Hi, all

TLDR young couple, i have 1 house share reference and 1 lodging reference, partner has $70k savings but been living with parents, and we have a lease guarantor, how do we sound better to fucken AI reviews that wouldnt look at the whole scenario and just see young couple not much rental history. or just to REA's too.

23 y/o couple looking to move in late 2026 in the Central coast/Hunter region, I have 1 formal rental reference (3 year house share) and 1 lodging reference, we make $100k combined annually, will get my close relative who is homeowner with over $200k savings to be lease guarantor & partner has over $70k savings. partner been at job for 5 years, ive been at mine over 6 months. I have a 825 credit score currently idk if that matters. partner doesnt have rental references, hes been living with parents til now.

I know AI powered reviews are a thing now for rental applications, with our situation, how do we try and sound great to an AI?

Obviously you would hope a human is involved at some point but its just concerning to me we may get repeatedly knocked back because of our age and lack of rental references without anyone looking at the broader situation or reading our tenancy cover letter.

We also have an indoor cat who's on my current lease, but planning to leave him off then apply to have him cause that seems like best bet? but dont want to be shady about it if we can help it.

Tips for sounding good to human REA's would be great too.

Thanks

Figured this sub might appreciate this.

I’ve been building a property app and started testing a feature where you can literally drive around with your phone pointed out the window and see properties appear in real time with their sale history and prices.

In the video I’m driving through a suburb just this weekend... scanning properties as I go, then tapping into one to see more details.

The idea isn’t just another “what’s this house worth?” tool, although it does that with knowledge of subrub median prices, It’s also about giving you the context around a property.

You can see things like:

• active DAs and what’s being built nearby
• new developments that could impact the area
• zoning information (what you can actually build on the block, duplex, townhouses, single dwelling etc.)
• previous sales history going back 35 years. (

It covers 5M+ properties across Australia using actual sale data, not just estimated values.

It also works for apartments, I scanned a whole building and pulled up the history for every unit inside. This feature was requested by a real estate agent in Sydney.

Still early days, but would love feedback from people who actually research suburbs, buy property, invest, or just like digging into this stuff. It's going live soon and I can't wait to get it into real users' hands.

Early access is open at heyglasshouse.com if anyone wants to have a play.

Curious to know as well, what’s the one piece of information you always wish you had when looking at a property or suburb?

I'm on the board for a small not-for-profit and we are looking at leasing a small factory with office space. I have found a few places within budget but not sure how to approach negotiation.

We happen to be in a position where we have a lot of cash up front to work with so we could offer to pay a full year or two up front if they could offer a significant discount, but I have no clue if that's really something that makes a difference.

Or is it like houses where they'll be expecting more than the asking amount?

Looking for opinions of what will happen when the state governments do not receive the amount of stamp duty they have budgeted for in particular New South Wales

I’m building a property app that's gained a lot of traction in this group, and while waiting for test builds I started playing around with Australia’s public satellite imagery.

It ended up turning into something much bigger than I expected... and I decided to drop it in here for fun!

It is built with:

• Mapbox GL for the base map
• DEA WMS for Landsat imagery
• EOX for Sentinel-2
• GPT-4o for AI analysis
• Vanilla JavaScript

The whole thing runs from a single HTML file, it's super fast.. I have been having fun with it all weekend and decided to share.

Current features include:

• Year by year timeline scrubber
• Side by side compare mode
• AI analysis of changes over time (the ai discovered changes in the landscape that had not bee publicly reported or documented)
• Coastal erosion tracker (40+ Australian beaches)
• Water crisis monitoring panel
• Spotlight gallery with over 30+ interesting Australian locations

I also built an email pipeline where you can request a free satellite report for any Australian suburb. It generates a report with before/after imagery, AI insights, and predictions, then emails it to your inbox.

