69. FI case study: Rentvest vs. ETFs

About this episode

Hayden and Dave discuss listener Steve's property situation and explore options for financial flexibility and investment strategies.

What happens when a government equity scheme starts to feel like a trap? In this episode, Hayden and Dave sit down with listener Steve to unpack his property situation and map out a path forward. Steve is a self-employed sports coach earning around $120,000–$130,000 a year, with a partner on $100,000. He owns an apartment worth roughly $570,000, holds a $200,000 ETF portfolio, and used the Victorian Homebuyer Fund to get into the market with a 25% government equity stake still sitting on his property. In this episode they cover: 👉 How the Victorian Homebuyer Fund works and why Steve is feeling stuck 👉 Whether refinancing could free him from the government equity stake without selling his ETFs 👉 The case for rent-vesting as a flexible alternative to upsizing 👉 How to weigh lifestyle preferences against pure FIRE optimisation 👉 Why financial flexibility can matter more than squeezing every dollar out of a strategy It's pearler's 5th birthday! Get 5 free trades here 🥳 Ask a Question FI Case Study Request Form Pearler Strong Money Australia Original Aussie FIRE e-book Strong Money Australia’s audiobook Disclaimer Any advice is general and does not consider your financial…

People in this episode

Hosts: Hayden Smith, Dave Gow

Guest: Steve

Topics covered

• financial independence
• property investment
• ETFs
• government equity schemes
• rent-vesting
• financial flexibility

Keywords

• financial independence
• retire early
• property investment
• ETFs
• Victorian Homebuyer Fund
• rent-vesting
• refinancing
• financial flexibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Victorian Homebuyer Fund, Pearler, Strong Money Australia, Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd

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