Start here: Property Investor
Property investing is a tax structure attached to a loan attached to a property; most people read the third one first.
Seven stages on investor borrowing, structure, tax, equity, SMSF traps, and assembling the team, written for the buyer who wants the trade-offs, not the pitch.
7 stages~78 min total readUpdated 5 May 2026
You should be here if…
- You either own a home or could buy in the next 18 months.
- You’re thinking about your first or next investment property.
- You want to understand the structure before the location.
7 stages
Property Investor
The 7 stages
Read in order, or jump to the bit you need.
01Are you investing for income or growth?Yield-led and growth-led portfolios buy different properties in different places with different loans. Pick the fork before you pick the suburb.11 min02How borrowing power works for investorsLenders shade rental income, add a serviceability buffer, and treat existing investor debt at a higher floor rate. The stack changes how much you can borrow.10 min03Interest-only, P&I, and other investor loan structuresInterest-only vs principal-and-interest, whose name is on the title, debt recycling, and the cross-collateralisation trap. Get it right at the start; restructuring later costs real money.12 min04Tax 101 for property investorsNegative gearing in 2026, depreciation schedules that pay for themselves, CGT discount nuances, PAYG income tax variation. We are not tax advisers, speak to a registered tax agent.13 min05Using equity to buy a second propertyUsing your home equity as the deposit on an investment property. The valuation strategy, the LVR ceiling, and the cross-collateralisation trap to avoid.11 min06SMSF home loans (read before you commit)Self-managed super fund property loans are tightly regulated. LVR caps, lender narrowing, single-acquirable-asset rules, and the personal-guarantee question.10 min07Get matched with an investment property specialistBroker, accountant, buyer’s agent (sometimes), conveyancer, property manager. The order matters, broker first, accountant second, everyone else last.11 min
Related deep-dive
Want the encyclopaedia, not the path? See the property investor hub.
WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Comparison rates are calculated on a secured loan of $150,000 over 25 years for home loans and a loan of $30,000 over 5 years for car and personal loans, unless the lender states another basis. Business loans and equipment finance for a business purpose have no mandatory comparison rate.