It is tempting to perceive property inspections as an unnecessary task, prolonging the property investment buying process and another expense out of your pocket. Getting a pre-purchase property inspection completed however, can actually save you thousands of dollars in future expenses and help you during the negotiating process. By investing in a professionally carried out building inspection, you avoid the possibility of expensive financial outlays due to repairs and structural damage, and also the risk of putting yourself and others in danger.

When planning your first purchase, you want to be sure you’ve developed a sustainable property investment budget and one that you can realistically follow. Budgeting is a simple concept and is vital in property investment, as it helps ensure you are spending less than you are earning. It helps you balance your income and expenses and ensures you take a positive, proactive approach to managing and building your portfolio, whilst treating your property investment as a business. Here is a list of seven budgeting tips to help you achieve financial success in your first property investment, which can set you up for a long and prosperous property investment journey.

Australian technology company Real Estate Investar today announced it has won the Xero Emerging Add-on Partner of the Year Award at the annual Xerocon event in Melbourne, Australia. Real Estate Investar’s add-on integration called Portfolio Tracker gives Real Estate Investar members and Xero partner customers the ability to synchronise their property investment portfolio data, valuation data and financial accounts. The result, enjoy real time portfolio tracking and simpler, stress free accounting.

I’m going to extol the benefits of investing in property and why you should take it up. Just like I did. Previously, I’ve written about the things that could go wrong when investing in property. To give you a balanced perspective, you should also hear about the merits of investing in property, even if I appear to contradict myself a little.

Dual occupancy properties (AKA Duplex) refers to two premises on one lot of land - the premises can be attached or detached. Dual occupancy can be a good strategy for new property purchases as they often provide increased rental yield over single occupant properties. The SWOT analysis below gives you the essential information you should be aware of when considering the purchase of a dual occupancy property.

You get one chance to make a first impression and you’d be surprised at the seemingly insignificant things buyers can notice which can break the deal. A property should be presented as having been well looked after with no major issues. There are a whole range of things you can do which don’t require a lot of work or money to make your property look great.

So, you've found the perfect project - a property below fair market value, it is poorly presented, well below the suburb median price and you believe it has great potential as an investment property you can renovate for profit. Before you start on your renovation however, here is a checklist of 10 renovation mistakes to avoid.

There are many myths and misconceptions thrown around when it comes to property investment. Believing these property investing myths and making purchasing decisions because of them can increase your exposure to risk and affect your ability to build a profitable and sustainable property portfolio. So here are some common property investment myths that you need to be aware of in order to help you plan a successful property investment strategy.

Property investors aiming for long-term tenants and favourable rental returns must ensure their investment property appeals to local tenants. Enhancing the property's appeal and boosting rental income can be achieved by investing time and resources into its presentation and upkeep. This approach is likely to yield a favourable return on investment over time.

Ahead of the Reserve Bank's board meeting on Tuesday, economists have offered their views, often understandably equivocal, on the outlook for interest rates:

When it comes to credit scores and files, there's a wealth of misinformation around what will and won't leave you with a black mark next to your name. Here's a guide to help you separate fact from fiction and ensure you will keep the banks saying 'yes'!

Understanding how to invest in property can be complex, and each investor will have their own unique journey to follow and goals to achieve. This is designed to be an article aimed at first time investors who want some practical tips that can help them get started, along with some free tools, data and resources to assist along the way. As always, please use the comments at the bottom to give us your feedback.

The purpose of this article is to outline the process of due diligence, and the importance of this process in property investment. Comprehensive due diligence in property investment is a risk management strategy that should be undertaken by all serious real estate investors. It is not only the most prudent property investors who engage in thorough due diligence before making an offer on a property, but business-minded and serious real estate investors who can appreciate the risk that a bad investment could have on their entire portfolio.

A growing number of Australia's biggest banks and top economists have changed their tune from talk of rate hikes to predictions of rate cuts next year, so what does that mean for borrowers? Is now the time to lock in a low fixed rate, or are variable rates the way to go? Banks big and small have spent much of the year trying to lure in new customers with temptingly-low fixed mortgage rates, and borrowers have been lapping it up, amid expectations that rates would start rising in 2015.

Here's a handy guide to get you started on financing your property investment purchase.