The Property Couch

The cash rate in Australia has never been lower and most mortgage holders are paying a lot less on their loans than they were a year ago. With banks being urged to lend more and consumers and business being urged to borrow, how likely are we to see rapid interest rate rises and will they ever get back to double digits? That’s exactly what we’re chatting about in our Facebook LIVE with Nerida Conis...

This Q&A session (brought to you by The Stig) features everything from the BEST benefit of an offset account that most folks don’t know about to building your own home from scratch. We tick off a few new topics and cover… A Tax-Saving Hack For An Offset Account How To Distinguish “Emotional Value” from “Property Value” Why Building a “Forever Home” Is NOT The Same Thing As Investing The Simple...

Property investors who get seduced into Off the Plan and house and land packages are often seduced through a marketing process that targets universal, emotionally-driven mental triggers. And after heaps of folks wrote in about last week’s episode where we spoke of the perils of investing in these types of properties, we’ve decided that today we’re going to lift the lid on what exactly these mental...

If building a multi-million dollar property portfolio really only takes three or four properties …then why do most folk FAIL to buy one? If only three or four properties — maybe five, if you’ve got a shorter time frame — is all it takes to achieve a passive income for life, why aren’t most investors achieving their dream lifestyle and financial goals then? Why haven’t they got a successful multi-m...

A couple of weeks ago we had our regular Monthly Wrap Up with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist for REA Group. There are some amazing contents in this LIVE so we thought… why not share it with our community?  As well as getting a “wrap” of the property market for the month of October, you’ll also get some very interesting insights into our economy (incl. where it just might go from here!) We discus...

Recently , ABC’s podcast The Money ran a very poignant episode on the financial risks of unregulated property investment advice (which we highly recommend you check out; details below folks)… which revealed the pitfalls of buying off-the-plan properties and getting snagged on the end of “one-stop-shop” spruiker seminars. As well as interviewing two unlucky folks who learnt about investing in off-t...

After three cuts this year alone, will we be expecting a fourth cut? It’s the first Tuesday of the month folks which means the Reserve Bank of Australia has just released their official cash rate! And it looks like there is a bit more positivity coming into the economy! Here’s what Ben will be unpacking in this month’s session: What’s happening in the US and the Fed Reserve? Update on the US-China...

Some investors learn things the hard way. And today’s guest Rick Hockey — property investor AND real estate agent specialising in The Pilbara region in far north Western Australia — is, unfortunately, one of these folks. In this episode, you’re about to get a completely raw look at what it was like to be INSIDE the mining boom that hung a lot of property investors out to dry. And you’re going to h...

Have you ever wondered how you stack up against Australia’s most astute property investors? It’s human nature to want to know how you compare against others… even more so when these folks have something in common with you… and ESPECIALLY if they possess a trait you admire AND have achieved something you yourself are aiming for! So, guess what? Today we’re unpacking what some of Australia’s best an...

Top athletes often have a big spike in their income over their lifetime. That is, at the top of their game they’re looking at earning some serious coin… but beyond that… their income can plummet right down, sometimes to ground zero. And things get a bit tricky if the skills they possess aren’t necessarily transferable to the workforce too! So, folks, what we want to tackle in today’s episode is th...

It can be a rough ride when you’re just starting your home ownership journey — and trying to get your foot on the property ladder is, let’s be honest… really hard! So today’s episode is all about helping our “Firstie” folks! That’s right… our very First Home Buyers!!! And we’re going Q&A style so we can stretch out the ol’ helping hand to our Firsties, and our mums & dads of Firsties, and...

If these two questions sound like things you wanna hear more about, then you’re about to have a lot of fun with this episode! Q1. … interested to find out the locations set to soar over the next three years?? Q2. … got questions about how to be better with your money ?? As you’ve probably figured out by now folks, these are, of course, the questions we’re answering on today’s seriously special epi...

It’s the first Tuesday of the month folks which means the RBA Board has met and announced the official cash rate ! So… are the 75% of economists out there correct?? … has there been a THIRD CASH RATE DROP this year? Tune in to find out more. And here’s what Ben will be unpacking in this month’s session: What has influenced RBA’s Cash Rate decision? Has the tax cut shown any impact in recent months...

