The Property Couch | The Insider's Guide to Property Investing

Thank you for coming to our Facebook Live event on 13th of Sept! We received a lot of great questions that night but unfortunately, time ran out and we couldn’t answer all of your questions. We really do appreciate you taking some time away from your busy life to listen to us so that is why we are recording a bonus episode (or as Ben called it Bonusisode) today to answer all the remaining questions!   And for your convenience, here’s the list of questions that we answered in this episode along with the order they are in.

For today’s podcast, we have Stuart Wemyss, owner and Director of ProSolution Private Clients joining us to talk about his property investment journey and his investing philosophies. Coming from an Accounting and Finance background and with more than 19 years of experience in the investment services, Stuart is also a PIPA Member and has authored two books; Smart Borrower’s Handbook and The Property Puzzle. So for today’s episode, the three of them will be talking about: * When did he buy his first property and how did he start investing in property * What are the lessons he learned when building his property portfolio * Why does investing for the long-term matter and the mindset needed for this approach * In his role as a mortgage broker and finance specialist, what are the common mistakes he has seen over the years * What are his tips for listeners when they are choosing an investment advisor * Two questions you need to know the answer for before prior to building an investment portfolio * What he thinks about commission-based financial advice   [alert]Don’t forget to download the Property Investor Sentiment Survey 2016 Report! – Download here[/alert]   And if you are interested to learn more about Stuart’s books, here are some reference points: * Smart Borrower’s Handbook | An Essential Guide for Property, Sharemarket and Superannuation Investors – Buy here * The Property Puzzle | A Simple Guide for Property Investors on How to Develop a Safe Financial Plan – Buy here     If you like this podcast: “Does Investing for the long term actually matter? – Chat with Stuart Wemyss”, don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

One of the negotiation tips mentioned in previous episodes is to understand the vendor’s motivation to sell. Once you understood that, you would have a better idea on what to negotiate on and increase your chances of securing that property. But as always, this is easier said than done because how would you know if the real estate agent is clouding the truth? Hence why you need to make sure you are asking the right questions, in the right way and is capable of assessing the agent’s reaction to your questions.   In some cases, some vendors are extra motivated to sell and you can take advantage of this to help you boost your chances. So in today’s episode, Bryce and Ben will be discussing the four ‘D’ words that would indicate a very motivated seller. They will also be sharing some of the questions you need to ask to spot these situations, answers from real estate agents that you should look out for and negotiation tricks that you can use if the vendor’s motivation fall into these 4 categories. Start listening to find out more.   If you like this podcast: “The Four ‘D’ words that equal a motivated seller!”, don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/  

It’s the first day of Spring and a perfect time for a Question and Answer episode! Bryce and Ben started off with some of their auction stories on underquoting and a general market update.The property market had been rather cold this winter but with that over, what will we be expecting these coming months?   Here are the questions for today’s podcast: * Question on new developments next door from Jesse: My question is regarding to the current development boom that has exploded all over Melbourne as it relates to my property in bayside Melbourne. My wife and I bought a town house in Cheltenham about 8 years ago. It is on a reasonably busy road that goes from Nepean Highway down to the beach in Sandringham. We have been diligently paying it off as quickly as we can in order to give ourselves some freedom (we are both freelance) and now we are looking to buy our first investment property. This week the house next to us and the next seven houses along have all got ‘For Sale’ signs up in front. Our understanding after a brief chat with the next door neighbours is that they have all been approached by a developer who wants to build a large mid level apartment block right next to our house. Our concern is what impact this will have on our property value. We are now planning to move out and ‘rent-vest‘ as we don’t want to stay there through this construction phase. Our main concerns are: (A) How this will impact the value of our property when it comes to us getting a loan for an investment property. (B) The impact this will have on our ability to rent out our townhouse if this new development goes ahead. In light of this are we better off trying to sell now and cut our losses or stick with it as a rental. * Question on cash flow from Sonia: Hi Bryce and Ben, I am a big property fan and have been listening to every single episode of the property couch. I have a few investment properties in the Sydney inner city suburbs. Besides that I also have a decent amount of savings in cash. I just quit my job to study interior design, hoping to set up my own business later on. I am a typical rich in assets and poor in cash flow example. Just wondering what is your investment advice for people like me. Thank you. Sonia * Question on property portfolio fromKhai: * Q1) Is it better to pay off the mortgage or keep buying Investment properties? * Q2) I have forecasted passive income of $60,000 (as a couple) in next 10 years (assuming 5% annual price rise and if I sell down my 6 properties to fully own 3 including PPOR). How do you increase this to 100,000? Keep buying 3-5 more properties in next 5 years. * Q3) How do I fix a severely negative cash flow portfolio (minus $25k annually for 6 properties)? Options I have in mind are: building a granny flat, refinancing to lower interest rates, raising rents, converting car space in townhouse to LUG (costs probably $10,000 per townhouse but increase rents $1k per year), converting car space in townhouse to LUG (costs probably $10,000 per townhouse but increase rents $1k per year) * Question on develop or buy from Adam: I own a positively geared corn...

