Owning a home has been part of the Australian Dream for decades. It was a sign of attaining a certain level of wealth, and the stability that comes with it. And for many, it was a great investment.

Dear Lifehacker, I keep seeing certain types of debt (mortgages, student loans) referred to as "good" debt, whereas other types (credit card debt, for example) are referred to as "bad" debt. What does that mean? What makes a certain type of debt "good" and another type "bad?"

Although housing prices, according to some analysts, are cooling off, it's a fair bet that many of us are putting aside a significant portion of our salary on mortgage payments. We've crunched some numbers to determine where you should live if you want to have as much income left as possible once the bank takes their slice.

When you're saving up to buy your first house, you're likely accounting for mortgage costs and monthly payments, adding in insurance and maybe even a realtor's fee. But there are a ton of other costs you might not know about.

A house price 'correction' is coming in Sydney. Moody's Investor Services is forecasting Sydney house prices will fall 4.2% in 2018, with the largest declines expected to be seen in inner-city regions. Here are the details.

Home prices fell across all mainland state capitals last week. Sydney prices now going backwards, adjusted for inflation. We have the details right here.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: The 20 most dangerous countries in the world for tourists, see a neighbourhood of eerie abandoned mansions, the story behind Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Despite the fact that they're ridiculously expensive, cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are also hugely populated and growing. They're great cities with a lot to offer, sure -- but how much should you earn if you want to make the move?

Because I both work and travel, I choose destinations based on a few important things: Fast, reliable internet; food; general safety; culture; and foo -- oops, I said that already. One of the key resources I use for learning more about a place before I go is NomadList, a handy resource that's built for digital nomads or work-from-anywhere folks like myself.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: United Airlines bans passengers wearing leggings, why women want to bang Garrus, how are Australian retailers preparing for Amazon's arrival?

If you're hunting for a new home to rent or buy, you've probably come across real estate listings that use specific design terminology like "traditional ranch" or "craftsman." If you have no idea what those terms mean, Part Select put together an infographic that runs you through the basics.

One big lesson we learned from the housing crisis: Don't buy more home than you can afford. There are a handful of rules for figuring out what that amount is, but this one considers the additional costs, beyond home price. With this rule, all of your housing-related expenses should be no more than 25 per cent of your gross income.

When listing your home for sale, you want to use the right words to generate the right kind of interest. Over at Trulia, a few real estate agents weigh in on which words you should avoid.

It seems like a long shot, but negotiating rent is more common than you think, and according to insiders, it's always worth a try. You might be able to haggle a better price by offering to do your own maintenance.

If you live in a big city, chances are, home prices can vary quite a bit depending on the neighbourhood. If you're looking to buy a home, you want to make sure everyone you work with -- from your agent to your appraiser -- is highly familiar with the area you want to live in.

After saving up for a long time, I recently bought a home, which caught some of my friends off guard. "I thought you were anti-homeownership," they said, because I think renting is underrated. Even as a homeowner, I still think renting is underrated. That doesn't mean buying is a bad decision. The rent vs buy debate is just silly overall. It ignores the enormous grey area that exists between the two options.

The house I grew up in had a pretty limited square meterage, something I notice every time I visit my parents. It's essentially a two bedroom house with what amounts to a storage closet converted into a third bedroom when absolutely needed. The living room is very small and the kitchen is pretty tiny as well.

It can be tough to decide whether to live on or off campus in your university years. And if you have the option of living at home and commuting to school, that make things more complicated. No doubt finances are a big factor in your decision, and this tool helps you easily compare costs.

Some think that being poor is simple. Just buy less stuff and you're fine, right? Except that's not really how it works. When you're broke, you can't do all the little things that will improve your budget over the long run. It costs more to be poor.