The Property Couch

The Property “Loophole”… is it a myth?! If you’re interested in investing in property, at some point or another you’re probably going to run into someone who tells you about some “secret loophole” – whether it be about property, tax, SMSFs… you name it – that you can use to, ahh, exploit the system. Well, folks… let’s just call it out, shall we? Because there’s a MASSIVE difference between a Pipe...

If there’s one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s this… “Job Security is Everything”. But if we think about it… is it really?! Sure, the global pandemic – the “X-factor” event – caught quite a few of us (well all of us, really) off guard… but it became quickly obvious that life was interrupted for folks at VERY diverse levels. Cue: Income Security. Yep, Income Security looks and feels a whole lot...

What do McDonald’s and churches have in common? For starters, they understand what underpins property prices! And not only are we about to dive deep on this in today’s Q&A, we’re also going to tell you exactly why property is a different beast to other economic markets across the country! ‘Cos here’s the deal folks… … we got some very, ahh, ‘unedited’ feedback from Ryan about eight weeks ago —...

Most states have now eased their restrictions… so what should we expect in today’s RBA Board meeting? First things first… “Is Australia swaying on an economic and property cliff?” Ben will give you insights into the latest data and address what we’ve seen locally and globally as the world navigates its way through COVID-19. Free Resources mentioned in this Update: Parliament speech on Senate Selec...

Did you know that “ Property Professor” Peter Koulizos INVESTED during multiple Australian recessions? And now, in the wake of COVID-19 he is STILL adamant that property is a safe bet! So, what can we learn from one of Australia’s leading property experts who’s actually lived through The 70’s Recession, The 80’s Recession, The 90’s Recession and The GFC?? What can we take away from someone who inv...

If we could go back and invest in property all over again, what would we do differently?! Well, for one, Bryce probably wouldn't have bought a Harley Davidson!! Folks, this is exactly the stuff we’re unpacking today – the Top 10 Tips we’d tell our “20-something” year-old selves BEFORE we purchased our first property! To give you an idea… Ben purchased his first property at 23 & Bryce at 2...

You’ve probably heard Commbank’s “warning” that property prices could drop by “a third” as a result of the unemployment levels due to COVID-19. You’ve probably ONLY seen this scary number come out of their March Quarter 2020 Trading Update, though right? Probably because it’s the ONLY number being reported in the headlines!!! But what’s really interesting is there’s a whole lot of OTHER scenarios...

Is the “home office” the future office? Coronavirus has changed the face of many businesses – entire companies are now working from home, retail shops have switched to online selling and others, like cafés and restaurants, have simply “shut up shop”, either temporarily as they wait for the storm to pass, or permanently. So it begs the question… is investing in COMMERCIAL property still a good idea...

It’s the full month after Australia’s social restrictions so… what should we expect in today’s RBA Board meeting? One thing for sure, the cash rate remains at 0.25% and while there isn’t too much of a surprise there, Ben is about to walk you through the THREE CRITICAL THEMES unfolding with regards to the direction, outlook and recovery of the economy; both here in Australia and globally. Free Reso...

“ Kyal & Kara ” Demmrich became household names after the humble chippy & physio joined The Block back in early 2014 for their Fan Vs Favs series . And when that popular reality program was over, the courageous renovation-lovers decided to do it ALL again – this time on Reno Rumble in April 2015! And now, with their own successful Design & Construction business, Diverse Design & Bu...

As each State Govt rushes to respond to this health crisis, we strive to update our community on the most recent changes relating to residential real estate as well. And this update is no different. This time, we’ll be unpacking the New Residential Rent Relief Grant released by the WA Govt last week on the 23rd of April 2020! The WA State Government is making available $30 million for grants of up...

And so our theme of chatting with the Presidents of the property markets across the country continues! Here to tell us what’s happening in Bryce’s hometown (Perth ) and the best strategy a property investor should adopt in WA, is… Damian Collins, President of REIWA – the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia! The last time we checked in with Damian was waaay back in Episode 73 … and there’s b...

