“Make sure that if you’re going to get a lawyer to do the work for you in a conveyancing space, that they are actually property lawyers.” In the final instalment of The Property Pineapple for 2018, Sharon welcomes Lynda Sanders into the studio. Lynda is the principal at the law firm Dixon & Sanders, who specialise in property and commercial law. In a wide ranging discussion, Sharon and Lynda chat about conveyancing, Property Exchange Australia (PEXA), tips for buyers and vendors, and her own property investing experience. This is the last Property Pineapple release from Performance Property Data for 2018. We will be back with more after the summer.   About Sharon’s guest, Lynda Sanders Lynda has extensive property and commercial law experience and can assist clients with all of their property and business law needs. Lynda has worked in a variety of legal settings as an in-house leasing solicitor for the Sussan Group (a major Australian retailer), as well as in private practice with the mid-tier firm Herbert Geer, and boutique firms such as Marshalls & Dent, and Schetzer Constantinou Lawyers. Due to the diversity in her practical experience, she brings a commercial approach to all matters and actively looks for solutions to any challenges that may arise during any transaction. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For access to exclusive insights and offers, become a member of the community at www.performancedata.com.au

Coming to you from Perth, with the magnificent Swan River behind him, David gives you a quick definition of “vacancy rate”.    ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

Sharon and Heath Bedford chat about the relationship between house and unit prices. And while there is a correlation between house and unit prices, it isn’t as simple as one going up and down with the other. Lag times between the markets, and a number of other factors including supply, demographics, and high house prices pushing people to unit purchases, factor into how the markets move.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“Banks have reacted very quickly, and have shut down lending to a lot of people.” In the last edition of Property Insiders for 2018, David sits down with Nerida Conisbee, Chief Economist at the REA Group. They chat about her contributions to realestate.com.au as well as how key markets are shifting in the wake of political instability and the Royal Commission into the banking sector. About David’s guest, Nerida Conisbee Nerida is the Chief Economist at REA Group and is one of Australia’s leading property experts. Nerida provides regular commentary for SkyNews and a wide range of Australian media outlets covering digital, print, television and radio. She also provides content for REA Group’s websites including realestate.com.au and realcommercial.com.au About the host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“If you are looking at heading over there, if there’s any negotiations in your contract talks, US dollar is always the main one to go for.” The Daves (Misters McMillan and Petrevski) are back with another chat about the investment options for Australian expats. However this time the tables have turned somewhat, with Petrevski taking the lead in asking the questions. And the biggest question of all is “why should expats invest back in Australia?” Both the Daves believe in the importance of educating Australians who are heading overseas about what their options are in regards to investments. This is why they both make regular trips to expat hotspots to share their knowledge. And they do this the core understanding that the overwhelming majority of expats, at some time, will return. Whether an expat should invest back in Australia will largely depend on their answer to the question “where do they eventually want to buy their principal place of residence?” Another important question is “where are they going to send their kids to school?” Wealth building and investing should occur in the same market as the answers to these questions. Dave McMillan tells a story of a recent client - a pilot based in Hong Kong - who plans on returning to Australia in ten years time. When he does so, he wants to live in a $3million property in Balwyn, where he can send his daughters to a local high school. At the moment, however, Performance Property Advisory sees the Balwyn market about to head into a price correction, so there is no point in investing there. So what they will do for this client is purchase one property every one or two years in markets ready for growth. Once Balwyn is at the bottom of the cycle - in about 5 or so years time - they will buy into the area so that he has an investment in the local market he wants to live in. When he returns in ten years, he will have grown a sizeable deposit for the dream $3million house. Such a strategy is wise, as a lot of expats are building their wealth, but are not wealthy yet. What they need is a wealth building strategy that is going to set them in good stead for when they get home. For expats living in the middle of nowhere, one big thing the banks look at is currency and currency risk. Dave Petrevski has found a lot of reticence in the banks to fund many of the smaller currencies. Being paid in US dollars or GB pounds is the best, and it would wise to avoid Chinese yuan in the present climate.  About David’s guest, David Petrevski With over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry, David possesses not only industry knowledge and experience, but also a desire to help people achieve their long term personal and financial goals.  As founding partner of Australian Finance Advocates, David’s role is to help build relationships within the financial services industry that add value to their team of mortgage consultants and in turn provide a flow on effect of benefits to their customers. About the host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

Sharon and Phil are discussing underemployment in this new Insight. Currently in Victoria, underemployment is trending upwards, while unemployment is trending downwards. They chat about how this stat may impact the housing market.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“Unfortunately when vendors are in that distressed state, there can be real knee-jerk reactions at times…” Mark got his start in the property industry after buying his principal place of residence for him and his family. Through this process, he got a crash course in how the property market operates and the leverage that could be created through owning an asset. After this, Mark started a couple of companies, one being Over And Above Property Partners. With this firm, Mark assists vendors - in a range of circumstances - achieve the maximum value from their asset in the shortest possible time frame. They are experts in understanding how to increase a property’s value, and also who can help in that endeavour. Mark runs through a case study of a project in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. He had received a call while on another job in Adelaide, and flew home to see whether he would be able to help the vendor in need. His wife had recently died, and with debt and a house in disarray, there was some work to be done to get it up to a saleable quality. The owner had previously tried to sell it, but agents did not see much hope for it. It was in desperate need of a clean, and there were animals living inside. The vendor’s mindset was quite distressed. Such states often lead to knee-jerk reactions, so they set about determining what he wanted from the property as well as what he needed to happen.  The expectations of the vendor did not much the reality of his situation initially. To bring the vendor’s expectations back to reality, they engaged a number of appraisers to show that the property was not worth as much as he thought at that time. This highlighted everything they needed to do to get the desired outcome. The next step was to work out a formalised partnership agreement. They had to look at solving the problems with the property, principally the funeral home debt, and the son living in the house. Mark solved the issue with the debt, letting the funeral director know of the situation and arranging a payment timeline. Then they found a new home for the son and arranged for him to move there. Once that was done, they got a better idea about what improvements they could make to the house to increase its value. They consulted structural engineers, and eventually added another bathroom and a study to the place. They also opened up three walls to give a huge space for the kitchen and dining area. Mark’s tips for listeners is to decide upon and be sure about the design elements and everything that will be needed in the improvements/renovations process. This will give a more precise idea about budget, project timeframe, and finished look. He also recommends to engage agents who are already selling similar properties in those areas and ask important questions relating to who is buying, who is selling, who is renovating, and what’s going on in the local market. Mark says that so much of what he does is all about trust. He needs to establish trust in himself with the vendor. Then he need to trust in the advice and information coming from the agents. And finally he needs to trust the tradesmen he works with on the project. In the end Mark finished the project on time and within budget. The property thus returned more for the vendor than the previous appraisals stated would be possible. The vendor was overawed with the result. About Sharon’s guest, Mark Heritage… Getting his start in manufacturing, Mark discovered the potential of property investing after purchasing his first home. He made the shift four years ago and started his own investment funding business, YouGrow Investments. He then trained his focus more solely onto property. His new business, Over and Above Property Partners, assists vendors, investors, and agents in maximising the potential of their listing. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For access to exclusive insights and offers, become a member of the community at www.performancedata.com.au

