Sunday Blog - Expert property investment insights

Every week, without fail I speak to prospective investors who wish to purchase investment properties with high depreciation benefits. Likewise we get targeted by marketing groups offering lucrative commissions for their brand new, Off-The-Plan stock. Explaining why we don’t target brand new comes as a shock to some, but the reason is simple. When depreciation…

This weekend’s clearance rate dipped to the lowest point so far for this year, yet two of the auctions we bid at flew past reserve and had multiple bidders striving for the keys. What was it about these two properties that defied current market conditions? Scarcity. But this late spring market, plagued by finance delays…

Recognising that our needs will change and lifestyle will evolve is important. Provisioning for this in advance can be clever. But how far out is too far out when it comes to predicting your timeframe? I meet with prospective clients often who have this strategy in mind and some reasons are completely rational, yet others are…

In the southern hemisphere we talk about optimal orientation for property as being north-facing. Watching British renovation television programs always reminds me of our universal need for natural light when they place an emphasis on capturing their south-facing sun. The link between limited sunlight and depression is very real for some, and at the very least, we…

Melbourne and Sydney both delivered dismal auction clearance rates this weekend; each sitting under 50%. This marks our lowest point so far this year, and it could well slide below that figure in Melbourne next weekend as we bulk up our auction numbers in what some would term a Super Saturday, making room for our local agents…

What causes it? Why do we dread it? And how can stress be avoided? These two words can turn a busy Buyer’s Advocacy business day from ‘zero to ten’ on the stress meter. Property settlements are carefully worked towards by a host of professional service providers, and when things go wrong the impact can be upsetting…

Melbourne’s auction clearance rates are still sitting between 50 and 60 per cent and at the coal face, many properties are passing in and selling after auction. Our auction clearance data is inconsistent depending on where it is sourced from and how sales are counted.  Core Logic count all sales including prior to auction, post auction…

Sourcing a reliable rental appraisal should be at the top of an investor’s list when considering purchasing an investment property. We aren’t talking about getting the highest number you can get on an agency letterhead; it needs to be an achievable number from a reputable agency that you can confidently base your cashflows on. There…

“Be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy”. Warren Buffett has famously quoted this line and has successfully applied it to varying asset class investment activity. Given that supply and demand drive market prices (whether it be shares, bonds, or property), it is vital for investors (and particularly speculators) to be aware…

In property, the term ‘villa’ is not completely unique, but it is confused. British, American and Europeans are often perplexed by our Melburnian reference to something that is broadly understood by them as a flat or a unit.  And their association with the word villa often conjures up a picture of a mediterranean oasis with grand architecture…

Bidding for investor clients in Ballarat’s beautiful pocket of Soldiers Hill yesterday required some fortitude when the rain arrived. Bracing for the downpour and congested on the little verandah, buyers, onlookers and neighbours gathered to watch the gorgeous two bedroom, renovated weatherboard cottage go under the hammer.   We had selected 303 Ligar St as…

Victorian property legislation has quite a few interesting quirks including the Cooling Off Period. The Coooling Off Period offers buyers the chance to change their mind for any particular reason for three days from the date of signing. There are two things about this benefit that are often surprising for buyers. The first is that…