Most readers know that at Metropole  we source investment properties which have development potential for our clients.

The properties we buy are usually older established houses in great positions, typically in Melbourne’s bayside, eastern and southern suburbs.

Using our criteria, we buy properties where land makes up a large proportion of the purchase price. This is because land goes up in value and the dwellings slowly decrease in value over the years. [Read more...]

Not surprisingly, 2010 proved to be a confusing and frustrating year for many property investors. With alarming stories of a property bubble during the first 6 months, followed by headlines proclaiming a market slowdown and falling clearance rates, even the most seasoned investor can be forgiven for feeling a little uneasy.

But while the many alarmist stories coming out of the media have made it seem like fortunes are being made in a matter of months and lost just as quickly, this couldn’t be further from the truth. [Read more...]

With booming immigration and unprecedented long term population growth predicted for Melbourne over the next twenty to thirty years, some commentators are suggesting that Victoria’s capital will outgrow Sydney to become Australia’s largest city by the year 2037.

A recent report from BIS Shrapnel predicts that Melbourne’s long term population growth will be 1.3% per annum, while the forecast for Sydney is that annual growth will drop from 1.1% to 0.9%. [Read more...]

As the property market takes a breather and prices that were booming earlier this year start to cool off, it’s important for investors to remember one of the critical rules when it comes to buying property; location is key.

When we enter the slower phase of a property cycle, as seems to be occurring now, the importance of location becomes very apparent. [Read more...]

As a property buyer’s advocate, I see all kinds of properties listed for sale, in varying levels of condition.

On first viewing, my mental checklist ticks over as I prepare an assessment to match the property to a prospective buyer.

But nothing prepared me for this. [Read more...]