Short-term arrivals is a measure of the passenger arrivals at airports, and is a metric recorded for both international and domestic travellers. It is used by Performance Property Advisory to record the number of people coming to Australia or a particular area. In almost all cases, it is positively correlated with property prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“Trying to sell a single-fronted cottage in North Adelaide without a carpark…the market sees it as an issue.” Real estate agent, Marina Ormsby, is David’s guest for this edition of Property Insiders. They chat about the intricacies of the Adelaide real estate market and give an update of where it is at. Marina has been in the industry for 17 years, but got her start in commercial real estate. She then took a residential course and bought into a franchise group. She tells David that residential sales are more exciting due to including emotion. Commercial sales, on the other hand, is more about numbers and business. Marina tells David that Adelaide is a bit like a small town where local buyers are picky about what they want to invest in. Properties that often don’t see much growth in the city are those with no car parking or those near certain buildings, such as churches. Interstate buyers will come to buy those assets, however, because Marina believes they are less picky. The locals in Adelaide are very conservative, and don’t like to compromise on properties. They still feel like they can have it all - they can live close to the city for a price comparably a lot less than Melbourne or Sydney. Marina suggests that everyone wants the same thing: character homes in a great street scape. David and Marina chat about how often these character homes have crack and other structural wear-and-tear, but this does not act as a deterrent for local buyers. Interstate buyers, however, will often see these homes as money pits, and will avoid them. David admits that interstate buyers will often not consider what the local market wants. They then talk about pricing strategies for Adelaide sales, both in the auction, and private-treaty market. Marina says that buyers will often expect a higher reserve than advertised in the case of an auction, but will expect the advertised price in a private-treaty. Marina doesn’t sell too many units, but has noticed a big influx of stock, which she believes will lead to an oversupply. She doesn’t imagine that in five years they will be worth what they are now. Despite this, Adelaide has some great properties around the inner fringes of the city, and the market is strong at all price points, except for assets $2M plus, which is being impacted by banks tightening their lending up. Most buyers in Adelaide are in the $700K to $1M market. David notes that Adelaide prices are almost half of what they are in Melbourne for something comparable. The market will continue to perform well, because if remains affordable.  They close the chat by discussing the popularity of Adelaide auctions, which see quite a number of people coming through a property, with a significant number of bidders. About David’s guest, Marina Ormsby Marina Ormsby has enjoyed a stellar career in real estate through a combination of hard work and a commitment to excellence. She is currently a Property Consultant with Klemich Real Estate, but has been in the industry for the better part of the last 17 years. With a clear focus on customer service, Marina has established solid relationships with both vendors and buyers and over time, has become a trusted friend to many who have relied upon her blend of enthusiasm and experience. Market knowledge and superior negotiation skills are the cornerstone of Marina’s success and she has built her reputation on achieving record prices with below average days on market. About the host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“The only option I had was to sell my house.” Morgan Jewell is a young and intelligent mortgage broker, who at the age of 23 had a terrible experience with buying an off-the-plan property. She lays out all of the details for Sharon on this episode of The Property Pineapple. Already a property owner, Morgan was talking to her boss one day about wanting to add to her portfolio with an investment purchase. On his recommendation, she consulted a property spruiker. After a short meeting, she was presented with a list of properties within her price range for her to consider. They talked up the potential rental yields and told her the area was earmarked for development, and that this would have a great impact on prices. Being excited and spontaneous, she signed the contracts right then and there for an apartment development in Brisbane. Signing involved becoming a part of the company’s “community”, which benefited Morgan with newsletters and information on the industry, as well as incentives such as discounts on landlord insurance. But of course, she had to pay up front for this privilege. This should have been Alarm Bell #1, because she shouldn’t have needed to pay anything up front. But Morgan admits she didn’t really think about it, and just accepted it was the way things went. After she committed to buying the apartment when it was completed, the waiting game began. It was originally supposed to take 12 months, but when the year went by, Morgan was told that it would probably take another 12 months. About eight months after this, she received a phone call telling her to start organising her financing. This was not good timing, as her and her husband had made some changes in their personal lives, with him going self-employed. This had a surprising effect on their ability to get financing, and none of the brokers they went to could help them.  She considered walking away, but the $25,000 deposit she had paid was too great. So she went back to the company who had sold her the development and told them her predicament. She was told the option for her was to sell her house, and feeling like she had no other option, Morgan did as she was advised and put her home on the market. It took one month to sell, and when it did she went back to the company to tell them she could now afford to settle. But amazingly, they then told her the property wouldn’t be ready for another year. Finally, after so much fuss, the property came up for settlement. But of course, by this stage Morgan and her husband were in a better financial position and would have been able to keep their home. It was in a suburb in Melbourne that has seen significant growth, and so losing this asset, when they didn’t need to, was devastating Despite this, Morgan is circumspect about the experience and her old boss who referred her to the company. While she acknowledges that he got a referral payment, he also bought a property through the same company, so had at least put his money where his mouth was. Additionally, Morgan realises that had she done her due diligence, she would not have found herself in this situation in the first place. Morgan used this experience as an inspiration to shift careers into mortgage broking. She tells Sharon about Crown Money Management, a business committed to helping people manage their finances and pay off their debts sooner.   About Sharon’s guest, Morgan Jewell… Morgan is a Finance Specialist for Crown Money, although she made her start in the fitness industry as management for companies like Jetts and KX Pilates. After experiencing personally the insensitively shown by the big banks and other finance professionals she wanted to work for a Finance company that genuinely wanted to help people.  As Australia's leading specialist in debt and money management, Crown Money seeks to empower clients with understanding and education to help them achieve their financial goals. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For access to exclusive insights and offers, become a member of the community at www.performancedata.com.au

Sharon and Heath discuss how the proportion of owner-occupiers or investors in an area can impact on house prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“Once you add all these allowances to the base wage, that’s what really gives the expats buying power. And that’s why it’s such a great opportunity for them at the minute.” David McMillan welcomes his namesake, old school friend and football teammate, David Petrevski onto the show. The two Davids have been teaming up recently bringing sound advice and strategy to Australian expats, and here they chat about this often overlooked and neglected area of the financial service industry. Acknowledging that we are currently in a very difficult time for financing, David P. states that he is interested in expats because he has a genuine interest in helping people out and often likes to get into things when they are challenging. He is also happy to spend more time overseas. With all the Australian banks closing down a lot of their face-to-face operations overseas, there are many opportunities for financiers, and the two Davids discuss their partnership in this space. Few people are currently choosing to work in expat funding due to its difficulty, although David P. says that it was always so. They discuss the practice of income “shading”, whereby banks drastically reduce an expat’s loan-servicing income because of currency conversion. However, high wages and other allowances mean that expats still often have a lot to invest with. One significant change is how banks have become more risk-averse in relation to loan-to-value ratio (LVR) with lending. This simply means that expats need to have access to more cash in order to qualify for lending. David P. argues that expats considering investing back home should not be discouraged by the apparent obstacles. With enough of a cash deposit, and the right advisor in their corner, financing is still available and affordable. About David’s guest, David Petrevski With over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry, David possesses not only industry knowledge and experience, but also a desire to help people achieve their long term personal and financial goals. As founding partner of Australian Finance Advocates, David’s role is to help build relationships within the financial services industry that add value to their team of mortgage consultants and in turn provide a flow on effect of benefits to their customers. About the host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

Sharon Taylor and David McMillan chat about inflation, covering what it is and its importance to growth in income, rental yields, and house prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

“So it’s hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.” Sharon’s guest today on The Property Pineapple is her colleague at Performance Property Advisory, Acquisitions Manager, Tomas Turkayoglu. Tomas studied Construction straight after school, and then switched his major to Property. Despite his youth - Tomas is only 26 years old - he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in purchasing investment properties. Earlier this year, Tomas bought his first property in Ballarat. Not originally sold on the idea of buying in Ballarat, he was swayed by the research. In the end it came down to affordability and potential for strong rental yields. He was keen on a house that would be appealing to renting families, as well as being a nice character home, with a good land component, that was close to public transport. In addition to this, regional areas are attractive for investors in the current climate, as they offer affordability when the cities have reached their peak. They can provide a stepping stone to a larger asset in the city, while appreciating your savings at a greater return than a bank would. Tomas speaks about his long-term goals, which is essentially building wealth. He is confident in following the research when purchasing properties, and wishes to add as many to his portfolio as he can. To help with achieving this goal, Tomas has made the decision to live at home with his parents. This has been a sacrifice, but he still manages to have a good social life. He is in good company too, with many of his friends also in the property investment market. Tomas lays down three tips for people who might be in a similar position to him. He advises people to make realistic and smart decisions. This involves not drastically changing your lifestyle as this might mean not being able to commit to such sacrifices long-term. Finally, and most importantly, stick to a manageable plan. Tomas and Sharon chat about the importance of having a cash buffer. Tomas says that his cash buffer is there for security, and he acknowledges that old homes will need maintenance and so having some cash for expenses is necessary. The cash buffer is also good for covering any shortfalls that may occur. It’s about hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Sharon asks Tomas about the due diligence he performed on his property before he bought it. The main thing was to have in mind the absolute top purchase price he was prepared to go after. Next, came the building and pest inspection. Thanks to this, he knew the house wouldn’t need any immediate works, but that in five years it would probably need a new roof. This allows him to plan into the future and manage his cash flow. Tomas’ risk management is mostly about choosing an asset in an established suburb, as well as diversifying his investments. Now that he has purchased in Ballarat, he will soon look to purchasing another in a different, underperforming market. Through increasing his asset base, he hopes to minimise his investment risks. He says that one of his long-term goals is to have a passive income, and Sharon pushes him to explain what a passive income is. Sharon mentions the statistic that 70% of investors only own one asset. Tomas says that a lot of this might come down to the quality of that asset. People may purchase at the wrong point in the cycle, so that they don’t realise a lot of the growth, and they’re unable to take advantage of quickly leveraging the asset to purchase another. To Tomas, a quality asset is one that is a desirable suburb near a good education district, health services, amenities, the character of the area, and its proximity to public transport. Tomas suggests investors need to think about the end point of the investment: that one day, someone will need to buy the asset, so people need to purchase a property that people will want to buy. Tomas’ final tip is to reiterate one of his tips from before: choose a strategy that is manageable and stick to it. About Sharon’s guest, Tomas Turkayoglu… Tomas is responsible for managing the transaction process at Performance Property Advisory. Specialising in the residential sector, Tomas is a Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA), providing detailed advice that informs clients on the fundamentals of property investment. This includes identifying growth suburbs and regions; demographics and employment rates; proposed infrastructure developments and other aspects that contribute to a positive return on investment.  Tomas completed his Bachelor (with Honours) of Property and Valuations at RMIT and is a member of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA). About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

Sharon chats with Phil Almeida about Gross Regional Product (GRP) and how it can impact property prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au to become a part of the Performance Property Community for access to exclusive content.

