Set To Severely Impact Expats

A lot of expats will be cashing in their Australian investment properties to avoid the Federal Government's controversial new Capital Gains Tax legislation which passed through the Senate in December.

During the 17-18 Federal budget changes were made to capital gain tax exemptions for Australian property owners living overseas. Expats now have until the end of June this year to sell their homes if they want to avoid big capital gains tax bills reports Nassim Khadem from the ABC

For decades, Australians living abroad have been able to claim the capital gains tax (CGT) exemption on the family home.

This exemption was available so long as the home was rented out for no more than six years at a time.

But in early December the Federal Government finally passed through the Senate its $581 million plan to change CGT arrangements for people living overseas.

The law basically eliminates the CGT exemption for Australian expatriates that has been in place since September 20, 1985.

It means that potentially thousands of Australians will be hit with capital gains tax if they sold their property while a resident overseas, and the tax bill will date back from the time the owner purchased their home, not the point at which they moved overseas

Key points:

• The Federal Government saw the controversial law pass through the Senate in early December

• The change means thousands of Australian expats could be up for hefty capital gains tax bills

• Tax experts argue the measure is draconian and may force expats to return to Australia and sell their homes before June 30

Expats who want to sell ahead of the June deadline should consider putting their property on the market earlier in the year to allow for time to give the required notice to the tenants regarding the intention to sell the property and coordinate access for professional photography, inspections, etc as well as allowing reasonable time to sell the property.

Otherwise, if left until closer to the end of June it’s likely that there will be a flood of expats trying to cash-out of their investment properties in Australia prior to the deadline.

Be careful, I anticipate that during May and June there will be a lot of astute investors ready and waiting to pounce hoping to capitalise on any opportunity to target those expats who have left it to the last minute who will be more desperate to sell ahead of the time sensitive deadline.

For more detailed information about the impacts of this legislation make sure you read this article from Nassim Khadem

If you have any questions regarding this new legislation or if you’re wondering what is the best way forward feel most welcome to contact me.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Regards

Greg Vincent 

The Acreage Report 2020 (Summer edition) + The McGrath Report 2020

For the latest update about what’s happening in the Acreage Market, make sure to grab your FREE copy of the latest copy of The Acreage Report (Summer edition) and at the same time also gain exclusive FREE access to a copy of The McGrath Report 2020

In this latest Acreage Report, the statistics are quite compelling across the different council regions showing an acreage sales volume increase of 159%, 166%, 259% and 116% compared to the same period last year.

The acreage market has bounced back due to a number of major factors which have had an impact on acreage prices along with a number of important changes made by the government which have been outlined within The Acreage Report (Summer edition).

If you’re trying to decide whether or not to buy, sell or hold onto an acreage property then you’ll find lots of helpful information and market insights within this report. Grab your FREE copy here

For example, this is just some of what you’ll discover…

Many acreage property owners are tending to look at the acreage market within a series of pockets, whereas, acreage buyers are taking a much broader view. In this current market it’s more important than ever to keep a finger on the pulse and maintain more of an overall ‘helicopter-view’ when interpreting the state of the acreage market. 

I guarantee that this detailed Acreage Report will help you appreciate exactly what’s happening within The Hawkesbury, The Hills & the North West Sydney acreage market and provide you with a greater understanding of the changes currently occurring in the acreage sector.

Make sure to get your copy today, here at www.TheAcreageReport.com.au and you’ll also receive your FREE copy of The McGrath Report 2020 featuring real estate market insights from John McGrath.

I hope you find the information in The Acreage Report helpful.

Regards

Greg Vincent

ONE MAJOR THING The Property Websites Have Got Wrong

I had a buyer contact me about an acreage property and they said… “Going on past history we assumed the property would be a lot less than the current asking price.”

I totally understand why they feel that way, because buyers have so much access to information nowadays that it actually becomes confusing and creates indecision or even a level of “paralysis through overanalysis.”

What somebody paid for a property several years ago means absolutely nothing. Just because someone bought a property cheap doesn’t mean they’re going to sell it cheap. Property owners want ‘fair market value’.

Historical data has zero bearing on a property’s value and I honestly don’t know why the property websites show them so prominently.

They only serve to create a false perception of value, just like the price estimates do.

