Posts by Cate Bakos

Over the past three months, I’ve met plenty of buyers who are in a position to buy. Their pre-approval is sorted, deposit is sitting in the account, and they are genuinely able to transact today. And yet they’re sitting on their hands, waiting for a “proper” downturn to hand them a bargain before they’ll move.…

We have seen an interesting switch in investor activity since the Budget announcement on 12 May 2026. Prior to the recent negative gearing tax changes, Victoria had received strong investor interest from many interstate buyers. They were broadly targeting dated houses in established areas on full-sizeed blocks of land. The $700,000 – $1,200,000 price point…

I had a conversation this week from a buyer who has been sitting on the sidelines since last year, intermittently inspecting property for his first home purchase. He was concerned he had missed his chance, wondering whether it was too late, had the window closed, should he have moved sooner. I told him what I…

I had a call this week from a client who has been contemplating a home upgrade for the better part of a year. Her question was the one I hear almost daily right now: “Is this actually a good time to buy, or am I about to make a mistake?” I understood the hesitation completely.…

There is something very seductive about a cheap apartment. A buyer sees an established apartment in a great location with a price tag that looks surprisingly modest, and it is easy to think, What’s the catch? Sometimes there isn’t one. But sometimes the catch is sitting in the owners corporation records, buried in an AGM…

Yesterday I had an inspection to conduct with clients in Geelong. My daughter was on the road with me too, happy to sit in the car, waiting for me as I completed my inspections. She seemed surprised as we drove down some Geelong West streets. “Mumma, this streetscape feels like Seddon”, she said. It dawned…

Sometimes when I’m writing this Sunday Blog, I like to shine a spotlight on a suburb that consistently earns its place on buyers’ shortlists, and often this is following an exciting purchase. This week, it’s Coburg. An exciting townhouse purchase for lovely clients of ours prompted today’s blog. This well-presented townhouse with lock up garage…

Every winter, Victorian buyers begin asking the same question: When will more homes come onto the market? It’s a fair question. Throughout much of winter, the biggest frustration for buyers is the a lack of quality listings. Across Melbourne’s established suburbs, well-positioned homes continue to attract strong enquiry and competitive bidding, yet buyers often find…

Investing in established property as we knew it has completely changed. On 12 May 2026, the Labour government announced some proposed changes to both negative gearing and capital gains discounts, and since then the proposed changes have been legislated. Negative gearing benefits for those who either owned, (or had entered into a contract) before 7.30pm…