Sharon and David are in Brisbane and chatting about bedroom approvals. This is a metric - when used in conjunction with other stats - that helps determine if a market is undersupplied or oversupplied. It is done by estimating the number of bedrooms in a particular area, as compared to the number of people.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“We typically favour rental applicants who make it easy for us.” Nino started in the property industry almost by accident. After finishing high school, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, so took a casual job in his uncles’ real estate agency. He assisted the property manager, and soon fell in love with property management. Fifteen years later, he is a department head for the property management firm, Pathway Asset Management. Nino believes that it is important that property managers know and understand the property investment market. He was amazed at how little he knew when he first started out, but most of the learning needed can only be done on the job.  Understanding the market is the surest way a property manager can advise their clients to make smart choices. Choosing the right location is very important, with blue-chip suburbs with a history of good performance being the best options. Properties near public transport, shops, schools, employment, and other infrastructure would be wise choices. Potential investors should also strongly consider the type of property, and whether renters will wish to live in it. To that end, Nino shares one of his own investment experiences, a converted warehouse apartment in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville. In making this purchase, Nino started off by establishing how much he could afford and how much he could borrow. He then did his research, targeting areas he could afford as close to the CBD as possible. He arrived at Marrickville, an up and coming area, in a stage of gentrification, with good public transport options, and within his budget. Since that purchase six years ago, Nino’s Marrickville apartment has increased in value by just over 50%. Adding to that positive capital growth are the strong rental yields Nino has had due to the apartment barely being vacant and in a sort-after suburb. He is not considering selling, however, with the place a good option for his son or as a leverage asset to increase his portfolio. Popping his property managers hat back on, Nino opens up about the three questions owners should ask prospective property managers. These are about the experience of the property manager with investment; the number of properties on the manager’s books; and what the turnover of staff is. The answers to these questions will help owners determine whether the property manager will have the expertise, knowledge, time, and longevity to be competent and successful. Nino continues with his advice for property owners, this time in relation to how best to advertise for renters. Presentation is key, and professional photographers should be hired to ensure the property looks its best in any marketing material. He also encourages owners to consider renters with pets. People with pets know how difficult it can be to find a rental that allows their four-legged family, so they will value highly the lease.  Nino finishes with some tips for potential renters, top of the list being to make it easy for the property management team. Renters should ensure they are providing all required information, including payslips, bank statements, identification, and rental ledgers. If renters can limit the amount of work the property manager has to do, they will be favoured in their application.   About Sharon’s guest, Nino Palmiotto Nino Palmiotto is a licensed Real Estate Agent and studied a Diploma Of Business and Real Estate Management. He has a broad, in-depth understanding of the greater Sydney rental market, a result of 15 years experience in the property industry. He has managed properties across the Sydney metropolitan area and across a wide range of lifestyle spectrums. Nino inspires great confidence in his clients with a mature businesslike approach and extensive experience in the rental market. Nino is always willing and completely committed to going that extra mile, in delivering the best possible customer service experience. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For access to exclusive insights and offers, become a member of the community at www.performancedata.com.au

David and Sharon are in sunny (but windy) Burleigh Heads to touch on job creation and its impact on house prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“The value in real estate is in land. You’re far better off investing in a property that has a decent land component.” Good friend of the show, Peter Koulizos, calls in from Adelaide for a chat with David about his bestselling book, Top Australian Suburbs. It’s been a decade since it was first published, but the information it holds still remains relevant. Particularly, the lowdown on what makes a suburb ideal for investing.  There are 107 suburbs in Peter’s book, all of them chosen because of their value and the prediction that they would perform better than the average suburb in that particular capital city. The common factor - existing in the vast majority of suburbs - was gentrification. When gentrification wasn’t present, suburbs were most likely to be benefiting from urban renewal. Peter will be evaluating the suburbs in his book later in the year, but preliminary research has revealed he has been very accurate with his predictions.   About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Peter Koulizos Peter is currently the Co-ordinator of the property and share Investment courses at TafeSA. He also teaches the property program at the University of South Australia. He has been teaching in real estate and investment for almost 20 years. Peter also personally invests in property and currently holds several properties. Peter has the ability to combine the theory of property investment with the practical aspects so as to teach people how to make money for themselves from investing in property, whether they be buying, selling, renting, renovating or developing property. Peter researches property markets around the nation, looking for the best suburbs to invest in each capital city. He has published two book, “The Property Professor's Top Australian Suburbs” and more recently “Property vs Shares”.  He is also a regular contributor to numerous newspapers, magazines and websites and is sought after by TV and radio for his research and comments on the property market. For more information on PIPA, head here.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Income is an important metric for determining the affordability of a particular property market. Here, from the windy cliffs of Burleigh Heads, Queensland, David and Sharon discuss the influence household income can have on property prices.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“If we think about the modelling we’ve had from our mothers and grandmothers; that is redundant. We’re not living post-war anymore.” Sharon welcomes into The Property Pineapple studio Deanne Carter, speaker, podcaster, and investment mentor (among other things). They chat about her career, passions, inspirations, investments, and worries and hopes for the future.   About Sharon’s guest, Deanne Carter… Deanne is an investment mentor, speaker, life designer, podcaster, and founder of the Women’s Money Forum. She is also a property investor, with over 25 years experience. The Women’s Money Forum is an online platform inspiring women to take a fresh look at their relationship with money. It provides tools and strategies for how they can maximise their financial position and become more financially competent. Find out more about the Women's Money Forum here. When she’s not educating about money, Deanne is a devoted mum, fitness fanatic, a curious learner, and possesses a passion for conscious abundant living. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For access to exclusive insights and offers, become a member of the community at www.performancedata.com.au

It’s another lovely day in Melbourne, and Sharon and David are in Fitzroy Gardens to bring you another technical insight. International students head to Australia for a number of reasons, and them being here also has a number of positive impacts on our property markets and economy.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