You see, historical data doesn’t take into consideration any of these factors…

1. the circumstances of the previous sale at the time

2. the condition of the property or the nature/extent of improvements made

3. the demand in the current market

4. the changing income opportunities that have taken place with sites like AirBnB becoming used so prevalently nowadays

5. the owners current circumstances

6. the skill level of the agent handling the sale (both now and back then)

In this information age I appreciate that transparency is important and helps to build trust, however, I also know that when buyers are making such an emotional decision as buying a home they want logical information to reinforce their decision so that they don’t feel that they have paid too much for a property.

I do get it. The whole buying process can be a massive balancing act.

But, over the past few years, I’ve met lots of buyers who missed out on their ideal home simply because they overanalysed the market and thought that the owners were unrealistic or the home would never sell for the price that it actually ended up being sold for.

These buyers ended up being incorrect, frustrated and extremely disappointed, but, then they all used the same standard phrase to either justify their decision or save face… “Oh well, obviously it wasn’t meant to be.”

Whenever I hear that phrase I sigh and feel sorry for them because they wouldn’t have made an offer if they didn’t want to buy the home in the first place and think… ‘if only they knew what they’ve actually missed out on”.

Anyway, this article is for all of those people who may be deciding on a home at the moment and don’t want to miss out on a property simply because they were overanalysing the market.

You see, personally I think the property websites have gone way too far with how they serve up historical sales data and they have put way too much emphasis on making that information so prevalent on their websites (especially when you consider who actually pays to have the properties appear on their websites)..

Just remember whatever an owner has paid for their home previously has no bearing whatsoever on the property’s current market value.

I hope you’ve found this information helpful.

Regards

Greg Vincent

McGrath Announces Support for Australian Fire Emergency

Source: National Geographic

Yesterday, Geoff Lucas CEO of McGrath Ltd announced a new initiative designed to help support people affected by the devastating bushfires in Australia.

“I write to you today as we continue to witness the catastrophic fire situation that is engulfing regional areas of NSW and Victoria.  And sadly the worst appears yet to come, following years of drought experienced by our regional communities.   More than 2,000 homes have been destroyed and over 500 million of our animals have perished. The human cost is rapidly escalating.  As we watch another State of Emergency declared for NSW and the State of Disaster declared for Victoria, it’s heartbreaking to witness the destruction these fires are causing in areas so familiar to us. 

It is time again, as we do so well, for the McGrath community to band together and support others as they face hardship, sadness and immeasurable loss. 

McGrath is today commencing a program to support those tragically affected.  As of today, we are encouraging each agent to donate $100 per sale during January and February 2020. This will be optional and as a company we will match each $100 donation.  The donations will be made to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief donation drive. Together with your help we estimate this will amount to a sum of over $200,000.”  

I confirmed with Geoff Lucas this morning that “I am very happy to be a part of McGrath’s fundraising for Australia’s Fire Emergency”

It’s really heartwarming to hear how so many people and corporations from around the globe are rallying together to support the Australian Bushfires catastrophe.

I’m proud to be part of this McGrath initiative and I’m even prouder of how the McGrath community rallies together during times of need.

As an example, last Friday the 3rd of January, Andrea Tucker, Principal of McGrath Estate Agents Mollymook & Ulladulla made the following announcement via their Facebook Page.

This is such a difficult time for so many Australians and my heart goes out to everyone affected, especially those who have lost loved ones or lost their homes/livelihood as a result of these horrific fires.

I can’t thank the RFS and all of their dedicated support crews enough for their tireless dedication and for all that they have done to assist communities throughout Australia during this extremely hot & busy fire season.

THANK YOU RFS

Regards

Greg Vincent

What the media neglected to report about the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme

7 News reported that ‘Hundreds of First Home Buyers have already signed up for the a Federal Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, but almost as soon as this initiative was made available the media put out their typical ‘negative-spin’ report saying that the new initiative was going to cost First Home Buyers more financially in the long run and issued the below warning…

Financial warning

But financial experts have issued a warning.

"The smaller the deposit they have, the larger the mortgage is going to be (and) the longer it's going to take to pay off," says Tim Lawless from CoreLogic.

They say while it will cut the time to save for a deposit, the trade-off for those eligible is that they face paying tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest over the life of the loan.

