Persona · Last reviewed 2026-05-01

Different state, different cycle.

Stamp duty across 8 jurisdictions, foreign-purchaser-style oddities, and the case for a buyer's-agent in markets you can't visit weekly.

Each Australian state runs a different stamp-duty schedule, FHB regime, foreign-purchaser surcharge (zero in WA and NT, 9% in NSW), and land-tax threshold. Cross-state purchases need a state-by-state breakdown. What's a $40K stamp-duty bill in NSW could be $26K in QLD with the home concession.

Sydney and Melbourne investors moving capital to Brisbane / Adelaide / Perth typically chase yield (5-6% gross vs 3-4% Sydney) and diversification (property cycles run different timing across states). The trade is local-knowledge gap, which a good buyer's agent can close.

What we model: state-by-state stamp duty + FHB/concession + foreign-surcharge in one screen, cross-state cashflow comparison, land-tax aggregation across each state separately, and exit-CGT positioning if you sell from a different state of residence.

Typical position

Capacity: $600K to $1.5M typical interstate IP
Deposit: 20-30% (LMI usually avoided on interstate purchases)
Horizon: 10+ year hold to amortise transaction costs

Informational. Not financial advice. Your specific position depends on your full income / debt / dependants picture — run the calculators with your numbers.

Calculators that fit

Stamp duty (all 8 states)
Side-by-side at any price.
Buying power
Capacity is portable across states; stamp-duty hit isn't.

Guides that go deeper

How to find investment properties
Step 1 (capacity) and Step 5 (state regulation) split into the cross-state lens.

Terms in this persona

Other personas

Open the playbook — 11 chapters end-to-end, every threshold cited.

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