From Melbourne, Sharon and David discuss foreign investment, specifically looking at approvals by nation. They reveal that 28% of foreign approvals come from China, which is both a good and a potential bad thing.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“We’ve been quite hands-on with everything we’ve done…” David sits down with his colleague and namesake, David Robbins (Senior Acquisitions Consultant - Performance Property Advisory), to discuss his background, investing experience, and the benefit he can add to his clients portfolios and wealth creation. Despite doing a valuation course at university, David pursued his first love of motorcycle racing and eventually found himself the proud owner of a motorcycle retail store. With the strength of the internet growing, and an unkind Australian dollar, the store had a difficult time finding customers and they shut the doors after eight years. Along the way though, David kept in touch with the investment market, purchasing his first block of land in Heathcote, which he then moved a weatherboard home onto. He and his brother - who did the same with a place next door - put some more money and work in the house, and then watched as their investments doubled in value in a year. His next purchase was in Montmorency, which he and his brother also worked on to improve. This property also enjoyed a healthy increase in value, allowing David to purchase his dream property, 9 acres in Hurstbridge. One of the main thing David has picked up since joining Performance Property Advisory, is the awareness of the diverse strategies available to property investors. His plan is to next take advantage of a “passive play” strategy, where purchases in blue-chip suburbs are able to be left unchanged - with the exception of necessary maintenance - while still appreciating in value.  The Daves finish the chat with a rundown of what they can offer clients. This involves managing the purchase in the most viable market (wherever that may be around Australia), tracking that investment, and then advising on when to sell the property as the market reaches its peak.   About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, David Robbins David joined Performance Property Advisory after more than a decade of successfully investing and developing residential property. In his 20’s David followed his passion for motorcycle racing and owned a retail store which provided the cash flow to build his portfolio. David’s first hand experience ensures he is well placed to assist clients on building a successful portfolio. David has had a lifetime of experience dealing with clients and tailoring solutions to meet their needs. Customer service and client satisfaction has been, and still is the cornerstone to David’s approach.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released every four weeks and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“Real estate has really been kept as a separate asset class entirely from the industry, and so financial advisers have never really grown up in an environment where they could recommend real estate in the past.” Old friends David and Joel Hewish catch up for a chat about the financial planning industry and its relationship to property. Joel is the Chief Executive and Chief Financial Strategist of United Global Capital (UGC), a wealth management firm focused helping clients achieve their full financial potential. David notes that traditionally financial planners have been anti-property. He asks Joel why most institutional financial planners don’t recommend property, despite it often being in their client’s best interest. Joel suggests that it is because it doesn’t fit the business model of the financial planning business. Talk turns pretty quickly to the current Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, which David thinks is highlighting problems that have been apparent and obvious for years. The question remains, however,  whether the Royal Commission will fix the industry’s problematic aversion to property. Joel points out the legacy aspect of the industry, where it has been slow to evolve and move on from old models of business that saw it focus on insurance and then later superannuation. These businesses were absorbed by the larger financial institutions who in some cases turned their advisement into opportunities to sell their other products. This goes against what clients have been led to believe and expect, which is that advice will be given in their best interest. David finds it devastating that this often does not occur, and is doubly frustrated that even when property may be in the best interest of the client, it is mostly not advised by the larger institutions.  Joel feels like the industry has struggled to figure out how to monetise property advice. Thus they are incentivised to lead clients towards other options. What David appreciates most about Joel and UGC, is that they truly advise their clients in their best interest, whatever that may be. Joel notes that it is the younger generation of financial planners who are changing the industry and finding new ways of achieving their clients’ goals. They are entering the industry with more qualifications than their forebears, and have a much better understanding of the whole of the financial services industry and the products available. This matches the wants of the client, who understand more and want more from their wealth management. Joel outlines the ways in which UGC can help their clients, including through real estate. David makes the observation that this shows that UGC is not “pro-real estate”, but rather “pro-client” matching the strategy to the client’s goals and position. David and Joel discuss the often strained and dependant relationship between financial planners and property investment firms. Talk returns to the Royal Commission, and Joel admits he is a little blown away, even though he expected it to turn up some bad actors in the industry. David thinks this will ultimately be a win for independent financial planners, as the larger institutions are being revealed as an unsafe option for clients’ wealth. David and Joel both find it surprising that there is no regulation around purchasing property, something that for most is a $700K to $1million decision. Joel feels it incredible that the financial services industry has yet to see the need for proper regulation for these types of assets. Ultimately, David and Joel both agree that the financial services industry, and financial planning in particular, will move to an environment where the client’s interests are absolutely paramount.   About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Joel Hewish Joel is the founder, Chief Executive and Chief Financial Strategist of United Global Capital (UGC). Joel is a highly skilled, educated and experienced wealth management professional. Joel established United Global Capital (UGC) with a vision to bring the world’s best investment opportunities and financial strategies to ordinary people. With a starting point of first understanding each clients risks, aims and own individual circumstances, UGC has developed a culture of wealth creation starting with wealth protection and risk minimisation. Joel’s view is that investing, by its very nature is risky. It is the pursuit of a definite outcome with an over reliance on an uncertain future. However, with careful planning, a diligence to risk management and a willingness to learn, you too can benefit from a future that holds much more certainty than was previously available to the ordinary person. If you would like to learn more about how you can take advantage of these strategies with UGC, contact them on 03 8657 7640 or email info@ugc.net.au.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released every four weeks and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

