购买你的第一套投资房产将成为你生活中的一个基准时刻。
这是一个充满风险和兴奋的瞬间，标志着房地产之旅的开始，并有望以建立一个成功和盈利的投资组合而告终。
根据我的经验，首次投资的人往往分为两大阵营。
第一类主要是30岁以下的年轻人，以单身为主，渴望进入这个行业。
这群人已经做好了表现的准备，并且充满信心——他们从一开始就看到了很多好的方面。
第二组通常是30岁以上的人，他们已经有了房子或少量现金或股权，希望锁定未来的财务状况。
无论投资者来自哪个行业，新手都需要了解一些基本知识，才能走上房地产成功之路。
优点和缺点
虽然大多数人更喜欢有一些经验，但我们都必须从某个地方开始。
我还相信，在投资之旅的初期，尤其是你身边有经验丰富的顾问提供帮助的时候，会有明显的好处。
这在一定程度上取决于你的年龄层，但年轻的投资者通常精通技术，能够轻松获取和分析数据。他们思维敏捷，理解可用信息的速度也很快。
这是一项非常方便的技能，而且考虑到现有的丰富的在线知识，它尤其有价值。
值得注意的是，对投资者来说，时间是最有效的工具之一，因为长期收益有助于消除任何糟糕的决策，当然，时间是年轻投资者绝对拥有的东西。
如果你确实在年轻的时候发生过某种经济悲剧，在你的投资生涯中，你有机会改正它。
20多岁和30多岁的另一个好处是，你还没有达到收入潜力的顶峰，所以你的未来通常会有一些额外的现金流。
最重要的是，你可以早早开始，积累经验。
也要记住，当你参与其中时，你总是会学到最多。
你可以是纸面上最伟大的投资者，但这一切都是理论上的，直到你真正拿出现金。
早开始让你比那些晚开始的人有机会学到更多。
恐惧因素
对于开始投资的人来说，恐惧往往是最主要的激励情绪。
人们担心他们退休后的生活还不够。
人们担心他们的日常工资不足以维持他们和他们的家庭应有的生活方式。
担心如果最坏的情况发生，他们将没有金融安全网来支持他们。
人们担心，随着人口老龄化，政府将面临越来越大的压力，难以满足养老金要求，而强制性的超支将使政府出现严重经济问题。
事实上，我相信恐惧可以被驾驭，并转化为积极的东西。
如果处理得当，恐惧不是破坏性的，而是启示性的。
这种恐惧帮助你理解生活，包含风险，你是自己命运的主人。
对于新手来说，这是一种可以点燃你的激情并开始行动的情绪。
让恐惧成为你的朋友，因为潜在的巨大的经济回报是游戏的结局。
心态
甚至在开始房地产搜索或组织财务之前，首次投资者就需要解决他们的思想问题。
你必须从一开始就保持良好的心态，否则就有迷失方向的危险。
我称之为“国旗之间的投资”。
确保你心里有坚定的原则和方向。
投资者心态是指准备好有意义地参与投资过程，从学习和研究到管理和监控。
据了解，一些投资者似乎是通过看地图来确定他们的第一笔投资的地点，然后说，“这看起来是个不错的购买地点!”
尽管有些人可能从这种随机的投资方式中获利，但现实情况是，积极的投资者获得的回报最高。
房地产不是被动的投资工具。
你必须做好参与其中的准备，所以在你采取最初的、实际的步骤之前，先做好思想准备。
准备好迎接惊喜
对于那些第一次购买的人来说，有一些惊喜等着他们。
首先，任何自2013年以来一直关注悉尼房地产市场的人都必须相信，巨大的年度资本利得以单调的规律出现。
实际上，我们过去5年在悉尼的繁荣应该被视为一种反常现象，而不是价值如何变化的常规指南。
长期投资是最好的方法，所以新手必须做好等待上涨的准备，并为经济低迷做好准备。
新手也常常对投资组合的参与度感到惊讶。
你不仅要决定买什么，你还要最终决定谁租下你的房子，你要多少租金，以及需要什么维护。
投资者还必须积极参与他们的财务安排，确保他们银行余额和借款条件一直保持良好。
什么是最好的第一投资物业?
这个问题没有一个答案——任何顾问都会开玩笑的和你说，他们自己和你。
购买你的第一处房产只是你一生积累财富的开始，在你做出承诺之前，你需要确保对你的财务状况和未来需求有一个全面的评估。
不要独自去做。在你开始寻找第一次购买之前，确保你身边有主题专家来帮助你规划路径。
借鉴房地产专业人士的经验有助于降低风险，并让人相信一切都可以按计划进行。
<STEVE WATERS, 10 SEP 2018>
There’s no escaping it – buying your first investment property will become a benchmark moment in your life.
