Property repairs and maintenance are a leading cause of argy-bargy between landlords and tenants (and not a lot of fun for the property manager in the middle). Why? Because often the parties are unclear who is responsible for what. Ask landlords, tenants and property managers what is the number one bone of contention at a…
What if Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe and his successor Michele Bullock were able to achieve something truly remarkable – a steady decline in inflation without further interest rate increases, and without bringing on a recession? It’s suddenly looking possible. Inflation is now coming down so quickly worldwide there’s probably no need to push it…
The decoy effect is the phenomenon where consumers swap their preference between two options when presented with a third option. Price is the most delicate element of the marketing mix, and much thought goes into setting prices to nudge us towards spending more. But there’s one particularly cunning type of pricing strategy that marketers use…
Australia’s next Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock – the first woman in the job – will take office in September at a time when much of the bank’s work in fighting inflation will be done and its focus will be on changing the way it operates. She is already the deputy governor, having been appointed…
In all the debate about Australia’s housing crisis, the impact of transport has been largely overlooked. When we talk about transport, it’s usually about time spent commuting and not the out-of-pocket costs. While housing is typically the biggest household cost, spending on transport is the second or third-largest cost – and these costs are inextricably…
Have we reached the peak affordable housing debate in Australia? Or is it a case of that old mountaineering saying: the fog is thickest just before the summit? As someone who has been involved in building innovation for the past decade, what strikes me about the current debate is not its height, but its flatness….
When was the last time you got a pay increase? Was it anywhere near the rate of inflation? If it feels as if your wage is shrinking and cost of living pressures are growing, you’re in good company. And it might just be harming productivity. Here’s why. Labour productivity (measured as gross domestic product per…
It’s a simple question a lot of landlords ask. But the answer is a bit more complex. Read on to find out why. Landlord insurance is all about protecting owners from the unique risks they face when leasing their investment property. In general, the insurance can cover the property itself and/or its contents from a…
Thinking of canceling your landlord insurance policy? Read this first! There’s no denying that the cost of living is on the rise – groceries, petrol, utilities. The cost of managing your rental may also be increasing – with interest rates rising, escalating prices for goods and services impacting routine maintenance and repairs, higher council rates,…
The latest national accounts tell us Australia’s economy grew by just 0.2% in the three months to March. It’s the weakest growth since the economy shrank during the COVID lockdowns, and, before that, the weakest economic growth since December 2018. If economic growth continued at that pace for four quarters, the annual rate would be…
