What if I told you the single biggest threat—or opportunity—for your wealth creation journey could be something you never saw coming? In the early 1980s—long before there was a TV show by the same name—economist Dr. Don Stammer taught me to always watch out for the “X Factor.” These are the wild cards of the…
Making a profit in renovating a property seems like a very attractive proposition. Buy low, renovate cheap, and add substantial value is the aim of the game. It sounds simple enough, right? While there is always a strong demand for renovated properties – as there are always people wanting to move into a property that…
You’ve probably noticed the headlines predicting doom and gloom — again. Recession whispers are growing louder, with interest rate falls, global uncertainty, and consumer stress dominating the news. But are we really headed for a recession here in Australia? According to Shane Oliver, Chief Economist at AMP, the answer is a reassuring no. And I…
Have you ever stopped to think how far Australia has come in the past 60 years? In 1966, we were a nation of 11 million, fresh off switching from pounds, shillings, and pence to dollars and cents. That transition was more than monetary. It symbolised our shift from being a British outpost to finding our…
National rents rose 1.7% over the March quarter, up from 0.4% in the December quarter, according to CoreLogic’s latest Quarterly Rental Review. However, this uptick is largely seasonal, with the 1.7% rise in rents over the three months to March marking the slowest Q1 growth since 2019 (1.0%) and is a full percentage point below…
A select few areas in Australia generate most of our wealth. Whilst some are often a very long commute from where many Australians live, in general more people want to live closer to these economic generators, hence the rising attraction for more compact living. But most cannot fit into or afford to live in a…
As the election campaign rolls on, housing has been, unsurprisingly, a major campaign focus. We’ve seen a series of housing policy announcements from across the political spectrum, including duelling announcements from the major parties in recent days. Labor will expand access to their Help to Buy and Home Guarantee schemes by either raising or removing…
When Brisbane won the right to host the 2032 Olympics, most people saw it as a sporting milestone. But savvy property investors saw something else entirely — the beginning of a new long term property cycle fuelled by infrastructure, urban renewal, and global attention. And it’s already happening. We’ve seen this before — and we…
When we think of entrepreneurs we often think of trailblazers forging ahead on their own, someone who’s doing something different or creating something new. While it’s true that in order to achieve financial freedom you’ll have to rely on your own wits and talents, it’s also true that no one succeeds on their own. If…
Beware, property investors! If you’re considering investing in Melbourne’s enticing property market, it is a double-edged sword, filled with potential success but also hidden pitfalls and deceptive lures. Now that most commentators believe there is considerable upside in the languishing Melbourne market, interstate investors are flocking to Melbourne, drawn by visions of lucrative returns and…