When Your Bank Isn't Ready to Settle in Victoria

When Your Bank Isn't Ready to Settle in Victoria
This is one of the most stressful calls we receive in the final week before settlement: the buyer has packed, booked the removalists and then hears that the bank may not be ready. The good news is that early action can often turn a looming default into a short, documented extension.... Read More

Buying Out Your Siblings' Share of an Inherited House

Buying Out Your Siblings' Share of an Inherited House
This is one of the most emotional property questions that reaches our Melbourne conveyancing team. A family home in Preston, Glen Waverley or another long held suburb has been left to several children, one sibling wants to keep it, and everyone needs a fair answe... Read More

Who Holds Your Deposit When You Buy a House

Who Holds Your Deposit When You Buy a House
In Victoria, your house deposit usually goes to the seller's estate agent, who holds it as stakeholder in a regulated trust account until settlement. It does not go straight to the seller. If the seller wants the deposit before settlement, section 27 of the Sale ... Read More

Making an Offer Before the Section 32 Is Ready

Making an Offer Before the Section 32 Is Ready
We get asked this most weekends, usually after a buyer has found a promising Melbourne property and the agent says, ‘Make an offer now, the Section 32 is coming.’ It sounds like a small timing issue, but signing too early can turn Saturday excitement into Monday stress.... Read More

First Home Buyer Duty When Your Partner Owned a Home

First Home Buyer Duty When Your Partner Owned a Home
We hear this question regularly from Melbourne couples, often while they’re comparing contracts after a Saturday inspection: ‘My partner owned a place years ago, so can we buy the new home in my name and keep the first home buyer duty exemption?&rsquo... Read More