CoreLogic also warns the initiative could drive up house prices, pricing many more out of the market in the future.

There are 3 major factors that the media & Tim Lawless didn’t include in their article…

1. A large percentage of First Home Buyers struggle to save the 20% deposit which would allow them to avoid having to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) and reduce their total loan amount.

2. By the time a First Home Buyer saves the additional 15% deposit to avoid having to pay LMI, it’s highly likely the property that they’re looking to purchase will have increased in value significantly, especially considering the recent double digit growth experienced in the Sydney housing market.

3. If the buyer misses out on the Federal Government First Home Loan Deposit Scheme then on top of the 5% deposit they also have to save the Lenders Mortgage Insurance (eg. as per the example below using the yourmortgage.com.au calculator it would add up to an extra $27,478.75 required to purchase a $650,000 property)

In this example, the buyer has to save a further $97,500 to be able to afford the 20% deposit Tim Lawless from CoreLogic mentions within his media statement.

Saving this extra deposit would typically take several years to achieve and by the time the first home buyer saves the extra deposit property prices may have increased by a further 10% which would actually mean that the buyer would need to have saved a further $15,000 approx. on top of the $97,500. (Over $110,000).

It can be a never-ending, vicious circle for First Home Buyers to get a foot into the market. Many postpone buying a home indefinitely because they never feel that they can afford to buy a home.

The Federal Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme allows low, and middle-income Australian first home buyers to purchase a property with a deposit as low as 5% and pay no Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

The best part is that you can use the scheme together with other grants such as the state governments’ first home owners grant (FHOG), stamp duty concessions and the First Home Super Saver Scheme.

But, don’t purely base your home buying decision on grants

Some first home buyers specifically choose a property type or location purely because of the additional first home benefits.

WARNING: I believe that your focus should be on what property is most suitable for you and if you’re ready to buy a home, but what I’ve also found from past experience is that a lot of First Home Buyers have lots of well-meaning and often interfering advisers who may have seen the snippet from the media about the scheme and can scare buyers away from applying.

Too many first home buyers are easily misinformed and some buy a property before they are ready. Make sure you do your homework before you get deterred by the nay-sayers.

For more information about the Federal Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme click here…

I hope find this information helpful.

Regards

Greg Vincent

55 Life Lessons To Inspire You In 2020

One of my mates, Adrian D’Amico shared this inspirational list earlier today via Facebook and I thought I would share it here…

55 Life Lessons To Inspire You In 2020

1. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for

2. When opportunity knocks it’s hard work that answers

3. That thing that makes you light up and come alive, that is always on your mind and keeps you up at night, it's your soul talking, listen

