Finance This, Property That

What does it take to reach 100 podcast episodes, build an award-winning mortgage broking career and then walk away from the familiar to start something of your own? In this milestone episode of Finance This, Property That, Dion shares the complete founder story behind Stratega Finance. After more than a decade of working towards this moment, Dion explains why he made the decision to leave Emerge F...

In the lead-up to Episode 100, this special recap episode of Finance This, Property That looks back at the biggest lessons from the last 10 episodes. Dion breaks down the difference between a true finance strategy and simply getting a loan, why the “one-stop shop” model can create serious conflicts of interest, and why investors need independent specialists around them if they want to avoid costly...

In this episode, Dion is joined by Rachel Gibb from UpsideAV to unpack what investors often overlook after building or buying a rooming house — the management. Rooming houses are not managed like standard residential properties. With multiple tenants, shared spaces, utilities, house rules and separate leases, the wrong management approach can quickly impact vacancy, tenant harmony, rental income a...

Episode Synopsis In this solo episode of Finance This, Property That, Dion breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in property investing: borrowing capacity. While many investors obsess over how much they can borrow today, Dion explains why that number is only a snapshot in time-not a roadmap for building long-term wealth. Through real client examples, he demonstrates how lender sequenc...

Why Your First Property Can Make or Break Your Portfolio In Episode 96 of Finance This, Property That, Dion takes the mic for a solo episode focused on one of the biggest mistakes property investors make early in their journey: treating the first property purchase as the goal, instead of the foundation. Dion explains why your first home or first investment property can shape every decision that fo...

In this episode of Finance This, Property That , Luke and Jem Corrish join the podcast to break down Jem’s first property journey 12 months on from buying with his mate, Tom. From getting finance-ready and finding the right deal, to negotiating hard after building and pest, dealing with settlement challenges, renovating the property and building equity, this episode is a real-world look at how fir...

Why do so many property investors get stuck after buying one or two properties? In Episode 94 of Finance This, Property That , Dion breaks down the five common mistakes that can stop investors from growing their property portfolio. From cross-collateralised loans and poor sequencing, to buying without a clear end goal, this episode explains why the way you structure your finance early can have a m...

🔥 Top Quotes “The people with a tailored finance strategy and tailored property strategy working together… they can’t lose.” “You need three things to build a portfolio: growing income, growing equity, and good credit history.” “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”  🧠 Episode Synopsis In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Dion and property strategist Chris McNulty dive deep into the relationship...

In this episode of Finance This Property That, Dion sits down with buyer’s agent Jessica Giandomenico from Vesta Buyers Agency to unpack one of the biggest mistakes property investors make — buying property before building the right strategy around it. This conversation dives deep into the importance of finance strategy, buyer’s agents, due diligence, off-market opportunities, and why building the...

In this final part of the 4-part miniseries, Dion breaks down one of the biggest mindset traps in property investing — focusing on cost instead of consequence. He explains why most people completely misunderstand the value of strategy, shares real client stories where poor decisions cost hundreds of thousands, and reframes what you’re actually investing in when you work with the right team. If you...

In this solo episode of Finance This Property That, Dion Fernandez breaks down what a real finance and property strategy actually looks like — and why most investors are getting it backwards. Before you even think about buying property, Dion explains why having a clear, structured plan is the difference between slow progress and scalable, repeatable growth. If you’ve ever wondered why some investo...

In this short episode, Dion breaks down why “free advice” in property and finance isn’t actually free — and how hidden incentives can impact your outcomes. He also unpacks the danger of one-stop-shop property businesses, and why building a team of independent specialists is the key to long-term wealth. Welcome back to Finance This Property That . Today’s a quick one — we’re talking about:  Why fre...

Most investors think they’re building wealth… but in reality, they’re just stacking properties with no real strategy behind them. In this solo episode, Dion breaks down one of the biggest mistakes he sees every week working with clients, the disconnect between finance strategy and property strategy. If you’ve ever bought a property (or are thinking about it), this episode will challenge how you th...

