Finance & Tax

Negative gearing, capital gains tax, land tax, depreciation, SMSF property, and finance strategies for Australian property investors.

66 articles

14 May 202615 min read·Junyan Zhu
The 2026 Budget Just Rewrote Property Tax. Here's Why Panic-Selling Is the Worst Move.
At 7:30pm on 12 May 2026, the federal government cut 27 years of Australian property tax law in half. Negative gearing is gone for new buyers of established stock. The 50% CGT discount is being replaced with inflation indexation. Discretionary trusts face a 30% minimum tax from 2028. But before anyone sells anything — read what the Treasury's own modelling actually shows.
8 May 202612 min read·Yan Zhu
Melbourne Buyer's Agent Fees 2026 — Full Comparison (Flat Fee vs Commission vs Tiered)
Melbourne buyer's agent fees in 2026 sit in a wide band — $8,000 flat at the value end through to 3 per cent commission on multi-million-dollar deals at the premium end. Most prospective clients ask the wrong question: not what the fee is, but how the fee structure will affect the property the agent recommends. This guide compares the three dominant fee models, ten of Melbourne's better-known firms, the ATO's view on deductibility, and the GST treatment that materially changes your real cost.
2 May 20269 min read·Yan Zhu
Buyer's Agent Commission vs Flat Fee — Which Saves You More in 2026
Buyer's agent fees in Australia in 2026 come in three structures: percentage commission (1.5%-3.0% of purchase price), flat fee ($8,000-$25,000), or tiered (engagement fee plus success component). The math runs differently at each price point — at $500K, commission almost always loses; at $2M, commission almost always wins on a savings basis. This guide models all five common purchase tiers, exposes the conflict-of-interest baked into commission models, and shows you which structure to demand based on your budget.
30 April 202612 min read·Steven Jin
Melbourne Buyer's Agent for Foreign Investors — FIRB, Tax & 2026 Rule Changes
Foreign investors buying Melbourne residential property face a stack of restrictions that have changed materially in 2025-2026: a Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) application fee that scales from $14,700, an outright two-year ban on purchasing established homes (April 2025 to March 2027), Victoria's 8 per cent foreign purchaser stamp duty surcharge, and a 4 per cent foreign owner land tax surcharge. A Melbourne buyer's agent who specialises in foreign investor transactions is now arguably more important than the conveyancer.
9 April 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
SMSF Land Tax Trap: $40k Mistake Most Victorians Miss
SMSF property in Victoria comes with a land tax surprise. The trust surcharge adds $1,500-$2,000 per year. Here is the break-even maths.
3 April 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
5 SMSF Property Mistakes Young Investors Make (The $10k Trap)
Under 40? SMSF property is probably wrong. Fees eat returns, restrictions kill strategy. Use personal name first.
28 March 202612 min read·Yan Zhu
Zero Deposit Property Buying in Australia: The Guarantor Strategy That Actually Works.
You do not need $150,000 in savings to buy your first investment property. You need parents who own a home and a strategy that has been working in Australia for two decades.
22 March 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
Your Bank Is Charging You Too Much Interest. Here's How to Fix It in One Phone Call.
The longer you stay with your bank, the worse your interest rate gets. That is not cynicism. It is documented bank pricing strategy, and it costs the average Australian mortgage holder thousands of do
16 March 202611 min read·Yan Zhu
Victoria Just Made Off-the-Plan Stamp Duty Free. It's a Trap.
When a government starts giving things away for free, your first question should be: what are they trying to sell? Victoria's off-the-plan stamp duty exemption is not generosity. It is inventory clear
10 March 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
Labor Wants to Kill Negative Gearing. Here's Why It Won't Happen (Again).
Every election cycle, someone floats killing negative gearing. The media runs with it. Investors panic. And then nothing happens. There's a very specific historical reason for that — and it hasn't cha
4 March 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
8 State Land Tax Surprises in 2025 (Victoria Isn't #1)
Everyone screams about Victorian land tax. I spent an entire weekend building a comparison table across all eight states and territories. The results surprised even me — and I do this for a living.
26 February 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
Your Super Won't Retire You. But Your Super Buying Property Might.
The median super balance at retirement is $292,000. That generates $20,000 a year and runs out before you turn 80. There's a way to use your super to buy property — with leverage, reduced CGT, and zer
20 February 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
Victoria's "Land Tax Doubled"? I Spent 23 Hours Crunching the Numbers. Here's the Truth.
My clients were panicking. Videos everywhere saying Victoria's land tax just doubled. I sat down for 23 hours and calculated land tax across every Australian state at every price point from $100K to $
13 February 20269 min read·Yan Zhu
Finally: Someone Explains Offset Accounts Properly (Including the Part Banks Won't Tell You)