Investing in property is considered as a relatively safe investment class but as with other types of investments, there are some downfalls that you need to be aware of. So in this week’s podcast, Bryce Holdaway and Ben Kingsley will be sharing their ten biggest property investment risks. They will be unpacking this list from a macro point of view such as factors that are beyond an investor’s control down to a micro level. Bryce and Ben will also be discussing some risk mitigation strategy that investors can apply when building their property portfolio. The first macro risk is General Market and Economic Risks. Although each one of us contributes to the country’s performance as a whole, individually, we still can’t influence it much (unless of course, you are a multi-billionaire). So, if a country is performing poorly for example, during the GFC period, some property market would be affected, and this would impose some degree of risk if you are a property investor. Economic activities in a state level also could be a risk because this affects employment rate in the area and hence, your potential tenants as well the value of the investment property. Listen to the podcast to find out the other 9 property investment risks.   Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast: * Webinar Replay with Jane Slack-Smith and Peter Koulizos – Register here * Facebook Live Chat (September 13) – Join here * Vote for us for the Reader’s Choice Award – Vote here * Episode 5 – Asset selection – Listen here * Episode 31 – Checklist to getting a great property manager – Listen here * Episode 53 – The Money SMARTS System – Listen here  

What is the possibility of investing in property with the right strategy, in the right market, at the right time? Well, that depends. Now, we know this sounds really vague but in order to determine that, one need to ask if they have the right understanding in the first place? Because it is very dangerous if the perception of a right strategy or a right market is wrong and you go ahead and build a property portfolio based on your assumptions. For example, if Alex believes that capital growth is the right strategy and buying within 5km radius from Melbourne CBD is the right market, then he would be in a very tricky situation because the supply at the moment is quite low (unless he has a very deep pocket). So in this episode of The Property Couch podcast, Bryce Holdaway and Ben Kingsley focuses on understanding what is considered as “the right market” and why it is important that you take the long view on where the market is going before committing to anything. Bryce and Ben will also be answering Maria’s question on cash flow management and an investor’s mindset. Here’s the question: “Hi guys Love the podcast and the book,  well-deserved success with both. How do you draw the line between good cash flow management and depriving yourself of things you enjoy? My husband and I have always lived within our means and we now have two properties under our belt in Sydney, with plans to buy more. We’re in our thirties. But I’ve found that as we’ve come along the investing journey I’ve become increasingly preoccupied with spending less. I have no issues buying necessities, paying bills, or paying for things that benefit our investing or our health. I don’t blink an eye at spending on insurances, BA fees, etc, because those things are useful and necessary. However, when contemplating discretionary lifestyle purchases, often costing less than $100 (you know, stuff you don’t need, but want) I spend weeks analysing whether to buy, to the extent that I’m spending too much energy on it. I guess I worry that if I spend $100 here and $100 there, I’ll just eat away at our cash buffers. What are your personal real life experiences with discretionary spending while trying to build a property portfolio? Did you and your family buy your toys and vices freely, or did you find yourself analysing every purchase? I want to have the best cash flow position possible, but I want to have occasional frivolous luxuries too. I know I need some sort of mindset shift, but what does that shift look like?”   Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast: * Webinar with Jane Slack-Smith and Peter Koulizos – Register here * Game of Property Investing – Find out more here * Facebook Live Chat (September 13) – Join here * Property Investor Sentiment Survey by PIPA – Find out more here * Episode 53 – The Money SMARTS System – Listen here   PS: And we’ve just achieved half a million downloads on the podcast! Thank you so much for all of your support and feedback. We will continue to provide good quality contents, ‘unpack’ more frameworks and case studies and answer you...

