SUNDAY BLOG

Five years ago, while inspecting a line up of properties in Ballarat for a client, the agent I’d asked to show me through the properties stopped outside the second one, turned to me and said, “Cate, I need to tell you this. Something not-so-great happened in this house. I know how much you care about…

It’s been two and a half weeks since this pandemic was announced, and a lot has happened in two and a half weeks. A lot of turmoil, a lot of upset, a lot of announcements and a lot of change. Who knew we’d be thrust into the various situations we find ourselves in? And who…

There is no doubt about it. Buyer’s Agents are finding that a significant portion of their current clients are opting to put their search on hold, but not all clients are doing so. In fact, roughly half of our clients have been clear that their purchase strategy and timeframe stay on course as per their…

This would be my latest Sunday blog ever. It’s 10pm. I don’t think I’ve ever worked continuously through a weekend like I have this weekend. It’s been utterly strange. From last minute boardroom auction notifications to urgent agent calls, alerting me to a property selling, weekend solicitor reviews and hurried second inspections, buyer behaviour has…

We are often asked the question, “will I recoup the fee I pay from your negotiating power?” The answer is, “maybe, but not necessarily.” It is almost impossible to measure. We can’t simulate the same negotiation again with a DIY negotiator as the variable. Consumers seek the services of a Buyers Agent for multiple reasons,…

Now that Melbourne’s dismal property market downturn is behind us and auction clearance rates have struck 80%, many property pundits are contemplating their missed opportunity and feeling despondent about the fact that they could have, (-but didn’t) purchase an investment property in the pre-election, buyer’s market conditions. Taking this property as a case in point; past clients…

The importance of selecting a great property manager can’t be understated. We adopt a seven step process with our investor clients, and the interviewing, selection and matching of a great property manager is one of our seven steps. Our team even consists of a dedicated Post-Sales Advocate to fulfil this important selection and introduction. Being…

Nobody likes it. Plenty of investors don’t understand it. There is often some degree of controversy around it, and the rules are quite confusing. So how do we navigate land tax? Land tax is a state-based tax, not a federal tax. All of the states have varying tax rates and tax thresholds*, with the Northern…

The number of people I’ve met who believe that auction success is solely based on budget is numerous. Plenty of buyers believe that bidding style has zero impact on their chances of success. What they misunderstand is two-fold. Firstly, they are assuming that every other potential bidder is resistant to any sense of fear, intimidation,…

These days we inspect plenty of properties with retro-fitted solar panels and inverter controls. Since the introduction of government initiatives, (both State Government means-tested and Federal incentives), we’ve witnessed a strong uptake in solar energy adoption. Just over two million households, or 21 per cent of Australian households have solar panels. While most solar panel…