4. Find a reason to be happy every day

5. Appreciate the little things

6. Look for the good and you'll find it

7. Take the time to get back to nature whenever possible, it rejuvenates you

8. Say I love you to the most important people in your life every day, start with yourself

9. Kiss your kids goodnight every night

10. Have more 3d conversations

11. Read a lot more, there is a wealth of knowledge out there

12. Spend less time online

13. Listen to your gut, it's only right 100% of the time

14. You have so much more to give in this lifetime, don't let your talents go to waste

15. Giving to others is good for the soul

16. Spend less money on "things"

17. Spend more time on creating meaningful relationships

18. Being nice costs nothing

19. Your worst day could be someone else's best day of their lives

20. Gratitude is the antidote to stress and worry, find something to be grateful for every day

21. You only have a limited number of breaths in this life, make them count

22. Don't compare yourself to others, it creates undue stress, anxiety and depression.

23. Never look down on someone else unless you're helping them up

24. Question everything

25. Don't follow the herd, be your own person

26. Remember you get what you ask for, don't set the bar too low

27. Nothing is permanent

28. Everything begins in thought but it only starts with an action

29. Life is too short to do stuff that you hate

30. Never be afraid to be original

31. Openness and vulnerability isn't a weakness its a strength

32. Always be a student of life

33. Seek out those who have gone there before you, stand on the shoulders of giants

34. No amount of wealth and success will make you happy if you are not happy with yourself to begin with

35. Seek joy and fulfilment in your career before remuneration

36. Never put work ahead of your family

37. Look after your body, it’s the only one you’ve got

38. Stand up for what you believe in

39. Simplify your life, there is really no need for 19 pairs of shoes, 4 tvs, 3 cars and a McMansion

40. If you don't build your dreams, someone else will hire you to build theirs

41. It’s ok to start over

42. Behind every screen is a human being, be thoughtful of what you say online

43. Love is a verb, a doing word, don't expect love from others, be more loving, do more loving things

44. Everyone is going through a battle which you know nothing about, be kind, always

45. Your history does not determine your destiny, you can re-write a new chapter in your life starting today

46. Don't watch the news, there's enough negativity to deal with without watching that stuff

47. Travel more

48. Create memories

49. Declutter

50. Donate your time to a worthy cause

51. Distance yourself from negative, toxic people

52. Exercise regularly

53. Invest in yourself before anything else

54. It takes time to build an awesome life, be patient

55. Put things into perspective. There will always be tough times. If you have a roof over your head, food on the table, family who love you and a few good friends by your side, you're a lot richer than you think

May you be blessed with health, wealth and an abundance of happiness in 2020

Adrian D’Amico shares some great Life Lessons and has recorded a series of incredible Life Lessons TV interviews in the past that are still very relevant today. To see more updates from Adrian you can like his FB page here

i hope you enjoy this list as part of our new #Plenty2020 initiative

Regards

Greg Vincent

A New Decade - A New Approach #PLENTY2020

I’ve decided to use the #PLENTY2020 hashtag as a constant reminder throughout 2020 to maintain a focused approach towards laying the key foundations for a great decade to come.

#Plenty2020 for me is about a year focused on bringing Joy, Gratitude, Fun, Excellence, Alignment, Compassion, Laughter, Enthusiasm, Inspiration, High Performance, Clarity, Courage, Appreciation, Respect, Energy, Vitality, Action, World-Class Service, Achievement, Contribution, Presence, Leadership, Responsibility, Prosperity, Consistency, Dedication, Fulfillment and most of all Love, as I work towards becoming The Best Version of Myself in each area of my life.

I know that life will happen and hurdles will appear along the path to test my resolve, but I now truly appreciate how important it is to play the long game in life as well as having an attitude of gratitude for each and every moment.

Over the Christmas break I have developed a brand new approach to my life which sets out my daily actions and I have a game plan already set for the next 12 months with checkpoints along the way which will help me stay on track.

It’s going to be an exciting journey and I’m looking forward to discovering what opportunities are ahead.

Feel free to adopt/follow the #Plenty2020 hashtag (or make up your own hashtag) and make the decision to set your own pathway in 2020 towards living an inspired, enriched, plentiful life.

Warm regards

Greg Vincent

Happy 2020: The Federal Govt First Home Loan Deposit Scheme Kicks-Off Today

Today is not only the start of a brand new decade, but January 1st 2020 also marks the first day of the Federal Government’s new First Home Loan Deposit Scheme.

The initiative is only available to the first 10,000 successful applicants and gives First Home Buyers to save paying Mortgage Insurance and is available to buyers throughout Australia but has Eligibility restrictions and Property price thresholds.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme

“The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is a Australian Government initiative to support eligible first home buyers purchase a home sooner.

It does this by providing a guarantee that will allow eligible first home buyers on low and middle incomes to purchase a home with a deposit of as little as 5 per cent.

The Scheme will support up to 10,000 loans each financial year, starting from 1 January 2020.

Eligibility

NHFIC has developed a tool to help first home buyers find out whether they meet the Scheme’s eligibility criteria. Click here to view the tool.

Property price thresholds

NHFIC has also developed a tool to help first home buyers find out the property price threshold for the suburb in which they are looking to purchase a property. Click here to view the tool.

How to apply

To view a list of participating lenders in the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, click here.” - Source nhfic.gov.au

You can download the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme fact sheet here as well as a copy of FAQ’s here.

Whilst the eligibility for this scheme may not directly impact buyers looking to purchase acreage properties, but it’s anticipated that there will be a positive flow-on-effect as more buyers enter the market which will improve buyer confidence in the housing market and those looking to sell and upgrade onto acreage will sell faster and should have more money to spend on acres.

I hope find this helpful.

Regards

Greg Vincent