You've stuffed $50,000 into your offset account. Your monthly repayment is exactly the same as before. What gives? The answer reveals something about how P&I loans work that most borrowers never learn
5 February 202611 min read·Yan Zhu
Negative Gearing Abolition: The $10.9B Trap for Aussies
The debate about scrapping negative gearing is framed as taxing the rich. The data tells a very different story about who actually claims it and who would actually suffer.
28 January 202610 min read·Yan Zhu
Offset vs Redraw: The $9,165 Tax Trap Most Investors Miss
One account choice. $300,000. $9,165 per year in extra tax. Most people have no idea until they convert their home loan to an investment loan — and discover the deductions are gone.
20 January 202611 min read·Yan Zhu
40 Years of Data Prove It: Property Prices Don't Care About Interest Rates
I keep hearing people say they'll buy when rates come down. The historical data says that's one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. Let me show you the charts.
12 January 202611 min read·Yan Zhu
Australia's Government Wants to Reform CGT. Here's Why the Maths Doesn't Add Up.
The CGT 50% discount costs the budget $247 billion over the next decade. 59% of that benefits the richest 1%. But every government that's tried to reform it has failed. Here's why.
4 January 202612 min read·Yan Zhu
Negative Gearing vs Labor Policy: What 1985 Taught Investors
Everyone has an opinion on negative gearing. Almost nobody remembers what happened the last time a government actually tried to scrap it. I dug through the data. The results are uncomfortable for both
27 December 202513 min read·Yan Zhu
If Australia Reforms CGT, Here's What Actually Happens to Property Prices
Everyone's talking about CGT reform. But almost nobody is modelling what happens next. I've run the numbers on both the Grattan and Pocock proposals — and the second-order effects are far more interes
19 December 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
CGT Reform Is Coming. These Are the Three Models on the Table.
The Grattan model cuts the CGT discount to 25%. The Pocock model exempts new builds. The ACOSS model restricts negative gearing. Which one passes — and what it means for your portfolio.
11 December 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Three Types of Refinance, Three Completely Different Goals — Which One Fits You?
Refinance is not one strategy. It's three different strategies wearing the same name. Choosing the wrong one can double your interest payments over 30 years.
3 December 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Bridging Loans Explained: How to Buy Your Next Property Before Selling Your Current One
You have found the house. Perfect location, right price, layout that makes sense. There is one problem: your current property has not sold yet. The deposit money is locked in the equity of a house tha
25 November 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
You Flipped a House and Made $150K. The ATO Wants $58K of It.
Everyone sees the renovation profit. Almost nobody sees the tax bill coming. I dug through the ATO's own guidelines and found three traps that turn a $150K profit into a $58K headache. Plus the one st
18 November 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Six Borrowing Power Hacks That Brokers Usually Charge For
I have been hunting for ways to stretch my borrowing capacity for months. Then a broker sat me down and walked through six adjustments that banks never advertise. One of them—cutting a credit card I t
10 November 202513 min read·Yan Zhu
The World Is Raiding Retirement Funds to Buy Houses. Only One Country Got It Right.
Everyone is doing the same thing. Americans want to raid their 401(k). Australians are tapping their Super. Singaporeans use their CPF. Three countries, three approaches to the same housing crisis. On
2 November 202514 min read·Yan Zhu
No Receipt Required: The $4,400 Tax Deduction Most Australians Don't Claim
The Australian Tax Office lets you claim $4,400 per year for work-related car travel without a single receipt. No logbook. No fuel records. No service invoices. Just a reasonable estimate of kilometre
25 October 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
Debt Recycling Mistakes That Cost Aussies $15k+ in Tax
Your home loan interest isn't tax-deductible. Your investment loan interest is. Debt recycling converts the first into the second — legally, repeatedly, and with compounding benefits that most account
17 October 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Threw Away These 6 Documents After Buying? You'll Pay Thousands Extra in CGT.
Most people buy a property, grab the keys, pop champagne, and shove the paperwork in a drawer. Ten years later they sell and discover they're paying tens of thousands more in capital gains tax than th
9 October 202512 min read·Yan Zhu
Every Tax You'll Pay on a Victorian Investment Property (And the Ones You Won't)
Victoria has a reputation for taxing property investors harder than any other state. The reputation is partly earned and partly mythology. Let me separate the facts from the fear.
1 October 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
Three Tax Levers That Make or Break Your Property Portfolio
Most investors can explain negative gearing in one sentence. Very few can explain why their accountant structured their third property in a discretionary trust instead of their personal name. That gap
25 September 20259 min read·Yan Zhu
Selling Your Investment Property? Five Legal Ways to Shrink the Tax Bill
