Current issue - June 2013
Where would you invest?
SECRET STRATEGIES OF THE WEALTHY
Ever wonder how truly successful property investors do it? What lessons have they learnt along the way? What motivates them? And most importantly, what are their secrets for success? API sat down with four very prominent figures in real estate to reveal their tips and tricks.
Between them, Margaret Lomas, Steve McKnight, Chris Gray and Michael Sherlock own property worth a collective $33 million. They share a common passion for bricks and mortar and taking control of their financial futures. However their stories couldn’t be more different.
Each broke into the world of property for their own reasons and pursues a strategy of their own, built on years of success, a few failures and a lot of hard work.
SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT: Kevin Turner from realestatetalk.com.au chats with Margaret Lomas about her property journey.
RESEARCH
The property price pendulum
Just as disappointed footy fans stream from the ground when they realise their side has lost, so too do many disillusioned property investors desert a suburb when prices tumble. It flies in the face of the philosophy of successful investors, who buy when others are fearful and sell when they’re all buying.
How do you spot suburbs where price declines have stopped and are about to swing back up? API reveals the telltale signs and lists those 30 suburbs and towns about to return to good fortunes.
FEATURES
Eyes on second and third place
Capital cities command the lion’s share of headlines when it comes to making money in the property game. But what’s going on in our states and territories’ second and third biggest real estate markets? Do major regional hubs offer good (or even better) buying opportunities than their bigger metro capital sisters?
The house they bought back
Sometimes things are even better the second time around – including a childhood home or that property you regrettably sold. This month, API meets three investors who’ve bought not just a property, but a bit of familiarity.
ROADMAP TO WEALTH
An investment journey begins
Now that Glen and Natalie Dickie’s two boys are both in school, the couple is ready to leap into the world of property investment. They’ve made big steps to get their ideal structure sorted and they’ve got finance locked in… but where to from here? Two experts assess the situation and offer their ideas.
FROM A TOWN PLANNER’S CASE FILES
7 steps to $600,000 profit on a townhouse project
It was barely three years ago when Bo Cai and his wife Kelly decided to delve into property development. Now they’re on track to make a massive six-figure profit on their very first project. How did they manage that? API analyses every aspect of this remarkable story.
REZONING HOTSPOT
Sleepy no more
Approval has been granted for a major housing redevelopment 15 kilometres west of Newcastle, and it’s set to shake up the quiet hamlet of Minmi.
PROFILES
THE INTERVIEW – DARREN LOCKYER
From NRL legend to property mogul
In this candid and exclusive interview, former Broncos, Queensland and Australian National Rugby League captain Darren Lockyer explains why he’s built a multi-million dollar property portfolio.
INVESTOR PROFILE
Success from a suitcase
Investor Walter Nanni reveals how he went from nothing to a $2.95 million property portfolio by finding undervalued properties and buying units in bulk. It’s hard to believe he arrived in Australia with almost nothing!
YOUNG GUN
Jacqueline Poulter – The worse the better
Remember this name: Jacqueline Porter. There’s a strong chance the 26-year-old from Sydney will be a familiar face in the ranks of multimillionaire property investors circa 2023. And she’s working her way there with investments she describes as “absolutely disgusting”.
MY DEVELOPMENT
Part 7 – An eye for design
With one block sold and services all set for connection, project manager Shane Hiscock gets in touch with his creative side.
MY MOST PROFITABLE
A $70,000 equity gain in just 2 months!
A Brisbane couple achieved such fantastic growth when they went to Gordon Park for their fourth property that they decided to stick around the same suburb for investment number five.
MY SHORT STORY
Investing before home buying
Nineteen-year-old Sam Pagano is opting to stay at home and build a portfolio before he buys his own property to live in.
My Property Nightmare
Floods, dodgy tenants and lazy agents. Sarah has seen it all. When her investment property was inundated during the Queensland floods, she thought that’d surely be the worst of her bad luck. It was just the beginning.
REGULARS
News & Views
The latest property news, In the Hotseat, Market Monitors, Tax Straight Up and Ask the Experts.
TAX
Why you shouldn’t sign a contract without advice
Don’t let a pushy agent or salesperson push you into signing away your life without a safety net. Julia Hartman talks all things contracts and explains why professional advice is essential.
FINANCE
5 ways to ease the drain on your cash flow
Sick of watching your money going down the drain? Mitchell Watson reveals five ways investors can reduce the chances of big cash flow deficiencies.
Dash of Salt
Bernard Salt explains the rise of a new class of property tenant – they’re rich, mobile and demanding of quality fixtures and fittings. To find success, he explains why investors should follow the money.
Renovation secrets
Cherie Barber talks about the perfect formula for calculating the profit potential of any deal. When it comes to success, it’s critical to nail down the numbers.
Real estate escapes
Tim O’Dwyer dissects the case of a son who sought to sue his stepmother over the estate of his late father. How did this sticky situation play out?
Think Matusik
Can the stellar combination of low vacancy rates and rising rents continue? Michael Matusik explores where rents are likely to go.
API Connect
Readers get the chance to ask API’s investors all the tough questions.
Bricks and mortar
API’s panel of experts tackles the difficult questions sent in by readers.
Investor Psychology
Still a bit worried about where property is heading? Don’t be. Michael Yardney explains why we’re entering a new economic phase – one of continued prosperity.
The States
Where's hot and what's happening in property in your state. More
API Databank - your vital property statistics
In our Market Watch section, for thousands of individual Australian suburbs you'll find:
- House and unit median prices and gross rental yield
- Number sold
- Capital growth over three months, 12 months, three years, five years and 10 years
- Stock on market
- Median advertised weekly rent
- Gross rental yield
- Average number of days on the market
In our API Databank you'll also find:
- Vacancy rates for thousands of Australian postcodes (from SQM Research) About SQM's methodology
- Auction clearance rates for many Australian cities
- Average days on market and private treaty discount percentage for major Australian cities
- A vast range of important market indicators from Herron Todd White such as stage of property cycle, rental vacancy trend and much more.