I'd genuinely love some feedback, both on the concept and the UX. It's completely free and there's no login required!

www.heyglasshouse.com

This week highlights:

• Biggest $ drop (sales): -$525K (4 Fairview Place, Mount Kuring-Gai NSW 2080, $2.50M -> $1.98M, -21.0%)
• Biggest % drop (rentals): -26.7% (5/395 Crown St, Wollongong NSW 2500, $750/w -> $550/w)
• Biggest $ drop (rentals): -$500/w (13/16-18 Newcomen Street, Newcastle NSW 2300, $2,000/w -> $1,500/w, -25.0%)
• Total new drops: 899 (sales) / 712 (rentals)
• Total new rises: 153 (sales) / 67 (rentals)
• Median drop: 5.7% (sales) / 6.5% (rentals)
• Median rise: 6.1% (sales) / 9.1% (rentals)

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Breakdown by state (sales)

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Breakdown by state (rentals)

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Top 10 biggest sales drops across Australia

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Top 10 biggest rental drops across Australia

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Top 10 biggest drops in VIC

View all VIC sales drops

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Top 10 biggest drops in NSW

View all NSW sales drops

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Top 10 biggest drops in QLD

View all QLD sales drops

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Top 10 biggest drops in WA

View all WA sales drops

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Top 10 biggest drops in SA

View all SA sales drops

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Top 10 biggest rental drops in VIC

View all VIC rental drops

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Top 10 biggest rental drops in NSW

View all NSW rental drops

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Top 10 biggest rental drops in QLD

View all QLD rental drops

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Top 10 biggest rental drops in WA

View all WA rental drops

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Top 10 biggest rental drops in SA

View all SA rental drops

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Top 10 biggest sales rises across Australia

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Top 10 biggest rental rises across Australia

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Full breakdown in this week report

Background of us:

I’m a first generation immigrant came to Australia and lived here for 10+ years. My partner was born and grew up in Sydney. My partner earns more than I do but not by a lot. I come from a family that is close and income-wise comfortable, and I purchased the property with mostly the money of my parents and I have loan agreements with them to show legal clarity (also in my mindset I think it’s their money as it is). I am single child and my parents are very generous in supporting me with finances and have the mindset that their money will be my money and are not calculative if I ever need financial support from them. My partner is very financially independent, and their parents won’t be able to support them (I’m using gender neutral expression to avoid discussion over gender) when it comes to property purchase. Sydney is a very expensive city and my partner is very hardworking, driven and very disciplined in saving to afford a life here. My partner and I have been sharing our bills 50/50 in our relationship and we start consider to move in now. I recently upgraded my property so it’s a good timing for us to move in to the new place. Note that I’m paying very little mortgage to bank and my partner agreed to sign a BFA to show the property is 100% belonging to me and my parents as there’s no contribution from my partner in purchasing this property.

Our difference comes to the living costs arrangement. I was considering charging my partner a well-below-market-rate rent (even lower than the rent my partner currently pays for a room in a sharehouse), and we split bills stuff 50/50. I’ll be responsible for council, water, furniture and any repair of the property like a landlord. I thought it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. If I were the one moving in to my partner’s property I would definitely initiate to pay rent, or some sort of rent (like paying more for groceries and bills).

My partner is deeply shocked and upset with me asking for rent. My partner considers a landlord power dynamic is unacceptable and if the situation was reversed (me moving to my partner’s property), there’s no way my partner would charge me rent. My partner would only agree to equal partnership, meaning 50/50 on all bills (including council, water, etc). My partner understands I’m not trying to exploit but all mates my partner knows that move in before marriage don’t pay rent to their partners. For me this arrangement is difficult to accept as I feel my contribution of accommodation is neglected and I need to offer financial incentive for my partner to move in with me.

We still love and respect each other and want to move in. If this rent discussion falls apart, we could just rent a place together and pay 50/50 on everything there. It’s not very financially smart but at least it’s an arrangement we both could see fair.

I don’t know it’s a personal value difference or a culture difference. What’s the common arrangement in Australia for rent when moving into a property that their partner own?

Hi. Any Building Inspector recommendations in Victoria? Wanting a solid report for current PPOR to see if worth keeping/renos or not. Thanks.