David’s there to explain one of the key metrics for investors: the affordability index. Sharon’s there to keep him in line. This technical insight offers an understanding of what the affordability index is, how it’s calculated, and it’s application for potential property investors.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“It was literally all the money was pouring into a hole.” Sharon’s guest on this episode of The Property Pineapple is hotelier and family man, Jim Croft. Jim and his wife bought their first property as an investment in 2007. Although optimistic about its investment potential, they also chose the place based on it liveability, in case they would need to stay in it longer than first planned. Jim wanted a place a little further out of town with some land, but his wife pushed for a property more central, with a focus on short-term gain. They compromised and opted for a blue-chip suburb as a safe investment option. The place was an apartment in South Yarra, a short walk to St Kilda Rd, the city, and the MCG. The apartment came furnished, but Jim and his wife weren’t fond of it all. So they purchased new furniture, a TV, cutlery, and other assorted things, and were able to increase their rental yields by over 50%.   They also owe much of this increase to them being ruthless in deciding who could lease the property. They decided to offer short-term leases, targeting professionals living away from home, who needed to be close to St Kilda Rd for work. Many of these professionals are supplied with a living away from home allowance, which is often enough to finance long-term hotel stays. Jim and his wife’s apartment presented a far cheaper option and proved a great strategy. However, it didn’t always turn out the way they would like. One time, a tenant provided false information on the application, and they discovered someone completely different occupying the apartment. They had also changed the locks and Jim suspected they may have been manufacturing drugs in the property. The investment didn’t suffer much vacancy because of the short-term leases, but their finances were impacted by re-lease fees from agencies. This frustrated the pair, and they eventually found an agent that wasn’t intent on taking advantage of them. Jim as much to share about the Body Corporate at the apartment building. For the most part it didn’t present an issue, as there were not many extra features at the apartment building. However, there were some significant ground works that needed to be completed, and Jim was hit with a $13,000 bill. This money was essentially thrown away, as the works added no value at all to their investment. Jim continues to explain some of things investors may find themselves having to pay for through their Body Corporate, also discussing sinking funds. Jim then imparts some great wisdom about depreciation schedules, particularly in regards to his experience with the furnished property. Then in 2008, Jim and his wife purchased a unit in a refitted heritage building in Kew. This complex had a pool, tennis courts, full-time maintenance, and so attracted hefty annual fees. This new place they lived in for a short time, before vacating and finding a tenant. Jim offers the piece of advice for investors to be actively involved with the choosing of their rental tenant. After a couple of years of tenancy, they took back the property and started renovating, adding a new kitchen. The plan was to sell the place when they were done. Jim contracted the work out, but was an active project manager, running around town picking out many of the materials needed. When doing this, Jim always had in mind the potential buyer, and so thought about what kind of fittings and surfaces they might like.  They then sold both properties in 2013, using the returns to buy into a business and purchase another property that would be their family home. They lived there for a time, before needing to vacate in order to be closer to their business. In the interim, they had a daughter, and are gearing up to moving back into their family home in the not-too-distant future. About Sharon’s guest, Jim Croft… Jim is a father with a young family. He is the franchisee for a chain of serviced apartments in Melbourne, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“We know that the State Governments have all but abandoned public and social housing over the last decade in the tens of billions of dollars. And the people who have picked up the slack have been mum and dad property investors.” Ben Kingsley is David’s guest on this episode of Property Insiders. Ben is the host of his own podcast, The Property Couch, as well as being CEO of Empower Wealth and the current Chair of the Property Investors Council of Australia (PICA). Here he chats with David about what PICA is and what its plans for the near future. Ben explains that PICA exists to educate and advocate on behalf of property investors. A relatively recent group, it is not a group set up by business, but rather by other property investors in a response to proposed policy changes which may negatively impact upon the investment market. As opposed to PIPA - which serves the industry professional - PICA serves the consumer. PICA’s key goal is to represent its voter base, something it plans to do through providing members with opportunities to voice their views. PICA also seeks to help people understand property investment better. In addition, PICA wants to protect the rights of property investors through advocacy so investors won’t see a decline in their investment because of poor policy. They wish to find the right balance in regulation to improve the industry and protect member’s investments. Ben sees the biggest issues as being proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains. These are not just problems for investors, but for everyone involved in housing: renters, homebuyers, and construction. In regards to negative gearing, price fluctuations may not be uniform across the state, meaning price reductions in some outer areas, which will push up prices in the inner city. State governments have fallen by the wayside with respect to investing in public and social housing, and it is small-time investors who have picked up the slack. They continue to drive demand with their investments, and if they were to leave the market, there would be no one to pick up the slack. To become a member of PICA, those interested can simply head to the website (pica.asn.au) and pay the $5 yearly fee (or $20 for 5 years). The funds collected are put towards policy responses and submissions, in particular relating to flagged changes to negative gearing and to tenants’ rights. Members are able to communicated their views to the board through petitions and open channels. PICA regularly updates its members on what is happening in the industry and is seeking independent assessments on the impacts of proposed policies. PICA is open to meaningful and constructive discussions around policy, and seeks a sustainable industry where property is available to everyone who wants to buy or invest.   About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Ben Kingsley Ben is the founding Director of Empower Wealth, former Chair of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA), and current Chair of Property Investors Council of Australia.  A qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA), he holds Real Estate Agency Licenses in VIC, NSW & QLD, a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management, Diploma of Business and has become one of Australia’s leading experts in property investing for wealth creation. 20 years experience in property investing, finance and wealth creation, together with a comprehensive understanding of industry regulations, issues and trends, has positioned Ben as a genuine expert in property finance and money management. In 2014, he won the Best Property Investment Advisor of the Year Award by Your Investment Property Magazine. Ben also writes for Money Magazine, Smart Property Investor, Australian Property Investor Magazine and Your Investment Property Magazine and is the co-host of the free and very popular property investing podcast, The Property Couch, an insider’s guide to property investment.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released every four weeks, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released every four weeks and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Sharon and David are in the Treasury Gardens on a fine Melbourne day for this technical insight on the population pyramid. The population pyramid is the ideal distribution of a populace divided by age. At the top are the oldest demographic, and then the younger the demographic the more people there are creating a pyramid shape. Australia’s is in a pretty good shape, but it is important for potential investors to look at the population pyramid in the market they are considering to give the best chance for a strong economy into the future.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released every four weeks, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ is also released every four weeks and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“These types of decisions can impact you more than just financially.” Sharon is joined today by IT professional, David McCracken. Having been investing in property since he was 23, David has a lot of experience with the market. However, he brings with him today not a story of success, but rather a tale of what not to do. David had toiled hard to build up a property portfolio based entirely in Victoria. With land taxes rising and identifying a need to diversify, in 2011 he bought a few property reports that led him to consider Gladstone in Queensland as a potential market. However, he didn’t buy there until 2012, meaning the data he had used to make his decision was at least one year old. But he had already set his mind to buy there, and didn’t really reconsider or reevaluate this decision. At the time Gladstone had a booming local economy due to gas-related projects on the way. Vacancy was basically 0%, rents were sky-rocketing, and it was typical to wait two hours for a meal at the local pub.  David bought two established properties, which he now identifies as the one thing he did right. Had he bought from house and land developers, things may have turned out a lot worse than they did. But it was obvious to him at the time that that would’ve been a poor choice. He paid $530k and $600k for each of the houses, and immediately found tenants for both, charing $900 and $1100 per week respectively for them. Things were going all right for about a year or two, but then a glut of new developments, coupled with a fall in the worldwide demand for gas meant that the local market started to falter. David kept thinking things would bounce back, but he slowly watched his investment fade. In the area rents dropped, vacancy rates increased, and tenants became more demanding. His rents decreased by about 65%, and the properties are now worth about half of what he paid.  After four years of hoping for an upturn, he finally faced facts that he was in a bad situation. David never wanted to have his mental state and wellbeing linked to his finances, but it was hard not to. He wanted to be in a different situation as he approached 40, but now felt as if he was back to where he was at age 25. David’s life was affected by these experiences. He opened multiple bank accounts to help manage his dwindling finances and had no real cash buffer to speak of. He put on weight, lost his mojo, and ceased acting like his normal happy self. This led to his relationship with his fiancé breaking down, and he has experienced firsthand how his bad decisions can impact on people more than just financially.  To get himself out of the muck and mire, he has since contracted a property investment advisor to help him strategise his next moves. David feels it’s good to have a third-party to run plans passed. He has tried to sell the cheaper of the Gladstone properties, but has had no luck.  David’s closing advice to others is to apply the required due diligence and risk mitigation to investment decisions. He acknowledges that he never paid enough respect to market timing. In the time between deciding to buy and actually buying, the properties had increased in value by 20%, and this should’ve been an indication to him that he had missed the opportunity. He would also use an advisor if he had the time again, and had made a commitment to use one for all future property purchases.   About Sharon’s guest, David McCracken… David is an IT professional who has worked for most of his career in the energy and banking sectors. He has been investing in property since he was 23 and at one stage owned 7 properties. His early successes in property investment led him to being featured on the front cover of Australia Property Investor magazine and on Sky News. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“You should look for somebody who is a PIPA member, because then you know you can have confidence that they have your interests at heart.” David’s guest on this instalment of Property Insiders is lecturer, author, and Chair of The Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA), Peter Koulizos. He chats with David about PIPA’s objectives, and the benefits it offers both members and consumers. PIPA is the peak association for property investment professionals, providing education to members, as well as helping and protecting consumers with their property investments.  PIPA has a code of conduct that all professionals need to abide by to join and maintain membership. This code of conduct is taken very seriously, and people are often denied inclusion, or have their membership revoked. In joining, members get to be a part of a group whose main aim is to serve the consumer, rather than just to make money for themselves. They can be recognised as a true professional who follow the code and are ethical operators. Peter acknowledges there can be a dark side to the industry, where people try to rip off consumers, and PIPA helps consumers make safer choices about who they work with. Dealing with PIPA members mean consumers can have confidence that their advisor has their best interests at heart. Rogues, spruikers, and unethical operators can’t be members of PIPA, and both Peter and David know from experience that all the best professionals in the industry are PIPA members. If a consumer is dealing with a PIPA member, they can be confident they are working with a quality independent advisor. Peter tells David that PIPA’s main long term objective is to bring regulation to the industry, including developing industry codes and introducing legislation that protects investors. Peter is always amazed that the people who advise consumers on what may be the biggest investment of their lives, don’t need any qualifications or ongoing professional development. PIPA seeks to provide this development, by offering regular webinars, communicating information to members, being a source of compliance and regulatory information, developing a code of conduct, and working continuously to ensure integrity in the industry. About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Peter Koulizos Peter is currently the Co-ordinator of the property and share Investment courses at TafeSA. He also teaches the property program at the University of South Australia. He has been teaching in real estate and investment for almost 20 years. Peter also personally invests in property and currently holds several properties. Peter has the ability to combine the theory of property investment with the practical aspects so as to teach people how to make money for themselves from investing in property, whether they be buying, selling, renting, renovating or developing property. Peter researches property markets around the nation, looking for the best suburbs to invest in each capital city. He has published two book, “The Property Professor's Top Australian Suburbs” and more recently “Property vs Shares”.  He is also a regular contributor to numerous newspapers, magazines and websites and is sought after by TV and radio for his research and comments on the property market. For more information on PIPA, head here.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

