Originally Posted by Pollyana

Hmmmmmmm - theres a difference between the "Gold Coast", and "Queensland"........people in Birdsville might be surprised to hear they are 15-20 mins from the beach

Originally Posted by soapy

just need a few answers to questions that have been bothering me.

1. r there loads of mossies?
YES

2. where is the best place (weather wise) especially to settle in oz?
That depends on the type of weather u like. you can live in Victoria and love snow or Darwin where its hot all year round
3. is the education system the same as the uk?
we have a 7 year old, 3 year old and an 8 month baby.
NO

we r thinking brisbane but would that be for us. what would you recommend for a family.
All three questions have been tossed about this forum most weeks. Its hard for one answer to any of your questions. As soon as someone names a place that they think is the best, there’s always another ten to argue it. Try searching for thread by using the title of your question. Good luck

Originally Posted by MrsDagboy

Exactly - saved me from having to answer apart from one comment.

Roofman, asking "whats the best place (weatherwise)to live in Australia" is like asking "whats the best place to live (weatherwise) in Europe" .

Originally Posted by Tass

[ Even though you maybe haven't got the money to buy a house it's still realistic to think you can get one at some point, either you need to save the deposit or there are loads of places offering 100% morgages.

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We have been looking into mortgages recently.We are in a lovely rental but due to the removal of vendors tax , the owners are probably going to sell. (They had a market appraisal done last week)
Points to note for people coming here with the bare minimum.
1. Because we have just ourselfs to rely on for child care , I only work on a casual contract , so if need be , I can be here for the kids.
2. Because I only work casual , a majority of morgage lenders disregard my wage completely despite the fact I earn more than my husband.
3.My husband and I are both professionals - nurses -and do not have a lump sum to invest as a deposit. So far there are only 2 banks happy to lend 100% morgage BUT doesn't look like they will proceed any futher because we cannot prove a 3 year saving plan in this country.(we've only been here 9 months). Our savings are starting to go back up now (what's left) but due to relocation costs of everything, it doesn't look good on paper.(BUT we have NO debt !!!! )
4.The $7000 first time buyers allowance from the government would have to be used to pay the insurance on the loan as we have no deposit or garrantors .(forgot what it's really called but will post it when I remember) (and look at my spelling ! :scared: )
5.Saving for a deposit on $300,000 even with the minimum amount accepted 5% is still $15,000 and will take a few years to save , by which point we will have lost the window on the market.(but we will have AT LEAST 3 years saving history then ! )
We will be able to pay our morgage payments ,no worries , but it's back to getting your foot on the ladder !
Thats why I was wondering if in comparison living in Queensland is really much cheaper as houses don't seem to be BUT if the quality of life is better , well !!!
Hey , I've hijacked my own thread !

Originally Posted by Siren & Brian

Just another option if you do have to wait a few years before getting a substantial loan for your own home would be to get an investment house in the mean time. It could be alot less of a loan for a unit or something, rent it out, which would help pay some of the mortgage also increase in capital value and will also prove to the banks that you pay the money back.

Originally Posted by Tass

Hi there ! Pardon my ignorance on this but , can we do this without having any capital to put down ?If we can't get a home loan for our primary residence , who is going to give us one for an investment loan ?Is this comman practice in Australia ?
Thanks for any answers.
All the best,
Tass.

Originally Posted by MrsDagboy

I think what Brian is saying is that if you couldnt afford a loan on a decent house in Sydney for you to live in (say $500K upwards, either the repayments or cant save the deposit), then perhaps you could afford a loan on a much cheaper investment property eg $200K for a unit. Remember that the IP doesnt have to be in Sydney, plenty of places you can get decent units or townhouses for around the $200K mark.

The only thing to bear in mind is that the way the market seems to be turning, there is no guarantee that an investment property will make any capital gains in the short term.

(PS. I dont know your situation with regard to deposit/jobs/ability to service th eloan, Im just explaining what Brian meant )

Originally Posted by Badge

"its dark at 7pm"

I was thinking about that, if you have a 40 min commute, say, and you put in an extra hour at the office, the Brissy lifestyle can actually hit quite hard. You could easily spend weeks without enjoying the sun apart from weekends if you work in an office...and am on a big project etc.

Badge

Originally Posted by Badge

"its dark at 7pm"

I was thinking about that, if you have a 40 min commute, say, and you put in an extra hour at the office, the Brissy lifestyle can actually hit quite hard. You could easily spend weeks without enjoying the sun apart from weekends if you work in an office...and am on a big project etc.

Badge

Originally Posted by MrsDagboy

Sun goes down at 7pm, dark at about 7.30pm.

You would only not enjoy the sun during the working week if you managed to go to work at about 3.30am as well as working back til after 7 .

Tass, Victoria (& the other southern states) get dark around 9.30pm or so - a combination of long twilight & daylight savings (which we have neither of in Qld).