Couple's hard work is starting to pay off

Interest rates have more than halved since David and Tanya Popovski began investing in property in 1995.

Today their property portfolio includes three houses and apartment blocks, all in the Illawarra area. It's taken years of saving and, now, thanks to low interest rates, the couple's hard work is really paying off.

"We worked hard on our home loan and once it was fairly low we looked at getting into property," David says. "At the moment, the rental yields are very good. My wife has just recently resigned from teaching because we can afford to have one parent at home."

The Popovskis are now looking to make the most of low interest rates by expanding on their $2 million portfolio.

"We'd be crazy not to take advantage of these rates," he says. "I think it's inevitable interest rates will go up, but we've done our calculations and are factoring in any rises."

Like most property investors, the Popovskis are hoping to retire on their portfolio returns. David Popovski warned fellow property investors against being too confident in the current market. "Don't jump into it without doing your research," he says. "For us, it's about the lifestyle. We didn't want to change anything, like if we wanted to go to the movies or on a holiday, we still could. You should still be able to afford the little things in life that make you happy."

After doing the research, it's vital to have finances sorted so a quick buying decision can be made. "When we approached all the majors we experienced a bit of restraint. We felt they didn't want to come to the party and it wasn't as if we didn't meet the criteria. So we went to our local branch of IMB Building Society and they helped us develop our portfolio," he said.