“Work out what it is that’s stopping you…and do something about it.” Sharon’s guest on this edition of The Property Pineapple is Kerry Ashbrook, founder and director of Life You Choose, an organisation empowering women to achieve financial independence. Kerry has bought 11 properties over her life, and still owns three of them. She sat down with Sharon to discuss a few of these purchases and some of the things she has learned along the way. Kerry spent much of her early years on a caravan travelling around Australia. Although it was often a difficult and challenging experience, it instilled in her the confidence that she could do whatever it was she wanted to do. Along with the caravan, her parents did own a home which they would return to every once in awhile. Over the years, subsequent relocations to different houses showed to Kerry that they were going backwards financially. In the end, after some bad luck, her parents didn’t have a home at all. Even as a child, Kerry witnessed this and knew it wasn’t what she wanted for herself.  She bought her first property in Sunshine, and although it was nerve-wracking decision to take the leap, it paid off in the long run as she sold it for a health profit. She had planned to live in it, but never got a chance to as she relocated to Perth for work. Later, her third purchase was in Bendigo, and was a house that her family could live in while her father battled terminal cancer. It helped her to see how property was a means to something else, rather than a means in itself. To be able to provide for those she loved and provide a place for them all to be together through that difficult time was incredibly important to her. The fourth house she bought was going to be the one she would ultimately live in. Although it wasn’t called rent-vesting back then, that’s exactly what she was doing. She was renting where she wanted to live, but had bought properties where she could afford. Now, the time had come where she could also afford to buy where she wanted to live, and so she purchased a place in Port Melbourne. Kerry believes it is all about the mindset. If you’re set on buying where you want to live before you can afford to, then you’re probably going to waste a lot of time and money. Next came a holiday home on Phillip Island, which she now has on AirBnB. Kerry originally listed it with an agent, but then an increase in supply saw the bookings steadily drop over time. Since using AirBnB the bookings have gone through the roof. Although it is more hands-on and time-consuming, the commission is a lot less than going through an agent, and so the yield is greater.  Kerry’s philosophy is that it’s all about just getting started, and potential investors need to work out what they are able to manage. There are still affordable places to buy in regional cities, so it’s about doing your research and getting good people behind you to advise on the best strategies. She believes that people need to work out what it is that’s stopping them from doing something, and then do something about it. Kerry finishes by saying, “You need to have your own home, you need to have an investment strategy, and you need to have your super. And if you don’t have all of those three things, you going to end up financially dependent, and that’s not a great place to be in and it certainly doesn’t give you choices in life.” About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations. About Sharon’s guest, Kerry Ashbrook… Kerry Ashbrook is an entrepreneur, businesswoman, inspirational speaker, author, coach, corporate executive, and investor. After a long and successful corporate career and achieving personal wealth through investment, Kerry founded Life You Choose to pursue her passion of educating, challenging and empowering women to get the clarity and confidence needed to choose their life. With an abundance of experience to share, including how she has successfully built wealth through investment, Kerry has worked with 100s of women from all walks and stages of life. She believes a holistic approach to life is needed, with an understanding that money is key to achieving the control and personal freedom you desire. To learn more about Life You Choose, head to www.lifeyouchoose.com.au    ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Joining David on a suburban street in Richmond, Melbourne, Heath Bedford (Director of Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) grills David about median house prices. They explain what it is and its importance to investors. Check out the article to accompany this podcast episode at www.performancedata.com.au    ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, boosting your technical knowledge and giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“I think 90 percent of players will invest in property at some point during their playing days.” David’s guest on this episode of Property Insiders is ex-AFL footballer, builder, and Performance Property Advisory consultant, Greg Stafford. They settle down to talk about the work they do advising young sportspeople about maximising their potentially high, yet short-lived, earnings with the right investments. One of the things that makes sportspeople so unique is their higher salaries as compared to their contemporaries. But due to their youth, the speed with which they amass wealth, and the tendency to spend frivolously, it is important that young sportspeople get the right advice about where to invest their money so it works for them over the long term. Currently, AFL sporting clubs don’t offer this advice themselves, but they are actively encouraging players and provide referrals to trusted advisers. One of these advisers, is Greg Stafford. Greg often advises players to put their money in property as this has historically shown to be a positive investment. However, he does caution that research is needed, as many have got it wrong in the past, especially with buying off-plan options. Greg also tells David about some of the top things players can do to protect themselves. However, this advice could be applied to all potential investors. About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Greg Stafford Greg spent 14yrs as a professional sportsman and his involvement in the competitive sports industry like the AFL has taught him many things. Not least of which is reward for hard work, the importance of strong leadership, honesty, a social conscience and a commitment to achieving results. From that grounding he successfully ran his own building company, which to this day can assist clients with pre purchase analysis of renovation/refurbishment scope and feasibility as well as development projects. Greg is passionate about providing clients with the right ‘research based‘ advice, particularly young athletes; while devoting their life to the sport they seek excellence, they need their investments to work as hard as they do. With an understanding of the precarious nature of professional sport and considering the career ‘life span’ of most athletes is relatively short, he is determined to guide their property investments in the right direction. It's also his love for mentoring and supporting AFL talent that has seen him perform as Ruck Coach at the Melbourne Football Club for 4 years.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released fortnightly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

It’s another lovely day in Melbourne, and Sharon and David are in Fitzroy Gardens to bring you another technical insight. International students head to Australia for a number of reasons, and them being here also has a number of positive impacts on our property markets and economy.    ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘Property Insiders’ is released fortnightly and feature conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘The Property Pineapple’, also released fortnightly, brings you real-world experiences of actual investors in conversation with Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory).  For more information, including videos and written analysis, detailing how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

On a deceptively hot morning, David and Sharon are in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens for this insight instalment. Looking at some of the pros and cons of foreign investment, they weigh the situation up with reference to both established and new or off-plan properties.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘Property Insiders’ is released fortnightly and feature conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘The Property Pineapple’, also released fortnightly, brings you real-world experiences of actual investors in conversation with Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory).  For more information, including videos and written analysis, detailing how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

“There’s no set rule between owner-occupier and investor. I believe it all comes down to your profile.” David gets together again with Mark Davis from The Australian Lending & Investment Centre (ALIC) to chat around the question…  Should you fix your interest rate? David and Mark first talk about the process behind how the RBA and banks set interest rates. This includes all the things taken into consideration and also its application to term deposits. They then talk more specifically about the pros and cons of going with a fixed or variable interest rate. The truth is there is no hard and fast rule, and that either, or a combination, may best for your situation.  Mark also tells David that there should be no real difference between owner-occupiers and investors in terms of interest rates. That being said, variable rates are certainly more risky, and this sometimes makes them more attractive to investors who possess a larger cash buffer. David asks Mark about any tax benefits, which exist for investors on fixed rates. Mark advises that all property buyers should talk through all of the pros and cons of each with the advisors and decide on the one that is best for their circumstances and piece of mind. The discussion concludes with Mark sharing his own personal strategy in regards to interest rates.    About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Mark Davis Mark‘s successful career at ANZ resulted in him becoming the number one national mortgage lender for seven years in a row. Mark’s expertise is in lending structures and strategies for wealth creation and the formula utilized within ALIC. Through developing close working relationships with clients, Mark is able to guide and advise the most suitable loan options available as he is constantly aware of market forces surrounding the industry. Since the inception of The Australian Lending & Investment Centre in 2009, Mark has been at the forefront of industry, being recognised with many Broker of the Year awards. As the industries leading adviser Mark is frequently called upon to provide up to date and informed opinions for the Australian mainstream media, as well as industry events and articles. With over 30 years of experience Mark’s knowledge and network of key professionals is second to none.   ‘Property Insiders’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, they are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.  ‘The Property Pineapple’ is released monthly and is hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory). The show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

Coming to your ears from the Performance Property Advisory offices in Collins St, Melbourne, Sharon and Phillip bring you an insight on LVR - Loan to Value Ratio. They discuss what it is, and also its implications for Lender’s Mortgage Insurance.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘Property Insiders’ is released fortnightly and feature conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘The Property Pineapple’ is monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors in conversation with Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory).  For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

David chats with Phillip Almeida (Director Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory) about relationship between credit growth and house price growth. Credit growth is growth investors see through consumer credit, home loans, business loans or personal loans. They discuss the positive correlation between the two types of growth, where as one goes up, so does the other. Conversely, as credit growth slows, so does house price growth, which is the situation the Australian market is currently in.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘Property Insiders’ is released monthly and feature conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors in conversation with Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory).  For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Sharon invites her friend and colleague, Phil Almeida (Director Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory) to chat about his property investing journey. Starting out as a 19 year old, Phil’s first purchase was in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Sunbury. He acknowledges now that he was perhaps a little underprepared for such an investment, and had to take second job and work 7 days a week in order to make the mortgage repayments. His next purchase was a joint venture with a group of friends. Over a few beers one night, they made a plan to buy a property together and the four of them each saved up $10,000 for a deposit. They found a suitable place, but it wasn’t to be. During the settlement period, they received notice that the vendor would be pulling out of the contract. However, with the help of a lawyer, they didn’t give up so easily, and after a mediation session walked out with $85,000 between them.  The money was used to start their portfolios, and they next bought a block of land in Frankston. With the plan to hold onto this lot for several years and use the proceeds for a deposit on each of their principal places of residence, one of them had a change of heart and wanted out of the joint venture.The rest of them held firm, and were rewarded when they sold the property for more than double of what they had paid.  Not discouraged, the three remaining friends bought another property in nearby Red Hill, which they still own today.  This was the last of the joint ventures, with Phil next buying a property in North Adelaide. About $50,000 worth of renovations were done on this property, before he and his partner bought their principal place of residence in Coburg. There are now six properties in Phil’s portfolio. In addition to discussing his own experiences, Phillip reveals his personal investment strategy, and offers lots of advice for potential investors, especially young people who might be considering a joint venture themselves, or just looking to kick-off their portfolio.   About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations. About Sharon’s guest, Phillip Almeida As one of the Director of Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory, Phil has built a career around meeting the needs of successful medical professionals, farmers, graziers, and other professionals looking to access good quality advice on property investment as part of a long-term wealth creation strategy. Phillip has been advising rural clients and rural accounting firms on quality off-farm investments since 2002. Having a rural background himself, Phillip understands the challenges and issues faced by the farming community, particularly the impact that market fluctuations and seasonal conditions can have on their income, and their capacity to invest. Phillip is well placed to provide investors with advice and support in areas with growth potential in the residential and commercial property markets across VIC, NSW, QLD and SA.   ‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released monthly, they present listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins, and admitting their losses. ‘Property Insiders’ are also released monthly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel. For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

