Sharon Gordon의 그래픽주제: 개인 금융2월 23일 일요일한 부부와 아기가 집 옆에 앉아 있고, 판매 표지판이 있습니다. 그래픽이 퀸즐랜드 사람들은 20대에도 여전히 주택 소유가 가능하다고 말합니다. (ABC 뉴스: Sharon Gordon)

집이라고 부를 수 있는 장소를 갖는 것의 중요성은 어린 시절부터 패턴화됩니다.

어린 시절에는 가구 위에 시트를 덮고 요새를 쌓고, 거의 모든 백화점 장난감 통로 선반에는 인형집이 늘어서 있습니다.

수백만 명의 젊은이들에게 부동산 소유의 현실은 어린 시절 침실에서 집놀이를 하며 상상했던 미래와는 거리가 멉니다.

임금 상승보다 가격이 더 빠른 속도로 치솟고, 현금 투자자들이 입문용 부동산에 몰려들면서, 처음 집을 사는 사람들은 밀려나고 있습니다.

그 결과, 많은 Z세대와 밀레니얼 세대는 오랫동안 호주의 꿈으로 여겨져 온 것이 항상 손이 닿지 않는 곳에 있을 것이라고 확신하게 되었습니다.

하지만 이 다섯 명의 젊은 퀸즐랜드 주민은 역경을 이겨내고 첫 집을 샀습니다.

그리고 물어보시기 전에 말씀드리자면, 그들은 보증금을 저축하거나 부모님의 은행에 손을 대는 동안 부모님과 함께 임대료 없이 살지 않았습니다.

앞에 유테가 주차되어 있고 근처에 숲이 있는 흰색 단층 주택.
러셀 섬에 있는 다니엘 킹과 재스민 림의 집은 물가가 보입니다. (ABC 뉴스: 알렉산드리아 유팅)

다니엘과 재스민
첫 주택 구매자인 32세의 재스민 림과 29세의 다니엘 킹은 모든 것을 다 가졌다고 말합니다.

그리고 아기 사라와 물가가 보이는 큰 블록에 있는 침실 3개짜리 집이 있으니, 그들의 의견에 동의하지 않을 수 없습니다.

문제는?

그들은 브리즈번에서 페리로 약 1시간 거리에 있는 퀸즐랜드 모레톤 베이의 러셀 섬에 살고 있습니다.

“우리는 이곳에서 사는 것을 좋아하는데, 왜냐하면 이곳은 편안한 가족적인 장소이고 우리에게는 저렴했기 때문입니다.” 킹 씨가 말합니다.

두 사람은 슈퍼마켓, 초등학교, 공공 수영장을 포함한 서비스 때문에 러셀 섬을 선택했습니다.

이 섬은 저렴하고 느긋한 라이프스타일로 인해 최근 몇 년 동안 인기가 급상승했습니다.

“누가 섬에서 사는 것을 좋아하지 않겠습니까?” 림 씨가 말합니다.

두 사람과 아기가 옆에 매물이라는 표지판이 있는 계단에 앉아 있습니다.
킹 씨와 림 씨는 도시로 출퇴근하는 것이 타협이었고 그 결과가 좋았다고 말합니다. (ABC 뉴스: 알렉산드리아 유팅)

브리즈번 서쪽의 입스위치와 같은 성장 지역에 대한 가격이 너무 비싼 후에, 두 사람은 800제곱미터 규모의 블록에 있는 집을 39만 달러에 샀습니다.

“첫 딸을 낳았기 때문에 우리는 과도한 레버리지를 원하지 않고 한 사람의 수입으로 살아갈 여유를 갖고 싶었습니다.” 킹 씨가 말했습니다.

“우리는 러셀 섬에서 상자 밖을 보았고… 정말, 정말 보람이 있었습니다.”
하지만 가족의 도움 없이 보증금을 저축하는 것은 쉽지 않았습니다.

호주 주택 및 도시 연구소(AHURI)에 따르면, 부모님이나 다른 친척의 은행에서 보증금을 지원받은 사람들은 부동산 시장에 진출할 가능성이 두 배 더 높습니다.

