Saving up for a deposit and having the ability to pay off a mortgage may seem difficult, but for those who are looking for cheaper ways to get into the property market, there are alternative pathways you may consider taking to allow you to buy a home sooner without having to invest as much initially.

 

Here are some ideas:

 

Buying as a group – Rather than buying a property on your own, why not share the costs with others? You may have a trustworthy friend or relative who is willing to buy a home with you.

 

Buy an investment property first – If you are still living with your parents, or can’t afford the area you want to live in yourself, then why not buy an investment property first and let rental payments help cover the costs of your mortgage? Eventually you may build up enough equity to allow you to buy your own home down the track.

 

Buy cheaper – Another option is to buy an old fixer-upper home or a cheaper home that you can use as a stepping stone to your eventual dream home.

 

Can you think of any more methods to help people get into the property market for less?

 

Now in its fifth year, the Harvest Festival has become one of Bacchus Marsh’s most popular annual events as it provides a great way for locals and visitors to learn more about our growing culture and try some of tasty home-grown produce.

 

As part of the festival, people can take the opportunity to meet local growers and go on free farm tours as well as take part in competitions, barefoot grape stomping and lots more.

 

The Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival will have plenty to offer and one of the highlights of the festival is likely to be the free bus tours that will take visitors to local farms, orchards and wineries to taste some of our very best local produce.

 

Bacchus Marsh is a region that is renowned for our high quality food and wine products, so if you want to truly experience what Bacchus Marsh has to offer then the Harvest Festival is a must-do.

 

This year’s Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival will be taking place on Sunday March 18 and you can view the program of events by heading to www.visitbacchusmarsh.com.au/harvest-festival.html.

 

The Bacchus Marsh SES provides an extremely important service that helps keep the Bacchus Marsh community a safer place, but to stay active they need everyone’s support.

 

The Bacchus Marsh unit receives some government funding, but it is mainly through fundraising efforts that they are able to continue to operate.

 

If the Bacchus Marsh SES raise enough funds through this year’s doorknocking they will be able to help pay for new equipment and vehicles, help cover the fuel costs for volunteers, pay utility bills, and service their equipment and vehicles.

 

Members of the Bacchus Marsh SES are all volunteers and thanks to their services they were able to respond to 140 flood or storm-related incidents and 30 rescues last year alone.

 

So come on people of Bacchus Marsh, let’s help the service that helps us in times of need.

 

You can donate to the Bacchus Marsh SES when they come knocking on your door, or you can also make donations at Arbee Real Estate in Bacchus Marsh or by mailing to PO Box 69, Bacchus Marsh.

 

*Investment – One of the best reasons for buying a home is because it could come to be worth a lot more in the years to come. As they say, “rent money is dead money” because it is money you will never see again. Paying money towards a mortgage on the other hand can help you build up equity and long-term wealth.

 

*Community – When you own a home you often feel like you can settle in more and this gives you a better chance to get to know your surroundings. Homeowners often end up establishing better relationships with their neighbours and their local community in general, simply because they stay in the same place for a longer length of time. Having good relationships with neighbours has so many benefits and in general you’re bound to feel much happier with the place that you live in.

 

*Ownership – It’s a great feeling when you own a home and you realise you can do with it what you want. When you rent you are restricted in a lot of ways in that you can’t renovate or change the look of your home. If you own your home though, then you can paint, extend, renovate or maybe even add in a pool. However you imagine your dream home to be, you can help create it if you own the home you live in.

 

*Stability – Owning a home offers a lot more security than renting does in that you know there’s no chance your landlord is going to kick you out and you also know that there’s no chance that you will have to pay more rent when your lease runs out. Sure there are interest rates to think about, but if you opt for a fixed-term home loan then you can lock in how much you have to pay for the next five years, which will make it much easier to organise your finances if this is an issue for you.

 

As you can see there are many benefits that come from home ownership and it’s rare to meet people who regret their decision to buy.

 

If you would like any advice about getting into the property market, then please feel free to get in touch with me at Professionals Arbee Real Estate in Bacchus Marsh for assistance.

 

Stories in the media generally don’t help buyer’s opinions either, but the truth is, no matter what you hear or what end of the cycle a property is in, it can always be a good time to buy a house if you do your research and invest wisely.

 

 So why are you waiting to buy a home?

 

 “My deposit isn’t big enough” – This is the biggest issue for a lot of first time buyers and saving up thousands of dollars obviously isn’t that easy to do, but you have to start somewhere. Try putting away even a small amount each week if you can, and give yourself a financial goal you can stick to. A lot of people overestimate how much money is required for the kind of property they’re after, so you may not even have to save as much as you first thought.