Phil Almeida chats with David McMillan about mortgage arrears. They cover what it means, how it’s calculated, the impact of the RBA losing control of mortgage arrears, the state of the market in the capital cities, and some of the opportunities open for the savvy investor.   ‘Performance Insights’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. ‘Property Insiders’ are released monthly and feature conversations with investment industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And ‘The Property Pineapple’ is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Sharon and Phil Almeida, Director of Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory, are at the Reserve Bank of Australia building in Collins St, Melbourne for this technical insight. The RBA is responsible for making monetary policy and in determining the cash rate is influenced a number of factors: current interest rates, the relationship between lenders and borrowers, inflation rate targets, value of $AUD, imports and exports, and the general strength of the economy. Sharon and Phil discuss how the RBA cash rate can influence the ability of a mortgage holder to service their debt and note that interest rates are extremely low at the moment, meaning the only way is up.   For more on this topic head to www.performancedata.com.au where Phil has written an article covering cash rates in more depth. Performance Insights is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. Property Insiders are released monthly and feature conversations with investment industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And The Property Pineapple is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

“There is no other financial product out there, that gives you exposure to the housing market without buying a house itself.” This month on Property Insiders, David sits down with Anthony Millet, entrepreneur and CEO of BRICKX, a unique and exciting new opportunity in the property investment market. BRICKX is an online platform that allows people to invest in property on a fractional basis. Practically, this means that BRICKX will purchase a property, which is then divided into 10,000 units - or Bricks - which are made available to investors for purchase.  Currently, each Brick costs between $58 and $154, and investors are able to own up to a 5% share in each property. Investors benefit from their share of the monthly rental income, and every six months BRICKX properties are revalued so Brick investors can watch their investments grow.  BRICKX can be used by anyone, but investors include those who have never invested before or entered the property market, as well as seasoned property investors seeking greater diversification.  BRICKX will also soon be able to offer a Rent-to-Buy scheme, where future home-owners will pay a 5% deposit on a property, and then be given a 5 year lease to live there. The occupiers then keep on buying bricks until they’ve amassed at 20% share, at which point they are able to buy the property with a regular commercial mortgage. BRICKX is focused on Blue Chip suburbs, including some of the best suburbs in Australia with long-term high growth profiles. In Sydney, BRICKX offers properties in Double Bay, Bondi Beach, Mosman, Manly, Potts Point, Surry Hills, Annandale, Enmore, and Balmain. In Melbourne, investors can buy Bricks in Port Melbourne, Prahran, and Brunswick West. And their newest accusation opens the Adelaide market up to Brick investors with a property in St Peters. When investors decide to sell their Bricks, they will find it an easy process. To date, they have had over 150,000 transactions and Bricks are currently being sold within 14 hours. Such a situation gives investors, and particularly deposit-savers, greater freedom in managing their investment, allowing them to easily sell their position should their circumstances change. One of the positives of BRICKX is that being an investor will not impact on a person’s ability to access the first home buyer’s grant or stamp duty exemptions. Anthony comments that they are seeing people get to home ownership through using BRICKX. Any capital gains on Bricks are still eligible for the reduction if held for more than 12 months. Additionally, investors still get the benefits of depreciation as BRICKX is a widely-held trust with more than 300 investors. However, as a financial product investors do have to pay tax on the income they receive as part of the rental yield. Performance Property Advisory acts as a buyer for BRICKX and is proud to do so.   About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Anthony Millet With a passion for property and technology, Anthony’s mission is to make property ownership and investing affordable and accessible to all Australians. Originally from the UK (where property also suffers from similar affordability and accessibility issues), Anthony brings a wealth of innovative and professional experience in eCommerce, technology and the banking industries to successfully lead the BRICKX team. Prior to joining BRICKX, Anthony was responsible for building one of Europe’s largest e-Commerce businesses in the Sports and Outdoors sector. Before this, Anthony was an Associate Director at UBS Investment Bank, London, working within the Listed Investment Funds team and also within Corporate Finance specialising in the Technology sector.  

David is joined by Phil Almeida, Director of Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory, in Curtain Gardens, Carlton, Melbourne for this technical insight answering the question ‘What is Yield?’ They explain the term, expanding to discuss the difference in meaning and application of ‘gross’ and ‘net’ yield, and also how the yield can be used to determine a market’s position on the property clock.   Performance Insights is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. You can also view these episodes as videos on our youtube channel. Property Insiders are released monthly and feature conversations with investment industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And The Property Pineapple is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au

Sharon is excited to have property investor and educator, Jane Slack-Smith, on the show today. Jane is a former mining engineer, demolitions expert, and risk assessor, and now passes on everything she has learned through a successful property investing career through her business Your Property Success. She comes on the podcast to share some of her knowledge with you. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations. About Sharon’s guest, Jane Slack-Smith Jane Slack-Smith is the founder of Your Property Success, the award winning Investors Choice Mortgages and The Ultimate Guide to Renovation course. Jane is the author of Your Property Success with Renovation. Jane has accumulated a sizeable investment portfolio and now helps countless others on the journey to wealth creation through solid investment choices.   The Property Pineapple is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Property Insiders are released monthly and are conversations with industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And Performance Insights are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

David is joined by Heath Bedford, Director of Acquisitions at Performance Property Advisory, to chat about vacancy rates. This is a measure of the undersupply or oversupply of vacant properties in an area, and it can have impacts on rental prices. David and Heath take a look at two contrasting examples exhibiting one of the best vacancy rates in the country (Hobart), and one of the worst rates for investors (Perth).   Performance Insights is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. Property Insiders are released monthly and feature conversations with investment industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And The Property Pineapple is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

Today we’d like to bring you a special bonus episode that was recorded for the Sydney Property Buyer Expo in late October. Our Director of Acquisitions, David McMillan gave a talk at the expo entitled “Preparing for the Coming Storm”, offering tips and advice about not losing money. Here, he talks to radio station 2UE in Sydney, about some of the topics he covered in the talk…   Join us on Wednesday and Friday every week for Performance Insights, one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. They’ll give you technical knowledge and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. Property Insiders are released monthly and feature conversations with investment industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And The Property Pineapple is also released monthly, bringing you real-world experiences of actual investors.   For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au  

“Money is the root of all evil, but if you haven’t got it, it’s worse.” This month on Property Insiders, David sits down with Kevin Agent from the Australian Lending and Investment Centre to chat about cash buffers. A cash buffer is an amount of money you have in a special account that is there if something happens beyond your control. Kevin tells David that there are two options for the cash buffer: to have it in a redraw account, or in an offset account. There are advantages to each, but Kevin thinks if you have a home loan, your cash is better off in a redraw account, and an offset account for an investment property. A redraw account is money you use to pay off your loan, but is then accessible should you need it later on. An offset account is essentially a savings account where the balance is subtracted from your total loan amount, thus reducing your interest. Kevin says his preference is always for an offset account, but for those who are not as good with saving money, a redraw may be a better option as the funds are often more difficult to access and the money feels like it is gone. Some banks offer multiple offset accounts, which can then work like a budgeting tool that also reduces your debt. The money can then be used for future purchases. Kevin says that some of the situations that arise where people might need to use a cash buffer include losing a job, falling on hardship, or even if you want to make purchases or go on a holiday. A cash buffer is essentially about not having to worry and the amount a person has in their cash buffer account is whatever will help them sleep at night. However, Kevin says that it is a good rule of thumb to have about 3 to 4 months of repayments in reserve; at least $20k per $1M of debt. Kevin continues by saying that he believes that unless your intention is to live in the property, the preference would be to not pay off the loan. Rather, keep the money in an offset account to reduce the cost of your loan, and then the money is there if you ever need it. Finally, Kevin stresses that minimising risk is not just about having a cash buffer, but also about having insurance, cash reserves, and above all, purchasing the right asset. About your host, David McMillan During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About David’s guest, Kevin Agent Kevin commenced his career in the banking and finance sector in 1985 and held senior management roles at the ANZ in both business bank and mortgage business with ANZ. His specialty focus is on credit risk and wealth creation where he has achieved outstanding results time and time again through maintaining and building trusted relationships with his clients. Since the inception of The Australian Lending & Investment Centre six years ago, Kevin has become both an industry leader in his field as well as one of the highest ranked advisers in Australia. Kevin is constantly ranked in the Top 20 advisers nationally. Kevin bring over 25 years of commercial and retail banking experience along with a wide range of industry specialists to work with his clients.  