The ATO takes a big bite when you sell investment property. But there are five legitimate strategies to reduce that bite — and most investors only know about one of them.
23 September 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Negative Gearing Has Three Levels. Most Investors Are Stuck on Level One.
Your accountant told you negative gearing saves tax. That's Level One. What they probably didn't mention is that the ATO wants some of it back when you sell. That's Level Two. Level Three is where the
18 September 202513 min read·Yan Zhu
Why Trusting ChatGPT to Buy Your House Could Cost You $200,000
ChatGPT gets each step right 95% of the time. Sounds brilliant. But buying a house isn't one step — it's ten. And 0.95 to the power of 10 equals 59.87%. That's worse than flipping a coin.
10 September 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
5 Steps You Must Take When Converting Your Home to an Investment Property (Or Pay Thousands Extra in Tax)
A client of ours skipped the market valuation before renting out her home. When she sold five years later, she paid capital gains tax on the full $200,000 of growth instead of just the $80,000 that oc
2 September 202511 min read·Joey Don
41% Annual Return on a Single House. Here's the Maths Behind Leveraged Property Investment.
A scammer wouldn't even pitch this number. Forty-one percent annual return on a residential property. But that's what one of our clients actually achieved, and I'll show you the exact arithmetic. Spoi
25 August 202511 min read·Joey Don
I Tested a $33 AI Tool Against Our Buyer's Agent Team. The Results Were Uncomfortable.
I ran Google's deep research tool on a live listing and compared it to what my team of five produced in two hours. The AI did it in ten minutes. Some of its conclusions were better than ours. This is
17 August 202512 min read·Yan Zhu
I Put My Investment Property Under My Personal Name. It Cost Me Six Figures in Tax.
I remember sitting in my accountant's office, staring at a tax bill that made my stomach drop. I had done everything right—found the land, managed the build, held the asset while it appreciated. And t
9 August 202511 min read·Joey Don
Property Should Make You Money Fast (Why Blind 'Buy and Hold' Is a Trap)
I'm not telling you to flip houses. I'm telling you to stop pretending that sitting on a negatively-geared asset for a decade is a strategy. It's not a strategy — it's a prayer with a mortgage attache
1 August 202514 min read·Joey Don
10 Money Truths Nobody in Australian Property Will Tell You
Put down every property podcast and guru prediction for five minutes. These are the 10 rules our team extracted from over 350 real transactions worth nine figures across Melbourne. Most of them will m
24 July 202512 min read·Joey Don
She Knew Nothing About Property. Her House Grew 25% in One Year.
Our most inexperienced client bought a corner-block weatherboard with structural issues for $625,000. Twelve months later, RPData valued it at $780,000. Sometimes knowing less means buying better.
17 July 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
An $800K House Renting for $1,200 a Week. I Walked Through It. Here Are the Real Numbers.
I bought over 150 properties. But this one — this particular conversion in Narre Warren — is the deal I keep coming back to. Because it answers the question I get asked more than any other: can you ac
9 July 20259 min read·Joey Don
Melbourne Property Taxes and Legal Requirements: What Every Investor Must Know Before Settlement
Let me clear something up straight away. Melbourne's land tax is not the highest in Australia, regardless of which bracket you fall into. That narrative is pure media spin. Here is what the actual num
1 July 202510 min read·Joey Don
The One Interview Follow-Up That Guarantees You the Offer — and What It Teaches About Property Negotiation
I've interviewed over 500 people in my career. Exactly one person did the follow-up I'm about to describe. They got the job immediately. The same principle applies to every property negotiation I've e
18 June 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
A9 Assets but Can't Afford Dinner: The Property Investor's Cash Flow Problem
Some investors own properties worth millions and still stress about restaurant bills. If you can't eat capital growth, what's the point of having it? The answer changes how you should think about buil
17 June 202511 min read·Yan Zhu
How AI Is Changing Property Search in Australia (And What It Still Can't Do)
AI can now analyse a suburb faster than any human buyer's agent. It can pull crime data, rental yields, infrastructure timelines, and school rankings in seconds. But it still can't walk through a hous
2 June 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
Trump's Tariffs and Australian Property: Why I'm Not Losing Sleep (And Neither Should You)
Every time Trump tweets about tariffs, my inbox fills up with panicked clients asking if property prices are about to crash. The short answer: no. The long answer involves some maths that most comment
1 June 202511 min read·Joey Don
I Earned $300K in Passive Income Last Year. Here Are the Bank Screenshots.
I pulled up my bank statements and recorded the screen. $300,000 in passive rental income last year. No tricks, no cherry-picking. Here is exactly how the portfolio works and what it costs to maintain
25 March 202512 min read·Joey Don
Buying Five Investment Properties? Here's the Tax Structure That Saves You $200K
