Housing affordability, high house prices and rents are attracting plenty of media attention right now. The latest figures on house prices, mortgages, number of first time buyers and so on are dissected by journalists and commentators as if this is an issue of recent origin. In fact what we have here is a long-term structural problem that has been neglected for decades.

Smart home tech is becoming more and more common. So much so that it's worth considering when it comes time to sell your home, especially because it can be so expensive. Does it add value to your home? Or is it merely a perk? Before you go installing the latest gear, here's what you should know.

If you're a millennial and having trouble saving up for a home, Australian millionaire Tim Gurner has some simple advice for you: Stop eating so much avocado toast. You'll never be able to save for a home that way.

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.

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.

Your home is probably the most expensive thing you'll ever own, and that expense goes beyond the closing price. There's the cost of the house, but then there are other ongoing and upfront expenses that can catch you off guard. Especially if you're a first time buyer, it helps to know what you're getting into.

If you own a home you're thinking of selling, you might earn more over time by renting it out. This calculator from Forbes helps you decide which is a more lucrative option.

Followit is a new app for Android and iOS that pitches itself as the Instagram of real estate. Instead of following friends and celebrities, you follow houses in specific streets and suburbs where you want to live. Here's how it works.

From picking an agent to scheduling inspections to closing on your loan, the homebuying process can be a complicated one. There are many steps along the way, and a lot can go wrong in that time. If you've been there, we want to hear from you.

Before you buy a home, it's always a good idea to get a professional home inspector -- but that shouldn't be the only time you give your home a thorough look. Here's a checklist of what to look for when performing a yearly visual inspection on your own home, or one you are considering buying.

When you're selling your home, simple upgrades can mean thousands of dollars when you close, and no one can tell you which upgrades will make the most return on your investment more than a real estate agent who works in your area. Ask them what they have seen, and what's in high demand in your neighbourhood.

At some point in your life, it's likely you're going to be renting somewhere to live. What's the best strategy for a peaceful existence with your landlord?

Dear Lifehacker, We don't have a lease on the hour we are renting. Our landlord is now going to sell the house that we are in. What happens with the bond once she sells the house? Does she keep it or return it?

Buying a home is a big deal. It's probably the most expensive purchase you'll ever make, and it's not a decision to be made lightly. So we want to know: how did you decide you could afford to buy a home?

The appeal of owning a home seems deeply embedded in the psyche of Australians. Yet psychologically, it is not clear the home ownership dream is entirely rational. Achieving the dream may not be all we might have hoped, and chasing it may even do damage.

Hi Lifehacker, I'll soon be moving in with a female friend as a housemate (as friends, and just us two). Neither of us has lived with a member of the opposite sex before. What should we both know about living with someone else?

Buying your first home is always challenging, and rising prices don't make it any easier. Here are the median prices for a house or a unit in Australia's capital cities right now, according to the CoreLogic RP Data Hedonic Home Value Index.

If you're planning on selling a home soon, you might want to consider hiring a professional photographer or improving your photography skills. Doing so could be worth over $10,000.

There's no doubt that selling any property is a complex and time consuming process, but it becomes even more challenging when you're selling an investment property with tenants living in it. While investment properties provide large long-term returns and a regular income, they tend to be trickier to sell than a property you're actually living in. Consider the three factors below before putting your investment property on the market, to combat some of the uncertainty and stress involved in the process.