🧠 Episode Synopsis In this deep-dive episode of Finance This Property That , Dion sits down with property strategist Chris McNulty to unpack a real-world deal that transformed a $740K purchase into a ~$1.6–1.7M asset in under a year. The conversation goes beyond surface-level property advice, exploring the critical importance of strategy, execution, team alignment, and market timing. Chris breaks...

In this episode of Finance This Property That, we break down why strategy should always come before property when building long-term wealth. If you're serious about building a property portfolio, this is the conversation most investors skip — and it’s costing them. 🔑 What We Cover: • Why advice comes before property Most investors rush into buying and only seek advice after — when it’s alrea...

Thinking about buying a development site?  You might be making a massive mistake. In this episode, Dion is joined by Mark Kierpal from Urbicus to unpack the real risks behind property development — and where most investors go wrong. They break down:  Buying the wrong site   Underestimating council approvals   Ignoring due diligence   Designing the wrong product for the market  This is a must-liste...

In this solo episode of Finance This Property That , the focus shifts from property selection to what truly determines long-term success: your finance strategy. The episode unpacks why most investors get stuck early—prioritising interest rates, rushing into deals, and neglecting structure—only to hit borrowing ceilings after one or two purchases. Through practical insights and a real client exampl...

Top Quotes “You’ll spin your wheels. You’ll try and get the cheap money rather than getting the money that’s actually gonna get you the deal.” “Don’t talk to an order taker.” “Get in with what you can. There’s never gonna be a perfect situation.” Episode Synopsis In this returning episode of Finances & Property , Luke Ashby from Emerge Finance joins the show to unpack the rapidly changing land...

“If you are trying to build a portfolio and you are chasing rate as your number one priority, just go directly to the bank.” “My personal philosophy is that I prefer to let the market do the hard work and not me.” “Who tells you no?… sometimes the best advice is no or not yet.” Episode Synopsis In this episode of Finance this, Property that, Dion sits down with Michael Shaw (Avid Hawkes) to unpack...

In this episode of Finances Property That, Dion sits down with Troyden Ratcliffe (Willow Wealth Partners) — the financial planner behind Dion’s own strategy — for a candid, practical conversation on what business owners miss when it comes to building real wealth. They unpack how to separate business success from personal wealth, why structure and tax planning matter years before you “need” them, a...

🎧 Episode Synopsis In this behind-the-scenes solo episode, Dion Fernandez opens the playbook on his own property portfolio and walks listeners through a real-life investment project he and his partner undertook in Crestmead. From strategic trust structures to creative equity release and subdivision plans, Dion shares the exact debt and finance strategies he uses for clients — but this time, on hi...

🎧 Episode Synopsis In this solo episode of Finance This Property That , finance specialist Dion Fernandez unpacks one of the most misunderstood tools in personal finance: the offset account. Drawing from years of experience and real client scenarios, Dion breaks down why so many property investors and homeowners misuse offsets — and how getting it right can save you thousands in interest, tax, an...

🎙 Top Quotes "A pre-approval for pre-approval's sake doesn't help anyone. Sometimes they're not even worth the piece of paper they're written on." "If you’re chasing rate as your number one priority, just go directly to the bank." "We do all the research upfront before we even submit any applications — that’s how we give clients confidence." 📌 Epi...

🔥 Top Quotes "If you are chasing rate as your number one priority, just go directly to the bank — but you’ll spin your wheels and miss the actual deal." "A property manager is no longer just a rent collector. For heaven's sake, it’s about strategic oversight now." "We don’t submit applications to get approvals — we submit them to get deals settled and portfolios buil...

🔊 Top Quotes "If you're chasing rate as your number one priority, just go directly to the bank—you'll spin your wheels chasing cheap money instead of the funding stack that actually gets you the deal." "When you're dealing with the same deal type and client type repeatedly, your ability to deliver refined, fast strategies becomes your biggest advantage." "A...