It’s that time again for our Monthly Wrap-Up with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist for REA Group! So… It’s an interesting one this month folks! Let’s cut to the chase. Here are some cut points that you might want to tune in to! 0:44 – What’s new with the US-CHINA Trade War? Is it coming to an end? 3:29 – Should you be panicking with the recent media headlines? 5:32 – How Trump’s Tweets are affecti...

We all love questioning what the future holds and speculating on what’s in store for us. And, of course, investing in property is no different. But the thing is… is it helpful to put all that emphasis on the things we can’t control? See, today’s episode is all about looking through the lens of this quote by Amazon Founder and one of the richest men in the world, Jeff Bezos… “I very frequently get...

Warren Buffett is probably the greatest investor in the world. And when we say “probably” we really mean…“is”. Sure, Buffett is estimated to be worth $US83 billion (not incl. the billions he’s already given away to charity)…… and, yep, he sure did make the majority of his wealth after his 50th birthday. The question is… HOW did he become a self-made billionaire???? …… Value-investing! In other wor...

Considering renovating or building your own home? If so, this is the perfect episode for you!! Here’s why… We’ve got Amelia Lee , the architect behind Undercover Architect , an award-winning online resource to teach folks how to design, build or renovate their homes. To give you an idea, she’s been in the industry for over 25 years and has solid personal experience in the trenches as a “serial ren...

There are ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHT CHANGES to Victoria’s rental laws coming into effect next year… and we think these are about to set the precedence for legislation across the entire country. This means… landlords need to be clued in on their rights and what’s going to be expected moving forward — and frankly folks… we think the pendulum has swung slightly too far, and is now quite in favour...

Businesses cut back as weak economy puts pressure on profits. Australia managed to survive the global recession – but all that good work has been wasted. The worst surplus ever: ‘Obsession’ rocking the Australian economy. These are just some of [...] CONTINUE READING The post RBA September 2019 – Is the Australian Economy REALLY that bad? appeared first on The Property Couch . LISTEN TO THE FIRST...

No time? But still want to invest in property? Keen to find out what strategic step you should take next? Attention! Busy folks and experienced investors… …. yes, that’s your lot down there at the back who are raising a family, holding down a career, investing in property already AND/OR simply having a lot on the go…. … this is YOUR episode! ‘Cos today is PART 2 of our tips and tailored Q&A se...

Attention first-time investors, first home buyers and property investors needing a refresher! This episode is your official “How To Guide” — including everything you need to know about buying property… AND investing in it! We answer your questions, tell you exactly what you need to know to avoid mistakes from the get go, what makes for a good investment, AND how to get onto the property ladder qui...

Some stories need to be heard to be believed! And the story we’re about to share with you is indeed one of these… ‘cos today’s guest went from being a motor mechanic to selling some of the most expensive properties across the country… yes, including… the home of Australian billionaire businessman and investor James Packer! Joining us on the Couch today is Michael Pallier , Managing Director of Syd...

APRA has recently made changes that affect a lender’s borrowing power — what does this mean for property investors and homeowners… and their interest rates? Well, folks… we’re deep diving on this today (and getting a little bit technical), because, in July 2019, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) came out with their revisions to the “buffer” and “floor rates” of their Prudential...

This is NOT the time to fix your mortgage. It’s odd, isn’t it? The cash rate is at an all-time low and the lenders have been cutting their rates, both fixed and variable. So why is it not the time to go for a fixed loan? We know it’s a big statement and that’s why Ben will be explaining all that in today’s RBA commentary folks! Apart from that, he’ll also be covering a variety of topics such as: W...

Want to know EXACTLY HOW you’ll be buying property in the (not too distant!) future?? We know we sure do! So folks, here to tell us what the future in real estate is with augmented reality, virtual reality and a whole lot of jaw-dropping new tech is Steve Kounnas and Trent Clews-de Castella from Phoria , a world-leading immersive tech studio that specialises in just this! Not to mention the fact t...