 

Talk to mortgage brokers and financial institutions to get an idea of how much you would need to save to borrow your ideal amount.

 

“I’ll never be able to save for the house I want” – The truth about many of our first homes is that they aren’t the dream home we always imagined. Most people’s first homes end up being a downgrade from what they can afford to rent so you may feel a little put off. The reality is that most people can’t afford the perfect home first time around, but the sooner you get into the property market the sooner you will be able to trade up to a bigger or better property.

 

“I don’t think I can commit to a long-term mortgage” – When people read their mortgage terms and realise it will take them 20-30 years to pay off their home loan; they naturally get a little scared. But don’t let these numbers scare you because you might not end up owning the home for that long anyway.

 

Most people sell or upgrade their homes before they finish paying them off, and others try to pay extra money towards their mortgage to pay their loan off quicker.

 

If you think you are ready to enter the Bacchus Marsh property market, then feel free to visit me at Professionals Arbee Real Estate in Bacchus Marsh and I will be happy to answer any of your questions.

 

The new volunteer register has been formed to help local councils and emergency organizations find help if it is needed in the event of a natural disaster such as a flood.

 

Previous natural disasters around the country have shown the willingness and kindness of people in times of need, and having the register will make it much easier to call on volunteers and direct them to the most suitable place to help.

 

The register will ask volunteers their skills and interests and this will help make sure that people are helping out in the right areas.

 

Those who do wish to volunteer in times of need have also been asked to use the volunteer registry rather then calling councils directly or visiting a disaster area straight away, as it makes it much easier to delegate tasks and it helps ensure the safety of volunteers too.

 

Hopefully volunteer help won’t be needed any time soon, and our region stays free of disasters, but if you think you might be interested in becoming an emergency volunteer you can register at Victoria’s Volunteering Portal at www.volunteer.vic.gov.au.

 

The popular event will be taking place on Thursday March 2 in Myrniong’s Main Street where guests can expect a sensational meal while enjoying the beautiful views of Myrniong’s rolling hills as well as its historic charm.

 

The lunch will be cooked under the direction of head chef Mark Mills, who will serving up a menu of local wines and modern, seasonal dishes. During lunch, diners can savour their meals and the wondrous views while also enjoying live music as entertainment.

 

The World’s Longest Lunch will run from 12pm until 4pm and funds raised from the event will go towards much-needed medical equipment for the Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital.

 

The World’s Longest Lunch is always a popular event, so if you are interested in going then make sure you book in soon.

 

Further details about the event can be found at http://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/event/2400.

 

Each year on Clean Up Australia Day, people all around the country volunteer their time to help collect rubbish from parks, waterways, nature reserves and bushland.

 

Every little piece of garbage that is picked up helps keep harmful materials from blocking our drains and creeks and harming our precious wildlife.

 

Last year’s Clean Up Australia Day attracted 565,510 volunteers who helped pick up over 16,454 tonnes of rubbish from 7,479 sites across Australia.

 

So let’s help make these numbers even bigger this year, so that we can all live in a clean and healthy country to be proud of.

 

If you would like to be a part of Clean Up Australia Day in Bacchus Marsh then you can register at a clean up site at the Clean Up Australia Day website or look for one that has already been registered in the area.

 

After years of debates, plans to remove five elm trees and build a roundabout at the avenue have been rejected in the name of preserving the cultural and heritage significance of the area.

 

A lot of local residents fought hard to keep the Avenue of Honour as is and while not everyone will be happy with the final outcome, at least now a decision has been made and more energy can be put into figuring out alternate plans to help improve Bacchus Marsh traffic problems.

 

So now that a roundabout won’t be getting built at the avenue, I would love to hear local opinions on what should be done instead to help improve local traffic. Also if you would like to share your opinion on the avenue decision then feel free to leave a comment.

 

Saving up for a deposit and having the ability to pay off a mortgage may seem difficult, but for those who are looking for cheaper ways to get into the property market, there are alternative pathways you may consider taking to allow you to buy a home sooner without having to invest as much initially.

 

Here are some ideas:

 

Buying as a group – Rather then buying a property on your own, why not share the costs with others? You may have a trustworthy friend or relative is willing to buy a home with you.

 

Buy an investment property first – If you are still living with your parents, or can’t afford the area you want to live in yourself, then why not buy an investment property first and let rental payments help cover the costs of your mortgage? Eventually you may build up enough equity to allow you to buy your own home down the track.

 

Buy cheaper – Another option is to buy an old fixer-upper home or a cheaper home that you can use as a stepping stone to your eventual dream home.

 

Can you think of any more methods to help people get into the property market for less?