Justin Wang is the embodiment of a self-made entrepreneur. From unassuming beginnings to life as a property giant – he now personifies the paradigm for financial freedom. It always comes down to abundance as generated by collaboration.
Wang built PIA (Property Investors Alliance) when he realized the profitability of the Sydney residential property. His considerable charisma would spearhead a veritable empire of altruistic financial freedom.
Global Millionaire magazine recently caught up with Justin to ask him about the rising interest rates and whether now is an excellent time to get into the property market or not; here’s what went down:
How does the interest rate hike affect the housing market?
Now that the interest rate keeps increasing, there’s fear among first home buyers and potential investors because they’re not sure how this interest rate hike will affect the property market. Because of the interest rate hike, the price of properties has dramatically dropped, so if there’s a dip in the property price – should we buy now or wait?
Firstly, I believe the interest rate hike will not cause a dip in property prices – some people even predict the decrease to be as low as 20%. Keep in mind that the Reserve Bank is very cautious regarding the interest rate hike or how it can affect the property market. That’s because the property market, particularly Sydney Residential properties, involves a lot of families since many people, particularly parents, owe money to the bank.
But guess what? Despite the interest rate hike, people are still spending! So how can people keep spending even though there’s an increase in the interest rate?
Firstly, tourism is back – tourism is bringing money again to Australia. Secondly, there’s actually a low unemployment rate since people still have jobs. There’s also what I can refer to as “pandemic savings;” People still have savings because, for the past two years, people haven’t been spending that much due to the Covid restrictions. The government has given out over $200 billion in support to Australians due to the Covid situation, and this money is still sitting in people’s savings or offset accounts. This massive amount of money is definitely good enough to cope with the interest rate hike.
So for those who still believe that most people will end up selling their property for less than 20% of the actual price is wrong; they should not be worried at all due to the above reasons.
Buy or rent, which one is good for us at the moment?
Rent may be increasing at the moment, but I believe it’s still okay to get into the property market. Right now, the interest rate is going up faster than the rent is going up, so it might seem like it’s not a good idea to buy a property at this stage. For example, if you buy a $600k property, the mortgage repayments plus the ongoing costs to run the property will be much higher than what the rent can achieve – possibly 20% or even 25% or higher. Even if you use PIA’s buy and rent model, the rent might not be enough to cover mortgage repayments plus all of the ongoing costs.
So what’s the best thing to do? If you buy an off-the-plan property that will settle in 2-3 years, you’ll be able to secure today’s low price. We’re currently in the middle of a “buyer’s market,” which means that if you buy a property now that is due to settle in 2-3 years, you’ll skip over the high-interest rate period because, in 2-3 years, the interest rate will eventually decrease. You’ll be able to settle your property because your borrowing capacity should have increased by then. The rent may be able to cover your outgoing costs.
How should I act as a first home buyer in the current market?
If you’re a first home buyer, the best time to buy is now because the properties are cheaper, and due to the current interest rate climate, you’ll get special deals, rebates, and discounts from the vendors and developers. You just need to pay a 10% deposit for an off-the-plan property that’s due to be completed in 2 to 3 yrs, and this will enable you to secure today’s low price and skip over the current high-interest rate period. Your borrowability will increase when you eventually settle, and your rent may be enough to pay most of your outgoing costs.
When will the interest rate stop increasing?
I believe in 2-3 years’ time, the interest rate will stop increasing, and Inflation will also slow down – roughly around 2024.
Should we buy a property now or should we wait for a while?
If you’re smart, the best time to buy is now.
Right now, people are not buying properties because of the interest rate hike. If you buy later, when the interest rates are decreasing, you’ll struggle to secure a property because other people will also be rushing to buy properties. This demand will, of course, cause the price of the properties to be much higher. Therefore, getting into the property market now, while we’re in the middle of a “buyer’s market,” is the best way to go.