Presented at our recent Australian property expo in May, this presentation details some of the changes in fees, rules and regulations for foreign property buyers in Australia, as well as the effect of interest rates on the Australian dollar.

1. Australian Property
Market Update

3. Disclaimer
This presentation is not to be considered legal or
financial advice. The advice provided on this presentation
is general advice only. It has been prepared without
taking into account your objectives, financial situation or
needs. Before acting on this advice you should consider
the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your
own objectives, financial situation and needs.

4. Australian Property Market Update
• Purchase Process
• Changes to Stamp Duty for Foreigners
• Changes to FIRB
• Australian Dollar vs. Malaysian Ringgit
• Australian Property Bubble?
• New Project Launches

5. Reserve Lot &
Booking Fee
Issuance of
Contract of Sale
Contract Signed 10% Deposit Paid
Exchange of
Contract of Sale
Pre-Settlement &
Inspection
Settlement
Keys Handed To
Client
Engage
Conveyancer
If Required
Apply FIRB If
Required
Apply For
Loan If
Required
The Purchase Process

6. Stamp Duty For Foreigners
• Latest budget update
• State of Victoria only
(Melbourne)
• 3% surcharge of total
property price
• Includes off-the-plan
projects
• Comes into effect July 1
2015 based on unconditional
contract date

7. Stamp Duty For Foreigners
• May apply to residential property
purchased by developers who have
majority foreign ownership (and will
again apply in relation to residential
property sold by those developers to
foreign buyers)
• It may also apply to indirect
acquisitions, such as the acquisition
of shares or units in companies or
trusts that hold residential property
in Victoria
• It is expected also to apply to vacant
land zoned for residential use.

8. Stamp Duty For Foreigners
OFF THE PLAN PURCHASE Before July 1 After July 1
Price 403000 403000
Stamp duty 1984 1984
Stamp duty surcharge (3% property price) 0 12090
TOTAL 1984 14074

9. Why The Increase?
• State Treasurer Tim Pallas said it was justified because
nonresident foreigners had not paid their fair share of
taxes towards services and infrastructure.
• the “modest surcharges” are a fair way to ensure foreign
property investors contribute to the state’s
infrastructure.
• “Foreign investment is good for Victoria and it
ultimately creates jobs,” he said.
• “But we do need to recognise there are pressures upon
our property market.”

10. What Analysts Say
• Property Council of
Victoria deputy executive
director Asher Judah said
that foreign developers
who bought land for
housing would be forced
to pass on the extra costs
to ordinary Victorians.

11. What Analysts Say
• “Increasing these taxes
will only serve to hamper
investment in Victoria’s
housing stock and in turn
affect Victorian jobs.”

12. What Analysts Say
• Housing Industry
Association executive
director Gil King said the
rental market would be
hit because foreign
investors would either be
discouraged by the move
or put up prices to recoup
their costs.

13. Developers vs. The Government
• Property developers are
railing against the
Victorian government's
plan to levy higher taxes
on foreign buyers
• “Double dip” taxation on
land acquisition by these
developers

14. Developers vs. The Government
• “The Victorian government
is yet to come out with its
final definition of what
constitutes a foreign
investor but we expect
Mirvac will be caught in the
net, as will all our major
peers,” the chief executive
of Mirvac Group's
development business,
Brett Draffen, said.

15. Changes To FIRB
• Foreign Investment Review Board
• Protect Australian citizens and residents
• Foreigners can only buy:
• Off the plan
• Extensively refurbished buildings
• Land to build on (within 24 months)
• Knock down and rebuild
• All subject to FIRB approval

16. Changes To FIRB
• Property < AUD1 million :
AUD5000
• Property > AUD1 million :
AUD10,000
• AUD10,000 for ever
additional AUD1 million
• New fees will come into
effect starting December 1
2015
OFF THE PLAN PURCHASE
Before
July 1 After Dec 1
Price 403000 403000
Stamp duty 1984 1984
Stamp duty surcharge (3%
property price) 0 12090
FIRB application fee 0 5000
TOTAL 1984 19074

17. Why The Changes To FIRB?
• AUD39 million mansion
bought illegally by Chinese
billionaire
• Forced to sell within 90 days
• FIRB getting more strict on
foreigners
• Currently when a property is
purchased and an FIRB
application is submitted the
Australian government carries
it out for free.

18. New Land Tax For Foreigners
• Victoria only
• 0.5% value of property/ year
• Foreign nationals who
purchase real estate in
Victoria, but do not
“ordinarily reside” in
Australia
• Details still being worked
out
• Comes into effect 1 January
2016

19. Australian Dollar vs Malaysian
Ringgit

20. Australian Dollar vs US Dollar

21. Iron Ore Prices

22. Iron Ore Prices

23. Interest Rates
• HSBC
• Aussie dollar still over valued
• At 2% cash rate, AUD should be trading around US70 cents
• Currently trading at US80 cents
• Caused by recent weakness in USD as markets price in later
start to US interest rate increases
• “10% to 15% too high for the RBA”
• RBA can decrease AUD by:
• Further reducing interest rates
• Publically declaring that AUD is overvalued

24. Interest Rates
• US Interest rates
• US interest rates will definitely go up in the near future
• AUD and MYR will fall
• AUD most speculative currency so could fall more than MYR
• Bank lending rates
• Variable and fixed rates almost the same
• Same 3 year fixed rates same as variable rate
• Good for investors who think the interest rate will increase

25. Australian Property Bubble?
• What would cause a big
crash?
• Economic crash
• Unemployment rate
increases
• People rapidly start selling
homes

26. Australian Property Bubble?
• A housing bubble doesn’t just mean high prices — prices
can just be high in response to basic supply and
demand
• A housing bubble is defined by rapid rise in property
prices, where house prices are a long way away from
what is fundamentally considered justified and
generally occur when highly leveraged speculators
enter a market for short-term growth.

27. Australian Property Data

28. Australian Property Data

29. Australian Property Positives
• Population growth
• Australia importing people
to replace retiring baby
boomers
• Population growth
expected to grow 10% in
next 5 years
• Wealth of the nation
• Foreign investors pouring
money into Australia
• Economical and political
stability
• Among one of the
wealthiest nations in the
world

32. Investor Benefits
• 5-8 minutes walk from main train station
• 5-8 minutes walk from shopping mall
• Rental guarantee
• Near potential tenant pool
• Low AUD
• Low interest rates

33. Thank You
Please see one of our sales consultants for more information
on any of our projects
William.lee@australproperty.com
+6 018 2388 972