News

A Melbourne house is for sale that can be bought with Bitcoin

27 November 2017

A Melbourne home for sale in The Basin could become the first property in Australia bought with the digital currency Bitcoin.

The vendor of the home in the city's outer east are willing to accept Bitcoin in a huge mainstream breakthrough for the cryptocurrency, and it opens a Pandora's Box of questions about the legality and logistics of digital currency property transactions.

In a similar way that Uber threw a spanner in the works of the transport industry, the entry of Bitcoin into property sales will have governments sweating on the need for regulations and guidelines on the process.

Harcourts listing agent John Garnett told Domain this is the first time he has used digital currency in real estate. 

"I've never had anyone transact in it," he said.

"There's a few logistics we still have to iron out."

"We've got to be careful because the state revenue office will want the stamp duty to be paid on market revenue."

Another problem with buyers using Bitcoin to buy property is the digital currency's history of fluctuations and volatility.

According to Domain, Consumer Affairs has confirmed that it's legal for the deposit or settlement amount to be paid in any asset, including Bitcoin, as agreed between the buyer and seller.

Can you see yourself in a few years hopping into a driverless car to your new house that your just bought using Bitcoin?

The future is here people.

 

Latest

Buyers’ agents are saying the asking price for properties stuck on the market long term are being heavily discounted – sometimes by as much as 40 per cent.

Read more

Broker group Finsure says if some of the recommendations from the Hayne Royal Commission are brought in it will set the Australian home loan market back 30 years because it will give the banks more power.

Read more

Property investors have been popping up back out of the woodwork searching for super-cheap bargains before a possible Labor election win and subsequent negative gearing changes.

Read more

Business conditions have remained flat since falling sharply in December according to the recent NAB survey and it has the bank predicting interest rates to be on hold until 2020.

Read more