Posts by Cate Bakos

It’s that time of year again. Economists, banks and commentators start sharing their predictions for 2025’s capital growth around the nation. Plenty of us do it, but few get it right. Today’s Sunday blog focuses on the predictions for 2024. Who got it right? Who got it wrong, and why? Firstly, let’s consider the annualised…

Many investors and homebuyers grapple with this question. They worry about the capital growth prospects of a townhouse versus a house, and homebuyers ask themselves whether they will outgrow a townhouse. It’s not that black and white though. Well-located, beautifully proportioned townhouses and villa units can be enticing for tenants and home-buyers alike. Many investors…

Have you ever wondered why a property can sit on the market for weeks, and then all of a sudden when you submit an offer, there is suddenly another offer? Many buyers believe that the agent is bluffing. Occasionally they are, but it’s rarer than people imagine. In the majority of cases, the agent does have another buyer. Their…

I recall an auction quite a few years ago, back in 2016. We were bidding on a beautifully converted two bedroom, two bathroom warehouse apartment with enclosed balcony in Kensington. We secured the property for our client for $631,000. Just 3km from CBD and conveniently located near shops, station and arterials were just some of…

When it comes to property selection, it’s often the things we reject that help formulate a good investment decision.  Aside from being mindful of tenant appeal and owner-occupier appeal of a property, we must always be mindful of lender appeal. Since the days of pandemic lockdowns, the quest for inner-suburb living has revitalised itself. We often…

We work with buyers every single day. From our position on the other side of the coin, we see a lot of vendor decisions that make for a strong campaign. But often we see vendors get things wrong too. Here are five insider tips to help vendors navigate the important task of selling their property.…

There has been plenty of speculation around interest rate cuts. What will trigger a cut? When will they happen? What will that cut do to the housing market? And what metrics can we rely on as a predictor of rate movements? The news from America gave a few Australians a glimmer of hope about interest…

We are often asked about deposit bonds, especially when agents or vendors reject a request from a buyer to use one. What are they? Is there a risk? And when are they particularly useful? Today’s blog answers all of these questions. A deposit bond can be used effectively when a purchaser has the means to…

Melbourne has faced some tough headwinds since the pandemic. The tough lockdowns saw strong internal migration, both from our capital city to other states, and from our city to our local regions. The chart below shows Melbourne’s arrivals and departures during three data collection dates during the COVID pandemic. The Census chart below shows the…