DJHartmann wrote:
Hamish Young wrote:
Not sure if it works differently in Australia, but certainly I found here that banks will deviate from their official policies if you give them enough reason to.
It all comes down to tax return statements here. Even though I could provide years of Thai bank statements, I need to provide an Australian tax return. As we just returned last year, still haven’t stayed a full tax year and am readying myself for the big bill.
However, still wondering if it’d be worth it. We’re in a suburb where 3 bedroom houses are all over $A1.3 million. I’m only paying $A26,000/year to rent and my office is downstairs. We picked a suburb based on the public school for our kids (best in state) and proximity to the city. If we were able to buy a house, we couldn’t afford here and we’d surely have to send them to private schools instead, costing an extra $A20,000+/year.
I will keep putting the extra $$ aside and may one day have enough!
Buying is more of a long-term thing. We finished paying off our mortgage just as our son was preparing to study abroad, so that panned out really well. Once the children are independent (if all goes well, that'll be next year) we can both let up a little and not work so hard, which is just as well now that my partner needs to go to see his elderly parents more often. If we were still paying rent, it wouldn't have panned out so neatly.
Can you not keep your children in that school once you move away?
Buying a cheaper house then having to pay for a private school doesn't sound like you'd be saving all that much money after all. Although I suppose it's a matter of how much the banks are prepared to lend you too?