Buying a property jointly with company via trust?

Hi everyone

It’s been great to read these forums. I’m hoping to get some advice for my situation in looking to buy our first home. I run a successful business with a healthy cashflow and currently little expense. Also the business is expanding and needs an office which could either be a home office in the new property or a separate building.

If anyone has some thoughts to share it’s much appreciated. Also if there are any property investment advisors experienced with similar scenarios, I’d love to get some advice.

Our details:
* We’re currently renting
* We’ve looking to buy a property in the $700k range (this would suit the home office)
* We have over $400k in personal savings
* I own a company with a healthily cashflow
* The business has savings of over $300k
* My wife is currently not working

The things I’m wondering:
* Should we be looking into some buying the property in some trust in which the business is also a trustee as well as us? The potential advantage here I see is that we may not need to get a mortgage. I’m not even sure if that is possible.
* It would be good for the business to have more expenses. If the business was a trustee in owning the property is it viable for the property expenses to be partly deducted by the business.
* As my wife isn’t working a trust might be a good way for her to receive income
* It seems the main reason not to use a trust is you don’t benefit from CGT. However if the trust brings greater tax benefits it may outweigh the advantages of the CGT.
* I’m possibly looking at this wrong and should be aiming to have a mortgage as that allows for negative gearing which may lower my personal income.

Our priorities are:
* That the property will be protected (if something was to happen to the business the property would be OK)
* We have a structure that gets a tick from the ATO – I know there is a crackdown on hybrid trusts so wouldn’t want anything risky

Thanks!