Hello From Victoria

Hello I am from a small town in Victoria Australia,

I am following the market and have been calling a debt bubble and property crash since 2016. So I have been preparing since then. I'm a teacher in a small country town. I have always dreamed of living in an old weather board cottage, with a a creek for fishing, bee hive, veggie patch, and a couple of chickens, ducks, dogs and lots of flowers.
All I am after is a very simple life. Where I can garden, fish and listen to the rain and look after people who may need a hot meal or a bed for a night or two.

This is not an over the top life style to aim for, it is not a big dream.

In Australia, this should be achievable for the average person. Even if like me they do not have the bank of mum and dad to help them.

Unfortunately, as property has been treated as an investment and not a human right. The small country town I grew up in, is owned mainly by the Chinese and rentvestors from the city. I have seen the local Chinese people shut down farm after farm and decorate old farm houses with red lanterns and place concrete dragons at their gates. Letting some of the best soil and pasture l and become over run with weeds. Empty farms and fences falling down.

I have, with my family, moved 6 times in 5 years, thanks to landlords. My family and I spent 2 years living in a shed. Do you know what it is like to have a toddler and live in a shed? Technically homeless, but with 2 working adults.
This is the catalyst to my interest in economics and the property market.
If a country family, in a country town can not afford a renovators delight, in a country like Australia, then there is something terribly wrong with the system.
A house should be 3-4 x the mean wage (not the average as that is skewed by a few high interest earners) when it is 9 times the mean wage in a country town and teachers can not afford to live where they work then there is something very very wrong.

Wanting to take a sledge hammer to the corrupt system and selfish property investors,
Sincerely
Gytha Ogg

 

Hello and welcome to the forums.

So I wasn't sure from your post, but were you here to look for advice on buying that dream cottage of yours? Or take a virtual sledgehammer to us selfish investors?

 

Both! being able to afford a home of my own would be a direct outcome of fixing the broken system.

 

Specifically, what's stopping you buying? Lack of deposit? Lack of borrowing capacity/low incomes? Something else?

And what are you willing to sacrifice to make your dream cottage happen? Would you move towns? Live somewhere else temporarily?

It's all very well to wish things are different...but at the end of the day, they're not, so you if you really want your cottage it's up to you to take matters into your own hands and do what it takes.

Or you can complain and wish things were different, and just wait...but I don't personally know anyone who's had success with that method.

If you're a teacher, you could think about getting a job out bush - free or subsidised accommodation, higher wages...a few years out there and you're good to go.