A Last Minute Visitor and Real Estate in Sydney

One of my best friends and old college roommates, Jani, had some time off in between jobs and booked a last minute trip to Australia for a few days!

We went to the top of the Sydney Tower for a drink (why have we not done this before?! so pretty!)...

Took her to some of our favorite restaurants...

Showed her all the typical Sydney sights...

And introduced her to my frandz...

Thanks for visiting, Jan Jan! Hope you had fun even though winter in Sydney is a little rough ;)

On a completely unrelated note- real estate in Australia! Mainly how EXPENSIVE real estate is in Australia. When we moved here, we noticed right away rent was much higher than what we were paying in Nashville. More along the lines of San Francisco & New York City. But now, with more of our Australian friends looking to purchase their own home, we've gotten to learn a little more about the home buying process. It's extremely competitive and extremely expensive. Everything is done "auction" style... and you pretty much have to be ready to put an offer down as soon as you show up.  We've heard of some people purchasing sight-unseen! Which is crazy. I read that everyday feels a bit like Groundhog's Day:

"1. Request the price guide, then ask if the home is lined with platinum or some other rare material.

2. Attend the open house, bewildered by the level of interest in such a dilapidated cabin.

3. Decide to jump on it quickly and ask for the contract.

4. Cry into a pillow later that night, after the property is sold to an oil baron at $250,000 above the price guide.

This is what a rush on a low supply of property and low interest rates (1.75% official cash rate) will do"

http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/buying/why-you-need-more-than-money-to-buy-a-home-in-2016/news-story/bac026fdeb77ce94a4025b6e0b7db8e4

One statistic says "New home buyers in Sydney will spend around six-and-a-half years worth of savings, assuming they saved 30 per cent of their income, for a 20 per cent deposit to buy a median-priced home."

I  recently came across some Nashville real estate listings and was blown away by what you can get there for that vs what you can get here for this:

$1.4M in Brentwood, TN:

http://144governorsway.isnowforsale.com/

or

$1.4M in Sydney:
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-mosman-122971326

$570k in Nashville:

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Nashville-TN/pmf,pf_pt/41114976_zpid/6118_rid/500000-_price/1767-_mp/36.423492,-86.416398,35.949662,-87.154542_rect/10_zm/?3col=true

or

$580k in Sydney:

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-manly-121218890

$250k in Nashville:

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Nashville-TN/pmf,pf_pt/41086309_zpid/6118_rid/200000-250000_price/707-884_mp/36.423492,-86.416398,35.949662,-87.154542_rect/10_zm/?3col=true

or

$250k in Sydney:

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-nsw-willoughby-121244362

It's just crazy...WTF mate?! 

The 3rd Annual Christmas in July 4th Getaway

Happy 3rd Annual Christmas in July 4th! Flashback to Year 1 and Year 2

Can you believe we have been here long enough to have a 3rd ANNUAL SOMETHING? Me neither.

This year, we headed north and settled into a cabin in the Yarramalong Valley. We cooked, drank, sang, hiked, and played with miniature horses. What more could you want?!

Night 1- Christmas in July!

We cooked a big brekky the next morning and headed out for a hike.

Night 2- July 4th!

We always say the Pledge of Allegiance before the meal... I think the Australians are pretty close to having it memorized!

Some flip cup and beer pong... about as American as it gets.

The next morning, we enjoyed the beautiful property around the cabin. We picked some fresh eggs, watched the dogs play, and got as close as we could to some miniature horses.

It was a wonderful winter getaway celebrating our fav holidays with our fav friends!