Wednesday 15 June 2011

[TheFirstHomeOwnersGrantFrequentlyAskedQuestionsBlogByKieranMcErlean]



Hello and welcome to the Vicki Philipoff Settlements Blogger!
My name is Kieran McErlean, I am the Marketing Manager for VPS! This blog will be used to post relevant settlement industry news and information for your benefit, whether you’re actually in the settlement industry, real estate industry or buying and selling property yourself. Here at Vicki Philipoff Settlements we want you to settle with ease. In the past there has been some confusion about the FHOG, so here some frequently asked questions we have received:

How do I apply for First Home Owners Grant (FHOG)?
Your financier will do it for you as part of your loan, however if you are paying cash you need to arrange lodgement with OSR direct. For cash clients the relevant forms & guides can be downloaded from the OSR website and must be lodged before settlement. FHOG subsidised rate of duty will apply however please note your grant will not issue until post settlement.

Can you lodge our FHOG?
No, we are not authorised Agents for FHOG, but we can assist you in preparing and lodging the documentation.

What if I get transferred?
Applicants must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of 6 months, commencing within 12 months of settlement in the case of established properties, or within 12 months of completion in the case of a home being built.

Who do I need to contact to connect the utilities?
Vicki Philipoff Settlements will advise the council and the water corporation, and arrange to have the meter read by the Water Corp. It is you responsibility to contact the relevant agencies for the connection of gas, electricity, telephone & internet.

My parents are gifting me the money to buy the property; can I still get the Grant and Stamp Duty reductions?
Yes you can, but be aware that the FHOG is not paid until after settlement (when the title has gone into your name at Landgate) You can get the reduced rate of stamp duty at settlement.

We are first home buyers, what do we need to put when we don’t have to pay stamp duty?
We advise you to put “N/A – we are first home buyers”

Who lodges my application for the FHOG?
If you are obtaining finance your will bank will lodge the application on your behalf.
If you are paying cash for your property you will need to lodge the application yourself, however the first home owner stamp duty form will be available so stamp duty won’t be payable. The $7000 grant won’t be processed until the tile shows your name and you will need to provide a copy to the State Revenue Dept.



If you have any further questions, or seek advice please don’t hesitate to contact us,
Email: info@vickiphilipoff.com.au
Phone: (08) 6311 4888

Kieran McErlean

Monday 6 June 2011

Offsett YourSett

Vicki Philipoff Settlements has established a relationship with ‘Carbon Neutral’ a Western Australian based company committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, and winner of the State’s WA Environment Awards in 2007.

We are pleased to offer this environmentally conscious option to our clients:
Once your contract is received in our office, rather than receiving a conventional settlement pack via Australia Post, you can elect to support your environment by receiving an online settlement pack via email.

Should you nominate the latter option, Vicki Philipoff Settlements will reward the environment with a $3 donation to Carbon Neutral who will plant a native tree on your behalf.


Having achieved SAI’s international Quality Accreditation in 2005, we hope to achieve the 5 green ticks of Environmental Accreditation this coming year.
We are delighted to be associated with both carbon Neutral and SAI Global; through utilising modern technology and the implementation of good systems we can move toward energy efficient business procedures.

Thursday 2 June 2011

Yes - Carrying stamp duty still needed!














Vicki Philipoff Settlements offer an innovative stamp duty service. We can pay for your stamp duty up to 7 days before settlement for you and we’ll wait for settlement to be completed before we are repaid! This is a very convenient and much needed service that makes us stand out from the rest in the industry.
Although Vicki Philipoff Settlements is a registered on line user at the Office of State Revenue – we were informed at a recent seminar that our service of carrying stamp duty is very much needed.

We can assist with carrying stamp duty in the following instances:

• Any Transfer under Agency Relationship – or Substituted Purchasers - where it is NOT already disclosed on the Offer & Acceptance

• Deceased Estate Transactions, Transfers pursuant to Wills

• Family Law and Court Order Agreements

• Related Parties Transactions

• Any Commercial Property with a building on it (even if the building is vacant)

• Any Farming Property

• Aggregated Transactions – where 2 or more transactions form substantially

• Simultaneous Put and Call Options

• Any Contract which has a Contingent Consideration – i.e. Where the purchase price is adjustable depending upon certain criteria

• Transfers under Deed of Family Arrangement

Put simply, Vicki Philipoff Settlements takes the risk out of a client being caught short of funds before their settlement.

For more information about our carrying stamp duty service – please contact us