Sunday Blog
Should I spend $1.8M on one property? Or three?
This is one of the questions we often field. Is one significant property better, or is spreading the risk with multiple smaller properties more optimal? Firstly, let’s explore the reasons behind this question for many investors. Some like the idea of a property portfolio that they can count on two hands. We often hear people…
Read MoreAre there negotiation rules that agents are bound to?
I am often asked by prospective purchasers, “Can an agent do that?” when they have had a disappointing outcome in a pre-auction or negotiation situation. The reality may surprise some. Agents are bound by auction rules, but negotiation and pre-auction scenarios are quite different. When imbalance in our market conditions strike, campaigns are more likely…
Read MoreAsking the right questions
People often ask me how I found out information about a sale. When it comes to negotiation or auction bidding, our job is to establish the facts, read the play, and execute the best strategy with the right tactics. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when we know roughly, (or exactly) where a reserve price…
Read MoreIt’s important to accurately grade property in this buyers market
We use the term “A-Grade” a lot, but what does this really mean, and how do we distinguish between A-Grade and other grades? In this Buyer’s Market, it’s easy to buy a bargain property. The critical element that buyers need to focus on now relates to the quality of the property. Anyone can buy a bargain, but determining whether…
Read MoreFirst home buyers have an edge in Vic
The property market may not have been presenting idyllic conditions for investors in Victoria, and there is plenty of commentary on this topic. However, Victoria has delivered optimal conditions for first homebuyers, and for several reasons. The Victorian (and Federal) governments have historically provided some exciting opportunities to first home buyers, and justifiably so. Looking…
Read MoreWhen is an investment a dud?
Every now and then I’ll take on the task of reviewing an investor’s portfolio. Often, this is initiated by a financial planner. I meet many different investors, and this particular task a few years back has stuck in my mind. The investor had a sizeable portfolio with mixed styles, locations and even had an interstate…
Read MoreWhich cities will outperform in 2025?
It’s that time of year again. Economists, banks and commentators start sharing their predictions for 2025’s capital growth around the nation. Plenty of us do it, but few get it right. Today’s Sunday blog focuses on the predictions for 2024. Who got it right? Who got it wrong, and why? Firstly, let’s consider the annualised…
Read MoreFinding a scarce product
Back in 2019, I blogged about a lovely couple who were struggling to find a well-located, nicely renovated, four-bedroom home in Yarraville. They said they’d been searching for many months and the right house just hadn’t come along. I explained to them, “Many inner-ring suburbs in Melbourne, particularly in the inner-north and inner-west are problematic for people…
Read MoreHouses vs units: where do villa units fit?
Many investors and homebuyers grapple with this question. They worry about the capital growth prospects of a townhouse versus a house, and homebuyers ask themselves whether they will outgrow a townhouse. It’s not that black and white though. Well-located, beautifully proportioned townhouses and villa units can be enticing for tenants and home-buyers alike. Many investors…
Read MoreThe cost of social proof
Have you ever wondered why a property can sit on the market for weeks, and then all of a sudden when you submit an offer, there is suddenly another offer? Many buyers believe that the agent is bluffing. Occasionally they are, but it’s rarer than people imagine. In the majority of cases, the agent does have another buyer. Their…
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