Sunday Blog - Expert property investment insights

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…

I remember years ago, hearing a conveyancer say, “and I had to be firm. I told the caller that their lack of planning was not going to be my emergency.” What was she talking about? She had a prospective client decide to purchase at auction without a contract review, and it wasn’t until the contract…

This blog comes all the way from sunny Hanoi in Vietnam, a beautiful place I’ve chosen to recharge my batteries in with my family during the summer break. Arriving in a new country comes with its surprises and the little tips I’ve picked up from locals during my stay has reminded me of some of…

Today is 22nd December. Christmas is just three days away. Solicitor’s offices are now all closed and buyers have decided that they’ll enjoy the festive cheer and recommence their property search in 2020. But are vendors and agents doing the same? No, not at all. This year has been an unusual year in property for…

We have all seen and questioned this before; does the order of an auction have any impact, (positive or negative) on the outcome of the auction or the resultant sale price? Auction television shows like “The Block” fuel conversation around this phenomenon, where viewers and participants alike wonder whether they are in a position of…

Due diligence counts for everything. It’s the hardest, most time-intensive part of our process. From strategy formulation to searching, bidding to settling, due diligence is a critical and serious step in the process. So what is due diligence? In our case, it involves us considering every possible negative facet and either eliminating the risk, or…

This year has been one of the most dynamic years we’ve had in property. 2019 has marked a year that was punctuated by one of the most dramatic corrections we have experienced. From a tough downturn to a heated run, buyers, vendors, agents and valuers would understandably feel confused. Our Federal Election, coupled with RBA…

This is a bit of a self-indulgent blog. Victorian Terrace houses are, without a doubt my favourite type of dwelling. They hold a certain mystique because the only visible section of a terrace is typically its slim, unassuming facade, yet behind the (often inspiring) front door is a bustling home that goes on and on.…

Villa units have many identities, depending on which state or country you are in. In Melbourne, they are single level units, typically in strata complexes ranging from four to 10 in number, and they usually date back to the 1960-1980 period. They smaller than houses, but bigger than most apartments and they have land on…

Buyers often say to us “We hate auctions. Can’t we buy it prior?” Sometimes making an offer on a property prior to auction is the appropriate action to take, but only when the following three elements align; The vendor, agent and agent’s legal rep are each prepared to sell the property prior to auction The…

Australians are well known for their affinity towards property. We seem to have an obsession with it, from television shows to investor portals to podcasts. Interestingly, 27% of Australian property is owned by investors by number, and 24% by value. ‘Mum and Dad’ investors make up a huge proportion of property investors and property investors…

Yesterday was a Super-Saturday for Melbourne, officially termed for weekends with more than a thousand auctions. Not only that, but it was our largest auction number so far for 2019. A whopping 1400 auctions were held across our state yesterday. Most of us would have anticipated a slight decline in the auction clearance rate, given…