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  <title>Converta Blog</title>
  <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog</link>
  <description>Guides for Australian home buyers and property investors.</description>
  <item>
    <title>The $30k Queensland Grant Just Got Extended to 2030. Here's How to Stack Everything</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/queensland-30k-grant-extended-to-2030</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/queensland-30k-grant-extended-to-2030</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Queensland's first home buyer support is now the most generous in the country, and the schemes stack. Here's what's available and how to work out your total.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>How to Calculate Rental Yield Properly (Most People Get It Wrong)</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-calculate-rental-yield-properly</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-calculate-rental-yield-properly</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Gross yield, net yield, and the mistakes that make bad properties look good. A practical guide, plus the fastest way to run your own numbers.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>What a $700k Loan Actually Costs You Every Month in 2026</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/what-a-700k-loan-costs-you-every-month</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/what-a-700k-loan-costs-you-every-month</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Repayments at today's rates are a different world to the pandemic era. Here's the real monthly picture, the traps in the maths, and how to run your own numbers.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Your Borrowing Power Dropped This Year and Nobody Sent You a Letter</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/borrowing-power-dropped-this-year</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/borrowing-power-dropped-this-year</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Three rate rises quietly cut what lenders will give you in 2026. Here's how borrowing power actually works and how to find your real number.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Stamp Duty in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay (and Who Pays Nothing)</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/stamp-duty-2026-what-youll-actually-pay</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/stamp-duty-2026-what-youll-actually-pay</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Stamp duty can add tens of thousands to your purchase, but the rules changed dramatically for some buyers. Here's where it stands in 2026 and how to calculate yours.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>The Lock-In Effect: Why Fewer Homes Will Hit the Market From Here</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/lock-in-effect-fewer-homes-hit-market</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/lock-in-effect-fewer-homes-hit-market</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The new investor tax rules gave every existing landlord a reason to never sell. Here's the quiet supply squeeze building underneath the headlines.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Sydney Is Falling, Perth Is Flying: Why the National Market Doesn't Exist</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/sydney-falling-perth-flying-national-market-doesnt-exist</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/sydney-falling-perth-flying-national-market-doesnt-exist</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[In the same month, Sydney fell 1.2 percent and Perth rose 0.7 percent. There is no Australian property market, only markets. Here's why that matters for your purchase.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>The 5% Deposit Scheme Changed Everything in October. Here's the Catch Nobody Mentions</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/five-percent-deposit-scheme-changed-everything</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/five-percent-deposit-scheme-changed-everything</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[No income caps, no place limits, price caps up to $1.5 million. The expanded First Home Guarantee is huge, and it comes with a side effect every buyer should understand.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>New Builds Just Became the Tax-Favoured Asset. Should You Actually Buy One?</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/new-builds-tax-favoured-asset-should-you-buy</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/new-builds-tax-favoured-asset-should-you-buy</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The 2026 budget made new builds the only residential property that keeps negative gearing and the choice of CGT treatment. Here's the honest analysis.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Sydney Sales Are Down 17%. Here's How Smart Buyers Use a Market Like This</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/sydney-sales-down-17-percent-buyers-market-guide</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/sydney-sales-down-17-percent-buyers-market-guide</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Sales volumes are falling, listings are rising, and sellers are losing leverage in Sydney and Melbourne. A practical guide to actually using a buyers' market.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Three Rate Hikes in 2026: What 4.35% Actually Did to Your Buying Power</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/three-rate-hikes-2026-buying-power</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/three-rate-hikes-2026-buying-power</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The RBA lifted rates three times this year and is holding at 4.35 percent. Here's what that quietly did to borrowing power, competition and prices.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>The 50% CGT Discount Is Being Replaced. Here's the New Maths When You Sell</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/cgt-discount-being-replaced-new-maths</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/cgt-discount-being-replaced-new-maths</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[From July 2027, the 50 percent capital gains discount goes, replaced by indexation and a 30 percent minimum tax rate. What it means in plain English.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <title>Vacancy at 1.5%, Rents Up 5.9%: The Yield Story Hiding Inside a Falling Market</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/vacancy-1-5-percent-rents-up-yield-story</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/vacancy-1-5-percent-rents-up-yield-story</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Prices are softening but rents are doing the opposite. Vacancy is back at record lows and yields are the best in over a year. What it means for investors.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <title>Home Prices Just Fell for the First Time in 3.5 Years. Here's What It Means If You're Buying</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/home-prices-fell-first-time-in-3-years</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/home-prices-fell-first-time-in-3-years</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Cotality's June 2026 index recorded the steepest monthly fall in three and a half years. What the numbers actually mean for buyers, city by city.