Posts by Cate Bakos

I’ve met hundreds, if not thousands of investors over my twenty years in the property industry. Some are active clients, others are friends of friends at BBQ’s, parties, etc. People talk openly about investor regret when property is the topic of conversation, and over the years I’ve noted the common investor regrets. Here they are……

Over the years I’ve seen so many floor plans, layouts and yard sizes that just don’t work. Some can be fixed, but at a cost. And often, the cost results in an overcapitalisation.

Our Victorian rental laws have changed and in particular, the “no pets” clause is no longer an option for rental providers. Previously, rental providers, (or landlords as we knew them prior to the reforms) could restrict a renter from having a pet in the property. Things have changed though, and our legislation now enables renters…

Property is a long game. Buying and selling in a short space of time works on occasion, but it’s generally not optimal for the vast majority. This is why we say, “A few years tenure is not enough. There are three reasons, (four, if the property is brand new) why we don’t recommend a purchase…

We’re bombarded with shock headlines and talk of ‘unprecedented’ statistics, but when we take a few steps back from the charts and look at Australian property history with a broader lens, we can truly ask ourselves, “what’s changed?” Today’s Sunday blog contrasts 2013 to today in the charts. Clearly, the most stunning change over the…

The most common question we are getting asked is, “Where is the market at right now?” And our overview may surprise some. We’re in a very strange market at present. Headlines are suggesting that the market has bottomed, while many purchasers who are active in the market are reporting that competition is tough. The competitive…

Ardeer is a little suburb just 14km from Melbourne’s CBD, sitting on a geographical spread of just 2.1 square kms. Ardeer offers rail amenity, access to freeways, and most surprisingly, has a median house price value of $677,000. Ardeer’s history dates back to the 1950’s, and this era of construction is visible throughout Ardeer’s streets…