Unfortunately, a lot of property investors fall short when it comes to planning and in turn, end up purchasing property based, not on careful analysis of their personal position, but advice from a friend or family member, ill begotten financial planning (where they’ve been peddled a product instead of receiving impartial guidance) and overall market sentiment – i.e. because everyone else is doing it. However if you follow these 6 fundamental steps, ensuring the timing of your purchase comes down to careful consideration of where you are now and where you want to be in the future, you’ll be less inclined to react to market changes and more likely to be a pro-active property investor. And it’s this distinction that sorts the ‘dabblers’ from the wealthy success stories.

Interest rates have been a hot topic this year. Of course they’re always on the agenda of finance media commentary, given their use as a litmus test for the overall economic viability of our nation at any given time. But across these markedly different last 15 months, where the Reserve Bank has sat politely on an all time low 2.50% cash rate, you virtually trip over a new opinion piece about what’s happening and where rates are heading every time you open your email (I say ironically) or read a newspaper (they still exist I’m told).

At one time not too long ago, the Great Australian Dream was relatively easy to define; a large brick house in which to raise your family, surrounded by a vast green expanse of suburban land.

I don’t know about you, but I find psychology rather fascinating. It’s interesting that certain external factors and cultural distinctions can influence our behaviours so dramatically.