The Property Pineapple is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Property Insiders are released monthly and are conversations with industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise. And Performance Insights are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you the lowdown on key property markets around Australia.  For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au Show notes… Sharon invites real estate sales consultant, Matthew Hunt, into The Property Pineapple studio for a chat about his investment journey. Matt’s story is particularly interesting, given he was only 21 when he bought his first property, and now, at age 23, is working on a sub-division of this property. Matt lives and works in a suburb of Geelong, a city he says has changed a bit in the last 10 years. Infrastructure works are transforming the city, and many property investors are actually from Melbourne, who see Geelong as having good growth potential. Matt’s family is in the industry - his auntie a real estate agent, and father a financial planner - and he has been interested in property from a young age. He has always been a hard-worker, at one time during his high-school years, holding down four part-time jobs. Back then, most of his wages went into his previous passion: go-kart racing. But he gave that away to focus on his life goal of owning property and high-performance cars. While he admits to not being the smartest kid in school, Matt says the key to his achievements has been hard-work and being focused on his goals. He acknowledges he has been fortunate to have the connections and opportunities he has had, but the choice to work hard is available to anyone. Two years ago Matt bought his first property and set about making plans to sub-divide the block and build another property on the rear parcel. He had spent a good 9 months researching and looking, focusing on local infrastructure and potential for growth. This research involved him speaking to people with inside knowledge of the market and local planning. Once he found a place he liked, it was unfortunately already sold. However, contracts weren’t signed, so Matt made an offer and it was accepted. Barely passed his 21st birthday, Matt was now a homeowner. The process of getting building approval for the sub-division took longer than he had expected - especially with the council - but he made things easier by approaching his neighbours and assuaging any concerns they may have had. Things are progressing along well now, and once construction is finished, Matt plans to live in the new house, and put the original domicile on the rental market. A year from now, he wants to start the process again with a different property. This is all part of Matt’s goal of having a portfolio of 40 properties. In closing, Matt reiterates that his biggest asset is his work ethic and dedication to achieving his goals. He believes that anything is possible with a little time and effort. About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations. About Sharon’s guest, Matthew Hunt… Matthew is a new-generation sales consultant, deploying new technologies, social media and cutting edge strategies to stay at the forefront of industry trends and extract every advantage out of the market. With 4 years sale experience, Matthew continues to be a market leader in the industry. The absolute professional, Matthew sets clear goals then sets out to make them happen. His “client for life” approach means trumping every property sale with not just a premium price, but also a premium experience for the vendor.

David gets together with Mark Davis from The Australian Lending & Investment Centre (ALIC) to chat around the question…  Why go to a broker instead of a bank to manage your property investments? Through their discussion, David and Mark make the following points: brokers tend to focus more investment lending, structuring, enabling you to create wealth; banks are often more focused on rate, cross-selling, and their product; ALIC has a focus on strategy and structure; Mark: “I’m a really strong believer that you’ve got to be a specialist; you can’t be a Jack of all Trades.”; with a focus on lending, ALIC work closely with other specialists in the field in order to best advise their clients; ALIC keeps strong working relationships with only five banks; brokers are able to tailor specific strategies and structures to your circumstances; there’s very few investment-focused brokers out there; services the client misses out on going to brokers focused on home loans; and a broker needs to understand the wealth side of lending and need to be investors themselves.   About David McMillan (taken from performanceproperty.com.au) During his 16 years in the property industry David has worked as a property valuer and property adviser to private clients, financial planners, accountants, finance brokers, major banks and governments. He has been involved in more than $500M worth of transactions across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia & Queensland. Since 2009, David has been specifically focused on helping medical professionals, expats, business owners and busy executives build effective property portfolios. David is a fully licensed real estate agent in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (CEA), Certified Practicing property Valuer (CPV), Qualified Property Investment Advisor (QPIA) and most importantly is an active property investor. David joined the Australian Property Institute in 2001 and is now an Associate (AAPI) and in 2009 became a member of the Real Estate Institute. David currently sits on the board of Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) to promote ethics in the property investment industry. About Mark Davis (taken from alic.com.au) Mark‘s successful career at ANZ resulted in him becoming the number one national mortgage lender for seven years in a row. Mark’s expertise is in lending structures and strategies for wealth creation and the formula utilized within ALIC. Through developing close working relationships with clients, Mark is able to guide and advise the most suitable loan options available as he is constantly aware of market forces surrounding the industry. Since the inception of The Australian Lending & Investment Centre in 2009, Mark has been at the forefront of industry, being recognised with many Broker of the Year awards. As the industries leading adviser Mark is frequently called upon to provide up to date and informed opinions for the Australian mainstream media, as well as industry events and articles.   With over 30 years of experience Mark’s knowledge and network of key professionals is second to none.  

Sharon invites her good friend, Anna Guy into the studio to talk about Anna’s personal experience with property investing.  Anna and her husband bought their first home in 2003 in the inner-west of Melbourne. Two years of living with Anna’s in-laws allowed them to save for the deposit, and after six months of house-hunting they settled on a lovely period home close to the city. Although the original plan was to renovate their home, three-years later they realised they held a lot of equity, so they used the money to instead buy their first investment property. They looked in the same suburb, and bought a house that now - just over ten years later - has doubled in value.  In 2007, Anna bought a three-bedroom house in South Frankston, where she had been hearing good things about opportunity. Her plan was to on-sell it to a developer, but things didn’t work out that way. After sale, she discovered there was an easement running through the back of the property. She didn’t have a conveyancer or solicitor look over the contract, and this is one of the lessons she has learned on her investment journey. They kept the property for five years, and then sold it off, ultimately losing money. Up until now, Anna had been heading down the path of looking for long-term capital growth. She now shifted her focus to developing, and teamed up with a friend whose father was a developer. In 2013 they bought an old house in Newport, back to Melbourne’s inner-west.  They went into the auction with a plan, but it all went out the window in the heat of the moment. They were desperate to do the development because of the limited opportunities, and so went over their original budget. Over the next three years, they put three townhouses on the site. This was double the time they had estimated in their feasibility study, due to delays with administration errors and an extended hold-up by a telecommunications company. Through this experience, Anna learnt that it would be better to make a decision about how to handle a development: either be a real hands-on project manager or stay out of the way and let the builder take care of things.  They made a good profit, but due to Anna not getting proper advice on how to set up structures, she had a big tax bill. She learnt it was like a full-time job, but she was glad she did it. Although she may have made more had she just bought the property and held onto it as an investment. Then, for property number five, Anna bought a place in Adelaide. This time she got heaps of advice from a property investment company who advised that Adelaide was the place to buy.  This was the most expensive purchase yet, but the property is now negatively geared, and with the fantastic equity she has from her first two purchases, she isn’t worried and looks forward to the future growth the place will bring. Next up, Anna looked to Ballarat. She found the perfect property, and while it needed renovating, that was what she was after. She signed a contract pending a building and pest inspection, and she was glad she did. The inspection found that there had been a fire in the roof space that had left the timber eaves charcoal black. She was advised to walk away and was relieved and happy to do so. She was able to leave emotion out of the equation, and this is how she approaches all her business now. Just recently, Anna won an auction in Ballarat. She got some great advice beforehand about how to manage the auction, which included: Stay calm; Have a limit and stick to it; Wait in the wings and enter the bidding late; Be consistently inconsistent with bidding increases; and Be confident. She plans to renovate the place over Christmas and then put a tenant in it. Her and her husband would like to hang onto it long-term. Sharon finished her chat with Anna by asking her why she is in the property investment market in the first place. Anna replied that she is doing it all so she can have choice. What she means by this is she might need to head back home to England to spend time with family, or maybe she can bring her nephew out to live with them for awhile. And she certainly doesn’t want to work until she is old and grey.  Additionally, she wants to have the choice about where she lives later in life. She is looking forward to one day having her dream home. Anna is not too sure what that looks like, but it does have a walk-in robe and ensuite bathroom. Is that too much to ask? To learn more about how Performance Property Data can help you with their comprehensive nationwide market research, head on over to http://www.performancedata.com.au   About your host, Sharon Taylor… Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.  These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations. About Sharon’s guest, Anna Guy… Anna is a licensed real estate agent who now works in property investment ensuring clients’ property portfolios achieve maximum return on their investment. Having been involved in the Melbourne property market since 2001, she has a unique insight into the local real estate landscape and the role that property acquisition plays in wealth creation. Anna holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology), is a long standing member of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and an active property investor.