Sunday Blog - Expert property investment insights

RECHARGE & RELOAD YOUR PROPERTY GAME.

Screen Shot 2019 10 20 At 11.00.10 Am

Who *are* the buyers?

By Cate Bakos | October 20, 2019

2019 has been an unusual year indeed. As stated last week by a auctioneer, it’s been a year of two distinctly different halves. The Federal election augmented our year on May 18th, and along with the surprise result came a surge in positive sentiment, pent-up intent to buy, and stronger capacity to do so with…

IMG 4855

Underquoted? Or did the vendor re-calibrate?

By Cate Bakos | October 13, 2019

It is peak auction season in Melbourne and despite some busy auction schedules for agency offices, we still have a relative undersupply of property for sale. When we overlay this with increased buyer sentiment, (ie. returning investors, cashed up baby-boomers, motivated first home buyers and upgraders), we still have a market imbalance. Our auction clearance…

How does street scape rank?

By Cate Bakos | October 6, 2019

As Buyer’s Advocates, we carry a two-part criterion checklist with us every time we assess a property. Our list incorporates “must-haves” and “nice to haves”, and we constantly balance the art and the science that is required to grade a property. Elements like train station proximity, access to the city/airport/schools, walking distance to cafes/shops are…

Screen Shot 2019 09 28 At 8.49.26 Am

One of my earlier property mistakes

By Cate Bakos | September 28, 2019

Back in 1999, I bought my second property. It was no means my eventual dream home, in fact it was quite disgusting. We paid $97,000 for it, which at the time was an exciting achievement. It was the only remaining house on a generous block of land within 600m to the beach and near to…

Screen Shot 2019 09 21 At 3.18.05 Pm

Why a home that has been loved and lived in can be a great investment

By Cate Bakos | September 21, 2019

We help clients buy residential property with all kinds of histories; from down-sizers selling family homes to subdivided lots, from renovated period houses to rugged blank canvases. There is one particular category of home that ensures any challenges and teething problems are minimised, and that is a home that has been loved and lived in.…

##Flemington

How a football game and a horse race determine a city’s auction schedule

By Cate Bakos | September 15, 2019

Our auction clearance rates in Melbourne have grown quickly since the Federal election and the reason for this has been the perfect combination, (or perfect storm, as buyers would see it) of a heightened positive buyer sentiment and tight stock shortage. Vendors seem to be the last to catch on to the fact that a…

Kisspng Stock Photography Royalty Free Question Mark Illus Thinking Person 5a8b0f7ca89c89.9808901215190629086906

Resetting Price Expectations

By Cate Bakos | September 8, 2019

When markets adjust abruptly, typical analytical routines can become very challenging. In the property industry, the reliability of relevant data such as comparable sales comes into question, and it’s not just agents who struggle to keep up. Buyers and vendors also experience confusion around price expectation because their data points are changing at a rapid…

Auction

Know your auctioneer

By Cate Bakos | September 1, 2019

Most buyers would approach an auction with trepidation and caution. Plenty don’t have a firm plan. And very few would be on first-name terms with the auctioneer, but they should be. In most cases, we make sure we meet and greet the auctioneer every time before we bid. Knowing the listing agent and being familiar…

How reliable is your Statement of Information?

By Cate Bakos | August 25, 2019

Now that property values in Melbourne are back on the rise after a miserable downturn, one social observation is loud and clear. Buyers are getting upset about under-quoting. This increased upset has struck consistently over the cycles as our market has started to show green shoots and spell recovery. Buyers who sat back to adopt…

Donut1

The scarcity value of inner-ring property

By Cate Bakos | August 18, 2019

Over the last two decades in particular, many Melburnians have gravitated to a more inner urban lifestyle where they can enjoy cafe precincts and connectivity to their favourite places without the need for a car. Since the days of the ‘quarter acre block with the Hills-hoist in the yard’, our preferences have shifted to a…

TEam Pic

What does team cohesion really mean?

By Cate Bakos | August 16, 2019

This month marks five years for us in business on our own. From a directorship in a bigger firm prior, to taking on a humble little office in our early days in Yarraville, we love our sun-filled office above the Post Office. Having helped over 800 clients since opening our doors, it’s been an exciting…

Powerball

Clarifying Off-Markets

By Cate Bakos | August 11, 2019

Prospective clients ask us all the time, “Do you get access to properties that aren’t advertised?” We do. All the time. They are called Off-Market properties, and just over a quarter of our acquisitions are done off-market. But not all off-markets are good. The difference between a good off-market and a bad one comes down…

REGISTER TO OUR NEWSLETTER

CONTACT US

1A/58 ANDERSON STREET,

YARRAVILLE VIC 3013

0422 638 362

03 7000 6026

CATE@CATEBAKOS.COM.AU

CONNECT WITH US