Investment By Design

In this episode of Investment by Design, we look at Cairns property investing through a different lens: Cairns tourism, local business growth, major development, the Cairns Aquarium, the Cairns economy, and what these forces mean for the future of the Cairns real estate market and North Queensland property investors. What does it really take to make a $54 million bet on Cairns? I sit down with Dan...

Cairns property investors are facing a new wave of uncertainty as government tax changes and shifting property policies continue to impact confidence across the market. In this Cairns property market update, we discuss how recent tax changes, legislative inconsistency and poor communication from government can affect investors, landlords, homeowners and buyers trying to make smart long-term decisi...

In this video, I break down the 5 best suburbs to buy property in Cairns and 1 suburb I’d be very careful investing in right now. If you’re looking at the Cairns property market, Cairns real estate, or trying to understand where to buy an investment property in Cairns, this video will help you think through the suburbs with long-term growth, lifestyle appeal, rental demand and risk. After investin...

Cairns property investing is one of the most talked-about opportunities in the Queensland property market, but is Cairns still good value for investors, or has the easy money already been made? In this episode, I am joined by David Galloway-Penny, Ken Turner and Tim Lyon to debate where they would invest today, including houses vs units, the best Cairns suburbs to buy in, the risks investors need...

Everyone told me not to buy this property. My wife hated the complex. Most investors would have walked away. On paper, it looked like the kind of property you avoid. But I saw something different. Seven years later, that $165,000 purchase is now worth approximately $470,000 and generates around $300 per week positive cash flow. In this video, I break down: • Why almost everyone thought buying this...

Would you bet your financial future on one property market Every property investor is making a bet, whether they realise it or not. Buying is a bet. Waiting is a bet. Sitting on the sidelines is also a bet. In this episode, I break down how I would think about choosing a property market in 2026, using Cairns as the case study. This is not just a Cairns property market update. It is a decision-maki...

In this episode of Investment by Design , we launch a new monthly segment: Beers and Business . Each month, three Cairns locals working in the property, finance and investing space sit down to unpack the biggest stories shaping the Australian property market, business landscape and investor sentiment. In this episode, Shaun Craike is joined by Ben Cole and Kurt Checketts to break down a massive mo...

Is Cairns property still worth the risk in 2026, or has the market already run too far? In this video, I break down the Cairns property market through the lens of risk vs reward, and more importantly, asymmetric returns. Most investors ask the wrong question. They ask, “Will property prices keep going up?” A better question is: “What is the realistic downside if I am wrong, and what is the potenti...

Most property buyers think the hard part is finding the right property… But the reality is the way you BUY property can completely change the outcome you get. In this episode, we break down the brutal truth about: Private Treaty Multiple Offer Situations Property Auctions We discuss how buyers overpay, the psychology behind real estate negotiations, auction tactics, buyer mistakes, and the strateg...

Are new builds actually the better investment… or are investors being distracted by tax benefits? In this episode we break down the REAL numbers behind established vs new build property investing in Australia, including:* negative gearing* depreciation* cashflow* construction holding costs* rental income* property growth* land value vs building value* and why location still matters more than tax d...

The 2026 Federal Budget may have just changed Australian property investing forever. The government says these changes are designed to improve housing affordability, yet Treasury is forecasting 35,000 fewer homes as a result of the policy changes. At the same time, Cairns has secured major infrastructure funding including upgrades to the Western Arterial Road, education investment, and regional de...

Is the Cairns property market heading for another boom, or are buyers about to get caught out? In this episode of Investment By Design, I sit down with Cairns-based mortgage broker Stacey from Zory Financial Solutions to break down what is really happening with borrowing capacity, buyer behavior, lending conditions, and property opportunities in the Cairns property market in 2026. With Cairns hous...

Everyone says we just need more housing… but in Cairns, there are already approved developments that never get built. So what’s actually stopping them? In this episode, I sit down with James McPeak from McPeak Town Planning to break down the Cairns housing market, land supply, and the real reasons developments stall—even after council approval. If you’ve ever wondered: -Is there really a land shor...

If you’ve ever wondered how to buy property with your super in Australia , this episode breaks down the process in a clear, practical way. In this episode of the Investment By Design Podcast , we unpack the 5 key steps to buying property with super , including how an SMSF property investment works, the structures involved, the common mistakes people make, and what you need to understand before tak...

Most property investors think wealth is built when the market is rising… But the truth is, real wealth can be built in any real estate market. In this episode of the Investment By Design Podcast, we sit down with Todd Sloan from Pizza and Property to break down exactly how investors can continue to grow their portfolio, create equity, and build long-term wealth even in a slowing or declining prope...

In this episode of the Investment by Design Podcast , we sit down with Alesha Wilson from Ray White Cairns to unpack her journey from army life to building a property portfolio in one of Australia’s most talked-about markets. After moving to Cairns in 2020, Alesha didn’t just settle into a new lifestyle — she took action. Within just 3 years, she secured 3 investment properties and built a strong...

In this episode of the Investment by Design Podcast, I sit down with Natasha Whalley‑Thompson — one of Cairns’ leading real estate agents who has sold over 130 properties in the past 12 months and consistently ranks among the top Ray White agents in Australia. Natasha shares what she’s seeing on the ground in the Cairns property market right now — from first home buyers turning to units, to auctio...

Over the last few years something interesting has been happening in the Cairns property market. Interstate buyers are arriving, billions of dollars are being invested in infrastructure, and property prices are beginning to move. So the question is: Why is everyone suddenly talking about Cairns? In this video we break down the real forces reshaping the city including migration trends, major infrast...

In this episode of Investment by Design, we unpack the bigger story unfolding across the Cairns property market, the Cairns real estate market, and the wider Cairns economy. For years, Cairns has been viewed primarily as a tourism city. But is that still the full picture? With major investment flowing into health infrastructure, education, airport upgrades, housing growth, defence and major events...

Across Cairns, Far North Queensland, and Australia more broadly, we see investors make smart moves… at the wrong time, in the wrong structure, or without a long-term plan. This episode breaks down why that happens and how strategic planning changes everything. In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with financial planner Ben Cole to unpack the realities behind financial advice in Australia, wh...

Why do so many property investors in Cairns and regional Australia get stuck after one or two properties even when prices are rising and rents are strong? In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Kurt from Blue Collar Money to unpack the finance mistakes we see repeatedly holding investors back across Cairns, Far North Queensland, and Australia more broadly. Working with investors on the gr...

Most investors think tenancy issues come down to “bad tenants.” Experienced property managers know that’s rarely the real problem. In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Adam Saitta from Benchmark Real Estate Cairns, a local property manager with 20 years of hands-on experience, to unpack where investors most commonly go wrong with tenancies and how those mistakes quietly erode returns ov...

Are you at risk of making an expensive property mistake? In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Keegan Lake, a Cairns-based real estate sales expert with 8 years of industry experience and lifelong local knowledge, to break down the 5 biggest mistakes buyers make when purchasing property and how to avoid them. Whether you’re buying your first home, investing interstate, or researching reg...

Buying an investment property can feel like an emotionalroller coaster… good properties move fast, the market feels competitive, and by the time you find “the one,” it’s already under offer. In this episode, I break down the 5 essential steps everyAustralian investor needs to follow to buy smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and set themselves up for long-term wealth, regardless of whether you’reearni...

In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with David Murphy, Director at Ray White Cairns & Cairns Beaches , to unpack what’s really happening across the residential and commercial property markets in Far North Queensland. With an economics degree , decades of industry experience, and an office that manages over 2,000 properties while selling both residential and commercial real estate , Davi...