AHURI의 전무 이사인 마이클 포더링엄은 기여금이 수천 달러에서 수백만 달러에 이를 수 있다고 말합니다.

한 남자가 손을 벌리고 카메라를 바라보며 서 있습니다.
마이클 포더링엄은 가족이 보증금을 지원하면 사람들이 부동산 시장에 진출할 가능성이 두 배 더 높다고 말합니다. (ABC 뉴스: 숀 워런)

“대부분 사람들이 생각하는 것보다 훨씬 더 널리 퍼져 있다고 생각합니다.” 포더링엄 박사가 말했습니다.

“문제는 부모님이 집을 소유하고 있다면 집을 소유할 가능성이 높고 부모님이 임차인이라면 집을 소유할 가능성이 매우 낮은 시스템이 생겨난다는 것입니다.”

이 러셀 섬 부부는 보증금을 모으는 데 3년이 걸렸습니다. 킹 씨는 밤에 건축 자재 공급업체에서 일하고 림 씨는 낮에 회계 업무를 했습니다.

“우리는 많은 것을 희생했습니다. 주로 양질의 시간을 희생했습니다.” 킹 씨가 말합니다.

“저는 집에 돌아오면 재스가 떠났습니다. 우리는 10분 정도만 만났지만 영원히 그럴 수는 없다는 걸 알았습니다.”

그들은 또한 해외 여행과 외식을 줄였습니다.

반려견과 함께 해변에 있는 두 사람
킹 씨와 림 씨는 러셀 섬의 샌디 비치에서 반려견 마일로를 산책시키는 것을 좋아합니다. (ABC 뉴스: 알렉산드리아 유팅)

“우리는 필요한 것과 원하는 것의 목록을 만들었습니다… 하지만 때로는 상황이 엇갈려서 ‘오늘 밤에 테이크어웨이가 필요해’라고 생각하게 되고, 조금은 살아야 합니다.” 킹 씨가 말했습니다.

이 부부는 첫 주택 구매자 보조금을 받을 자격이 있었지만, 섬에 있는 부동산에 대한 많은 대출 기관의 위험 기준으로 인해 보증금의 20%를 저축해야 했습니다.

“우리는 첫 번째 은행에서 거절당했고, 그것은 가슴 아픈 일이었지만, 그 후 다른 은행을 시도했고, 그들은 기꺼이 우리를 받아주었습니다.

“첫 번째 ‘아니오’에 굴복하지 마세요.” 킹 씨가 말했습니다.

그는 이른 아침과 출퇴근에도 불구하고 골드 코스트에서 여행하는 동료들보다 더 빨리 출근한다고 말했습니다.

“저는 아침에 페리에 함께 앉는 작은 그룹이 있습니다. 우리는 모두 같은 시간에 시작하고, 커피를 마시고 웃습니다.”

이 부부는

First homebuyers who got into the market without the bank of mum and dad

By Alexandria Utting and Hannah Walsh with graphics by Sharon Gordon

• Topic:Personal Finance

Sun 23 FebSunday 23 February

abc.net.au/news/how-first-homebuyers-are-getting-into-the-market-in-queensland/104959064

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The importance of having a place to call home is patterned from an early age.

As children, we build forts out of sheets draped over furniture, while dollhouses line the shelves of almost every department store toy aisle.

For millions of young people, the reality of property ownership is a far cry from the future they pictured playing house in their childhood bedrooms.

As prices skyrocket at a faster rate than wages are growing, and cashed-up investors swoop on entry-level properties, first-time buyers are being pushed aside.

As a result, many Gen Z and Millennials are now convinced that what has long been considered the great Australian dream, will always be out of reach.

But against the odds, these five young Queenslanders have bought their first homes.

And before you ask, they didn’t live with their parents rent-free while saving the deposit or dip into the bank of mum and dad.

Daniel and Jasmine

First homebuyers Jasmine Lim, 32, and Daniel King, 29, say they’ve got it all.

And with baby Sarah and a three-bedroom home on a big block with water views, it’s hard to disagree with them.

The catch?

