How to Find Positively Geared Properties in Your SMSF

Investing in property through your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) can be a strategic way to build wealth, but the path to positive cash flow in super is a bit more complex. With higher interest rates and limited flexibility on borrowing, it’s crucial to find properties that don’t just break even but actively contribute to your SMSF’s growth. Here’s how to approach positively geared properties within your SMSF without risking unnecessary contributions.

In this email, we’ll cover:

1. The unique considerations of SMSF property investments.
2. How high-interest rates impact SMSF cash flow.
3. Strategies for securing and sustaining positively geared properties in super.

Understanding Positive Gearing in an SMSF

A positively geared property in an SMSF means that your rental income covers all expenses—interest payments, management fees, maintenance, insurance, and other costs—while still providing extra cash flow. This “positive” return can be a game-changer for SMSF growth, especially when you can avoid relying on additional contributions to manage it.

With interest rates higher than what’s typical for regular investment loans, SMSF loans can place added pressure on cash flow. And since you can’t easily access funds in super until retirement, it’s essential to approach these investments with a strategy that maximizes yield while minimizing out-of-pocket contributions.

Why Interest Rates Impact SMSF Cash Flow So Heavily

Interest rates on SMSF loans tend to be higher than standard property loans, and since they’re often principal-and-interest repayments, the impact on cash flow is immediate. This makes it especially challenging for SMSFs with low cash reserves, as higher loan repayments can quickly turn what appeared to be a high-yield property into one that drains funds.

In contrast to traditional property investments, you can’t leverage rent increases or access equity to grow the portfolio; you’re restricted to what’s already within the SMSF. Therefore, positively geared properties in super rely more on deposit size, rental returns, and careful selection than on conventional growth strategies.

Strategies for Securing a Positively Geared Property in Your SMSF

Given these unique constraints, finding properties that remain cash-flow positive in your SMSF requires a focus on high-yield opportunities, substantial initial deposits, and careful selection. Here are some steps to guide you:

1. Select High-Yield Locations Carefully

• Regional Areas with Strong Demand: Regional Areas with Strong Demand: Regional areas often provide higher yields than metro areas, especially those with infrastructure development, university proximity, or key job opportunities. Be sure to check vacancy rates and projected demand in these areas to ensure steady rental income. You may also want to understand the key considerations for building your SMSF property portfolio before committing to a location.
• Look for Low Vacancy Rates: Properties in areas with low vacancy rates are less likely to sit idle and can provide the steady income necessary for positive gearing within your SMSF.

2. Opt for a Higher Deposit

• Reduce Your Borrowing Requirement: In an SMSF, the only way to protect cash flow from interest rate increases is to borrow less to begin with. Larger deposits mean smaller loans, which can significantly reduce your monthly repayments and help ensure positive cash flow.
• Consider the Long-Term Impact: While putting a larger deposit down reduces cash in your SMSF, it limits the need for additional contributions, helping you maintain liquidity over time.

3. Focus on Dual-Income or Multi-Unit Properties

• Multiple Streams of Income: Properties that provide dual incomes, like duplexes or properties with a secondary dwelling, can help boost returns without adding more risk to your SMSF. More income sources provide a buffer against vacancies and can enhance cash flow stability.
• Explore Holiday Rentals or Furnished Units: If the area supports it, short-term rental properties can offer higher yields than standard leases, though it’s essential to factor in potential vacancy rates and seasonal demand.

4. Invest with a Long-Term View

• Leverage Rent Increases Over Time: While you can’t access equity in an SMSF property as you might in a regular investment, rental income will still grow over time. Given enough years, even high-interest loans become easier to manage as rents increase, turning the property cash-flow positive.
• Patience Pays Off: Many investors who achieve positive gearing have held their properties long enough for inflation to reduce debt’s relative burden while rents increase. Keeping a long-term view is essential in an SMSF context, as real gains in positive gearing often come over time.

5. Choose Low-Maintenance Properties

• Avoid Properties with High Ongoing Costs: Minimize the impact of expenses by opting for properties that are relatively new, low-maintenance, and don’t require frequent costly repairs. This helps protect your SMSF cash flow and reduces the likelihood of needing additional contributions.
• Look for Properties with Modern Amenities: Newer properties with quality amenities can reduce maintenance costs and may attract higher rent, both of which contribute to positive cash flow.

6. Evaluate Interest Rate Buffers and Fixed Loan Options

• Stress-Test Your Cash Flow: Calculate your cash flow assuming a 1-2% rate increase to understand how your property would perform in different rate environments. Some lenders may offer limited fixed-rate terms on SMSF loans, and while this may not always be the best choice, it can help manage cash flow predictability in the short term.
• Avoid Excessive Additional Contributions: Additional contributions to cover shortfalls in an SMSF property can strain your long-term retirement funds and are locked away until retirement. By setting a realistic interest rate buffer from the start, you’re less likely to need extra contributions.

Maintaining Positive Gearing in Your SMSF

Once you’ve secured a positively geared property in your SMSF, managing that cash flow to sustain positive gearing requires attention to both income and expenses:

1. Set Aside Funds for Maintenance and Unexpected Expenses: Creating a buffer within your SMSF can help cover occasional repairs and mitigate short-term cash flow issues.
2. Reevaluate Rent Regularly: Ensuring that rents are competitive with the market rate maximizes cash flow. Many SMSF investors overlook rent increases, but small annual adjustments can significantly impact cash flow over time.
3. Monitor Refinancing Opportunities: Although refinancing SMSF loans can be challenging, if market rates drop, explore whether refinancing can improve your terms and reduce monthly repayments, enhancing cash flow stability.

Investing in positively geared properties through your SMSF can be a powerful retirement strategy, but it requires careful planning and a larger upfront commitment to limit the need for additional contributions later. By focusing on high-yield, low-maintenance properties and planning for the impact of higher interest rates, you’ll give yourself the best chance of achieving steady, positive cash flow in your SMSF.