What if you could just buy a place in a hot market, hold it for a bit, then sell and use the profit to buy your dream home? Sounds like a clever hack, right? We hear this idea thrown around a lot, and honestly, we get the appeal. But in this episode, we pull back the curtain on why that seemingly genius strategy might not be as smart, or as simple, as it looks.

This question actually comes from someone in our Facebook group, and it’s such a good one that we dedicated an entire episode to it. The idea is: go in with a sibling, friend, or even a parent, pick a market that’s on the rise, and build equity quickly before moving on to something more long-term. In theory? Brilliant. In practice? Oof! So many things have to go perfectly for it to actually work. We’re talking about pinpointing the exact right suburb at the beginning of its boom (good luck), choosing the right property in that suburb, selling at the perfect time, dealing with tax implications, tenancy laws, and then somehow doing all of that together with another person. It’s a massive gamble.

We walk through real-life examples; like the time one of us missed the market peak by just a few months and took a loss. We run the numbers so you can see how quickly your “profit” can shrink once you factor in capital gains tax, selling costs, and holding costs. Even if everything goes according to plan (and that’s a big IF), you might walk away with less than you expect.

So if you’re tempted by this kind of shortcut to homeownership, we want you to go in with your eyes wide open. We love the theory, but when you stack up all the risks, it just doesn’t fly, especially if you’re a first home buyer trying to build a strong foundation.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

02:02 - Breaking down the popular idea of co-buying in a booming area for short-term gain

06:31 - Why identifying a market at the start of its growth cycle is harder than it sounds

11:03 - The risks of missing the peak and what happens when you sell too early or too late

15:21 - Why small gains won’t work with this seemingly “perfect” strategy

16:20 - The real numbers: Costs, tax, and what you actually keep

24:46 - The dealbreaker: You’re timing two markets, not just one

Resources:

• FREE MINI COURSE: How to price property like a professional https://www.homebuyeracademy.com.au/freecourse
• Meet our recommended mortgage brokers at Home Buyer Academy https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/brokers
• Visit our website https://www.homebuyeracademy.com.au/
• Join our Facebook Group to get access to free monthly live Q&A sessions
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourfirsthomebuyerguideaustralia
• Learn how to buy property without making a mistake with our ultimate 10-step online course for first time home buyers https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG
• If you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at: Your First Home Buyer Guide Podcast [email protected]
• Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.au
• Work with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.au
• Looking for a Brisbane Buyers Agent? https://www.propertypursuit.com.au/
• Work with Meighan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meighanwells/

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