Real Estate In Sydney

Moving To Sydney

First Published Date: July 02, 2010

Probably one of the most famous cities in the world, and one of the most beautiful, is Sydney, Australia. The largest city in Australia with 4.5 million people, it is a place where you can find everything you could possibly want. It is also a world-class city, known for being an international center for commerce, arts, fashion, culture, education, tourism and entertainment. In addition, the city has featured many important events including the 1938 British Empire Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Mercer’s ranked Sydney as the 10th best city in the world to live in, while The Economists put Sydney as the seventh most liveable city on the planet.

This just shows that Sydney is a truly great city to live in, and this may be why it is probably the most popular city for foreigners to live in.

When you are thinking of buying property in Sydney, there are some things to take in mind. First, there are the various fees that you will pay including the bank fees to buy the property, stamp fees, and other types of fees associated with property in Australia. Probably the best course of action is to talk with a real estate agent because the agent will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do in order to make sure there are no problems when you buy a property.

Under new proposals that came into place in April of 2010, temporary residents of Australia now have to get permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board, in order to buy any real estate in Australia while living in another country. Under these new rules, you can buy a house but when you leave the country you must sell the house again. These regulations were put in place to crack down on foreigners who bend the rules, as well as real estate agents who help them.

Many Australians are worried about the impact of foreigner buyers on the housing market. Many Chinese investors bought properties in Sydney, causing property values to suddenly jump roughly five to ten percent. This is something that many Australians want to avoid and that means you may find it a bit tougher than you thought it would be to buy property within Sydney.

This does not mean you should not buy property in Sydney. That city is one of the best to live in out of all the cities in the world. You have the ocean right at your doorstep and probably the most famous opera house on the planet. In addition, the housing prices are starting to stabilize with the new rules and that means it may be easier for you to afford a house in Sydney.

Remember, you want to talk to a real estate agent about finding a place and if you can buy a property through a friend who is a citizen of Australia, you can have them buy the house, while you are the one who lives in it at various times through the year.