  This time on our Special Guest Episode, we’ve got Veronica Morgan on the Couch! Most of you would have known her as the co-hosts of Location Location Location Australia on Foxtel Lifestyle Channel with Bryce but when they aren’t filming, Veronica is the Founder and Principal of Good Deeds Property Buyers. She is also the Vice President of the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) and an active property investor herself. So for today’s episode, the three of them will be talking about: * What does REBAA do and why did she join it? * Her transition from a selling agent to a buyers agent – why did she switch sides? * How is the regulation in Sydney differs from other states such as the gazumping law? * Her journey as a property investor – what motivated her to start investing? * How did the recent market boom in Sydney affect her role as a buyers agent * What are some of the principals and strategies when it comes to building a property portfolio after the boom * Her asset selection tips to finding an investment grade property * Some of the mistakes and lessons learn in her property investment journey   PS: We hope you enjoy watching the video and we would really like to hear what you think about it! If you like it, let us know and we will produce this more regularly.

This week on The Property Couch Podcast, we are going through some of our listeners’ questions. But before that, Bryce and Ben will be discussing the 25 basis point cut passed on by the Reserve Bank of Australia early this week. How will this impact the Australian Economy, how much have the banks passed on and will there be any flow-on effect on the Australian household? Here are the questions for today’s podcast: * Question on planning for a reduction in income from Matt: How do you plan for a reduction in income when you are still a reasonable distance from retirement and would it be wiser to maintain current income for long term potential or is there a process that could be applied? * Question on bidding tactics at auction from Adam: I was hoping in your next Q&A perhaps Bryce might be able to address the topic of bidding tactics at auction. Most of the tips and strategies you read amongst the property press propaganda are ridiculous things like dress in a suit and pull up in a sports car out the front. In your experience is there any value in these sorts of image approaches? or concepts such as ‘knockout bids’ and bidding late, or are auctions pre-determined events going to whoever was always going to pay the most. I know you will say the gold standard is to employ a buyers agent but I’d be interested in your tips for someone keen to DIY.   Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast: * Episode 53 | The Money SMARTS System – Listen here * Auction Tips video series – Watch here   If you like this Q&A episode (RBA Rate Cut, Planning for Reduction in Income and Bidding Tactics at Auction), don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. Any questions or ideas? Feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

  It is Special Guest Day and we’ve got Damian Collins from Momentum Wealth with us on our very first Vodcast! Just a bit of a background on Damian, he is an established property investor, the founder and managing director of Momentum Wealth, a Perth-based property investment and buyers advocacy firm and is also on the board of PIPA which means he is very well qualified to talk about the art of investing in property and building a portfolio. So for today’s episode, the three of them will be talking about: * Damian’s experience as an investor and what motivated him to build his portfolio * The mistakes, lessons and investing tips he learned as an investor * How is the Perth’s property market doing and where is it on the cycle * Was there a sentiment shift considering the recent economic changes * How does he conduct his property research when it comes to asset selection * What are his principles and investment strategy when it comes to building a property portfolio in a tough market * Some of the horror stories that he has seen in his seat   PS: We hope you enjoy watching the video and we would really like to hear what you think about it! If you like it, let us know and we will produce this more regularly.

We’ve received a lot of great feedback regarding our Money SMARTS System and quite a number of our listeners have requested us to unpack a little bit more. So for today’s episode, we will be talking about some of the dumb things people do with their money! If you’ve listened to all our previous episodes in this podcast, by now you would have understood that good money management is crucial to building a successful property portfolio. But this is easier said than done. What we would like to highlight in this episode is small things leads to big things. A tiny expense here and there would eventually sum up to a significant amount if not monitored properly. So Bryce and Ben listed 12 bad habits that they’ve seen and here’s the top 5! * Having too many separate individual bank accounts * Not changing your lenders simply because you are too familiar with the facilities and online banking arrangement * Thinking credit card money is your money * Not paying yourself first * Not having an offset account Tune in to find out the rest!

