Why your Apartment Brand matters!
We know that certain suburb names define the cachet of its address, and by association the people that live within it, either positively or negatively. So much so, that sometimes people or business, will adopt the name of a preferred neighbouring suburb, so to leverage off its image. It’s called “vanity post-coding”. People will buy in a suburb in…Read More→
How much rent should I ask for my property?
A property investment owner wants to optimise the return, meaning generating the maximum rent, but also minimising costs. Importantly getting the highest possible rent is not just about the dollars per month. We often get asked… What rent should I ask? What are the leasing costs? How long does it take to find a new…Read More→
Why does Vic need Two Shared Equity Schemes?
State and Federal Shared Equity Schemes Aimed directly at lower to middle income earners, the Federal Labor Party announced the Help to Buy Scheme to support buyers, by funding part of the purchase of a residential property. If this scheme sounds familiar, …it is. The Victorian Labor Government has a very similar one, the Shared Equity Scheme. So…Read More→
Is a monthly mortgage really cheaper than renting?
It’s not the first time we have seen the “click bait” headline claiming a Monthly mortgage is cheaper than Renting. It glosses over a few issues. Some obvious, and some not so. Does every renter want to buy a home? Firstly, the headline assumes that every renter wants to buy a home. However, this is…Read More→
How is rent processed and paid?
Every month, billions of dollars pass through real estate agents trust accounts. How is it tracked, managed, and controlled? If there is one thing that is true about property management, is the importance of managing the money in a timely and easily understood manner. So here is how the money trail works from renter, to…Read More→
Should I furnish my rental property?
Have you faced the decision of whether to furnish your rental property? Maybe you are moving out of your own home and want to know “should I leave my furniture for a renter to use” The obvious benefit to an owner of leasing an apartment furnished is achieving more rent. But what is the rent…Read More→
Property Manager – Find the best one for you.
Find the best property manager for you. Appointing (or changing) property managers or letting agents can feel daunting but in reality it is straight forward. There are 6 areas to evaluate your new property manager Experience and Advice Type or style of buisness Boutique or large network agency Property Managment fees Location Systems and processes….Read More→
How Governments impact the housing market
I am sure your attention (like mine) is caught by news stories on the housing market, and lately it feels like a daily event with a flood of real estate reports as the Federal Election and interest rate changes take centre stage. Much the commentary is about affordable housing, but have you noticed the debate is not…Read More→
New apartment supply under pressure
As we know, one of the main influences on the future value of existing and new apartments, is the relative movement in supply and demand. Demand is relatively opaque and influenced by many factors. Some logical like population growth, and some less rational. Supply however, is much more predictable and each quarter property research houses…Read More→
Tax time for apartment investment.
When we are approaching June 30 each year it is a good time for investment apartment owners to get everything in place to claim all the tax deductions available for your apartment. Some owners may have experienced a drop in revenue during the 12 months to 30 June, so maximising the deductible expenses is important….Read More→
What to do now when rents are rising?
While rents have already risen most commentators (including this one) agree there is further growth to go. Owners are asking what is the best time to increase the rent and renters are asking can I lock in a longer term lease to protect against future increases. The question of how much the rent will rise for…Read More→
The rental market is tightening, pushing up rents
We are moving into a period of strong rental growth and tight vacancies, both in Melbourne and across Australia. As reported in the AFR this week, research by Domain shows vacancies have plummeted over the last 12 months to 1% nationally which is pushing up rents. While some of this growth is catching up from…Read More→