SUNDAY BLOG

We’ve been busy during COVID-19 Stage Four lockdown with some demographic research. We have focused on some interesting socio-demographic measures, rates of change of some key measures and in particular, some financial indicators that spell change for some suburbs. Over the coming weeks we will be preparing a paper on our findings and we will…

Melburnians have been in Stage Four lockdown since 3 August. Many industry categories have been completely shut down and as such, some businesses have been grounded during this time. Specifically, the restrictions on the real estate industry have completely halted all campaign inspections. The only permitted activity has been in relation to contractual final inspections…

This concept confuses so many, yet it shouldn’t be confusing. Perhaps we over-complicate it, or perhaps we associate it with detailed tax calculations. Whatever the reason, it isn’t complex and below will describe it in clear, simple terms. Gearing is a word that refers to the ratio of borrowings to owners’ equity in a business…

A special levy is a capital raising exercise that is coordinated by an Owner’s Corporation (or Strata company) when funds are required for something that wasn’t budgeted for. The levies can sometimes be demure, but more often than not they signal something more serious or sinister. Special levies can be a once-off surcharge, a series…

Last week on our podcast, The Property Planner, Buyer and Professor we each shared our greatest property mistakes. I’ve written about mine before, in fact it’s the very first chapter of my book. I asked for advice from someone I trusted and I didn’t take it. As a cautious and relatively impressionable young adult, I…

In property circles, this term often comes up. It is easy to identify after it has taken place, but is a serious challenge for speculative investors to predict. Being able to forecast a suburb that is about to undergo rapid gentrification is a special skill that requires a strong grasp of statistics and the ability…

Three weeks ago I wrote about an emerging trend at our coalface; a marked increase in buyer enquiry and activity for holiday houses and regional tree-change and sea-change properties. Following that Sunday Blog, I explored where our discretionary spending as a nation used to go, and what our COVID-19 lockdown measures have altered. The focus…

First homebuyer challenges are often a topic of discussion in politics, media, and of course socially, at BBQ’s, dinner parties and within social circles. Plenty of people weigh in with their thoughts about whether incentives are the right way to support those entering the market, and statisticians and produced interesting trends to demonstrate the affect…

While there are many individuals and households that have been negatively impacted financially by COVID-19, there are also plenty who haven’t been adversely affected. In fact, some businesses and sectors are thriving as a result of the new demands that the pandemic has placed on their skillsets or businesses. Our Government aggressively stepped in with…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck our shores at the beginning of 2020, our entire way of socialising, working, educating our children and, well… living has changed. It is little surprise that a vast number of people have reconsidered where they live. We’ve felt it at the coalface. Our percentage of owner-occupier briefs outside of our…

We all groaned when Dan Andrews announced Stage 3 restrictions last week. Parents felt that pang of anxiety at the mere thought of containing young children in the house while juggling work pressures. Small business owners, (me included) scrambled for clarification of enforceable work changes and our teenage children rolled their eyes and wondered if…

Lending has changed dramatically since I was a mortgage broker, (over a decade ago). Since the GFC we’ve experienced a credit crunch, a pandemic, a large number of first home buyer incentives, and a proliferation of online lending resources. Banks have always traditionally provided their customers a pre-approval service, but pre-approvals are not what they…