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.
Trusts have long been one of the most powerful tools available to property investors. Used properly, they can protect your assets, help with estate planning, and provide flexibility in managing your growing wealth. But used poorly – or set up for the wrong reasons – they can quickly turn into financial handcuffs rather than a…
There’s a well-worn saying in property circles: buy near transport and you’ll do well. But the latest research from Domain on Sydney’s Metro Northwest reminds us that while proximity does pay, it pays unevenly, and often earlier than most investors realise. Domain’s Senior Economist, Dr Joel Bowman, explains it: “Transport infrastructure reshapes local housing markets,…
The late Jim Rohn was a gifted storyteller with dynamic delivery and thought-provoking substance. His philosophy was an important influence on me, so here’s another collection of his quotes to infuse your week with some inspiration: 1. If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need the motivation to speed him up. What he needs…
Gambling has long been a favourite pastime for Aussies and according to a report from Gambling Statistics Australia, we spend an average of $1.9 billion on lotto every year. Of the 6.8 million Australians who like to take a punt, about 76% of them play the lottery. Who is buying all these tickets? When you do…
If you want to get the best deal on a property, it’s going to take more than writing an offer and crossing your fingers it gets accepted. Effective negotiation isn’t rocket science, but it does require knowledge, effort and a fair amount of patience. Before you start offering purchase prices to agents, make sure you’re…
Most people spend their lives chasing happiness, reading countless books and blogs about how to find it. But here’s the irony: being unhappy is far easier. In fact, many of us have already mastered it without even realising. Happiness requires awareness, effort, and conscious choices. Unhappiness, on the other hand, thrives on neglect. It sneaks…
While it’s not typically required by law, most financial products such as ETFs and managed funds report historical investment returns over 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, as well as since inception. This data is incredibly useful, as it allows investors to assess performance over the short, medium, and long term, all of which are…
Let’s face it, we Aussies love a good whinge. We’ll complain about the cost of living, the price of housing, the traffic, our politicians, and even the weather if we run out of other options. It’s part of our cultural DNA, that casual cynicism that coexists with our dry humour and love of understatement. But…
You’re probably reading this blog because you want to become rich. But how much money do you need? A lot of research has gone into whether money does truly make you happy and it has been found that, in general, humans are never satisfied. We always think that if we had a little bit more…
“What do you want your retirement to look like?” Most people pause when I ask that. Then they give vague answers: I want to travel more” or “spend time with the grandkids.” Nice ideas. But vague answers don’t lead to meaningful action. At Metropole, we’ve learned that the best way to help our clients build…
