Sunday Blog

When policy settings shift, behaviour follows. In property markets, that behavioural change can ripple through entire segments and reshape outcomes in ways that aren’t always initially obvious to those who reshape policy. The proposed removal of negative gearing and changes to capital gains tax for established property are significant policy levers. While much of the…

On Tuesday 12th of May, at 7.30pm, our Federal Treasurer announced some significant tax change proposals. Two in particular, negative gearing and capital gains tax, will have an impact on our property markets. Last week, I wrote a blog about both of these tax arrangements. The proposed changes are significant. And they will absolutely skew…

There’s a common misconception that auctions end when the hammer falls. In reality, some of the most important moments begin after the crowd disperses. Yesterday was a perfect example. We attended an auction where we were not the highest bidders. We competed against two other buyers, but the property was passed in to another party…

I get asked this question all the time. It’s not that easy to just list a location though. Property investing should never be a game of picking a hotspot. I’ve learnt my many years of personal property investment what the secret to investment success is. The secret is a wonderful cocktail of many ingredients; One…

Over the weekend, we missed out on a superb, family home for an investor client of ours. This result in Glenroy got me thinking, and it is worth unpacking. The home sold under the hammer for $968,000, above a reserve of $935,000. There were four bidders; three of which were owner occupiers and we represented…

I regularly speak with buyers who include this in their key criteria: “We want to be in a top school zone.” Sometimes they have children, sometimes they don’t. And increasingly, investors are adding it to their criteria too. It’s understandable. The idea of securing a strong public education without private school fees is compelling. In…

In just one month, our market has made a complete shift. January started out strongly in Melbourne, with strong investor enquiry and first home buyer activity defining the start of the year. But throw in two interest rate hikes, a US led Middle Eastern conflict, a pinch of inflation wows, a shake of wallet shock…

When it’s tax time, as investors we get a glimpse into the outgoings and emerging patterns across our property portfolio. With Victoria’s rental law changes that have been applied over recent years, it’s easy to see that operating expenses have increased. We modelled out the list of expenses for each property as a percentage of…

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. Many of us like to enjoy the benefit of sunshine all year round in our homes. A well orientated…