Sydney is very affordable! Aged 24, already 6 properties and...

Sydney is very affordable!
Aged 24, already 6 properties

and conincidentally aged just 20, she became a "policy adviser to politician Bronwyn Bishop"
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Sydney property investment guru Stephanie Brennan has $2.3 million portfolio aged 24

• 1 HOUR AGO JUNE 18, 2015 11:48AM

Stephanie Brennan pictured outside a Fairlight apartment which is just one of 6 properties she has purchased. Source:News Corp Australia
MEET one of Australia’s youngest property tycoons who’s proving at just 24, that it is possible for young professionals to get on the housing ladder.
Stephanie Brennan, from Belrose, has six properties worth more than $2.3 million — including three on Sydney’s northern beaches, and two in Queensland.
Not only that, but the entrepreneur has built her enviable portfolio in just under three years.
Miss Brennan has neither been to university nor been given any cash by her parents. She is even aiming to retire by 30.

Property No.1 ... Manly Vale apartment purchased in October 2012 for $386,000. Current Value $500,000. Source:Supplied

Miss Brennan said her success proves that it is still possible to buy property in Sydney.
Her success and attitude are a direct challenge to others who believe otherwise, particularly in light of recent comments by Federal Liberal Treasurer Joe Hockey to “get a good job that pays good money” if you want to buy a home.
“I think the reason why people think they cannot buy property is because they want a multi-million dollar house now. You’ve got to start somewhere and build it up,” she said.
“Start small, buy a unit so you have got something behind you.
“I would definitely try and save, and you can pay 5% on a deposit and pay mortgage insurance if you want to get into the market.”


Property No.2 ... Collaroy apartment purchased in February 2013 for $346,000. Current Value $450,000. Source:Supplied

And while Miss Brennan admits her family is wealthy, she said she never received any financial help.
“I was privileged in the sense that my sister and I were educated at one of Sydney’s finest private schools and we never struggled,” she said.
“However that doesn’t mean I was handed everything. In fact, that drove me further to succeed on my own two feet.”


Property No.3 ... land in Scotland purchased in April 2013 for $50,000. Current value $75,000. Source: Supplied

Miss Brennan said she learned the value of money at an early age and started working aged 14 while at Pymble Ladies’ College doing everything from cleaning to working at Pizza Hut.
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She saved most of her wages, along with $125 a month pocket money and birthday money — though she has indulged in travelling more recently and has visited 23 countries.
Aged just 20, she became a policy adviser to politician Bronwyn Bishop before starting her own business consultancy.
It was when she worked with a property investment firm and saw their returns that she decided she wanted a slice of the action.

Property No.4 ... Manly apartment purchased in March 2014 for $520,000. Current Value $570,000. Source: Supplied

Miss Brennan took a $55,000 a year job at a real estate agent to learn as much as she could and bought her first property on her 22nd birthday in October 2012, in Manly Vale, for $386,000, after originally being turned down for a mortgage.
Though she had around $100,000 in savings she persuaded her mother to go guarantor for $60,000 with the Belrose family home — meaning she didn’t pay any deposit at all.
Four months later she put $80,000 of her savings on her second place in Collaroy.


Property No.5 ... Kelvin Grove, Qld, purchased in May 2015 for $339,000. Current Value $350,000. Source: Supplied

Next, she bought a plot of land on a nature reserve in Glencoe, Scotland, with $50,000 left to her by her grandparents. She’s never visited but land in Scotland comes with a title, which makes her a Lady.
A place in Manly, funded by releasing the equity of her Collaroy place followed, and a few weeks ago she bought her latest two properties in Brisbane.
Now Miss Brennan has launched her own business to help others do what she’s done, offering everything from financial planning to accounting and mortgages.
She’s moved home with her mother, Cathy, who is divorced from her father, while she gets Step Loans off the ground.


Property No.6 ... Bowen Hills, Qld, apartment purchased in May 2015 for $327,000, worth $350,000. Source: Supplied

“I started the business because I didn’t want anybody to feel as lost as I did when I started investing,” she said.
“Property is one of the things people use to retire and I think there should be a lot more guidance.”
She has even advised her mum, Cathy, on investing in property.
Mrs Brennan, said: “She’s done really well for herself. I’m amazed. She’s always been careful with money. She knows her stuff — even my jaw drops occasionally.”
Stephanie’s Nine Tips for Investing in Property


Stephanie Brennan has become such an expert on buying property she now runs her own company. Source: News Corp Australia

1. If you want to live in a suburb but can’t afford it, look at the ones which surround it and buy there, as the prices will go up as people are pushed out.
2. You can buy with a deposit ranging from 5%-20% or more plus costs, so if you bought with a 5% deposit plus costs on a $500,000 unit this would mean you would need approximately $49,000 of which the repayments would be $1,647 per month principal and interest. That’s as little as $400 per week — than the medium amount of rent people pay on the northern beaches.
3. Some banks accept a relative’s house as guarantee or cash as security instead of a deposit, which means the banks will lend 105% — purchase price plus costs.
4. Buying a property to live in will cost you more than buying an investment property simply because you are the one paying the mortgage rather than your tenants. I’ve found what works best is to start with an investment property rather than an owner occupied and then ensure this investment property provides positive cash flow. The property will still be negatively geared as you hold a mortgage over it, however, the income you receive is greater than your expenses making it positive cash flow. This also means that the additional funds you make from the property increases your overall income, meaning your ability to service the loan increases. This means you could then buy an owner-occupied property and have the positive income from your investment helping to pay down the property you live in.
5. Always get a strata report and pest inspection before you buy.
6. If you’re buying at auction, get a valuation prior to bidding. This can be done by seeking pre-approval from the bank first and then ordering a valuation or simply ordering a valuation upfront.
7. Always pay off one property as quickly as you can because then you will always have a place to live.
8. With mortgages, look at the comparison rate, the revert rate and ask what fees are associated with the loan especially if you fix the rate as often there are break costs associated with this.
9. Save money by taking lunch to work, skipping expensive takeaway coffees, cutting back on eating out, and giving up Foxtel or other cable services for cheaper versions.