School holidays are almost upon us, so expect to see more children around in popular places such as cinemas, beaches and parks over the next few weeks…hopefully our glorious Queensland winter weather will be shining down upon them; winter is a lovely time to holiday in Queensland, particularly the Sunshine Coast.

There is ongoing media and public commentary about housing affordability and the inability of future generations to fulfil “The Great Australian Dream” of owning their own home.  Whilst there is no doubt in capital cities, certainly Sydney, this is a very real concern; regional areas such as the Sunshine Coast, still offer affordable entry level properties.

Your first home might be a one or two bedroom apartment, not necessarily in the suburb of your choice…however, it is the first major step in the property ladder; build up equity and then you can upsize if desired, it is how the vast majority of property owners started. They start with something modest, perhaps on the fringe of where they’d ultimately like to be and as equity grows over time, there are more options available.  In an environment of historically low interest rates, it is a pivotal time to enter the market today, either as an owner-occupier or first time investor.  You can talk to AW Money about your borrowing capacity, obligation free, with no charge.

For sporting enthusiasts who love watching from the comfort of their lounge chair, there are some exciting events coming up: Wimbledon starts on Monday, the mighty Matildas play in the quarter finals of the football World Cup after their shock defeat over Brazil on Sunday and there’s less than a month until the Ashes battle commences in England.

On a sad note, we extend our sympathy to the family and friends of James Ackerman, a talented Rugby League Player who passed away this week following a tackle when playing for the Sunshine Coast Falcons over the weekend.