Don’t Worry, You’re Not the Only One

Is it lack of knowledge, don’t know where to start or just plain fear?

We all know that it’s something that we need to be doing, otherwise we wouldn’t be here right now. What is it exactly then that’s holding you up? That’s the very first step you need to take to get into property. Buying a house, whether it be your own family home or for investment, is a huge step. No secret there.

An old mate of mine back when I lived in China, Confucius, once said to me, “Geoff, 千里之行，始於足下“。 Now, we all know that to be true, don’t we?

A “里/li” equates to a mile in China, but 1,000 li is actually 310.686 of our miles, roughly speaking. Either way, it’s a long way to be taking steps. Most importantly however, is the meaning of what old mate said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” There’s the problem for most of us right there. Agreed?

Imagine it! You’ve got a thousand miles to go and you’re standing there, not having taken the first step yet. How tough is that first one going to be to make the commitment? BUT, once you take that first one, that thousandth mile just gets closer and closer. You start ticking off steps and they get fewer and easier.

Maybe our “first step” needs to be to determine the reason that we haven’t yet begun the journey and then deal with it.

Don’t worry! You’re not alone.

Most people hesitate in making the first move into property. There are as many reasons for this as there are people trying to make that all important “first step”. Let’s take a look at a few of the common reasons for hesitation. Also, remember the team that we spoke of a couple of weeks ago and how they can smooth out the whole process?

You need finance. This is obviously a no brainer. I don’t know too many people who can pay cash for their new property. Some can, but I can tell you I can’t. Actually, if I could, I’d be using that much cash as deposits on more than one property and obtaining loans to make up the balance.

These days, the best way to obtain your finance is to go to a reputable and independent mortgage broker. They can find the best loans from a large range of lenders to set you up in your own home or for your investment strategy. If you’re dealing directly with banks, big mistake! You get one option that they tell you is the best and that’s it. Here at PPBA, we deal with some of Brisbane’s best local mortgage brokers, so if you would like us to put you in touch with them, please contact us. It’s best to have an initial chat with your local broker who understands local conditions to see what your options are. Nothing can start without finance. At PPBA we just know they’re good at what they do and that’s why we deal with them.

Need a conveyancer. FACT: A poor conveyancer can kill a deal. That’s the last thing you need. It will waste all of your time, effort and money. Worse, you can miss out on your dream home and you have to start all over again. What you do want is accessibility, speed and reliability. You don’t need your conveyancer out on the golf course ignoring your calls when your deal is going down. PPBA can recommend a number of local conveyancing lawyers that we use ourselves.

Need to sell your current home. Common reason and one of the biggest things to stop you moving ahead. While this doesn’t relate to everyone, this may be just part of your particular journey. Everyone’s journey will be different. Naturally, you want to obtain a good price for your current property, a quick sale and will need to engage a reliable real estate agent who will work hard to get you out of where you are so we can get into where you want to be.

Let us help you with that. We deal with many local real estate agents and we know who the good ones are. In fact, we have dealt with and will continue to deal with a number of Brisbane’s most reliable and reputable real estate agents with many years of experience in the Brisbane market. If you need to sell your current home to move into the future, we can help you with that. When our clients need to sell their homes, we’ve got that covered. Contact us now and we can start the ball rolling for you.

Moving home. Just one of the many steps that need to be considered and money allowed for when you buy a new home. Having spent over 45 years in a military family, moving every two years, I can write a book about the big removalist companies and the damage they can do to your personal effects with untrained staff. Here in Brisbane however, PPBA has no hesitation in using our preferred removalist. A reliable and independent local business that bends over backwards to provide quality service with a trained and experienced team who take the utmost care with your valuable belongings.

Property management. When you buy your investment grade property, you need an investment grade property manager. Being an investor and landlord myself, I know what poor property managers can do to hurt your investment. Let me give you a short case study from my own experience: A tenant defaulted on the rent. It was the third month before the property manager decided to tell me. The tenant then skipped out without paying rent despite being given a number of options to allow him to catch up. The property remained vacant for three months with little interest being shown. I changed property managers, had the property rented within a week and has been fully rented since and the bond from the previous defaulter confiscated via the courts for the rent default. How different were those two property managers?

One thing to keep an eye on is; you get what you pay for. Don’t skimp on property management fees that put your property at the bottom of the list of available properties. For our investors, we recommend a boutique Brisbane property manager whose ability and quality is so good, he also trains and consults to other property management companies. We wouldn’t recommend anyone else for your valuable investment.

This is far from an incomplete list of issues that can stop you from achieving your property goal but outlines some of the main blockages that we can help you with. Our team has been selected over time, using our experience in the Brisbane and other markets. Our team kicks your goals.

Your first consultation with PPBA is free. What does that mean? It means it costs you absolutely nothing for you and I to catch up over a coffee (our shout) to chat about your property goals. I know that you now have them written down and sitting on your fridge or bathroom mirror as a daily reminder, as we arranged a little while back. Isn’t that right? Please reply to this email and tell me that’s right. So, maybe you have already taken your first step with that written down goal. The next step is to contact PPBA and have a free chat with us so we can get our team on the job working for you.