4 big lies about property investing: Are you being fooled?

The lion’s share of your property’s value is in the land, therefore you should always buy houses rather than apartments.

Have you heard that one before? 

It’s an oldie but a goodie and harks back to those days when everyone believed a house on a quarter-acre block would always be the most sought-after property.

Generally speaking, houses are more valuable than apartments – at least if you’re looking in the same location.

But that doesn’t mean houses are always the best investment, or that "family-friendly" apartments are not capable of delivering substantial profits.

Try telling that to the many investors who bought established apartments in the inner or middle ring suburbs of Sydney or Melbourne a decade ago and who’ve seen the value of their properties increase significantly since then.

Over the last few years "investment grade" apartments have held their values well and their owners have done better than many who bought houses in the outer suburbs.

So let’s look at three other common “lies” you’ll hear about property investing.

Property lie #2: The “Australian property market”

It always makes me chuckle when I hear someone talk about the ‘Australian property market’, or the ‘New South Wales property market’.

In fact, digging deeper and even referring to the ‘Sydney property market’ or the "Brisbane property market" is a fallacy.

You see…each of our capital cities is comprised of dozens of suburbs, and each one operates with different supply and demand drivers and varying fundamentals, which combine to determine the performance of that specific market.

To drill down even further, within each suburb there are varying factors related to location that can impact a property’s value.

A house on the water with uninterrupted ocean views, in a street full of multi-million dollar homes?

Obviously, that’s going to be worth more than a house of the same size, age, and quality that is located three streets away in an unkempt cul-de-sac, where the only views are of housing commission flats.

Fact: There is no such thing as ‘one' property market.

Each state has multiple markets created by different geographic locations, different price points, and different types of property.

Property lie #3: House values double every decade or so

You’ll often hear people say that properties double in value every 7 to 10 years. 

That’s just not true.

While statistics show the median price in Melbourne and Sydney doubled every ten years for the last 4o years, properties in other capital cities didn’t perform so well.

And some Melbourne and Sydney properties outperformed their state averages while others underperformed and didn’t double in value... I guess that’s how averages work.

Fact: Not all property is created equal and you can’t just buy any property and hope it will make a good investment and substantial rise in value.

The secret is finding an “investment grade” property that will outperform the averages.

Property lie #4: You should always buy at the bottom of the property cycle

You’ve probably seen the ‘property clock’ which depicts the cyclical nature of the property market with midnight representing the peak of the ‘hot market’, and 6 o’clock representing the bottom of the cycle. 

At a very simplistic level, it makes sense to buy at the bottom of the market, but that’s not the only factor that matters and the bottom is only one day which none of the experts can pick till the market has moved on.

Sure buying at the bottom of the cycle may mean that you score a bargain – but if that market stays in the doldrums for several years (or longer), then what have you really achieved?

Just ask those who bought in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, or most regional centers a few years ago and are still waiting for those markets to move.

On the other hand, look at Sydney’s or Melbourne's recent performance.

Other than the last 2 years, many properties there have increased in value by well over 10 per year for the four or five years before that.

In fact, it’s been a rising market (with stops and starts) since 2008.

But according to conventional wisdom, buyers should have stayed away once the market started rising (having missed the bottom), however, if you had listened to this advice, you would have missed out on substantial profits.

Fact: Buying near the bottom of the cycle may seem like a great idea – it’s what  some people call “hot spotting.” I call it speculating!

You make your money when you buy your property, not because you bought it cheaply, but because you bought the right property – one that will be in continuous strong demand by a wide range of owner-occupiers who can afford to and be prepared to pay to live there.

Of course, these are just some of the many common “lies” being perpetrated about property – there are dozens more to be wary of.

My point is to be careful about what ‘wisdom’ you believe when analysing the property market and the potential deals within it, as it’s easy to be fooled by fiction dressed up as fact.

Now is the time to take advantage of the opportunities the current property markets are offering.

Sure the markets are moving on, but not all properties are going to increase in value. Now, more than ever, correct property selection will be critical.

You can trust the team at Metropole to provide you with direction, guidance, and results.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor, at times like we are currently experiencing you need an advisor who takes a holistic approach to your wealth creation and that's exactly what you get from the multi-award-winning team at Metropole.

We help our clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through a range of services including:

1. Strategic property advice. – Allow us to build a Strategic Property Plan for you and your family.  Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now! Click here to learn more
2. Buyer’s agency – As Australia’s most trusted buyers’ agents we’ve been involved in over $4Billion worth of transactions creating wealth for our clients and we can do the same for you. Our on the ground teams in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane bring you years of experience and perspective – that’s something money just can’t buy. We’ll help you find your next home or an investment-grade property.  Click here to learn how we can help you.
3. Wealth Advisory – We can provide you with strategic tailored financial planning and wealth advice. Click here to learn more about we can help you.
4. Property Management – Our stress-free property management services help you maximise your property returns. Click here to find out why our clients enjoy a vacancy rate considerably below the market average, our tenants stay an average of 3 years and our properties lease 10 days faster than the market average.

About Brett Warren Brett Warren is National Director of Metropole Properties and uses his two decades of property investment experience to advise clients how to grow, protect and pass on their wealth through strategic property advice.