It’s not every day that one of your clients becomes 100% debt and mortgage free, especially in their early 40’s. We are proud to say that we have recently assisted in this experience for one of our couple clients and it was phenomenal.
We planted a seed when Greta and Jason started working with us in March 2025 with a simple question. How would you like to be mortgage free?
The question was rejected – no, we don’t want to be mortgage free… we want to have investment properties. We want to grow our wealth and we already have one investment property. We want to keep going.
7 months on, October 2025 after gentle nudges along the way, a fixed rate ending on the investment property in February 2026, and advice from their finance broker a decision had to be made.
Which Way Forward?
1 – Keep the investment property which had very little to give back aside from capital growth? (Property was positive geared, had a fixed rate interest rate in the 3’s which was about to pop and choke cashflow in February 2026).
OR…
2 – Sell the investment property, take the capital gains tax hit, clear the owner-occupied loan, and start your property journey again from a stronger position keeping the family home out of the equation.
It wasn’t until June 2025 that we mapped out the scenario of a potential sale of investment property in great detail. This came after many conversations of do you keep, hold, or sell your property – the pro’s, the con’s and the decisions of do we or don’t we sell. How do we leverage our next property and grow our property portfolio? When we looked at the setup in place, it just didn’t make sense from a cashflow or lending perspective.
There was more debt on the owner-occupied loan, little debt on the investment property. The investment property was positively geared, the owner-occupied loan was taking a large chunk out of cashflow and due to the nature (owner-occupied) there wasn’t any tax benefit or claim on this as an expense. This meant more money out for our client, less tax deductability and from an investment perspective it didn’t make much sense.
This required a rethink of current scenario, conversations with us and their finance broker. What could a potential sale of investment property look like. What would the capital gains tax be. How can we support our client by providing clarity on their current position, clarity on their future position and the confidence to make a decision – to keep or to sell. And if we sell, where does the money go? Onto the home loan to become debt free? Or into an investment?
So, What Exactly Did We Do?
We aligned their cashflow strategy with their goals.
We worked with their existing finance broker that originally referred Greta and Jason to us.
We introduced their accountant and financial planner to work collaboratively with us and their finance broker.
We built and supported their entire advice team.
We introduced their real estate agent (Harris Real Estate) including Tom Hector who is one of South Australia’s most successful real estate agents – and all-round great bloke (he helped us to become mortgage free back in 2021).
We mapped out their entire budget strategy and showed where the crush points were including a fixed rate that was about to expire on the investment property crippling any available cashflow when it happened.
We estimated capital gains tax calculations before making the decision to sell (just so we could run the numbers), at $600k, $650k, and $700k (thinking $700k would be a push).
We showed, in detail – their potential sale price, their potential capital gains tax, agent fees and what would remain should their targets be achieved.
We provided clarity on what life could look like following their sale of their investment property (if they chose to sell).
We gave our clients the confidence to make the decision to sell and the logical reasons why (including the entire strategy at multiple levels – from a budget and lending perspective) prior to selling their property.
We provided emotional support and guidance during difficult decision moments, reassuring them “yes, you can do this” when the path forward felt uncertain.
We provided Greta & Jason with the clarity to make an informed and educated decision allowing them to become 100% debt free and mortgage free in their early 40’s.
We helped fuel their dream and their successes.
The Result?
Greta & Jason’s property went to auction on a Thursday (smart move).
The property attracted 20 registered bidders (and three building inspections prior to auction day).
Property was listed at $599,000, reserve set at $659,000. An offer of $700,000 prior to auction day which was rejected as the advice from the sales team was to ‘trust the process’ of selling at an auction.
Opening bid on auction day was $675,000. Property stalled at $815,000, and when Tom worked his magic with the competing bidders, it sold for an impressive $830,500. In Tom’s own words – a record for Rosewater, South Australia. We note: if the earlier offer of $700,000 was accepted and the auction was scrapped – this decision would have cost our client $130,500. It pay’s to trust the process.
What Next?
Following the sale of their investment property, Greta & Jason will soon have a taste of what it’s like to live debt and mortgage free because owning your own house outright is an absolute game-changer. And it kind of hasn’t hit them yet… just what they have achieved (it only happened yesterday as I write this).
Their household budget is now unlocked. Future investments can happen without dipping into home equity. Their family home is protected, their cashflow is freed up, and they have absolute peace of mind—their home is safe, and it never again needs to be leveraged unless they decide otherwise
They already have their finance broker…
They have their financial planner (for wealth creation through super, investments, shares etc).
They have their accountant (for tax minimisation strategies).
They will soon have their buyers agent to work with (should they still consider property a part of future wealth creation).
And they have us…
I’d like to see Greta & Jason working with all parties above collaboratively for wealth creation going forwards. Because what Greta & Jason do now, in their 40’s, will unlock amazing options for them in their 50’s. The ability to replace their income and not have to work – to have the decision of do I want to go to work today or not – and to be able to pull the pin when they want to.
It’s an empowering position to be in. But not a position to simply kick back and relax, especially in your early 40’s – some of the best income-earning years of your life. What you do now, while you have the capacity, truly sets you up for success later down the line.
Where Greta & Jason go from here is completely up to them. A decision that they can now make with clarity, confidence and control – with the right team in place to guide them every step of the way. We remain at their side, of service, of guidance, and of keeping them in line.
We are here to help Greta and Jason move forward, remain accountable to their greater financial goals of property and wealth creation and – only if the budget allows – maybe allow for a Rolex or a Louis along the way… maybe… 😉.
This is what holistic financial advice looks like. Not just budgets. Not just loans. Complete financial transformation through collaboration.
A massive thank you to the collaborations of the Wright Evans Partners team. Ben Clarke, Frank Kleinig, & Tyson Marangon.
A massive thank you to the Harris Real Estate Team. Tom Hector, Jayden Finch, & Clinton Nguyen.
We could not fault the professional team surrounding Greta & Jason’s success, and Greta & Jason could not have achieved what they did without this amazing team supporting them every single step of the way. It was a flawless experience. Thank you to all who supported Greta & Jason’s success on their journey. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside all of you!
Greta & Jason, thank you for allowing us all to support you on your incredible journey. We are so proud of your success and look forward to working with you both long-term on your financial goals going forward. A massive congratulations from us to you!
Property: https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-sa-rosewater-149325324
Ready to create your own success story? Book your discovery meeting with us today!
Jason’s Google Review:
“I can’t thank Budget Mates enough for the impact they’ve had on our finances. We came in feeling overwhelmed, but they’ve completely changed the way we think about money.”
“It hasn’t just been about numbers—it’s been about learning new habits and gaining confidence in how to manage our budget. We’re now on track to becoming debt-free, something I never thought possible a year ago.”
“If you’re looking for someone who genuinely cares and wants to see you succeed, I couldn’t recommend Budget Mates more highly. They’ve honestly helped change our lives.”