They live on Russell Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, home to about 3,600 people, about an hour’s ferry ride from Brisbane.

“We like living here because it’s a relaxing family sort of place and it was affordable for us,” Mr King says.

The pair chose Russell Island for its services, which include a supermarket, primary school and public pool.

The island has boomed in popularity in recent years due to its affordability and laid-back lifestyle.

“I mean, who doesn’t like to live on an island?” Ms Lim says.

After being priced out of growth corridors like Ipswich west of Brisbane, the pair paid $390,000 for their house on an 800sqm block.

“Considering we just had our first daughter, we wanted to not over-leverage ourselves and still be able to afford to live on one income,” Mr King says.

“We looked outside the box at Russell Island … and it really, really paid off.”

But saving the deposit without help from family wasn’t easy. 

According to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), those who have help with their deposit from the bank of mum and dad or other relatives are twice as likely to enter the property market.

AHURI managing director Michael Fotheringham says contributions can range from thousands to millions of dollars.

“I think it’s much more widespread than most people realise,” Dr Fotheringham says.

“The problem is that we end up with a system where if your parents own a home you’re likely to own a home and if your parents are renters you’ve got very little chance of owning a home.”

It took this Russell Island couple three years to save their deposit, with Mr King working at a building materials supplier at night and Ms Lim doing her accounting job in the day.

“We sacrificed a lot, quality time, mostly,” Mr King says.

“I would get home, and Jas would be leaving. We’d see 10 minutes of each other but we knew it wasn’t going to be forever.”

They also cut overseas travel and eating out.

“We made a needs and a wants list … but sometimes things crossed over and you’re like, ‘I need that takeaway tonight’ and you have to live a little,” Mr King says.

The pair was eligible for first homebuyers subsidies but had to save a 20 per cent deposit due to many lenders’ risk criteria for properties on the island.

“We got rejected by the first bank and that was heartbreaking but then we tried another bank, and they were more than happy to accommodate us. 

“Don’t be defeated by the first, ‘No,’” Mr King says.

He says despite the early mornings and the commute, he gets to work quicker than his colleagues who travel from the Gold Coast.

“I’ve got my little group that I sit with on the ferry in the morning; we all start at the same time, we’ll have a coffee and have a laugh.”

The pair says the great Australian dream is still possible.

“It’s really empowering to say, ‘I did that,’” Mr King says.

Elias and Tegan

When buying on the Sunshine Coast, Tegan Maskell, 35, and Elias Harris, 33, knew they would need space for only the two of them and their dog Otto.

“We have decided to be child-free and that actually made buying a house much easier,” Ms Maskell says.

After being priced out of larger homes by investors, the registered nurse and fitter and turner settled on the one-bedroom home with a study in Nambour for $475,000.

The hinterland town is one of the Sunshine Coast’s oldest suburbs and is the gateway to popular tourist hotspots like Mapleton and Montville.

“I think rural and regional places have a lot to offer if you’re not a really high consumer of specialised health care or don’t need a plethora of places to eat out,” Ms Maskell says.

“Live somewhere regional, it’s awesome.”

As well the smaller house, living further from the Sunshine Coast’s beaches was a compromise they had to make.

What they wouldn’t forgo was a garden and a big shed for hobbies, which now features a rock-climbing wall.

In 2024, financial platform Canstar found first homebuyers are saving half of what they did two years ago.

According to the data, a single person saved $724 per month toward the purchase of their first property in 2024, down from $1,417 in 2022.

This was echoed by CoreLogic head of research Eliza Owen, who says it could take a first homebuyer almost 11 years to save a 20 per cent deposit based on the median house price in regional Queensland of $700,000.

“Even if you’re saving at a consistent rate, your savings are likely not enough to keep up with the market,” she says.

Ms Maskell and Mr Harris say they’ve always been diligent savers and were still able to put money aside for their deposit despite increases in the cost of living.

“You can enjoy being frugal and find it satisfying,” Ms Maskell says.

“Be realistic about your budget and what you can live with, regardless of interest rate rises.”

Tom Cameron

At 24, Tom Cameron has already bought two houses, and sold one.

