The Property Academy Podcast

In this episode, we discuss whether the Waikato District suburb of Pokeno is worth investing in. We detail the background of Pokeno – its rise, its fall, and its current upward trajectory.  We also go over the details of previous investments that Andrew has seen in the suburb, which is just south of the Auckland/Bombay Hills cut off. Finally, we wrap up the show by discussing our upcomin...

In this episode, we discuss who the top 7 property managers are within New Zealand. This is based on the property managers who we know, like and trust to do an awesome job with your property. These property managers include Auckland Property Management, Property Scouts, HouseSmart, Quinovic, Oaks Property Management, Glasshouse, Comprende and a bonus: Venture Property Management. Finally, we wrap...

In this episode, we discuss Labour's 'foreign buyer ban,' which was originally introduced in 2018. The purpose was to stop foreigners from buying up NZ properties and pushing prices up.  We discuss the rules, along with who can buy and who can only buy properties that are specifically exempt. We also mention this tool which has been built by the New Zealand government, which you can use to as...

In this episode, we discuss one of the largest property investment company collapses in New Zealand history. Blue Chip folded in 2018 owing property investors $85 million.  We detail what went wrong and what the industry has learned since then to ensure that property investors don't find themselves out of pocket in future. We also go on to mention our upcoming property investment webinar . Th...

In this episode, we discuss how property investors now require 40% deposits if purchasing through BNZ and ASB. This episode was recorded just before the RBNZ released their new announcement about LVR changes. Since this episode was recorded, we know know that LVRs will be coming back at 30% from the 1st of March. These will then increase to 40% from the 1st of May. Throughout the show we also disc...

In this episode, we are joined for our final insurance-based episode by Simon Yarrell from Axico. Here, we discuss whether insurance companies will cover your investment properties against meth contamination. Some insurance companies will protect you in the event of contamination through your normal house insurance. But, importantly, not all will. This is important because the costs to fix a conta...

In this episode, we discuss what some property investors in New Zealand will say to the bank in order to get their lending approved.  Just to be clear, we do not endorse telling any lies or fibs of any kind to the bank. This is just to give you an idea of what some people will say in order to get their lending approved.  We also mention our upcoming property investment webinar , which is...

In this episode, we discuss how parental leave impacts your property investment portfolio. We start with a discussion around mortgage serviceability and how living on a reduced income can impact what a bank is willing to lend you.  We then discuss how to get around the rules, and which banks are more willing to work with you at different parts of going on parental leave. Finally, on Tuesday F...

In this episode, we discuss how to increase the rent on your investment properties the right way. We walk through the steps you legally need to take, for instance giving 60 days written notice to your tenants, with a start date. we also go through what happens if your tenant doesn't agree with how you've increased the rent and the process you need to go through to come to an arrangement. Finally,...

In this episode, we discuss a recent article published in Stuff where landlords have published a "Bad tenants" list, which falls in breach of the Privacy Act. These landlords have clearly been hurt by tenants in the past, which suggests that they've become too emotionally involved with their portfolios, and haven't been able to separate themselves from the business. You'll hear the key takeouts, a...

In this episode, Ed and Andrew are joined by Simon Yarrell from Axico to discuss how insurance works for townhouses and apartments.  We discuss how insurance is handled for townhouses, and particularly what happens if your townhouses don't have a body corporate. We also detail whether an insurance company would even insure a particular development or set of townhouses based on their configura...

In this episode, we are once again joined by Simon Yarrell from Axico to discuss how the insurance industry is changing in some parts of New Zealand.  Simon shares that insurance costs in Wellington, for instance, are up to 3x higher than in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. That adds additional costs for property investors, which has the potential to push rents higher.  We also men...

In this episode, we are joined by Simon Yarrell from Axico to discuss the insurance market in New Zealand. Here we go through the key types of insurance that property investors should get ... and a few that may not be as important.  The first type of insurance discussed is house insurance. Here, we discuss the changes that have occurred in the way that companies grant insurance and what they...

In this episode, we discuss the mechanics of how non-bank lenders work. We go through who they are right for and how they can be a good fit for people with poor credit or who don't have the documentation available to be eligible for a loan from the main retail banks. Non-bank lenders are also often used for a short-transitionary period between the settlement of a property and refinancing away to o...

In this episode, we discuss how to figure out what a property is worth ... and also how much attention you should be paying to the government valuation, which is routinely seen on property advertising.  We discuss that the best way to figure out what a property is worth is by requesting an e-value of avm report from either Core Logic of Valocity. Failing that, a combination of Homes.co.nz's s...

In this episode, we discuss whether Build to Rent is a good investment and whether we think it will take off in New Zealand. Build to Rent is a way of investing in real estate, which is currently being promoted by Du Val Partners.  Here, accredited investors – those with investment qualifications or a net worth of over $5 million – can buy a share in a large number of units.  We inv...

In this episode, we discuss 7 things that we have changed our minds on throughout our careers and since starting this show. These include: That renovations are the only way to become a proper real estate investor That big cities go up in value faster than smaller towns, and   That stand-alone houses go up in value more quickly than townhouses We also mention that we are looking to bring on fi...

In this episode, we discuss 9 quick and dirty renovation projects you can use to increase the value of your investment and rental properties. These include simple tactics like using Bar Keeper's Friend , right through to doing a full-scale bathroom replacement.  We also go through which projects to do first if you are on a tight budget, while also considering whether some of the traditional w...

In this episode, we discuss the Top 5 property accountants that we can hand-on-heart recommend to the investors we tend to work with. These include: Matthew Harris from Momentum Property Matthew Gilligan from Gilligan Rowe Peter Taylor from BDS Accountants Jane Jackman from Nexia Mark Withs from Withers Tsang We also mention that we are looking to bring on financial advisers in Auckland , Christch...

In this episode, we discuss how AfterPay, LayBuy and other short-term 'buy now, pay later' providers can impact your property investment and home-buying plans.  If the bank sees regular payments being made to these providers, they will decrease the amount of income that you have available to service a mortgage in their calculations. A $50 a week payment can mean that the amount you can borrow...

In this episode, we discuss how to tell whether a property you currently own is a 'dud' property that you should move on from and sell ... or not.  Here, Andrew walks through some telltale signs ... as well as how people tend to walk into and acquire dud properties. Usually, this happens when investors turn their own home into a rental, acquire one through inheritance, or buy something down t...

In this epiosde, we discuss KiwiBuild and the benefits of purchasing a KiwiBuild home through the ballot system. This is because first home buyers, in some cases, are purchasing their first homes up to $300,000 under value.  Throughout the show, we give an example from Ormiston in Auckland. Here, a first home buyer paid $650,000 for a property that is expected to be worth $950,000 at completi...

In this episode, we discuss how not to be emotional within property investment. We often say that you need to treat property investment as a business ... but that is sometimes easier said than done. That's why we run through tactics you can use to minimise those emotions, if they are getting in your way of growing your property investment portfolio even further.  If you have a topic you'd lik...

In this episode, we discuss the end game in property investment and house price growth. This includes playing clips from Jacinda Ardern's 7th December press conference, and several clips from the leader's debates.  We also talk about the rise in household income growth, which has been solidly above 4% for the last 12 years in New Zealand. This includes a massive 7%+ increase in incomes during...

In this episode, we discuss how to negotiate down your interest rate with the bank. This includes making sure that you are asking for a rate-discount, and how much to expect you could get off your rates. After the key tactics, we walk through how to make yourself look more attractive to a bank, to ensure that you're the sort of customer that a bank actively wants to attract.  If you've got an...