All the things we love about Kensington

@kensington4

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…

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Working out your property non-negotiables

@Not Negotiable

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”…

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Interstate buyers are purchasing property in Melbourne

@cafe Pic

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…

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I moved my family to the other side of town

Cate Yarraville Square

Fourteen years ago I helped my first Yarraville clients purchase a beautiful house in the local village. I was familiar with Yarraville somewhat, as I’d worked for a chemical giant previously with a petrochemical facility on Francis St. I was entranced by the village character though. It was diametrically opposing my memory of the suburb’s…

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Which is better? Property or shares?

@shares Square

Victoria’s performance has been lacklustre these past couple of years. It’s not surprising that people have compared the property market to the share market and asked themselves this question. According to Core Logic, “When accounting for both capital gains and rental income, housing offered a total return of 8.3% over the 2024 calendar year. This…

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Should I spend $1.8M on one property? Or three?

@monopoly

This is one of the questions we often field. Is one significant property better, or is spreading the risk with multiple smaller properties more optimal? Firstly, let’s explore the reasons behind this question for many investors. Some like the idea of a property portfolio that they can count on two hands. We often hear people…

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Are there negotiation rules that agents are bound to?

@cate And Pip Train Station Square

I am often asked by prospective purchasers, “Can an agent do that?” when they have had a disappointing outcome in a pre-auction or negotiation situation. The reality may surprise some. Agents are bound by auction rules, but negotiation and pre-auction scenarios are quite different. When imbalance in our market conditions strike, campaigns are more likely…

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Asking the right questions

Cate On The Phone

People often ask me how I found out information about a sale. When it comes to negotiation or auction bidding, our job is to establish the facts, read the play, and execute the best strategy with the right tactics. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when we know roughly, (or exactly) where a reserve price…

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It’s important to accurately grade property in this buyers market

@ideal Floorplan Square

We use the term “A-Grade” a lot, but what does this really mean, and how do we distinguish between A-Grade and other grades? In this Buyer’s Market, it’s easy to buy a bargain property. The critical element that buyers need to focus on now relates to the quality of the property. Anyone can buy a bargain, but determining whether…

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First home buyers have an edge in Vic

@first Home Buyer Square

The property market may not have been presenting idyllic conditions for investors in Victoria, and there is plenty of commentary on this topic. However, Victoria has delivered optimal conditions for first homebuyers, and for several reasons. The Victorian (and Federal) governments have historically provided some exciting opportunities to first home buyers, and justifiably so. Looking…

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