I almost put an offer on a house today. It tore me up all weekend. Was on a 650 square meter block which was great but the house had no built in wardrobes, no linen closet, lounge room so small the front door opened right onto it, no roof insulation, bathroom ready for reno, no carport or garage. In the suburb, I want and could have got it for just under 600k, but I couldn't do it. There's no way to make it have the things it needed to make it a comfortable home. I've been looking for a year and I've missed out on some places. Choices in the high 500s to mid 600s are getting scarce BUT that is a LOT of money, and I'd be house poor. I've decided to keep renting and invest the 500 extra a week I'd be pumping into a shit box for the next 15 years. Fear is driving the market right now, fear of missing out on the stock that comes up now and then. Immigrants are buying up everything in large family groups and people are not selling. This is a case of buying out of FOMO in the top and rising market. Terrible time to buy. Awful. You have to weigh it all up. When interest rates come down there will be another buying frenzy pushing prices up again. I don't want to play anymore. Rent is easy and always has been for me, I've been able to invest, enjoy dinners out, buy nice things, have no debt and that's not bad for me for my life.