Entries by Deborah Varnay

Stamp duty rated as the most inefficient tax in Australia

Across all levels of government, whether federal, state or local, the current stamp duty regime is the most inefficient and should be abolished, according to Housing Industry Association chief economist Tim Reardon. HIA recently joined a chorus of industry groups calling for the abolition of stamp duty after the NSW treasury proposed replacing the longstanding regime with […]

How to consolidate debt

Struggling to manage your debt is an enormous strain. The lack of control, worry and fear can seep into every part of your life. For some it’s a temporary blip, like an unexpected change in circumstances, while for others it has become overwhelming over many years. Through careful debt consolidation, you can take back control […]

How important is land when buying apartments?

It is one of the so-called “golden rules of property”; the driver behind the price increase of any property is land value. Mark Twain famously summed this up when he wrote that land is the best investment because “they are not making any more of it”. That seems straightforward enough, but does this golden rule […]

What’s your home really worth?

Type your address into any number of free ‘what’s your home worth’ websites and an approximation of your home’s market value pops onto the screen in the blink of an eye. Easy. But no matter whether the figure you see sends your heart soaring – or sinking – take a minute to consider how accurate […]

Rental yields – what you need to know

Rental yield – essentially the rate of rental income returned against the costs of an investment property is a great indicator of a property’s investment potential. But you need to keep things in perspective when you factor it into your decision to purchase property. Calculating rental yield A good first step in examining rental yield’s […]

Make Working from Home Less Taxing

With no commute and casual Friday turning to casual every day, there’s a lot to love about working from home. But when the cat keeps hijacking your Zoom calls and Friday drinks end up being with said cat, it has its downsides too. Thankfully, the tax man is offering a bit of socially distanced relief […]