We are already a month into 2019 and I see a lot of the same themes throughout the media and in conversations, I have with people within the banking / property industry. Are house prices going to fall in 2019? Will the banks increase interest rates? Will there be a change of government and will they change property investment tax laws? They are all variations of the same questions asked at the start of every year.

There is no crystal ball in the property industry, so unfortunately I don’t have all the answers. For me, anything beyond my control is just background noise. I can still recall my old footy coach shouting, “you have to control the controllables,” sound advice that I have adopted for a career in mortgage broking. There is no point worrying about things we can’t control.

Basically, we all look for stability in the market so we can make our plans. However, as we all know, the only certain thing about the start of a new year is that there are no certainties!

So what can you do about it?

Don’t make any decisions based on things you can’t control. If 2019 was the year you planned on investing, upgrading your home, refinancing or restructuring your money, it’s probably because you see some benefit in it for you personally.

So, there is really only one question that is relevant: Do your personal circumstances allow you to do what you want this year? If they do, great, perhaps it’s time to pull the trigger. If not, what, in your control is stopping you?

Michael