From one First Home Buyer to another

Hi,

As a short introduction, my name is Emma and I’m just your average 90s born, HECS debt up to my eyeballs, avocado on toast eating, young(ish) woman. I earn a modest salary, receive more texts from Afterpay than I do from anyone else and have recently purchased my first home – in the midst of a global pandemic and state-wide lockdown.  

Like so many Australians, the dream of owning my own home was a big milestone.   Purchasing your own home, whether it be the home you want to raise a family in, a stepping stone property, or your second investment property - it’s one of those big ticket items in life, which most of us dream of achieving.  

One thing is certain, the journey to buying your first home isn’t always easy. Sure, for some it might be a walk in the park but for the most of us, who are ditching the rental properties and moving back in with family, forgoing Friday night takeaway and trolling through real estate apps looking at properties we’d like to buy, then filtering to properties actually in our price range – the journey is overwhelming and at times disheartening.  

For me, making sense of the mumbo jumbo was and still is one of the hardest parts. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to buying a home. Market trends, government schemes, interest rates, laws and regulations – it can feel like the goal posts are constantly being moved. On top of that, you have all the lingo which is basically like speaking a whole other language. 

With that in mind and off the back of my own experience, I have put together this first home buyer series. It’s to help you be more financially literate, understand the buzz words and make sense of the mumbo jumbo – so you can start your journey or even finish your journey feeling like you’ve got a pretty good idea about what’s what when buying a home. 

Knowledge is power after all. 

So, where to start?

Start here! You can read our helpful blogs or download our First Home Buyer Playbook, which has been written with you in mind and helps to answer all those pesky questions you keep googling or asking your mates, who probably aren’t that sure either.  

Things like, how much do you need for a house deposit these days? Is it 5% or 20%? What is LMI? Do I still pay stamp duty? Can buy now, pay later services hurt my credit rating? Can I borrow as a single? What are genuine savings? What is the latest government scheme to help first home buyers? What happens if I want to go down the house and land package road?

This First Home Buyer series is for you

Selfishly, I wrote this for me. As someone once in the same boat as you, I just wanted a place to go when looking for answers. I’ve spent years now, pouring through articles, blogs, government websites and even stalking brokers to find the answers to some of the most common questions asked by first home buyers (FHB), so you can start your process with hopefully a little more clarity than before you started reading this.

I reached out to one of ALI’s authorised mortgage brokers, whose clientele is predominately first home buyers and I asked if they could shed some light on the top questions FHB are asking her in their appointments.

From their experience, the biggest things FHB are struggling with is understanding how much of a deposit they need to have to buy or build their house,

“This can change from house to house and even from bank to bank. I sit with my clients and give them scenarios so they understand exactly what they will need to settle on the house or build their dream home”.

Does this sound like a question you’re stuck on, too? Head over to our blog dedicated to all things deposits to learn more.

About Emma Flanagan

Emma is the Senior Marketing and Communications executive at ALI Group. After completing a Bachelor of Communication with a Major in Journalism, Emma spent a couple of years living, travelling and working abroad before making her way home to Australia. Now, with firm roots back in her home town of the Central Coast in NSW, her and her husband just bought their very first home with the help of their mortgage broker. Now, Emma is here to help FHBs just like her by providing informative and educational content and to keep them abreast of what’s what when it comes to buying, refinancing and protecting themselves and their family from financial hardship.