The Property Couch

We’ve all had big nights out where the next morning…we cringe, sigh and peek at our bank account with a feeling of dread. But what happens when this is your life every weekend?!   This was sadly the story of David, today’s awesome Summer Series guest.  Once a “weekend millionaire” who funnelled all his money into living for the weekend and getting bailed out by the bank of mum and dad, it wasn’t u...

Have you ever had just $336 to your name?   Half of today’s Summer Series duo has.  As our last episode of 2022, we’re closing out the year with a seriously phenomenal Summer Series Story.  Meet Mathew and Olivia – our first and only couple in our 2022/23 Summer Series!!  Raised in two very different backgrounds, this couple had 2 very different expectations around money management and investing.....

As our LAST Episode before Christmas, we’ve got a super heart-warming money transformation in store! 🎄🎅🎁   Meet Jack: a 29-year-old teacher who grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches.  From happily living at home, spending his days teaching and his spare time surfing, his world was turned upside down at the age of 25.    As this special Summer Series Guest says,    “I felt like I'd lost my s...

“I worked hard my entire life and I had nothing to show for it...” Folks these are the words from today’s super special guest before she began her complete financial and self-described personal transformation. Born into an amazing family with terrible money management...Jessica learned the value of being financially independent of a young age. So how did she end up selling the first house she buil...

“Some days, I had to choose between feeding the kids and driving them 27km to school...” Folks, some stories are just so insanely awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping that it's hard not to listen to it twice (or three times!). The story that today’s Summer Series Guest is sharing with us, is one of them.  Meet Mandy: a champion mum from the remote town of Forbes.    Growing up with absolutely NO mo...

As we start to close out the year that was, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has just released its last official cash rate for 2022!   As global economic outlook shifts to a more “positive” note with the US and Australia seeming to have escaped a recession, have we just received another early Christmas present from the RBA?   Tune in to find out if the cash rate has been paused for the first ti...

 It’s finally here folks. It’s the time of the year we’ve all been waiting for (that’s almost better than Christmas 😉). Today we’re kickstarting the VERY FIRST episode of our 2022-23 Summer Series!!!    And boy do we have a FANTASTIC lineup of guests for our 5th Summer Series, each with their own absolutely amazing, jaw-dropping stories which are all about this year’s theme…  What Drove You To Ac...

“Property is a voting machine in the short term and a weighing machine in the long term.”   Folks, these words form the beginning of one of our most important episodes (and also our LAST formal episode for 2022!!  But don’t worry, we’ve got an AMAZING Summer Series coming at you next week. But back to this week…) In light of the rising housing values, we’ve heard SO many people say, “Surely proper...

Saving for a home deposit. With high housing values and a steadily rising cost of living, saving for that first big leap onto the property ladder can seem daunting to some and impossible to others. Here to part the sea of confusion and simplify home deposits, we’ve got a fantastic number of guests on the couch (In fact, this is the MOST guests we’ve had on at a single time ).  Free Stuff Mentioned...

Property is a game of finance just as much as it is a game of bricks and mortar. But what happens when this bricks and mortar – and the cost to put it all together – starts to cost too much?!   From rising labour costs to widespread material shortages, we’ll be exploring why the industry has ended up in its current state, when we can expect things to “normalise”, and answering the BIG question…  S...

We’re back with another mega-exciting Q&A Day that speaks to the Psychology of Investing, especially in an environment with rising costs and interest rates .    From the common mindset blocks that investors face (like loss aversion and sunk cost) to how you can carve a path for yourself when you just don’t know what to do next. We’re unpacking why investing isn’t for everyone, the Quality of L...

While the race that stops a nation will have the eyes of Australians everywhere today, another decision drawing just as much interest has been released.   In the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) November release – which happens to coincide with Victoria’s Melbourne Cup Day – Ben breaks down our seventh consecutive rate hike from the data behind this decision to how can we, as consumers, can curb...

One of the biggest derailers for any investor is… Procrastination .  So how can you avoid falling into this trap?!    Folks this week we’re back with another super-exciting, real Case Study about Annabelle & Jamie (Pstt – These are fake names!).   Tune in now to discover the sequencing that Annabelle & Jamie can take to still make this dream a reality, and the frameworks and property plan...

