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.
Let me ask you a confronting question. Are you where you thought you’d be financially by now? If you’re like most Australians, the answer is probably “not quite” – and that’s OK. In fact, you’re not alone. But let’s take a step back for a moment and really think about why that is. Because if…
What does it take to be in the top 1% of wealthy people? Is it a matter of luck, hard work, education, or perhaps a combination of these? And more importantly… why do so few people actually get there, even though most dream about it? We know that true wealth is much more than how…
We often talk about the rising cost of living, but new research shows just how much pressure it’s putting on everyday Australians, so much so that millions are dipping into their own pockets to keep loved ones afloat. According to Finder, more than 7.7 million Australians have given financial help to friends or family in…
For decades, owning a home has been the cornerstone of the great Australian dream. It has symbolised not just financial security, but also stability, belonging, and a pathway to wealth creation. But that dream is slipping away for many Australians. In 1996, nearly three-quarters of Australian households owned their own home. By the 2021 Census,…
I hate to repeat what everyone else is saying, but clearly, we are living in challenging times. Despite all the bad news in the media, with economic problems, geopolitical problems, and cost-of-living pressures, there is also good news out there if you look for it. But there’s no doubt there are still many challenges ahead…
The average individual performs far below their abilities. They do what they have to do to survive; to get by. They avoid taking risks that could disrupt their lives. True success is the byproduct of unleashing your innate abilities; exposing them to the light of day for all to see. But this requires risk. That…
A recent report has claimed that Australia is drifting towards becoming a “homeowners’ welfare state.” It’s a provocative headline, but is it really the full story? Yes, it’s true that tax settings and government policies have long favoured homeownership, but rather than seeing this as a handout, we should recognise it as a deliberate choice…
![[PODCAST] The Great Australian Dream in Crisis: What the Data Isn’t Telling You With Simon Kuestenmacher](https://cdn.propertyupdate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/699_The_Great_Australian_Dream_in_Crisis-SK-Youtube-cover-270x200.jpg)
Today, Simon Kuestenmacher and I discuss a topic that’s at the heart of the “Great Australian Dream”: homeownership. For over a century, owning your own home was not just a rite of passage—it was an expectation. But that dream is slipping further out of reach for millions of Australians, particularly younger generations. We discuss the…
Will today’s younger generations end up wealthier, happier, and more secure than their parents? That used to be a no-brainer. For much of Australia’s modern history, each generation climbed the economic ladder higher than the one before it. More education, better jobs, bigger homes, longer lives. But that narrative is now being questioned, especially by…
Higher rental costs are reshaping the value proposition of the First Home Guarantee, with new analysis from Cotality comparing the additional cost of time in the rental market and potential LMI costs, with the additional interest cost of a 5% deposit home loan. While the scheme comes with higher interest costs, the savings on rent…