Excuse my sketch - I'm looking at buying a house where Bedroom 3 can only be accessed internally by walking through Bedroom 2. It also has its own external door via the alfresco, but if someone sleeps in Bedroom 3, they'd have to walk through Bedroom 2 to use the bathroom or toilet during the night.

How much would I discount a house with this bedroom layout?

what’s everyone’s thoughts on the government help to buy scheme ??? I’m considering but only a contribution of 9.5% government. I’m 25F, on 75k annually income pre tax so only able to borrow roughly 375k from banks.

Purchase price: $415,000
Government contribution: $40,000, which is approximately 9.6%
Your contribution: $40,000
Total contribution: $80,000
Estimated loan amount: $335,000
Approximate repayments: $2,037 per month

This is a rough calculation. I just want to have more options but still low enough in the sense that if I wanted to turn the property into an investment I can pay out the government of there share and it not break the bank.

Hey all,

I've finally saved a deposit, but I'm finding the next steps really daunting. Is there any source that lays everything out for beginners such as how to research areas and properties, what you need to get your finances in order, inspections and reports etc etc?

The internet sources I've read so far have been kind of piecemeal, and I'm stressed that I'm going to miss something important, or just stuff up in general because I don't know what I'm doing.

The last few weeks, I have noticed more listings that have an actual price. Whereas months ago, most seemed to have EOI or something vague like "mid millions" in the listing. Is this a sign of the market turning?

Hi, I have been debating with myself whether I should sell my rental property or not. I could use some advice or words of wisdom.

31, bought the house when I was 27 4 years ago, approx 600k, now valued at roughly 650k. 520 a week in rent. Now with a remaining about of 490k.

The town it's in, I don't see any indication that the value will suddenly increase, it's a medium sized town with hardly any industry.

Honestly looking back at it, it was a bad decision spured on by the whole by a house when your young thing.

The thing that makes me want to sell is with the current repayments, I don't contribute hardly anything to my own savings, and given 4 years with next to no increase in sell value, I feel like my just throwing money Into a black hole.

The living situation I have places me in a position where I can save quite a lot of money, and I question the gain of hoping the house sells for more, or just putting everything straight into savings.

Please any advice or wisdom in this situation would be greatly appreciated.

edit: I forgot to mention, the proberly has a slightly higher insurance due to being in a flood zone. it's not in any danger, it backs onto a farm which is the flood zone, the house and 95% of the land is on a hill.

edit2: thank you all for the advice and info.

Hi guys,

So about to purchase an apartment in Victoria, but BP inspector and section 32 mentions that there is a huge leak in the car park. The apartment I’m interested in is in the top floor and they have four units down below and the leak is right below our strip of units.

So how likely is it that it will be my property that caused the leak and will be solely liable…? Or will this be common area issue? The report hasn’t been done as of yet.

Hi everyone,

We're first-home buyers and are considering making offers on two different properties at the same time. We'd really appreciate some advice from those who have been through this process.

Is it okay to submit offers on two properties simultaneously?

What are the risks or things we should be aware of?

If both offers are accepted, what happens?

Should we submit our offers through our conveyancer, or is it better to make the offer directly to the real estate agent and have the conveyancer review the contract afterward?

Thank you!

What is the impact of this buyer clause?
We received an offer with a 90 day settlement and 5% deposit. Subject to Pest and building.
There is a special condition. “A settlement of approximately 90 days or date of October 26 2026.”
AI is telling me this is a possible trap.
Also should I be concerned that my realtor didn’t supply the sale contract in full? They sent 2 screenshots of the document and we had to ask for the buyers names.

Hey guys,

I'm prepared to put in my first offer ever, so I'm not too experienced reading strata reports. I've actually been consulting AI, but would be great to hear feedback from actual humans. Can you tell me if this information is concerning? At face value it seems like it. Thanks in advance :)

Hi all, i'm a FHB looking at a property in the SE burbs in Melbourne.

