(03) 9020 2905PORTFOLIO POINT: Property price declines are raising the interest of SMSF trustees. If the thought has crossed your mind, here’s what you need to do to be ready to pounce in 2012.
I don’t know about you, but I was gagging for the Christmas break. Professionally and personally, 2011 was an eventful year, in a completely over-the-top way. I relished the break.
As an investor and SMSF trustee, I was also looking forward to closing the door on 2011. Actually, slamming it shut would be more honest. And I wasn’t alone.
Equities were heartbreaking. After starting 2011 around 4850 points and managing to pop its head above 5000, it fell back below 3900 points.
Cash had an average year, and ended on a low-note, with two interest rate cuts, and more predicted in 2012. At least, as you can rely on cash to do, it didn’t go backwards.
Fixed interest performed well. For the year to November 30, Vanguard’s Australian Fixed Interest Index fund managed a double digit return of 10.28%!
And then there was property.
Commercial property, including A-REITs, the sort of property most commonly purchased inside managed-fund super, didn’t fare well either. Round it out at zero.
And Australia’s great investment love – residential property – didn’t make too many home buyers smile either. Depending on which figures you look at, actual prices were off around 4%. Add the negative of inflation into that and the real return was around minus 7-8%.
However, hardcore property investors are ringing their hands. Property is an asset class on the nose. Out of favour. So .. is it time to take the punt? And take that punt inside super?
A once in a decade opportunity?
Residential property doesn’t have the volatility of shares and the changes to the super gearing rules in 2007 mean it is now possible to gear inside super.
I agree with some other commentators that the residential property market will probably bottom out around mid-2012. If you also believe that to be the case, considering a geared property investment could make sense.
You’ll have to make your own judgement on that. But if you have been thinking the same, here’s what you need to do to get your super fund ready to pounce on any opportunity that may come your way in 2012.
A supportive trust deed
Super gearing for property was only really allowed from September 2007. If your super fund trust deed predates that, then it’s quite likely that it won’t allow for the sort of gearing that’s allowed within super. It’s probably time to update your trust deed. This doesn’t have to be difficult, but requires a specialist to read your current trust deed and request an update accordingly.
Even if your SMSF trust deed post-dates September 2007, it’s no guarantee that it will allow for geared property investing. Either check it out yourself, or get a professional to do it for you.
Updating your basic trust deed needn’t cost the earth, but set aside somewhere between $500 and $1500 to get this done properly.
Find a lender
When considering lending for property, the first thought is usually a bank. And going to a bank can be done with a SMSF gearing loan. They will generally charge a slightly higher lending rate than you would normally pay if you were to purchase a property in your own name, but the rates gap has fallen significantly in recent years, so it really doesn’t cost too much more than if you were to borrow the money in your own name.
But banks are not the only option. You can be the lender. For more information on this topic, see this column (21 April 2010). If you are going to be the lender, you still need proper loan documents in place between yourself and the SMSF and you need to charge a market interest rate (often whatever your ultimate lender, which may still be a bank) is charging you.
If you have plenty of equity to lend against in your existing property or properties, then becoming the lender yourself might make sense. In a technical sense, the bank will probably lend the money to you, as an individual, then you lend the money to your SMSF as the lender.
These sorts of arrangements require proper documentation. Don’t do it yourself. See a professional.
The vehicle – bare trust and corporate trustee
The lending can’t be directly to the super fund. The lending needs to be via a special trust (variously referred to as a bare trust or a debt instalment trust). It is best to have a corporate trustee of the bare trust and, in fact, some lenders will insist on it.
The cost of setting up bare trusts has come down in the last few years. However, setting aside somewhere between $1500 and $3500 for a quality trust deed from a recognised professional SMSF supplier would be a good idea.
There’s no need to panic on this front. Bare trusts and company trustees can be set up fairly quickly. But don’t let it be something you leave until the last minute, particularly if your property acquisition has a short settlement period.
Negative gearing
From a tax perspective, being negatively geared can turn your super fund into a zero-tax zone, as I discussed in this column (20/10/10). And, if you are comfortable with negative gearing outside of super in your personal name, then negative gearing inside super might also be suitable, or relevant, to your situation.
Banks will generally lend up to about 60-70% (some a little higher) of the value of the property. And in most cases, the borrowings will be enough to make the property negatively geared, which may advantage those in accumulation mode.
Unless you are borrowing less than about 40-50% of the total property value, your super fund is likely to be negatively geared.
If you are negatively geared, it will be very important to understand that you will need to cover any shortfall. If the fund is negatively geared to the tune of $15,000 a year – and you borrowed to a point that drained your available cash – then you will need to ensure that you are able to contribute enough money, usually via concessional contributions, into the fund to make sure it can still meet its responsibilities.
Property is an actively managed investment
Understand that property investment is hands on. If you haven’t invested in direct residential property before, you need to be aware that you have to make decisions. And those decisions will have an impact on the success of your investment.
Investing in equities, by comparison, is very different. You are investing in a company and management, who make the decisions for you.
With direct property investment, you are the manager. You are partly investing in yourself. Start reading up on the sorts of commitments that you’ll have to make.
Not for the short term
Most importantly, get your head around the fact that property is not a short-term investment. And that, in no small part, comes down to the cost of getting into and out of property.
Apart from the costs mentioned above in regards to updating trust deeds and the purchase of bare trusts and corporate trustees, comes the actual cost of property purchase itself.
Stamp duty and purchase costs vary around Australia, but allow for somewhere between 5% and 6%. Sale costs, including the cost of advertising and sales agent fees are around the 3-3.5% mark. Add those together with the costs above and you’re talking somewhere in the vicinity of 10-12% in buy/sell costs.
It is possible to make money out of property in the short term. But it is generally a long-term investment. If you are buying, give yourself a minimum of a 10-year timeframe. In my opinion, property really should be forever.
But forever in a SMSF doesn’t have to be until the second coming. Don’t forget that super funds in pension phase pay no tax on capital gains or income. If you aim to hold it at least until you turn 60 and turn on a pension, then the (potentially) hundreds of thousands of dollars that you have made in capital gains from your property investment could be realised … without … a … single … cent … being paid to the ATO.
Patience …
Don’t buy property for the sake of it, for the sake of tax deductions or because you think it will make you a pile of money. Your purchase might not on any count.
Property is a wonderful asset class in which to invest. But bad property can be more harmful to your financial health (or the health of your super fund) than anything you have done previously.
If it makes sense, start reading on the topic. While there aren’t many tomes specifically on property investment in SMSFs (although I could probably combine what I’ve written over the years for Eureka Report and get a portion of the way there), there are plenty of good property books out there. And the fundamentals of property inside or outside a SMSF bare some similarities.
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The information contained in this column should be treated as general advice only. It has not taken anyone’s specific circumstances into account. If you are considering a strategy such as those mentioned here, you are advised to consult your financial adviser.
Bruce Brammall is director of Castellan Financial Consulting, the author of Debt Man Walking and two property investment titles, Investing in Real Estate for Dummies and The Power of Property.