Latest news with #EdaProperty
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Your guide to buying a home alone under $700,000
Buyer's advocate Anissa Cavallo of Eda Property knows first-hand how life and finances can be turned upside down. After building a 10-property portfolio, she lost nearly everything in a divorce and had to start over as a single mum of two. Today, she owns 15 properties, has rebuilt a multimillion-dollar portfolio, and has helped thousands of others do the same. As a passionate advocate for single women, particularly mothers, Cavallo works to help them overcome the systemic barriers to property investment. She says her own experiences have made her acutely aware of the two key hurdles: equity and serviceability. "I'm very passionate about helping women invest in property. One of the biggest issues they have, post separation or divorce, especially in later life, is their borrowing capacity. There are two parts to borrowing: equity and serviceability. Single women often fall down on both of those, but particularly on serviceability." Cavallo says too many women are left financially vulnerable after a break-up. "The number of women I see who are full-time carers and are trying to juggle work, and they get virtually nothing at all from ex-partners, is astounding. Child support and financial assistance for single women to assist them on their property journey needs to be completely overhauled." For many young Australians and single parents and older women starting again, the traditional path to homeownership feels out of reach. Cavallo often recommends an alternative approach: rentvesting. "We've been talking about rentvesting for 10 years," Cavallo explains. "The only reason is because many Aussies can't afford to live in a property that's going to be growth-oriented, but they want to." The strategy allows people to rent in a location they love while investing in a more affordable area with high growth potential. "It's actually cheaper to rent where you live and buy for investment. You've generally got two reasons why you buy property: one is to live in it and enjoy it, and the other is to make as much money as you can out of it. If you try to combine the two, you'll often compromise a bit on both." While teaming up with a friend to buy a home may seem like another creative solution, Cavallo warns against it. "The risk of buying with a friend is twofold. The obvious is, what happens if you have a fallout with your friend? The other thing a lot of people don't realise is the impact on your borrowing capacity. The bank will say, 'You both owe the full amount,' and that can massively affect your borrowing capacity going forward." Where are the next Australian investment hotspots? Cavallo believes the Victorian property market remains one of the most undervalued in the country, and that now is the time to act. "Last year... I was saying that Melbourne is undervalued, particularly compared to many other cities and states in Australia. The fundamentals that drive property prices over the long term hadn't changed in Victoria, and yet purely because of sentiment, prices had remained very low. That presented an incredible opportunity to get in at a very good price." She says negative sentiment about Melbourne was overblown. "Even last year when everybody was talking about the population decreasing in Victoria and people leaving to go interstate, it simply wasn't true... I was thinking, 'Nobody is listening; look at the ABS figures.'" Now, Cavallo says sentiment is shifting. "We're seeing a lot of investors from interstate. People in Queensland, in WA and New South Wales saying: 'Oh my God, it's expensive here. What are we doing? Let's go to Melbourne'." Where to buy under $700,000 Cavallo's advice is clear, choose affordability and long-term potential over prestige. "My investment strategy is to avoid buying overly expensive properties, I don't buy million-dollar properties, and I don't recommend them to my clients. "Almost all of my clients' purchases are under $1 million. Instead of buying just one high-priced property, they might buy two more affordable ones. "There are several reasons for this, but one of the biggest is ongoing affordability. If you buy a property that's difficult to afford over time, you're more likely to sell it sooner, and that can hurt your long-term gains. "The real magic in property investing is time in the market, so I want my clients to hold onto their properties for as long as possible, which means they need to be affordable." Cavallo says she focuses on lower-priced areas with a larger pool of potential buyers and less market volatility. Top Suburbs Under $700k - Anissa Cavallo's Picks Western Melbourne Deanside - Emerging pocket next to Caroline Springs with strong yields and growth potential. Cobblebank - Major infrastructure including a new hospital and six-storey retail/community hub. Fraser Rise - Already grown in value but still solid for long-term investors. Regional Victoria Bendigo - Already starting to move; strong buying opportunities now. Ballarat - 12-month window for recovery, offering good entry prices. For Cavallo, helping clients start over, build financial literacy and get on the property ladder is about more than securing a single transaction. "I'm passionate about helping people get into the property market without having to go through the pain that I went through. Property is really a very important tool for middle-class Australians to get ahead and to accumulate a decent retirement in the future." "We find the areas that suit the client, the type of investment that suits their needs, and then help them invest in locations that are going to achieve their long-term goals." Her message is simple: with the right strategy, a clear focus on affordability, and smart location choices, even those starting over after a major life change can build a strong property portfolio.
News.com.au
16-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Single mums reveal how they became property investors
For two Victorian single mums, a novel approach to property investment is helping to ensure their financial future. Melbourne-based Eda Property founder Anissa Cavallo, a single mother herself, works with many solo parents across Australia to help them get into rent-vesting. This involves renting where you want to live, or can afford to, while investing in a home that suits your budget and then leasing it out. Ms Cavallo described rent-vesting as a good option for some single parents as 'it's just more affordable from a cash flow perspective'. 'It also means that we can live near the schools that we want to live in or near our friends or near our family without worrying about affordability,' she said. For single parents concerned about entering the property market, Ms Cavallo said that being willing to work was the first step, in order to start saving money. 'You just have to get the right advice and take the plunge, there are so many options available to people these days,' she said. One of Ms Cavallo's clients is Sarah Markwick, 48, a part-time business development manager with two daughters. Ms Markwick, who was a stay-at-home parent while she was married, rents in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. She has bought an investment property in Melton South and is planning to build another one in Bendigo, with Ms Cavallo's advice. Ms Markwick has previously owned and sold six homes, initially saving up for a deposit for the first home and making her way from there. The Melton South house is the seventh abode she has bought but her first investment property. 'I didn't follow a traditional path, I focused on buying in areas with growth potential – sometimes it paid off, sometimes it didn't,' Ms Markwick said. 'I actually took a loss on one home to pursue a better opportunity, but overall I came out ahead, which allowed me to buy the Melton South property.' Ms Markwick started on the path to rent-vesting to develop investment opportunities to help support her during her retirement. 'As a single mum without a second income … I wasn't going to get what I needed through working,' Ms Markwick said. She added that it was important for single parents not to compare themselves to others. 'My advice to other single parents: have a plan, be patient, and educate yourself on all the options out there,' she said. Another single mother and client of Ms Cavallo is Brooke Smith, a 42-year-old entrepreneur who spent re-entered the property market after spending years focused on parenting and building up her businesses – a 3D visualisation agency specialising in real estate, Lucid Vue, and a networking platform dedicated to sport and wellness, The Gambit Club. She rents in Melbourne's south east and has purchased a Strathtulloh block where she is planning to build an investment property. Ms Smith said that her method to saving a deposit was simply 'putting money aside consistently to make it happen'. She's is aiming to build a small portfolio of investment properties, hoping to secure three properties across the next three to five years. Her involvement in real estate through her own business has helped to make informed decisions and spot opportunities early, she said. 'For other single parents, my biggest tip would be to back yourself and play the long game, even small, consistent savings add up,' Ms Smith said. 'And don't be afraid to explore non-traditional path ways like rent-vesting – it's about finding what works for your life, not anyone else's version of success.'
