A savvy homebuyer will schedule a home inspection for any home they’re serious about buying. After all, who wants to find out after moving into their dream home that the furnace is on the fritz or that termites have taken up residence in the attic? In case you’re thinking of waiving the home inspection contingency, you should also be aware that some lenders require a home inspection as a necessary step before they finalize your home loan.

Home inspectors generally use a home inspection checklist to look for damage or other causes of concern. Home inspectors are quite thorough at

An internationally renowned artist’s off-grid weekender in regional Victoria has sold just four days after hitting the market.

The historically rich 170-year-old cottage on 8ha of land in Linton, about 33km from Ballarat, was owned by watercolourist Joseph Zbukvic.

The property at 60 Gascoignes Lane had a tiny price guide of just $200,000-$220,000

and sold to a metro buyer for an undisclosed figure which exceeded expectations.

RELATED: Ballarat’s most expensive sales dominated by Lake Wendouree houses

Geelong, Ballarat and

The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the trend of moving from expensive coastal areas like San Francisco and New York to affordable inland places like Sacramento, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Portland, OR is also one of the most popular destinations in July after falling off the list in the second quarter.

Of all Redfin.com users, 27.8% looked to move to another metro area in July 2020, up from 27.4% in the second quarter and 25.2% in July 2019.

The work-from-home culture stemming from the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the trend of migration away from expensive coastal cities to more affordable inland

Houses with backyards have been getting harder to come by across much of Sydney during the pandemic and the shortage of sales has kept prices high despite the weaker economic conditions.

Analysis of real estate listings showed there were less than 100 houses for sale within a 10km radius of the CBD with a price tag under $1.5m, with much of the housing requiring substantial work.

There was a similar situation in the city’s coastal regions, with less than 50

So, you’ve been thinking about jumping into the housing market and buying your first home. You’ve already played around with an online mortgage payment calculator to get a range of how much mortgage you can afford and now you’re just wondering how you can save up for a downpayment as quickly as you can. Knowing how to save for a downpayment takes a little bit of planning, a lot of discipline, and sometimes more time than you realize.

Begin with a plan

The first task is to create a plan. You need to know where you’re going so you can