Before you go on, let’s make this very clear: We have full respect for real estate agents out there. This episode is not about highlighting the differences between us and them. Instead, what we are focusing today is the full role of a real estate agent. As insiders of the industry, we noticed that a lot of buyers out there do not seem to realise that the real estate agent is not working for them. Real estate agents work on behalf of the vendor and hence, at the end of the day, the role of the agent is to sell the vendor’s property to the highest bidder so buyers should not be expecting the real estate agent to be offering them any discounted price. So today’s episode is about understanding the process the agents have to go through, the decisions they have to make and from there, suggest a few ways that buyers can implement to outsmart a real estate agent. Bryce and Ben will be sharing their tips on reading an agent’s body language, picking up the subtle messages, what does the property price guides actually mean and more! Tune in and let us know what you think!

Back to back Questions and Answers episode! We’ve had a great time yesterday on our Facebook Live and hence we thought we should answer some of our other listeners’ questions. This week, Bryce and Ben looks at the questions below. Thanks again for submitting your questions!:   * Question on entering the property market from Glenn: I have 2 daughters in their early 20’s. What advice can you give them on the best way to enter the property market? Thanks * Question on buying a property with another person from Stevie: I am interesting in the issues associated with buying property with another person. For example, I currently own two houses (bought years ago) with my brother as investments and I now want to buy another within to live in (as I can’t get a loan with just my salary and want to use the equity in the houses in lieu of deposit). This will then restrict my brother’s borrowing capacity to buy a property to live in if he wants to do so in a year or so, and we are at a bit of a (friendly) stalemate with what to do about it – buy another or not. * Question on Buying a property with another person from Michael: Hey guys – just wanted to say I’m loving the podcast. Found it about a week ago, have listened to hours of content in a short amount of time. Such a great resource. Has been good to hear that a lot of my ideas and research is being validated in what you’re saying, but has also given me some other things to think about. I’m about to buy my first property in partnership with my cousin, am making an offer today on a great find that’s too good to pass up. 15km north west of the Melbourne CBD. $150k under median price in the area. Quick sale needed as the vendor needs finance asap. Just wondering, what would be a bad figure in terms of rental yield and annual growth? And then I guess what would be the better figures to see? Thanks again for such a great learning tool. * Question on rentvesting from Samuel: I am very open to the idea of Rentvesting, however I am torn between Rentvesting or purchasing a Principle Place of Residence, of which I would live in for 12 months and then be rent out for 6 years (thus avoiding CGT), plus rent out the other room/s whilst living in the property. I would love to hear both your thoughts on this one given the current market conditions and also the Gold Coast Suns performance this year.   Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast: * Episode 54 | Entry into the property investment market, debt reduction and investing in house and land packages – Listen here * Episode 59 | Rentvesting: What is it and who is it for? – Listen here * Facebook Q&A Replay Video – Watch here   If you like this Q&A episode (Buying a property with another person, security guarantee and rentvesting in Gold Coast), don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. Any questions or ideas? Feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