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Negative Gearing Is Gone for Established Homes. Here's What Actually Changed</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/negative-gearing-gone-for-established-homes</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/negative-gearing-gone-for-established-homes</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The May 2026 federal budget ended negative gearing for established property purchases. A plain English breakdown of who's affected and what it means for buyers.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>A Mortgage Broker Told Me the Real Reason People Hire Buyer's Agents. It's Not What the Industry Says</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/mortgage-broker-real-reason-people-hire-buyers-agents</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/mortgage-broker-real-reason-people-hire-buyers-agents</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The property industry says people hire buyer's agents for market access and data. A broker who's settled hundreds of loans told us the real reason. It's more human than that.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>You're Negotiating Against Someone Who Does This Every Day. That's the Problem</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/negotiating-against-a-selling-agent</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/negotiating-against-a-selling-agent</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The selling agent negotiates property deals for a living. You do it a few times ever. Here's what that gap costs and how to close it.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>7 Questions to Ask a Buyer's Agent Before You Pay Them Anything</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/questions-to-ask-a-buyers-agent</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/questions-to-ask-a-buyers-agent</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[A ten minute phone call with the right questions will tell you more about a buyer's agent than their whole website. Here's exactly what to ask.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Upsizing to Your Next Family Home Without Losing Your Mind (or $50k)</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/upsizing-to-your-next-family-home</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/upsizing-to-your-next-family-home</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Buying your next home while selling your current one is the most stressful move in property. Here's how to take most of the risk and stress out of it.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>How Buyers Overpay by $30,000 Without Ever Knowing It Happened</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-buyers-overpay-without-knowing</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-buyers-overpay-without-knowing</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Most people who overpay for property never find out. Here's how it happens quietly, and how to make sure it's not you.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Every Buyer's Agent Says They're the Best. Here's How to Actually Pick One</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-pick-the-right-buyers-agent</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-pick-the-right-buyers-agent</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The buyer's agent industry has a trust problem. Everyone claims to be number one. Here's how to cut through it and find one who's genuinely good.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <title>Buying Property Interstate? Here's How People Get Burned Doing It Alone</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buying-property-interstate-mistakes</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buying-property-interstate-mistakes</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Interstate property investing works, but buying in a city you don't know is where expensive mistakes happen. Here's what goes wrong and how to avoid it.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Is a Buyer's Agent Worth It for an Investment Property? The Honest Answer</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/is-a-buyers-agent-worth-it-for-investment-property</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/is-a-buyers-agent-worth-it-for-investment-property</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Not everyone needs a buyer's agent. But for property investors, the maths usually stacks up. Here's the honest breakdown.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>Hate Auctions? Here's How to Buy Property Without Ever Bidding Yourself</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buy-property-without-bidding-at-auction</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buy-property-without-bidding-at-auction</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Auction anxiety is real and it costs buyers money. Here's how people buy property without setting foot at an auction or negotiating face to face.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>How Much Does a Buyer's Agent Cost in Australia? (And When the Fee Pays for Itself)</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-much-does-a-buyers-agent-cost</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-much-does-a-buyers-agent-cost</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Buyer's agent fees in Australia typically run $8,000 to $30,000. Here's what you actually get, and the maths on when it's worth it.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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  <item>
    <title>How to Spot a Bad Buyer's Agent Before You Pay Them a Cent</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-spot-a-bad-buyers-agent</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/how-to-spot-a-bad-buyers-agent</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[Every buyer's agent says they're the best. Most aren't. Here are the red flags that tell you to walk away before you hand over any money.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <title>Is a Buyer's Agent Worth It? An Honest Breakdown</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/is-a-buyers-agent-worth-it</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/is-a-buyers-agent-worth-it</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The fee is real money, so it deserves a real answer. Here's when a buyer's agent pays for itself, when it doesn't, and the reasons people actually hire one.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <title>Buyer's Agent vs Real Estate Agent: What's the Difference?</title>
    <link>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buyers-agent-vs-real-estate-agent</link>
    <guid>https://www.converta.com.au/blog/buyers-agent-vs-real-estate-agent</guid>
    <description><![CDATA[The real estate agent works for the seller. Here's who actually represents you as a buyer, and why it matters.]]></description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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