Most investors buy their first two properties in personal names without thinking twice. By the time they reach property three, they've locked themselves into a tax structure that will cost them six fi
18 March 202510 min read·Yan Zhu
The $18,200 Tax-Free Threshold Has Not Changed in 13 Years. The ATO Is Quietly Destroying the Middle Class.
Let me show you something that should make you angry. Australia's tax-free threshold — the amount you can earn before the government starts taking a cut — has been $18,200 since the 2012-13 financial
31 December 202410 min read·Yan Zhu
Five Months Ago They Called St Albans Garbage. The Data Just Proved Them Wrong.
Five months ago, a competitor publicly called my suburb recommendation garbage. 'Poor area, bad safety, won't grow,' they said. I said nothing. I waited for the data. The data is in now. And it's abso
5 November 202411 min read·Yan Zhu
Doncaster, 850 Square Metres, RGZ Zoning. Should You Invest?
Another DM, another Chinese suburb, another familiar conversation. Doncaster, 850 square metres, and the question is always the same: is it worth the money? I pulled up the data and the answer is more
10 September 202412 min read·Yan Zhu
We Converted a House Into Three Self-Contained Units. The Rent Tripled.
The before photo shows a tired three-bedroom house renting for $400 a week. The after photo shows three self-contained units pulling $1,200 a week. The renovation cost $60,000. I want to walk you thro
16 July 202410 min read·Yan Zhu
One Free Website That Could Save You From Buying in a Bushfire Zone
Last summer changed how I look at properties in the hills. The fires did not reach metropolitan Melbourne, but they got close enough to remind everyone that bushfire risk is not theoretical. It is a d
21 May 202410 min read·Joey Don
5 Mortgage Affordability Mistakes Middle Class Aussies Make
The first step toward going broke in Australia is letting your mortgage payment exceed 30% of your household income. I don't care how much you earn. I don't care how good the property looks. If the ma
26 March 202411 min read·Yan Zhu
Melbourne Property in 2020: Where the Smart Money Is Moving While Everyone Else Panics
When rates drop, two things happen simultaneously. People with mortgages breathe easier. And people without mortgages suddenly realise they can afford to borrow more. The first reaction is relief. The
30 January 202411 min read·Joey Don
My Tesla Taught Me More About Property Investment Than Any Textbook
I drive a Tesla. I bought it because I thought it was a sensible financial decision — low running costs, no fuel, minimal maintenance. What I did not account for was the speed at which a $65,000 vehic
5 December 202312 min read·Yan Zhu
Buying Property Is Not About Luck. Here Is the System We Use to Select Every Asset.
I get uncomfortable when someone tells me they 'got lucky' with a property purchase. Luck implies randomness. Randomness implies a lack of system. And a lack of system, applied to a $600,000 decision,
7 November 202312 min read·Yan Zhu
The Australian Government Spent $80 Billion on Housing and Built Zero Homes. Here Is What That Means for Your Next Purchase.
The Housing Australia Future Fund has not built a single new dwelling. Every one of the 340 properties reported was acquired, not constructed. The Senate confirmed it. ABC Media Watch verified it. And
12 September 202311 min read·Joey Don
Melbourne Property Taxes Explained: Stamp Duty, CGT, Land Tax, and the Myths That Cost You Money
Let me bust a myth right now: Melbourne land tax is not the most expensive in Australia. Not in any bracket. That is media noise. Here is what actually matters for your property tax position, explaine
18 July 202311 min read·Joey Don
Three Financial Traps Designed Specifically for Gen Z in Australia. I Traced the Money.
The financial traps that caught millennials were obvious — mortgages and car loans. The ones targeting Gen Z are far more sophisticated. Disguised as freedom, wrapped in influencer aesthetics, and del
30 April 202311 min read·Yan Zhu
We Bought 100 Positive Cash Flow Houses in One Year. Here Is Every Number.
Most buyer's agents cherry-pick their best two or three deals for marketing. We are publishing the averages across all 100 transactions from the past year, including the ones that underperformed. Aver
2 September 202210 min read·Yan Zhu
Kilsyth, Wheelers Hill, or Kew East? A Rapid-Fire Suburb Breakdown for Every Budget.
Someone asked me about 'Kilsyth' and spelt it with four letters in the wrong position. The suburb is better than the spelling. Here is a rapid-fire breakdown of the suburbs people keep asking about —
5 January 202210 min read·Yan Zhu
90% of Property Advice Online Is Noise. Here's How I Filter the Signal.
My mum nags me about a dozen things every day. None of it is useful. But the moment she says 'dinner's ready,' I move. That's signal versus noise — and the same principle separates good property decis
10 May 202111 min read·Yan Zhu
How I Score Melbourne Suburbs Before Buying a Single Property
Most investors pick suburbs the way they pick restaurants — word of mouth, gut feeling, maybe a quick Google. I built a scoring framework instead. Some of the results will make you uncomfortable.
12 September 202011 min read·Yan Zhu
He Earns $80K a Year and Bought 17 Properties in 12 Months. I Broke Down Exactly How.
A Hugo Boss sales assistant earning $80,000 a year just bought 17 properties in a single year. His total portfolio sits at 38 houses. Before you call it impossible, let me walk through the mechanics —

