Selling a property in Victoria with recent renovations requires more than just a fresh coat of paint. For owner-builders, Section 137B of the Building Act 1993 creates significant legal hurdles that both practitioners and clients must navigate carefully. What is the s137B Obligation? If a property is sold within six years and six months of...
CalculatorsConveyancingPropertyNavigating the Labyrinth: A Guide to Victorian Land Tax for Investors and Professionals
2 March 2026
For property investors and professional advisors in Victoria, the annual Land Tax assessment can feel less like a simple calculation and more like a journey through a complex, ever-shifting labyrinth. As a revenue-generating measure for the state, land tax is a critical, yet often misunderstood, component of property investment. Land Tax Navigator – Land Tax...
CalculatorsConveyancingPropertyThe Quarter-Acre Heart: A Nostalgic Look at the Great Australian Dream
2 March 2026
There’s a certain golden light that shines over our memories of the past—a light that seems to fall brightest on the classic image of the Great Australian Dream. It’s an image etched into the collective soul of a generation: a humble, honest house on a quarter-acre block, perhaps a Hills Hoist in the backyard, and...
CalculatorsConveyancingGuidesWhat Actually Happens When You Buy or Sell a Property? We Made a Guide.
28 February 2026
If you have never bought or sold a property before, the conveyancing process can feel like a long series of phone calls, documents and waiting — without much sense of what is actually happening or why. You are not alone. It is one of the most common things our clients tell us when they first...
Buying property in Victoria involves more than just the purchase price — stamp duty, government fees, and lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) can add tens of thousands of dollars to your upfront costs. To make this easier to navigate, I’ve built a free Victorian Property Purchase Calculator using the latest 2025/26 rates. The calculator handles two...
CalculatorsConveyancingPropertyState Duties and Land Tax – real property – comparative tables and calculators
27 February 2026
Click the link for a comprehensive comparison between the States and Territories. Compare the highs and lows Link >> Compare State Taxes – Stamp Duty and Land Tax – Comparative Calculator Whilst all care is taken to ensure accuracy, you still need to verify the figures independently. Also, many concessions, surcharges and possibly exemptions might apply. ...
ConveyancingPropertyAustralia’s Housing Crisis Is Worse Than You Think — But It Can Be Fixed
27 February 2026
Australia is running out of homes. Not in some distant, theoretical sense — right now, today, the numbers tell a story of a system under severe and worsening strain. In the first year of the National Housing Accord, Australia completed roughly 174,000 new dwellings against a target of 240,000 — a shortfall of 66,000 homes...
Transferring property between spouses or domestic partners is a common occurrence, particularly when managing shared assets. In Victoria, Australia, the Duties Act 2000 provides for an exemption from land transfer duty (also known as stamp duty) on such transactions, which can result in significant savings. However, strict eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for...
ConveyancingMortgagePropertyMortgage Fraud in Australia: How Fraudsters Exploit Banking Systems and Professional Networks
19 January 2026
The Australian mortgage market, valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, has become an increasingly attractive target for sophisticated fraudsters. Recent high-profile cases have exposed vulnerabilities in bank approval processes and revealed how corrupt professionals—including mortgage brokers, real estate agents, and lawyers—can work in coordinated networks to perpetrate massive fraud schemes. Understanding these tactics is...
ConveyancingPropertySuperannuationSERV Victoria: A Comprehensive Overview of Land Registry Services
7 January 2026
January 2026 Executive Summary This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Secure Electronic Registries Victoria (SERV), the private operator of Victoria’s Land Titles and Registry functions. It addresses key questions regarding SERV’s ownership structure, the range of services it provides, and the specific land registry functions the Victorian Government has retained since the 2018 privatisation....
