Hi Kingpin & welcome to HotcopperAs very general comments I...

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    Hi Kingpin & welcome to Hotcopper

    As very general comments I would say:

    a) given the current economic situation, there are murmurings that stamp duty may be phased out later this year (but only time will tell). This will make the stamp duty thing a moot point. Also as Frog Spinach said, there is talk of the first home buyers grant being extended to ALL buyers

    b) whether to buy a unit and rent it out really depends on your property strategy. If you are trying to get an income stream, then this may work.

    A lot of real estate agents say that it is MUCH easier to find renters for units than it is for houses. But with the rise in unemployment, I think both house owners and unit owners are finding it tough right at the moment.

    However, if you are trying to make a capital gain then many people say it is better to buy a house.

    (Please be aware that a lot of people on this forum are biased in favour of trying to make a capital gain in real estate - as opposed to generating an income stream )

    c) for item c I would suggest that it is never a good idea to make investment decisions solely for tax benefits. However the benefits of buying a house were discussed above at item b.

    I think your approach of trying to diversify assets (instead of being obsessed with just real estate) is very sensible.
 
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