Posts by Cate Bakos

On Wednesday night, I experienced one of the quirkiest auction experiences ever. I secured a property for two very dear clients, and with a mere one dollar bid. That certainly wasn’t my initial strategy, but like all auctions, we have to take stock of the situation, try to understand our opponent’s approach, and think quickly…

We’ve been working in the Ballarat market consistently now for over a decade. Our reasons for selecting Ballarat were always that of balanced growth and yield…. not extreme capital growth. I’ve maintained consistent advisory position when it comes to Ballarat; “it has offered fantastic growth of late, but long term, it isn’t meant to out-perform…

An interesting observation to share relates to the increased rate of auction properties passing in. We have come out of a very heated period of growth and currently, Melbourne’s capital growth rate is quite static. This is unsurprising, given the global unrest, looming federal election and interest rate rise speculation. Each, in their own right…

There is plenty of talk about imminent interest rate rises, heightened petrol prices, inflation, Federal government budget decisions and the impact on the property market, but if we have learnt anything about forecasts and predictions over the last three years, we’ve seen that the banks and many economists’ forecasts haven’t really got it right. Negative…

I am often asked for my thoughts on properties that people are contemplating. Whether it be a BBQ talk, a call from a friend or an enquiry via my email from a prospective client, it happens quite a bit. No property is perfect, but sometimes the imperfections are glaringly obvious at the first click, and…

As Bernard Salt coined in a fantastic lecture a couple of years ago, the HOBO, (home office/broadcasting outlet) emerged rapidly as part of our changing needs once working from home was thrust upon us. Our property searches have changed markedly since COVID struck, but in fact, our search criteria was experiencing significant change for the…

There is a difference between a valuation and an appraisal. It is defined by the qualification held by the person conducting the task, and whether their report can be relied upon in a court of law. An appraisal is the opinion of someone who is experienced and familiar enough with the local area and it…

We all know of and understand lender interest rates. They come in a combination of formats depending on whether we are paying principal and interest, interest only, a fixed interest rate or a variable interest rate. Our interest component within our loan repayments schedules is the cost of borrowing the money. The interest portion all…

First home buyers certainly have their challenges and it’s a well-worn path of any property journalist’s when it comes to documenting the tough plight of the firstie. Beyond the task of saving an adequate deposit, or that of managing a fun lifestyle on a tight savings regime, the less spoken-of challenge relates to their broad…