What are Links and Chains? And Old System Titles?

Links Square

Recently, we did one of our regular checks on two title boundaries and found something unusual for both. A part of our due diligence process, we reference the satellite imagery on one of our paid portals. Then we compare to the title plan in the contract. We are accustomed to converting feet and inches to…

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How do interest rates impact investors?

Housing

The rental crisis is headline in our national media stories, and sadly it’s not going to get better soon. The Housing Accord Australia progress is questionable at best, hampered by a combination of higher materials costs and a skills shortage in the building sector. Despite the best of intentions, we are not on track to…

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How is Melbourne faring?

Flinders St Station

Melbourne has faced a lot of headwinds since 2020. This city has historically fared well, but the last four years have been tough.

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How is Geelong looking?

Geelong Waterfront

Geelong has experienced an incredible transformation over the decades. Once an industrial town, known for manufacturing and in particular, the Ford plant. The challenges Geelong faced during some tough times, (such as the Pyramid Building Society collapse and the Ford plant closure) had some suggesting that this regional city’s capital growth prospects were questionable. But…

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Spotting a dodgy off-market

Fishing Lure

Buyers have become trained to ask for off-markets, putting an unwarranted value on them. They do this in the hope that they’re getting access to something secret and undervalued. But what happens if the property isn’t a secret, and isn’t good value?

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Your top five!

5 Door

As the year draws to a close, I reflect on the many changes to housing that have resulted since the pandemic. This past eighteen months has also thrown us many challenges as we grapple with the impact of inflationary pressures on our lives. The Reserve Bank’s cash rate hikes have played their part too, as…

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What features will buyers break records for?

8 Hamer Square

Yesterday I received a call from a great journalist. He was covering Melbourne’s auction results and asked me to weigh in on a significant result in Brunswick East. The house reportedly sold for some one million dollars above reserve. Once I checked the listing, this record-breaking figure for its land size was no shock to…

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Dummy bidding

Man On Phone

I remember when this practise was ruled out by new legislation. Much of 2002 and 2003’s newsfeed covered the reasons for the crackdown, including citing fines for those caught dummy bidding (or arranging dummy bidders). Agents wondered how the declaration of “vendor bid” would impact auctions, and at the time I recall a broad commitment…

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