A look into my own investing journey

Shop Square

This last of my three own investment examples isn’t what I’d call an accidental purchase, but nor was it primarily an opportunistic purchase. It was more of a safety purchase… but it’s worked out to be a great investment. Back in 2008, as the depths of fear peaked during the GFC, we purchased a short-term…

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A look into my own investing journey

Spotswood Square

This is the second of a set of three Sunday blogs that look into some of my own property investments. I’ve penned this to share my mistakes and my outcomes…. and to demonstrate the power of patience and time. This particular purchase was opportunistic on my part. Our property portfolio was largely consumed by houses,…

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A look into my own investing journey

Frankston North Square

The next three Sunday blogs are a look into some of my own property investments. I’ve penned this to share my mistakes and my outcomes…. and to demonstrate the power of patience and time. I’ve been a buyers advocate for thirteen years now, and I first started working in the real estate industry twenty years…

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Riding the storm

Storm

Plenty of investors make an early decision to sell a property. Life doesn’t always go to plan, and things can change. Today’s blog is about the decisions to sell that are later regretted. Property is a long game. Very few investors build wealth over a short period, and often a short term tenure can trigger…

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What can you buy with $500,000?

Theatre Square

I’m often asked if a $500,000 budget can secure a good property asset. Some capital growth investors may argue, but the answer is yes.

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What I’d tell my younger self

Cate Bakos High School

It’s an interesting thought. I’d tell myself many, many things. Mostly I’d tell my younger self not to do a lot of the things that my parents warned me about. But when it comes to property and building wealth, there are four key things I’d tell my younger self. The first thing I’d tackle relates…

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Will Melbourne apartments bounce back?

Apartment Square

If you ask any investor who purchased an apartment back in 2010 if they were happy with their purchase, you’d likely hear some mixed sentiment. Plenty of advisors supported apartment purchases, and for good historical reasons. This chart may come as a surprise, but for a good few years prior to 2003, the national unit…

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Avoiding a bidding war

Auction History

If I had a dollar for every buyer who had said to me, “Cate, I don’t want to enter into a bidding war”, I’d have a lot of full piggybanks. It’s an understandable avoidance, particularly for those who have had their hearts set on a property, only to be outbid by someone else’s higher offer.…

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Why do agents resist pre-auction offers?

Cate Signing

Pre-auction offers are a common topic. Many agents are asked by purchasers whether their vendors would consider selling a property prior to auction. Unsurprisingly, the vendor’s (and agent’s) willingness to accept offers prior varies with the market sentiment. When the property market is languishing or falling, offers prior to auction are welcomed, and in fact…

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