Passing on interest rates to tenants. Updating property plans. The future of price growth and…   Restructuring your mortgage (is Line of Credit still the best?!)    Yep.  Folks, we’re back with another ultra-packed Q&A session that’s all about being smart with your money in an unpredictable market.    Give it a listen now to get the facts and cut through the noise!  Free Stuff Mentioned…   Wan...

  Let's welcome back CoreLogic’s Research Division Founder, Tim Lawless!   As Executive Research Director of CoreLogic, Tim heads up a team of analysts in Australia and New Zealand, reporting on property market conditions and the interplay between economic and demographic forces (phew talk about wide coverage!). Free Stuff Mentioned…   Want to be on The Couch? We’re calling all potential 2022...

With the turbulent state of today’s markets, it’s no surprise that there’s been a lot of noise around the future of Australia’s market and what it means for investors.  With many conflicting trends and numbers — and a lack of clarity around the origins of Australia’s inflation — it’s hard to know what remedy is needed from the Reserve Bank of Australia or how to keep successfully investing in such...

Folks, in honesty, today’s guest needs no introduction – although we’re still going to give him one…  A proud husband and father to 7 kids, please welcome to the couch… The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP , NSW Premier and Member for Epping in the NSW Legislative Assembly!!!!    Together, we’re pulling back the curtain on NSW’s newest property reforms, and examining his role in the scrapping of Queenslan...

Overnight Update: This video was filmed & produced before the UK’s mini-budget was scrapped. Folks, Ben’s RBA Monthly Update doesn’t get much bigger than this…  The Reserve Bank of Australia has once again lifted interest rates, property market sentiment is shifting fast, and despite all, Australia’s retail spending remains at record high levels.   Tune in now to find out if we have finally br...

Want to know what’s actually going on with Australia’s anxiety-inducing rental crisis ?  Or where the market is really heading (based on insider’s data and knowledge?!)   Well, folks, we’ve got an extremely wise and exciting guest sitting on the couch today to share just this! Please welcome….  Eleanor Creagh!   She is the Senior Economist at REA Group (the brains behind realestate.com.au) and is...

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recording was filmed and produced before Queensland’s Land Tax was scrapped. With a number of policy changes on the cards, in our third episode of “Talking Property Tax with Julia Hartman,” Ben and Julia cover… Salary Sacrificing For Cars: How do Salary Sacrificing and Novated Leases work? Plus, how can you tell if either is beneficial for you? Electric Vehicles – What are the...

Folks often believe that it isn’t possible to achieve everything they want in life. But what if, with the right sequencing and frameworks…it was possible to tick off everything on your bucket list?!  Starting off with an investment property that isn’t faring so well but with 2 steady incomes, we uncover how – through the power of frameworks, sequencing and paper trading – they can achieve ALL thei...

To sell, or not to sell, that is the question being asked by Queensland’s property investors.    We’re back with yet another gigantic Q&A, involving one of the most contested issues in Australia’s property market: Queensland’s New Land Tax.     We’ll be revealing the realistic options that property investors have and as Bryce says, how to defeat “the monsters under the bed” when it comes to sc...

Have you ever wondered if there’s a “right” way – or smart life hack – to pay off debts?   Like is it better to pay off your investment property….before your Principal Place of Residence ?!     Well folks, we have just the Q&A for you today where we tackle this very question and answer: Does this really shave off any debt?!?   At the core of this Q&A is how folks can maximise their opportu...

Inflation is at a 20-year high at 6.1% – and continuing to rise.   So how has the Reserve Bank of Australia responded to its September cash rate?   Tune in to find out and uncover if Australia’s cash hikes are set to slow down soon…or if the RBA’s new forecast reveals otherwise.  Across the globe, the inflation story continues to unfold and trade tensions between Russia and the Eurozone simmer. We...

Market sentiment is in a hairy place.  Every day costs are rising , people are worried and purse strings are being pulled tighter.   So how can you make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table?   Well, from our experience, one of the biggest “money pits” people fall into is their mortgage loans. Specifically, folks don’t know how to find – and maintain – the best rate for them.   Here’s the...