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…
You have probably heard that to be a successful investor you need to diversify. The old saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. Diversification can occur with different types of assets, but also within those asset classes. It’s suggested that this is a way to minimise risks and maximise your returns over…
You can spend all day debating interest rates, immigration, building approvals, auction clearance rates and what the RBA might do next. But if you want to understand what really drives capital growth in the medium term, you need to look past the property headlines and follow the money. And in a city or region, money…
Australia’s population just ticked past 28 million people, and the timing tells you everything you need to know about the forces driving our property market. Back in 2003, the ABS published its official population projections and forecast that Australia would reach 26.4 million people by the year 2051 – assuming net overseas migration of around…
Granny flats seem like a smart investment idea, don’t they? You build a modest dwelling in your backyard, rent it out, and voilà — a little extra income stream. But before you dive into the idea of building a granny flat on your property, let’s take a closer look. The reality is that granny flats…
Every time the government tinkers with property tax settings, a wave of investors ends up making decisions they later regret. I’m worried we’re about to see it happen again, and on a fairly large scale. The 2026 federal budget has, quite deliberately, made new build properties the most tax-friendly residential option available to investors. If…
It feels like the year has barely begun, and already our housing markets are under pressure. An interest rate rise. Talk of tax reform. Political instability here and overseas. If you only listened to the headlines, you’d think the foundations of Australia’s property market were starting to crack. They’re not. In fact, we’ve just been…
Build-to-rent is increasingly being positioned as the solution to Australia’s rental housing shortage. The concept sounds compelling: large institutions funding purpose-built rental housing, professionally managed, designed specifically for long-term tenants, and held in single ownership rather than sold off to individual buyers. And to be clear, in my mind build-to-rent (BTR) has a legitimate role…
