What is Future First Investment Services and what do you do?

Future First Investment Services is a Brisbane-based wealth creation company. Our principal service is researching and sourcing tax effective investment properties for clients all over Australia and from all walks of life. We help our clients increase their personal wealth for retirement through long-term residential property investment. Future First clients start by learning about successful property investment strategies. We are passionate about property investment and our service focuses on building a life-long relationship with our clients.

What does Future First Investment Services NOT do?

Future First is NOT for you if you are looking for services and advice in the following areas:

  • The Stock Market
  • Managed Funds
  • Term Deposits
  • Superannuation
  • Insurance
  • Business Structuring

At Future First, we do not try to persuade clients to choose property investment over any of the investment vehicles above. In general, we believe a sound investment strategy is to include additional investment categories.

How long has Future First been in the investment property business?

Eight years. Our property research and investment division was established in 2003. The Future First brand was established in mid 2007 to bring our individual specialist divisions together “under one roof” in response to clients looking for a one-stop-shop for their property investment needs.

Isn't property investment only worthwhile for high income earners or wealthy people?

No. Around 70% of property investors in Australia earn between $50,000 and $60,000 per annum. Over 90% of all millionaires in Australia became wealthy through property investment or they have a large chunk of their wealth parked in real estate.

Do I need a large deposit to purchase an investment property?

No. In fact, in most cases you don't need a deposit. If you have owned your own home for a few years, you will have paid off some of your mortgage, and there is a good chance your property has increased in value. Instead of using your savings for a cash deposit, the bank will allow you to use the equity built up in your home to cover the deposit and any costs associated with your investment property.

My parents always taught me that borrowing money was a bad idea, were my parents wrong?

Your parents were right in telling you not to borrow money for cars, boats, clothes and other consumables which ultimately end up worthless due to depreciation. However, borrowing money for appreciating assets, or in other words assets that increase in value over time such as property, can be a powerful way to build wealth for retirement.

My accountant gives me all the advice I need, why should I talk to Future First about property investment?

Because in the same way your accountant is an expert at their job (preparing your tax return after you have provided them with all the figures), we are experts in the field of property investment. Generally speaking, accountants will be able to answer your questions competently but any professional accountant who has your best interests in mind would always suggest you seek out a specialist like Future First to help with property investment goals.

Ask yourself this question: Is my accountant, or any other person I am relying on for property investment advice a multi-million dollar property investor with an extensive range of investment properties in their own personal investment portfolio?

If you answered YES to this question, these are the people you need to talk to, and you probably don’t need a company like Future First if you can convince these people to give away all their secrets.

If you answered NO to this question, then you need to speak to Future First .

I have a Future First Mobile Consultant coming to my home for a FREE consultation – what should I expect?

A relaxed and informal conversation with a professional who can introduce the benefits of property investing. Our Mobile Consultants are not financial planners or accountants and they are not coming to your home to sell financial products or gimmicks. Your Mobile Consultant will help you decide whether Future First is a company you believe will help you achieve your long-term goals.

What if bad tenants damage investment property?

One word: Insurance. All the major insurance companies offer comprehensive landlord insurance policies which cover most forms of damage caused by tenants. For a little bit extra you can even extend the policy to cover any loss of rent due to damage. And of course the small cost of your landlord's insurance policy is a tax deduction along with all other rental expenses associated with holding your property.

Who will take care of the day-to-day management of my investment property?

It is best to appoint a professional property manager to manage your property The will help you find good quality tenants, manage the rental bond, collect rent, coordinate maintenance, and inspections etc. As a client of Future First you will have access to experienced and highly qualified property managers.

What if real estate prices don't go up?

Again, LOCATION is key in nearly all aspects of successful property investment including achieving good capital growth. Properties in the right location have the tendency to increase in value over time. We recommend investors have a mid to long term plan (5 to 15 years) as prices fluctuate but historically increase over this period.

Take a look at your own home. Are you surprised by how much it has increased in value since you bought it? And if you are still not convinced, take a look at the last 100 years of history in Australia and you will see that good properties in the right location increase in value at an average of 7% to 10% per year, meaning the investment property could double in ten years.

When is the best time to buy an investment property?

As soon as you can afford it. The mistake a lot of first time investors make is believing there is a right and wrong time to invest in property. Unfortunately, this belief is far more likely to find investors missing out on great long-term opportunities because they simply waited too long. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS THE PERFECT PROPERTY. As a property investor your attention should be focused on “where” (Location, Location, Location) rather than “when” to invest in property. There are always opportunities for smart investors, regardless of timing—especially when you understand the basic fundamentals of property investment.

I've only got 5 to 10 years before I retire. Have I missed my chance with property investment?

No, absolutely not. Thanks to capital growth, you have 5 to 10 years to watch your investment property/ies increase in value and make you some extra spending money for retirement. Seeing as good properties in the right location increase in value at an average of 7% to 10% per year, the property you purchase may be worth double what it is now when you retire in 10 years.

Or, you could always do absolutely nothing at all for the next 5 to 10 years and have absolutely nothing extra to cash in for retirement. The next 5 to 10 years are going to pass whether you invest in property or not. So it's really quite simple: you can either own a piece of real estate that is increasing in value over the next 5 to 10 years and making money for your retirement, or not. The choice is yours.

What if I can’t find a tenant for my investment property?

Keeping vacancy to a minimum is important for the successful outcome of any property investment. Again, LOCATION is key in nearly all aspects of successful property investment including minimising your vacancy rates. Put simply, it is rarely difficult to find a residential tenant for properties in the right location. Approximately 70% of Australians own their own home. This means that 30% of the Australian population are renters…approximately six million potential tenants. As a Future First client, we aim to help you source good long-term tenants.

What about rising interest rates?

There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop the government increasing interest rates but there are many things you can do to protect yourself from taking a hit. If your financial structure is set up correctly you will be able to protect yourself from even the most drastic rise in interest rates.

Think about it: as interest rates rise, some first-time investors tend to “freak out” and the doomsayers scream “sell, sell, sell.” And yet, there are thousands of smart investors among us who still seem to make millions of dollars out of property investment every year no matter what the interest rates are doing. So how on earth do smart investors still make millions even when interest rates are through the roof? Well, that depends on your own specific financial goals and circumstances.