The 2026 Budget Just Rewrote Property Tax. Here's Why Panic-Selling Is the Worst Move.

Melbourne Buyer's Agent Fees 2026 — Full Comparison (Flat Fee vs Commission vs Tiered)

Buyer's Agent Commission vs Flat Fee — Which Saves You More in 2026

Melbourne Buyer's Agent for Foreign Investors — FIRB, Tax & 2026 Rule Changes

SMSF Land Tax Trap: $40k Mistake Most Victorians Miss

5 SMSF Property Mistakes Young Investors Make (The $10k Trap)

Zero Deposit Property Buying in Australia: The Guarantor Strategy That Actually Works.

Your Bank Is Charging You Too Much Interest. Here's How to Fix It in One Phone Call.

Victoria Just Made Off-the-Plan Stamp Duty Free. It's a Trap.

Labor Wants to Kill Negative Gearing. Here's Why It Won't Happen (Again).

8 State Land Tax Surprises in 2025 (Victoria Isn't #1)

Your Super Won't Retire You. But Your Super Buying Property Might.

Victoria's "Land Tax Doubled"? I Spent 23 Hours Crunching the Numbers. Here's the Truth.

Finally: Someone Explains Offset Accounts Properly (Including the Part Banks Won't Tell You)

Negative Gearing Abolition: The $10.9B Trap for Aussies

Offset vs Redraw: The $9,165 Tax Trap Most Investors Miss

40 Years of Data Prove It: Property Prices Don't Care About Interest Rates

Australia's Government Wants to Reform CGT. Here's Why the Maths Doesn't Add Up.

