SUNDAY BLOG

Gone are the days of vendors brewing coffee, baking cookies and buying a posie of flowers in preparation for opens. These days we have professional stylists, furniture hire companies, TV shows featuring property ‘flipping’, colour consultants, and agencies to make it all happen in a short stint of just a few days. Engaging these services…

This year we’ve been able to be a part of quite a few First Home Buyer purchases and particularly of late. With the introduction of the full Stamp Duty Concession for purchases under $600,000 since July 1 2017, this contingent has been a powerful force in the metro markets. Aside from dealing with inexperience, competitive…

With only five auction weekends remaining for 2017 we are preparing our clients for the pre-Christmas buying conditions. Unlike previous months we are currently seeing higher levels of stock on the market and we can anticipate some vendor and agent-driven subtle changes that are hallmarks of the approaching Festive Season. Most vendors facing a late…

A suburb wedged between two parks, boasting stunning Victorian and Edwardian era homes just 2.5km from Geelong’s city centre with beach access is one of our favourite underrated suburbs of 2017. Rippleside is one of Geelong’s tiniest suburbs; with less than 500 inhabitants and a mere ~200 homes gracing its pretty streets. Nestled between even-tinier Drumcondra…

Property prices can be hard to predict sometimes. Outcomes don’t always go to plan and there will always be the surprise results that we call anomalies. Every time we meet a home buyer and commence the assignment with our new client we discuss the need for our assignment to  focus on areas and dwelling types…

What are some of the options for First Home Buyers with a circa-$500,000 budget when they ideally want a character house, a nice sized backyard and proximity to cafes, train and shops? Geelong…. just 75km from Melbourne, 55 minutes’ drive on the freeway and an easy train ride into Southern Cross Station. Our most recent…

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…

A very common myth we continually bust is the idea that large landsize trumps smaller (and even subdivided) blocks. Of course, when land values per square meter are equal and the land is not affected by easements, restrictions or covenants, the larger parcel will always be preferred.  But how do we decide which property will…

Two years ago this month, I collaborated with my (then 21 year old) stepson to help him onto the property ladder. He was still living at home with his Mum, work was an easy commute and he had no reason to consider buying his own home. Having grown up around property investment though, he knew…