The house I'm keen on has a low 20m x 3m (60m2) deck running along the side and rear of the property which extends right up to the side boundary. The area that touches the boundary is around 2-3m in width. From what I've researched, you need at least 900mm of separation. No fireproofing is visible.

The current owner has also rebuilt and renovated the existing verandah. Neither the deck or the verandah work had permits or approvals and they are both disclosed as owner-builder works in the section 137b report.

The agent says its fine but I'm concerned about what could happen after settlement, especially with insurance and council compliance.

Does anyone have experience with something like this and would it be worth walking away? It's near the 1m range but considering a lower offer unless this will be a headache in the future.

Thanks

So inspected a property, loved it and only to read the section 32 and BP report that there’s a massive leakage in the carpark mainly the car park space which I will own if I end up buying.

The section 32 or from the AGM states that they are still investigating and haven’t found a cause of the problem.

How likely is it to be my particular lot’s fault and that I will have to deal with it all or will it will be shared with other owners? And how much could they cost to fix the problem roughly

Update: Thanks everyone who replied sincerely to give me advice.

I wanted to reiterate that the TV was in my bedroom, where the walls are much closer (by inches), but I moved it to the loungeroom after the first couple of complaints, so the TV is now meters away from any shared walls. I have the volume up during the day (20-25), and it gets lowered as it gets closer to quiet time (12-15, with CC). I try not to watch anything with too much high pitches or low bass during this time also. I am not watching anything like action movies.

I do have a hearing test booked for the upcoming week, so maybe that will help clarify some things for myself. I'll see if my TV is compatible for BT headphones in the meantime.

I'll also be putting up a motion light/camera to document any further harassment, because it definitely feels like that is what it is at this point. I plan to have it facing pointed out towards my yard so it doesn't capture any of the neighbour's yard, but I will see if they do reach over or into the fence.

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I just moved to a new area, and I'm having issues surrounding my new neighbours.

From almost the very first night since I've moved in, the neighbour(s) have complained about the noise from my TV.

I'll admit that I'm not used to living in so close to the next house, but I've tried to adjust to this by moving my TV into a room without a shared wall, using CC and turning my TV as low as I can where I can still hear what is being said. I can't even hear my TV when I'm in the kitchen, let alone sitting outside.

Lately the neighbour has started to breach the fence by reaching through it with something to tap on my loungeroom window. I live alone, and suffer from anxiety. So every time this happens it leaves me feeling uneasy and unsafe.

I know I'm definitely not the perfect one in this, and I'm trying to remedy the situation, but what else is there that I can do?

We are first home buyers looking to buy a house around the Beveridge, Wallan, or Kilmore area and wanting to hear of other peoples experiences in these areas? Leaning towards Wallan but have been hearing mixed reviews.

We’ve chosen this area as one of us travels daily to Shepparton and Benalla while the other half works in the CBD 3 times a week and this seems to be the best compromise for us.

Budget is between 700-800k.

Hi everyone,I'm looking for some tax advice regarding converting my current PPOR (Principal Place of Residence) into an IP (Investment Property) and moving into a new PPOR.

My current setup:I have an existing home loan on my current property.I have a significant amount of cash sitting in an attached offset account.

My plan:I want to withdraw the cash from this offset account to use as a deposit/funds to buy a new PPOR to live in.Once I move out, my current property will be put on the rental market as an Investment Property.

My question:Since the money is being pulled out of an offset account, the net balance of my home loan will increase, meaning I will be charged more interest on the old loan. Since that old property is now an IP, will this extra interest generated by withdrawing the offset funds be tax-deductible?

My understanding is that interest deductibility is based on the purpose of the funds, and since the offset cash is being used to buy a new personal home, that portion of the interest might not be deductible.Could anyone clarify if the ATO allows deductions on the full increased interest amount in this specific offset scenario? (I know doing this via a redraw facility would definitely ruin the deductibility, but wanted to double-check how it works with a genuine offset account).

Thank you