Last year the stock agent moved back to his hometown of Longreach in outback Queensland for its lifestyle and affordability.

Mr Cameron spent $150,000 on a property there. He admits the house needs work but says he’s up to the task.

This isn’t his first house; Mr Cameron bought another property in Dalby in Queensland’s Western Downs a few years earlier, which he sold last year.

“[Longreach] is a great town and there are plenty of great towns around,” Mr Cameron says.

“I guess if you want to live in Paddington in Brisbane and buy a house for $1.2 million well, it probably is a little bit hard for a young person to get a go.

“But in a lot of these rural communities and smaller towns, it is quite affordable.”

The mortgage repayments are about $275 a week, making it an affordable asset.

Buying the properties meant Mr Cameron didn’t travel after high school like his peers.

“My first overseas trip was this year to New Zealand,” he says.

“Before that … I didn’t go away, worked a lot … but I don’t know if you’d call them sacrifices, I still enjoyed it.”

Brendan Sutton

Brendan Sutton credits the central Queensland mining boom with helping him buy his first house in Rockhampton.

The 25-year-old completed an electrical apprenticeship at Blackwater coal mine, about two hours west of the beef capital.

“I was lucky enough to have a pretty good paying job straight out of school, which definitely helped me in buying this home,” he says.

He bought the two-bedroom, one-bathroom Queenslander just after his 23rd birthday in 2022.

Many of his friends also bought in Rockhampton because they could save a deposit and have a social life.

“I still went down south for music festivals, I went away for footy events, all that sort of stuff,” he says.

According to the latest data, prices in Rockhampton have grown by more than 20 per cent in the past year — but the median house price is still under $550,000.

According to CoreLogic, “spill over regions” in less populated areas around the state are seeing the largest growth.

“They’re not the big regional centres like the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast, but areas like Mackay or Townsville … they don’t have as high of a price point, and that’s attracting a lot of buyers,” Ms Owen says.

“It’s a reflection of people being priced out of expensive markets looking to the next most affordable one.

“The only problem … is it gets to a point where lower income households who are already in these … areas, they might not have a next most affordable market to go to.”

Mr Sutton urged other young people to be consistent with their savings, even if it didn’t mean saving a lot.

“I wouldn’t say do an aggressive save where you’re trying to save $30,000 over six months … that goes out the window because it’s so hard to save that amount of money in a short period of time,” he says.

“Try and space it out, do little amounts, even if it’s $50 a week, $100 a week, or whatever you can allow for.”

Hannah Smoothey

Brisbane primary school teacher Hannah Smoothey, 35, lost out almost 50 times before she scored her unit in Coorparoo.

“It was really depressing,” Ms Smoothey recalls.

“There’d be at least 20 people, probably around 50 at some inspections, and it was really tricky because you could tell that there were lots of property investors … and you were going to have to compete with people with a lot more money than what I have.”

To get together her deposit, Ms Smoothey dipped into her superannuation, a risk she thinks paid off.

“I’m probably not going to be able to retire anyway, so I thought I might as well just use it, rather than having to wait, in case I don’t get to use it at all,” she says.

“It wasn’t a significant amount out of my superannuation because I’ve been working since I graduated from university.

“I think the hardest part was being taxed on the withdrawal, so that took a significant chunk out of my deposit.”

Allowing young people to withdraw from super to buy a home has been criticised by the sector.

Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) chief executive officer Mary Delahunty says it’s “completely understandable” that first homebuyers would want to withdraw from their super because there are “no other options”.

“My message to young people is, expect better from your politicians than asking you to pay for a problem you didn’t create,” she says.

“We need to go back to the drawing board … and stop asking people to choose between retirement or a house because that’s just grossly unfair.”

Ms Smoothey bought her property in 2022 and says she struggles to enjoy the achievement because of how hard it has become for her friends to do the same.

“I feel good, but at the same time I feel guilty, because there’s so many people that are really struggling … I think I was just lucky to get in at the time that I did,” she says.

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Posted Sun 23 Feb 2025 at 7:24amSunday 23 Feb 2025 at 7:24am, updated Sun 23 Feb 2025 at 10:09am