Young Couple Holding Out For First Wave Of Divorces To Swoop In On Family Home Sale

TRACEY BENDINGER | Society | Contact

Every Saturday morning Mark and Anna McKay carry out the same ritual, they get coffee and croissants from their favourite cafe and head down to Burnie Park to bask in the comings and goings of young families.

However, it’s not the kind of basking you’d expect. That’s because Mark and Anna are not admiring the gleeful laughter of most families, but rather seeking out the silent bickering and hostility of unhappy ones.

“There, those two for sure. Look at how she snapped at him for how many snacks he gave his kid” Anna whispered to Mark, her eyes dancing with possibility.

Mark and Anna are doing what’s known as ‘home swooping’, the scoping out of couples on the cusp of divorce who will have to sell their family home and downgrade to apartments further away from the city.

When asked if she felt like it was bad luck to prey on another couple’s misfortune, Anna shrugged and said she didn’t really have another option.

“We need a distressed sale.. We can’t afford for a couple to be in a calm and reasonable headspace, they’ll wait out for a better offer.”

“If we can get in when their hatred towards each other is at its peak, that’s when they’re more likely to accept our offer”

While it is a morbid approach to home ownership, it is unfortunately one the majority of home-buyers must face thanks to the ridiculous cost of buying a home in Australia.

“Of course I am sad for them, but I want a home for my family more”

More to come.