There’s something psychologically powerful about a suburb joining the “million-dollar club”. Crossing that seven-figure threshold attracts headlines and creates the impression that property values have permanently moved to a higher level. Yet property markets don’t move in straight lines, and the latest figures are just another reminder that median prices can move backwards. According to…
For years, the housing affordability debate has focused heavily on property prices, with the assumption that if home values fall, homes automatically become more affordable. But the latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of Australia remind us that affordability is much more complicated than the price on the contract. Australian house prices softened over…
There are several mistakes that I regularly see property investors make. From emotional investing to failing to mitigate risk or even failing to get the right advice, many property investment mistakes cost a lot of money, time, and stress and can even hijack your investment success. Having helped hundreds of property investors with their property…
There is a dangerous tendency in Australia’s housing debate to assume that anything that makes life harder for property investors must automatically make life easier for first-home buyers and tenants. It’s a good political argument that sounds appealing, particularly when housing affordability is such an emotional issue, but housing markets don’t work in isolation. Investors,…
Most people who start investing in property never make it past their first or second purchase. In fact, around 92% of Australia’s 2.3 million property investors stall out early, and only a tiny fraction, around 20,000 people, ever build a portfolio of six properties or more. That’s a sobering statistic, but it’s not because property…
Let me start with a statement that might make you uncomfortable: Most wealthy people don’t become wealthy by working for money. Sure, they work hard – sometimes harder than anyone else – but they don’t trade hours for dollars the way the average employee does. And that’s the key difference. Because if your wealth depends on…
Do you want to buy an investment property but don’t have the cash readily available for a deposit? The good news is, if you already own a property, there is a way of buying a second property using equity instead. So if you’re wondering how equity works when buying a second home, read on and…
We Australians are very good at finding fault with the cities in which we live. We complain about congestion, expensive housing, crowded trains, planning delays and infrastructure that often seems to arrive years after it is needed. Sure, many of those concerns are justified, but every so often an international comparison allows us to step…
For decades, home ownership has represented much more than having a roof over your head. For many Australians, buying property has been the cornerstone of financial security, a way to create choices during retirement, and perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to leave something meaningful for the next generation. That belief has shaped the financial decisions…
Too often in Australia we hear that population growth or overseas migration is the main driver of rising property values. While more people can drive demand for housing, my experience and the data tell me that economic strength at the local level is far more important. A strong local economy does more than just boost…
