Posts by Cate Bakos

I often talk about the cost/benefit analysis of a holiday house, but what do the numbers really say? This week, I’ve modelled two similarly priced properties that have recently sold for around the mid-$700,000’s. One is a coastal holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula. The other is a house in the northern suburbs of Melbourne,…

Melbourne’s property market has a different air to it this year. Last year, many agents talked about the limited buyer numbers, and the associated challenges with managing sales campaigns. Anecdotally, buyers were hard to pin down and campaign visibility was tougher for agents. Auctions were often unpredictable, and higher numbers of auction pass-ins were a…

When markets correct, it is often the highest priced quartiles that can experience the toughest losses. Depending on the drivers for the market correction, when economic pain or uncertainty arises, affordability constraints can favour the cheaper markets. However, when markets recover, particularly when credit availability isn’t hampered, higher priced markets can really soar. Melbourne’s property…

In a recent Sunday trip across town, my uber driver asked me what many do. “Cate, what do you do for work?” So, I explained. Being a buyer’s advocate is an exciting role, but it’s not well-understood by everyone. Once my driver realised I had real estate expertise and I consulted my clients with strategic…

It has been exactly three years since Melbourne’s last property peak. In this time, our city has been set back by a cocktail of issues; from ongoing economic set back following painful COVID lockdowns, to increasing state government debt, hefty property taxes, heightened cost of living woes, and increased interest rates. In spite of some…

Closed tender sales campaigns have a few different descriptors. Some agents coin their campaigns “Expressions of Interest”, or EOI. Others refer to the method as “best and highest”. Buyers often dread this method of sale because it usually lacks transparency. In an industry of wide distrust, buyers are already cautious about the offer process and…

For over two years now, I haven’t been able to write about property market growth in my home state. Victoria’s property performance has been static at best, with small losses incrementally recorded for many of the months during this period. This table below showcases Melbourne’s (and regional Victoria’s) lacklustre performance since consecutive interest rate increases…

We’ve been purchasing property in Kensington for our clients for over fifteen years. Kensington is a special suburb, revered for it’s friendly community and recognised for it’s fabulous, inner-urban soul. Once home to abattoirs and livestock sale yards and an army ordnance depot, Kensington has transformed to a thriving village with an eclectic mix of…

Whether buying an investment property or a home, it’s the non-negotiables that are the most important. When we commence an assignment with our clients, we place a heavy focus on the strategy component at the commencement. We map out the criteria and separate them into “must-have’s” and “nice to haves”. In every case, our “must-haves”…

Over the past year, we have had an increased number of interstate buyers purchasing property in Melbourne. This trend hasn’t only been observed by our business. Anecdotally, other buyer’s agents and selling agents have reported a similar observation. Both investors and owner occupiers from interstate have decided to circle Melbourne as a city to purchase…