It’s Questions and Answers time! This week, Bryce and Ben looks at the questions below. Thanks again for submitting your questions!:   * Question on Growth and Yield from Steve: Anyhow, a question for the podcast. Growth and yield are like a sea saw. As one goes up, the other goes down. Where I wonder is that sweet spot? Where both balance nicely and their feet dangle without touching the ground? For example, the best growth may be on Sydney Harbour with a view, but you may be negative $1,000 a week. So you go one suburb back, negative $800 a week. So you go one more back negative $600 a week. At some point you must hit a spot where you say, that’s the best growth I can afford. How do you decide that sweet spot? Is it different for all investors? Even if James Packer said to you, “Get me the best growth you can, income is not a problem” would there still be a point where you think, “Geez, even if we buy him a house on the harbour, the growth still won’t cover that massive shortfall over time.”Great show, keep it up. You are both a shining light in a dodgy, unregulated shark-filled industry. After all, my experience with people who talk very confidently but don’t know what they’re doing, (the enthusiastic amateur you effectively call them) I came up with my own saying, “Confidence does not equal competence“. Unfortunately, all you need is a little doubt in your own abilities and you default to the more confident person, who you may well know more than. * Question on Metro or Regional from James: I am looking to invest in my second property with my partner, we live in a rural area (Albury/Wodonga) and have around $100,000 in equity in our current owner occupied dwelling and good incomes with a maximum borrowing capacity of around $700-800k. Do you suggest trying to break into a Metro market (i.e. Melbourne) with a property in an investment grade suburb, which will in turn max out our borrowing capacity, or alternatively buy 1-2 properties in a major rural city? * Question on forecasting capital growth from Kayne: Just have one question in regards to forecasting Capital growth. I know you are conservative with your vacancy and interest rate assumptions (7.5% & 10% respectively) in your models. Are you also conservative in your CG assumptions (e.g if historical growth was ‘x’ would you round down a percent or 2 or keep it the same?) if you’ve covered this and I’ve missed it sorry for the double up, if not I look forward to your answer. * Question on active investing from Brian: Hi guys love the podcast immensely! If possible could you discuss views on being able to be an active investor to essentially create an income while still passively investing through leverage? Is this a possible scenario or what would someone need to look into to be able to do something similar…. I’m a tradesman so majority of the work I could do myself. Thanks very much!   Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast: * Report from CoreLogic : A profile of the Australian Investor – Who, Where and What? – Download here * Episode 37 | Understanding the Scarcity factor in Property Investment – Listen here * Case Demonstration: 4% Growth and 6% Yield vs. 6% Growth and 4% Yield – Watch here * Episode 51 | Will Labor’s proposed changes to Negative Gearing policy be good or bad for ordinary Au...

It has been some time since our last episode on investing and mindset framework so this time, Bryce and Ben will be unpacking the common complaints they hear from property investors. Here are the top 9! * Wrong asset * No buffer in place * Mentoring was actually salesmanship * Not maximising tax depreciation with Quantity Surveyor * Solo sport * Self property management (Check out Episode 31) * Poor cash flow management (Check out Episode 3) * Not starting early enough * Selling   Apart from that, they will also be sharing some insider information on ‘offers’ they’ve received from property spruikers out there, Labor’s debate on negative gearing and the changes on foreign buyer stamp duty. Also, if you are interested in the BMT Tax Depreciation Application Form mentioned in this podcast, just fill in the form below and we’ll send it to you right away:   Other resources mentioned in this episode: * Property manager checklist – Download here * Ben’s Money Magazine article – Read here   PS: We’ll also be holding a Live Q&A Event on Wednesday, 29th of June at 8:30 pm. Check out our Facebook page for more information!   If you like this episode (Common complaints we hear from property investors), don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. Any questions or ideas? Feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

We have a guest on the show today! Kieran Clair, Editor of Australian Property Investor Magazine joined Bryce and Ben to talk about his role in the media and publication industry specialising in property investing. Prior to journalism, Kieran was an experienced property valuer and has more than 20 years of experience valuing properties for owner occupiers and property investors. So for today’s show, the three of them will be discussing: * Kieran’s experience as an investor and what motivated him to build his portfolio * The mistakes, lessons and investing tips he learned as an investor * His role as the editor of API Magazine * How the property valuation industry has changed over the years * What’s the property valuation process like * The types of properties that tend to be valued at below market price * Factors and considerations that would affect a property’s value from a valuer’s point of view   Other links: * Herron Todd White’s Monthly – Find out more * Any feedback for API Magazine? Email them here: editor@apimagazine.com.au   PS: You may have noticed that the audio quality for today’s podcast is not as clear as it usually is. We experienced a few technical difficulties while recording and we do apologise for this hiccup.   If you like this podcast: “Property valuation process and the journey of a property investor – Chat with Kieran Clair”, don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://www.thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/