Talking Apartments

It was some time ago that Josh and Emma Wilson met at an 80's party on the South Coast of NSW. Since then they have moved homes and travelled through France before falling in love with Melbourne and each other somewhere along the way. Josh grew up in the Barossa Valley in SA and was a self confessed computer nerd in his early days before building a very successful IT Project management business Melbourne. Emma's journey takes in retail, visual merchandising, cupcake baker, interior designer and now has found her passion as a ceramicist. So how does a IT consultant and a ceramicist manage to live and work in their separate businesses in an apartment during lockdown? Let's find out. Emma's business is Hunter and the Fox  Email Emma info@hunterandthefox.com Josh's web site is here  Email Josh info@joshwilson.com.au

When Harriet Alexander was living in London she took in a three legged rescue dog. "Pedro" had a number of behavioral issues due do past trauma and neglect. Little did she know at the time Pedro was about to completely change her life. Harriet was so determined to understand him and how to help him that she ended up making a career of it. With the help of inspirational mentors and a lot of study in canine behaviour management, Harriet operates a professional dog training business in Melbourne called All Dogs are Good with methods that are ethical and kind and are a long way from the old training technics based on fear, and intimidation. Harriet sits on the board of of Pet Dog Trainers of Europe who have just run their very first online summit. You can get in touch with Harriet ... Email - harriet@alldogsaregood.com Facebook Instagram Website

If you have never tried a Canelé you are in for a treat. If you are already a fan then I have some very exciting news. With its origins in the Annociades convent of Bordeaux where nuns cared for disadvantaged children, Melbourne has its very own decedent of the French boulangerie Vincent Uso moved to Australia from France about 6 years ago. With a dream in his heart and the secrete recipe from his Uncle Alain in his pocket he has just started baking the most magnificent Canelés here in Melbourne. Buy day he is an architect but by night he transform to produce French pastries that can be delivered to your door. Canelé Alain is operating through Covid and you can order here ...or email contact@canalealain.com ...or follow them here. facebook instagram Either way bon appetit...

Don't you just adore a good love story. Jelmer Stellingwerf was happily going about his life working in Switzerland when he was swept off his feet by an Aussie girl studying music at Zurich. Somehow he convinced his boss Australia would be a fantastic place to set up a new office and he and Karina moved here in 2019 leaving his family behind in his home land of the Netherlands. Karina is a professional musician (which the neighbors love) and Jelmer is the Managing Director of Swiss Grip Australia which as the name suggests is a non slip safety coating and he has very quickly grown the Australian business which now provides the product to many sectors including aged care, hospitals, hotels, domestic and recreational sectors. It is a great story and you can  contact with Swiss Grip on their web site or email info@swisssgrip.com.au or call 07 7020 20471.  

Have you every wondered how some people are able to do so much for others without any hint of personal recognition or financial gain. Growing up in Melbourne as the youngest 4 boys Nic Bolto had his outlook on life re set when his oldest brother Rob died of Leukemia. As if that want enough he lost another brother to suicide sending him and his family into deep shock for many years. What he discovered through this experience is the awful lack of responsiveness and care in our community to help us manage life's traumatic events. Nic is the Chair of "The Retreat" which is Bed & Breakfast set is 53 Acres of wilderness near Buxton Victoia. As you will hear The Retreat provides a fabulous experience for paid guest which along with generous sponsorship support, contributes to the cost of hosting families in desperate need of support who can't afford the stay. Obviously the current times of lockdown are devastating and Nic shares how he has been navigating his way through Covid both personally and professionally.

Most Victorians have endured some form of restrictions since late March 2020 and it will continue until late November 2020 and beyond. For Daniel Wolff the early days of lockdown were tough and it took him a couple of months to settle into a pattern that helped him deal with the personal and commercial challenges most of us are facing every day. Daniel is the Director of Capstone Education who are business consultants to Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Both Capstone Education and their clients being large and small training organisations across Australia have had to refocus on their clients needs to keep themselves relevant without the ability to meet or train in person. It is akin to fighting with one hand tied behind your back. Daniel shares his views on life in lockdown and what helps him in life and business.