Negative Gearing vs Labor Policy: What 1985 Taught Investors

If Australia Reforms CGT, Here's What Actually Happens to Property Prices

CGT Reform Is Coming. These Are the Three Models on the Table.

Three Types of Refinance, Three Completely Different Goals — Which One Fits You?

Bridging Loans Explained: How to Buy Your Next Property Before Selling Your Current One

You Flipped a House and Made $150K. The ATO Wants $58K of It.

Six Borrowing Power Hacks That Brokers Usually Charge For

The World Is Raiding Retirement Funds to Buy Houses. Only One Country Got It Right.

No Receipt Required: The $4,400 Tax Deduction Most Australians Don't Claim

Debt Recycling Mistakes That Cost Aussies $15k+ in Tax

Threw Away These 6 Documents After Buying? You'll Pay Thousands Extra in CGT.

Every Tax You'll Pay on a Victorian Investment Property (And the Ones You Won't)

Three Tax Levers That Make or Break Your Property Portfolio

Selling Your Investment Property? Five Legal Ways to Shrink the Tax Bill

Negative Gearing Has Three Levels. Most Investors Are Stuck on Level One.

Why Trusting ChatGPT to Buy Your House Could Cost You $200,000

5 Steps You Must Take When Converting Your Home to an Investment Property (Or Pay Thousands Extra in Tax)

41% Annual Return on a Single House. Here's the Maths Behind Leveraged Property Investment.

I Tested a $33 AI Tool Against Our Buyer's Agent Team. The Results Were Uncomfortable.

I Put My Investment Property Under My Personal Name. It Cost Me Six Figures in Tax.

Property Should Make You Money Fast (Why Blind 'Buy and Hold' Is a Trap)

10 Money Truths Nobody in Australian Property Will Tell You

She Knew Nothing About Property. Her House Grew 25% in One Year.

An $800K House Renting for $1,200 a Week. I Walked Through It. Here Are the Real Numbers.

Melbourne Property Taxes and Legal Requirements: What Every Investor Must Know Before Settlement

The One Interview Follow-Up That Guarantees You the Offer — and What It Teaches About Property Negotiation

A9 Assets but Can't Afford Dinner: The Property Investor's Cash Flow Problem

How AI Is Changing Property Search in Australia (And What It Still Can't Do)

Trump's Tariffs and Australian Property: Why I'm Not Losing Sleep (And Neither Should You)

I Earned $300K in Passive Income Last Year. Here Are the Bank Screenshots.

Buying Five Investment Properties? Here's the Tax Structure That Saves You $200K

The $18,200 Tax-Free Threshold Has Not Changed in 13 Years. The ATO Is Quietly Destroying the Middle Class.

Five Months Ago They Called St Albans Garbage. The Data Just Proved Them Wrong.

Doncaster, 850 Square Metres, RGZ Zoning. Should You Invest?

We Converted a House Into Three Self-Contained Units. The Rent Tripled.

One Free Website That Could Save You From Buying in a Bushfire Zone

5 Mortgage Affordability Mistakes Middle Class Aussies Make

Melbourne Property in 2020: Where the Smart Money Is Moving While Everyone Else Panics

My Tesla Taught Me More About Property Investment Than Any Textbook

Buying Property Is Not About Luck. Here Is the System We Use to Select Every Asset.

The Australian Government Spent $80 Billion on Housing and Built Zero Homes. Here Is What That Means for Your Next Purchase.

Melbourne Property Taxes Explained: Stamp Duty, CGT, Land Tax, and the Myths That Cost You Money

Three Financial Traps Designed Specifically for Gen Z in Australia. I Traced the Money.

We Bought 100 Positive Cash Flow Houses in One Year. Here Is Every Number.

Kilsyth, Wheelers Hill, or Kew East? A Rapid-Fire Suburb Breakdown for Every Budget.

90% of Property Advice Online Is Noise. Here's How I Filter the Signal.

How I Score Melbourne Suburbs Before Buying a Single Property

He Earns $80K a Year and Bought 17 Properties in 12 Months. I Broke Down Exactly How.