Time for our monthly catchup with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist at realestate.com.au ! It’s a long one today but we promise you it’s jam-packed with absolute gold! So here are some of the discussions we had today:  What’s been happening in the rental market and AirBnB listings?  How did the Job Seeker and Job Keeper payments impact the real estate industry?  Which Australian markets are showing...

What a difference a couple of days makes, huh?!! Back on the couch is Antonia Mercorella , CEO of REIQ … with some GREAT NEWS!!!! In light of last week’s episode , the Queensland Government has reached out to The Real Estate Insitute of Queensland (REIQ) to collaborate on a package that ensures protection for EVERYONE … ie. tenants AND landlords!! Antonia will fill you in on all the amendments to...

Leanne Pilkington is no stranger to real estate. When she first started in the property industry almost four decades ago, things looked a bit different from what they do now… For one, she was literally fired from her job every Friday afternoon! And now? Well, today’s guest is the PRESIDENT of Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) — the largest and most influential association of real e...

Yes, we’ve got TWO back-to-back episodes this week! ‘Cos let’s face it… there’s been A LOT that has disturbed the property industry over the week! Case in point: Easter. Oh, Easter. The break that had a lot of us biting our nails, not biting into chocolate eggs… and a lot of folks didn’t even KNOW it almost ended in disaster for property owners! Thankfully, common sense prevailed – and today’s gue...

There’s no doubt governments are “regulating on the run” with the current crisis on our hands. Coronavirus demands quick action… but, wow, the Queensland Government’s new “Renter Protection Package” is a SHOCKER. What’s being proposed is, ahh, let’s just say, out of step with the rest of the country and, quite frankly, seems to ignore the COVID-19 stimulus package already on offer … and leaves us...

As a property investor, you have to master the frameworks. But during a pandemic, you have to tweak specific strategies in each framework to not just survive in this climate but thrive — now and in the future. Make no mistake… the fundamentals DO NOT change ! But in a brand new world, there’s no doubt that adaptability and proactivity in regards to our Four Pillars of Mastery — A sset Selection ,...

Yes, it’s the first Tuesday of the month… which means the RBA Board has met and kept the cash rate on hold at 0.25% . This video features Ben’s update on the cash rate… as well as a DEEP dive on the data that’s spreading across the economy as the world tries to navigate through COVID-19. Ben will be talking about the economic mess we’re likely to see — in terms of a Recession here in Australia — h...

Just a quick update folks! There’s been some changes since we released today’s episode. The Queensland government had set up a grant program that offers an emergency rental assistance payment of up to $500 a week, for up to four weeks, for Queenslanders who cannot make rent. We thought it’s critical that we let you know about this considering it’s related to today’s episode on Landlords vs Tenants...

“Landlords vs Tenants.” Has this become the Unspoken Virus as the current pandemic escalates and more folks lose their jobs, fall into financial distress and struggle to pay rent? Well, to answer this question, let’s talk about the myths and misinformation out there .  Because we want to set the record straight in order to help BOTH landlords and tenants navigate what is a difficult time for all o...

Folks, March hasn’t ended yet but we’ve decided to bring forward our monthly catchup with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist at realestate.com.au! We understand that in these uncertain times, all you want is some certainty and information around all the changes that’s been happening. So today, we had Nerida on Zoom and unpacked these discussions: All the most recent updates to date relating to the r...

There’s been a lot of questions coming in about the coronavirus and its implications to the property market, the finance sector and the economy at large — particularly in direct response to the higher levels of social distancing regulations we’re now seeing and its flow–on effect to unemployment and how we transact property. So, today we’re answering a whole heap of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ...

If you’ve seen the headlines recently, you would notice these: ASX finishes worst week in more than 11 years Dow drops more than 900 points, ending worst week since 2008 And then yesterday night, for those who’re active with the share market news, you’d probably notice this: Dow future surge 900 points — hit ‘limit up’ — on optimism a coronavirus rescue bill is close Japan stocks jump 7% as Fed ra...

As you’re likely aware, the coronavirus has NOT slowed. In fact, the coronavirus pandemic was having deep ramifications for financial systems right around the world, until central banks stepped in. So in his unprecedented speech late last week, Dr Philip Lowe announced an Emergency Rate Cut along with other measures effective immediately. We’ve mentioned this to you in last week’s episode on COVID...