It’s an instant full of risk and excitement signposting the start of a real estate journey that will hopefully end in building a successful and profitable portfolio.
In my experience, first-time investors tend to fall into one of two camps.
The first group is mostly under 30-year-olds, predominately single and raring to get into it.
This cohort is primed to perform and full of confidence – and they see plenty of upsides right from the start.
The second group is usually those older than 30 who already have a house or a little cash or equity and are looking to lock in their future financial comfort.
No matter which profile the investor comes from, first-timers need to comprehend a few basics to get them on the path to real estate success.
Pros and cons
While most people prefer to have some experience under their belt, we all have to start somewhere.
I also believe there are obvious benefits to being at the beginning of your investment journey, particularly when you have experienced advisors on hand to help.
It can depend a little on your age bracket, but young investors are usually tech savvy and can easily access and analyze data. They think quick and are fast to comprehend the available information.
This is a handy skill set to have and is particularly valuable given the wealth of online knowledge that’s now available.
It’s worth noting that time is one of the greatest tools available to an investor because long-term gains help level out any bad decision and of course, time is something young investors have in spades.
If you do have a financial tragedy of some sort occur when you’re younger, there’s an opportunity to correct it over the term of your investment life.
Another advantage of being in your 20s and 30s is you haven’t yet hit your peak earning potential, so there’s usually some extra cash flow in your future to look forward to.
Most of all, you get to start early and gain experience.
Remember too – you’ll always learn the most when you’ve got some skin in the game.
You can be the greatest investor on paper, but it’s all theoretical until you actually stump up your cash and buy a holding.
Starting early allows you the opportunity to learn more than those who begin later in life.
Fear factor
Fear is often the primary motivating emotion for people who begin investing.
There’s the fear they won’t have enough come retirement.
There’s fear their daily wage won’t support the lifestyle they, and their family deserve.
Fear that if the worst were to happen, they won’t have a financial safety net to support them.
Fear that as our population ages there will be increasing pressure on the government as to how to meet pension requirements and that their compulsory super contributions will leave them woefully short.
I actually believe fear can be harnessed and turned into a positive.
Appropriately managed, fear is not crippling, but revelatory.
It’s the type of fear that helps you understand life, contains risks and you are the master or mistress of your own destiny.
For first-timers, it’s an emotion that can fire the belly and kick-start the action.
Make fear your friend, because potentially great financial rewards are the end game.
Mindset
Before even starting the property search or organizing the finances, first-time investors need to tackle their headspace.
You must get your mindset on track from the start… or risk losing your way.
I call it ‘investing between the flags’.
Making sure those few centimeters bookmarked by your ears are ready to get set and go.
Investor mindset is about being prepared to meaningfully participate in the investment process, from education and research through to management and monitoring.
Some investors have been known to locate their first investment by seemingly perusing a map, spotting a location and saying, ‘that looks like an OK place to buy!’.
While some may have profited from this random approach, the reality is that active investors score the best returns.
Property is not a passive investment vehicle.
You must be prepared to be involved so get into that headspace before you take the initial, practical steps.
Be prepared for surprises
There are a couple of surprises in store for those making their first purchase.
First up – anyone who's been watching the Sydney property market since 2013 must be convinced huge annual capital gains occur with monotonous regularity.
In reality, our Sydney boom over the past five years should be viewed as an anomaly rather than a regular guide on how values change.
Long-term investing is the best approach, so first-timers must be prepared to wait for the upside, and have strategies in place for when there’s a downturn.
First-timers are also often surprised about the level of involvement in a portfolio.
You must not only make decisions about what to buy, you are the ultimate arbiter of who leases your home, how much you’re going to ask for in rent and what maintenance is required.
Investors must also be active in their financial arrangements, making sure they are constantly assessing the bank balance and borrowing terms.
What’s the best first investment property?
There is no one answer to this question – and any advisor who says this is is kidding themselves and you.
Buying your first property is just the start of a lifetime of wealth building, and you need to ensure there’s been a full assessment of your financial position and future needs before you commit.
Don’t do it alone. Ensure you surround yourself with subject matter experts to help plan the path before you start searching for that first purchase.
Drawing on the experience of a real estate professional helps mitigate risks and gives confidence that everything can go to plan.
