QUESTION:

Q3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a family home as an asset compared to an investment property? How does that impact taxation and what can be improved? 9 Mark

BACKGROUND INFO:

Brad and Angelina are a working couple with two children going to school and looking to buy a family home in your city/town, and currently, they are renting a four-bedroom home for $700 a week. Brad is an accountant with a local firm and earns a $100,000 annual salary, while Angelina is a full-time mum and works part-time earning $50,000 in an administration role at a local school. The couple has a savings of $80,000 and stocks worth $30,000 (which have fallen in value by fifty percent recently), and they also own an investment property that is negatively geared with an outstanding mortgage of $300,000. Other household assets jointly owned including jewellery, two cars, furniture, etc are valued at $50,000. Both have their own credit card, each with a $10,000 limit. They plan to live in their new home till retirement. The couple has contacted you as a mortgage broker to get the best mortgage advice on how to proceed with their mortgage application and the loan amount that can be approved for the borrowing. Brad is more interested in an established home having a spacious workshop, while Angelina is keen on a newly constructed eco-friendly home with a designer kitchen. Brad also wants to take his family for a European tour next year by using some of their savings. In your analysis, draw a family budget that will qualify them for a home mortgage application. You can consult a mortgage broker/online mortgage calculator, however, all analysis will be based on your understanding and not of the mortgage broker. Home prices and valuations and other figures can be based on market values shown on websites such as (www.realestate.com.au and www. domain.com.au). All information sourced is to be referenced. You can include any other assumed information (e.g. expenses, imaginary figures, all interest rates to be current, etc) to build on the scenario.