Michael has been once again voted Australia’s leading property investment advisor by the readers of ‘Your Investment Property Magazine’, but he’s not a theorist… He has been successfully investing in property since 1971 and is a leading property commentator and Australia’s most widely read property investment blogger. Join over 115,000 others who get their updates from Michael and his group of expert guest bloggers and benefit from their perspective.
It’s no secret that Australians are now valuing sustainable, energy-efficient homes not just for environmental reasons but as a smart way to save money. With the cost of living pressures escalating, incorporating energy-efficient features into homes is becoming a financially savvy strategy. This trend is especially relevant as high utility bills are increasingly stretching household…
One of the skills of being a good negotiator is knowing when not to talk but to listen. I have found that many inexperienced negotiators are too eager to show off just what they know. This can work against them as they often reveal too much too soon, in particular about what they are willing…
Most people have met “Ron” but probably don’t realise it. Ron is not some long-lost Great Uncle or even the person you always smile at at the local café but never got around to learning their name. No, that is because Ron is short for “Later Ron”, which is that old chestnut that’s also called…
Recently one of my nephews, who has suddenly taken an interest in the property, asked me: “You’ve been investing for a long time – If you could go back 40 or 50 years, what would you have liked to know then that would have made you do things differently?” Now that’s a great question, isn’t…
Australia’s rental vacancy rate has hit a historic low of close to zero. The latest estimate from SQM Research is 1.1%. The latest estimate from the property listing firm Domain is 0.7%. As would be expected with hardly any of Australia’s rental properties vacant and available for rent, rents have soared – at first in…
The landscape of retirement in Australia is shifting. Thanks to COVID-19, many Australians postponed their transition into their golden years. Recent figures, however, are indicating a significant trend: we’ve possibly reached the peak retirement age. A gradual increase has been observed over the decades in the age of retirement In an article published in the…
Some of the most attractive homes are hiding a stack of problems. That is the thing about property flaws: they’re hidden beneath the house, in the walls, or are simply hard to detect with the naked eye. You end up falling in love with the home, its attractive décor, and you buy it. Then six…
Australia’s housing market has become harder for first-home buyers to access over time. The past two decades saw an increase of around 150% in the CoreLogic Home Value Index nationally, compared with an 82% rise in the ABS Wage Price Index. As a result, the wealth of property owners looking to buy their next home…
In a remarkable display of market strength, Australian homeowners in key capitals have witnessed their property equity soar by over $100,000 in just the past year. The PropTrack Home Price Index for March reveals a noteworthy trend: even with a surge in listings, property prices have not only held firm but reached new heights, underscoring…
Sophisticated investors understand their portfolios are the equivalent of income-producing businesses and wealth-creation vehicles. What I mean is they don’t adopt a set-and-forget attitude, and then naively hope that it all works out in their financial favor… someday! Rather, just like business owners, they make sure they have the necessary insurance in place to protect…
