For many Australians, most of their retirement wealth is tied up in their home. A simple, well-designed program to tap into those trillions in home equity could help boost their retirement incomes. Such a program exists. However, it remains little known and underused. The federal government’s Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) allows older Australians to…
I believe most people spend too much of their lives trying to reduce perceived financial risk. The opportunity cost of this approach is very high and puts lifestyle goals at risk. Too much focus on risk reduction Many people buy a home and then focus on repaying debt. They then upgrade their home and once…
According to Cotality, since its daily index began at the start of 2010, Melbourne house values have risen by around 4% p.a., which is only about 1.3% p.a. above inflation. But of course, not every property has delivered such a mediocre result. That begs the real question: which types of properties have outperformed over this period, and what…
For decades, Australia’s housing market has been powered by a dependable demographic conveyor belt. People pair up, get married, start families, need more space, trade up, and eventually downsize. That tidy progression created suburbs, justified infrastructure, and underwrote a century of housing supply assumptions. But the engine room of household formation is changing – quietly,…
What if I told you that most property investors completely misunderstand how wealth is actually created? They think it’s about buying in the right suburb. Or timing the market. Or finding the next hotspot before everyone else does. But in my experience, after more than five decades of investing and advising clients, the real wealth…
Australia’s property markets have moved into a more complicated phase. At the beginning of the year, many investors were expecting 2026 to be another strong year for property, driven by tight supply, rising incomes, and the ongoing shortage of accommodation in many parts of the country. But as we move through the year, the story…
Have you noticed how impatient we’ve become? We can’t wait for a webpage to load. We get annoyed if a coffee takes four minutes. And yet somehow, we expect building wealth – real, life-changing wealth – to happen quickly. That’s why Warren Buffett nailed it when he said something along the lines of: “The stock…
Australia’s housing debate today often centres on two policies: negative gearing and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount. Many investors argue these settings are essential for housing supply, while critics say they encourage speculation and inflate prices. But there is an interesting historical perspective that is often overlooked. For much of the twentieth century, Australian…
They’re pragmatic, financially savvy, and quietly sitting on some of the biggest property gains in the nation. Generation X – those born between 1965 and 1980 – have become the quiet achievers of Australian real estate. After decades of focusing on work, family, and stability, Gen X now finds itself in a position of significant…
Most people think our property markets are driven by interest rates. But, they’re not. Sure rates matter, but they don’t decide when the market moves. People do. And right now, the market is being pulled by two very different types of buyers who behave in completely different ways. The two types of buyers 1. The…
