Home Owners

<html><body>
The year had so much negative, even scary commentary, that you'd be left wondering whether purchasing or owning a home actually comes with any joy.
Hopefully home ownership gives you and your family a sense of stability and security, despite the daily noise of the commentariat.
Around 67 per cent of Australians own their own home, either outright or with the help of a mortgage. 
Beyond pride of ownership, there are many other intrinsic benefits. The reasons for our ownership pursuit don't need to be too sophisticated.
It may simply mean you can paint the walls any color you desire, or build up, have a garden through the seasons, own pets or just enjoy the familiarity of where you can lay your head on the pillow every night. 
Ofcourse real estate prices move in cycles, sometimes up, sometimes down, and sometimes not going anywhere.
Over the decades real estate values have tended to appreciate substantially.
Sydney house values might be down nine percent this year, but it comes after values rose 75 percent after the boom kicked off in 2012.
Stock market shares have been something of a rollercoaster ride again this year, with the All Ordinaries index down from 6167 to 5,856. It was 6500 in 2007. For many confidence in the share market has never been the same since shorting stock became a dominant force. 
And unlike investing in the share market, you manage most of the property outcomes.
Imagine sleeping sound at night if say you'd invested in bitcoin. Not only because its value has more than halved during 2018, but also because cyber criminals are secretly mining Bitcoin on any computer infected with malware.
Property is very much about making an investment in the future, keeping the wolves from the door in old age.
Becoming a homeowner comes with responsibilities, but a lot of rewards that trigger the overwhelming pursuit of home ownership over renting.
Experts in happiness have concluded people are happier these days when they spend money on experiences rather than material goods.
But two US professors published the 2013 book, Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, which noted 90 percent of Americans link home ownership to living the American dream.
Australia is not that different, although the dream has been changing incrementally from suburbia with the backyard to the high-rise lifestyle.
Ofcourse home ownership means you can always bolt the front door, and not take in any of the incessant commentary. 
This year our own Dr Doom <a href="http://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/peter-switzer-expert/hey-dude-dont-make-us-afraid-of-stocks/" target="_blank">quietly lost another bet</a>. The now UK-based Professor Steve Keen owes Sydney economic commentator Peter Switzer a meal at the expensive London restaurant, Hakkasan as in 2016 he predicted Australia would be in recession within two years. 
<a href="http://www.switzer.com.au/the-experts/peter-switzer-expert/tomorrows-election-and-the-threat-of-recession/" target="_blank">Switzer challenged him to a bet</a> with Keen gingerly accepting because he was stung by a very famous bet in 2008 with then Macquarie economist, Rory Robertson, who disputed Keen’s catastrophic prediction for house prices. Keen ending up walking from Canberra to Mt. Kosciuszko with a T-shirt that said “I was hopelessly wrong on house prices — ask me how.”
Just imagine you'd accepted Keen's 2008 warning and missed out on the property boom. Keen pocketed $540,000 for his Surry Hills apartment in 2008, with it last sold at $650,000 just as the boom was taking off in 2012. Despite the recent downturn, it's possibly worth well over $1 million.
This article was first published in the Saturday Telegraph.
 
 
 
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Let's not overlook the joy of owning property amid all the doom

<html><body>
A mortgaged three bedroom home is the Australian norm, according to a preview of the 2016 census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In 2016, the ‘typical’ Australian home is owned with a mortgage as opposed to outright ownership in 2006. But this varies across the country, according to the preview of the 2016 Census of Population and Housing that highlights the key characteristics that make the ‘typical’ Australian in 2016 and highlighting the country’s diversity.
The first Census data release is scheduled for June 27, 2017. This will include datasets for all national, state/territory and capital cities, along with datasets for small population groups and small geographic areas such as suburbs and local government areas.
The Australian home varies from state to state, says the ABS. For example, the ‘typical’ home in Tasmania and New South Wales is owned outright, while the ‘typical’ Northern Territory home is rented. In 2006, the ‘typical’ Australian home was owned outright.
The 2016 Census says the ‘typical’ Australian is a 38-year-old female who was born in Australia, and is of English ancestry. She is married and lives in a couple family with two children and has completed Year 12. She lives in a house with three bedrooms and two motor vehicles.
The age of the ‘typical’ Australian varies across the states and territories. 
The ‘typical’ Australian male is 37 years old.
In 2016, the ‘typical’ migrant in Australia was born in England and is 44 years old; a decade ago they were aged 46. There are however some differences between the states – the ‘typical’ migrant in Queensland was born in New Zealand, while in Victoria the ‘typical’ migrant was born in India. The ‘typical’ migrant in New South Wales was born in China.
The June release will follow the completion of the ABS’ usual data quality assurance process and the Census Independent Assurance Panel’s quality assurance work.
The Census process, conducted on the night of August 9, headlined the news soon after after the ABS website was hit with cyber attacks forcing a shut down for two days. 
The ABS will release data regarding employment, qualifications and population mobility from October 17,  2017. 
The lists below show when data related to each Census topic will be released, ABS said in the release. Each topic will have a number of data items associated with it.
JUNE 2017
Sex
Age
Residential status in non-private dwelling
Registered marital status
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin
Usual residence at Census time
Australian citizenship
Country of birth
Year of arrival in Australia
Country of birth of parents
Main language other than English spoken at home
Proficiency in spoken English
Ancestry
Religious Affiliation
Need for assistance
Attendance at an educational institution
Highest year of schooling completed
Number of children ever born
Income
Unpaid work
Address on Census night
Family relationship (and Social marital status)
Number of motor vehicles garaged
Number of bedrooms
Tenure type
Landlord type
Housing costs
Dwelling internet connection
Dwelling structure
Location of private dwelling 
Type of non-private dwelling
 
OCTOBER 2017
Internal migration (address of usual residence 1 year ago and 5 years ago)
Non-school qualification
Labour force status
Status in employment
Occupation
Public or private employer indicator
Workplace address (Journey to work)
Industry of employment
Hours worked
Method of travel to work
</body></html>

Home Owners

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Home Owners

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

The latest real estate & off the plan properties & news, delivered to your inbox.