4 property investment mistakes to avoid

Learning how to invest in property like a pro takes time, and if you’re new to the game, it’s easy to make rookie errors. 

Here are 4 common mistakes to avoid when buying your first investment property.

Poor cash-flow management

As a first-time property investor, it’s important to have a solid understanding of both the initial purchasing costs you’ll be up for, as well as the ongoing costs of maintaining an investment property. 

Examples of ongoing costs may include council rates, water bills, land taxes, body corporate fees, property management fees and insurance. You should also factor in contingency funds for things like repairs and maintenance. 

Before you go ahead and purchase, do up a budget and include all of these types of expenses. Better yet, speak to us and we’ll help you create a budget and plan accordingly. 

Falling for an inflated rental guarantee

A rental guarantee is when a vendor or developer guarantees a certain rental income for a set period. Sounds peachy, right? Not always. 

The problem with these is that the price of the rental guarantee is often built into the purchase price. So, in effect you may be paying for the guaranteed rent yourself via an inflated purchase price.  

The guaranteed rent may also be at above market rates to make it sound more enticing. However, when the contract is up, you’ll be left with a lower rental return – or maybe no rent at all. 

Meanwhile, lenders may use the market rent, rather than the guaranteed rent, when assessing your eligibility for a loan.   

To avoid falling into a rental guarantee pitfall, it’s important to do your own research thoroughly – don’t just take the vendor’s word for it.  

Buying risky off-the-plan purchases 

Buying off the plan works for some investors, but it can be risky. For one, the developer may not construct the property on time or at all, or they may deliver something sub-standard. 

Another potential problem with buying off the plan is that you can run into issues with securing finance. Some lenders may offer conditional approval (finance in principle) for off-the-plan purchases before construction starts, but they won’t actually loan you the money until the property has been constructed and they have performed a valuation on the finished product.  

At this point, the property may not be valued by the lender at the price you’ve agreed to pay once it is completed. This can make it difficult to secure the finance you need to complete the sale, which may cause you to lose your deposit, or you may have to sell it quickly at a loss.  

Your financial position and ability to service the loan could also change drastically between the time you agree to buy, and when you actually purchase the property. There may be market falls and interest rate rises (as we’ve seen recently) that could affect your borrowing ability. 

Thinking you can do it alone

As a first-time investor, understanding all the ins and outs of buying a property can be tricky. From finding the right property to suit your investment goals to securing a home loan meets your specific needs, the process can be a bit of a minefield. 

That’s where we can help. A mortgage broker will do the hard yards for you, from explaining your borrowing capacity and creating a purchasing budget, to providing expert advice about the right loan product and structure for your specific investment strategy, financial situation and goals.  

To get started on your property investment journey, get in touch. We’re here to help. 

Our service is completely

Free

Yes, that’s right. You pay zero, zip, nada.

1st Street’s premium service comes at no cost to you! 1st Street is paid by the lender when your loan settles, however, this will not affect your interest rate or loan fees! It is often more cost-effective for a mortgage broker to process a loan rather than the lenders processing it themselves in-house. In fact, we often find that we can save you money by negotiating on your behalf.

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Maxine Zhong
Maxine Zhong
19 October 2023
Amanda has been such an incredible support throughout our very first time going through the home loan process. Her thoughtfulness to regularly check in to make sure all our questions were answered and that all our documents were in place helped to make the whole daunting process feel seamless and easy. I could not recommend her enough - she made sure to keep us informed every step of the way and made sure all necessary documents/processes were completed well ahead of time so we never had to worry about missing any steps. She went well above and beyond her role, and I know we will definitely be coming back to her in the future, as well as recommending her to all of our networks! Thank you again, Amanda!
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11 October 2023
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Christine Tran
23 September 2023
Yuval handled my first ever home loan, he did such an amazing job I asked to him to refinance for me 2 years later. Yuval made everything very easy for me, and will give his best recommendation as if it was his own. Would always recommend Yuval :)
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David Petrini
25 August 2023
Yuval Bloomfield was an absolute delight to work with. He made it extremely easy for my clients to discuss about their financial situation. With Yuval's strong connections he was able to get the loan my clients wanted in very quick time. Will definitely refer Yuval again.
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24 August 2023
Greg and the team at 1st Street were fantastic all the way through the process of getting our financing sorted and buying a new home. They not only secured us the most competitive mortgage in the market but they also gave advice on a number of mortgage-adjacent questions that came up along the way. Their responsive and thoughtful guidance helped make the nail-biting process clear and calm. We would definitely recommend their services.
Gabrielle Scott-Jones
Gabrielle Scott-Jones
18 August 2023
Greg and his team gave me exceptional advice and support. They were timely and detailed in their responses and dealt patiently with me as a first home buyer and all of my questions. The lender at the bank commented on how well I was being looked after compared with other brokers in the market. I’d highly recommend 1st Street to anyone, including friends and family.
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1 August 2023
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23 July 2023
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