It times of trouble and challenge it is truly heartwarming to hear about less fortunate people being supported. Su Mai grew up in Malaysia before spending time in London, Uganda and Boliva and now Melbourne. Through Su Mai's work in her business Art Tearapy she supports people to take charge of their own mental, physical and emotional well-being. Su Mai explains how she uses her own personal experience of expressing herself through the medium of art to work with others including disabled people to help them process their own emotions. Creativity in many forms helps the healing and development. You can find Su Mai - Art Tearapy on Facebook - Art Tearapy Instagram - @art.tearapy email - info@artterapy.com

As we have discussed several times the apartment market trends differently in each capital city around Australia. The local market dynamics such as supply and demand play a big role but now we have the variations in Covid-19 restrictions and interstate travel factors at play as well. To help understand what is happening we welcome back our go to apartment market commentator Leigh Warner - Head of Residential Research at JLL. Leigh and his team of researchers around the country have just released the Apartment Market Snapshot which provides a review of each of Australia's capital cities markets. You can download them here and listen to Leigh talk you through the key drivers and how he sees the outlook. Apartment Market Snapshots. Brisbane Sydney Canberra Melbourne Adelaide Perth I hope this helps you navigate your way through the current issues and please let me know if you have any apartment issues we can help you with.

While Covid-19 has turned up the pressure on all of us, the importance on mental health and well being has always been there and always will be. This special episode of Talking Apartments goes inside the home to discuss the very important and personal issue of mental health. Rachel Bowes is Head of Crisis Services and Quality at Lifeline Australia and speaks to us about what you can do to manage your mental health, how to support others and the services lifeline offer to people needing someone to talk to. What struck me most in our discussion was while the Crisis Support volunteers that answer calls to Lifeline are trained and skilled, it is what they don't do that is the real key. They don't judge or provide advise so much as just listen empathically to understand you. It reminds me about the difference everyone of us can make by just being there for other people to talk.

When the property market hits troubled waters the industry turns to valuers for help to understand the property fundamentals and navigate their way through the complexity of issues. Valuers deep property knowledge provides a rigor that grounded and provides structure to factors not normally experienced. That is certainly the case now given the combined health and economic crises combining in a perfect storm of turmoil in every sector of the property market. Talking Apartments have therefore turned to Damian Kininmonth, Director - Preston Rowe Paterson, who' s 35 years experience provides lessons of past downturns like the early 90's (our last recession) to help make sense and provide insights to how the current issues will play out. Damian  discusses how Covid is impacting the apartment market (among others) and how the ingrained property risks between landlord and tenant are shifting.

Firstly I hope this finds you and your loved ones well and successfully working your way through all of the challenges Covid-19 is creating for all of us. Over the last 2 weeks there has been lots of announcements from the government and industry bodies about changes in response to our living, working and financial arrangements. The federal and state governments have been very active is getting financial support measures in place such as the Job Keeper and Job Seeker packages as well as concessions for business to help keep people in work. One area that has so far eluded government changes is the arrangement for residential tenants and landlords and how they should deal with the challenges being thrown up. Save for a statement that residential tenants can not be evicted for 6 months from issues resulting from Covid-19 they have postponed any decision on this but we understand they hope to announce some initiative soon. To find out what is going on right now I have gone to the front line and asked Property Management (PM) experts Kelly Thomas and Kirsten Braiuka what they are seeing and hearing right now from tenants and landlords and what is there advice to each. Kelly is the Director of PM and Kirsten is the team Leader of PM at Wood Property and they both have significant experience in PM but admittedly haven't experienced a global pandemic before. Fortunately they are fasts learners and bring a healthy serve of human compassion mixed with a deep understanding of the legislation to find solutions.

Firstly I hope this finds you and your loved ones well and successfully working your way through all of the challenges Covid-19 is creating for all of us. Over the last 2 weeks there has been lots of announcements from the government and industry bodies about changes in response to our living, working and financial arrangements. The federal and state governments have been very active is getting financial support measures in place such as the Job Keeper and Job Seeker packages as well as concessions for business to help keep people in work. One area that has so far eluded government changes is the arrangement for residential tenants and landlords and how they should deal with the challenges being thrown up. Save for a statement that residential tenants can not be evicted for 6 months from issues resulting from Covid-19 they have postponed any decision on this but we understand they hope to announce some initiative soon. To find out what is going on right now I have gone to the front line and asked Property Management (PM) experts Kelly Thomas and Kirsten Braiuka what they are seeing and hearing right now from tenants and landlords and what is their advice to each. Kelly is the Director of PM and Kirsten is the team Leader of PM at Wood Property and they both have significant experience in PM but admittedly haven’t experienced a global pandemic before. Fortunately they are fasts learners and bring a healthy serve of human compassion mixed with a deep understanding of the legislation to find solutions.

Mr Leigh Warner leads JLL apartment market research in Australia and in addition to his recent paper on the state of the market in Melbourne and Sydney, he has identified 6 themes driving the apartment market in 2020 plus global economic issues like the Coronaviris. There are both immediate and longer term issues but all will directly impact how apartments perform from both a capital and rental value throughout the year and beyond. The 6 themes Leigh identified specifically are; Sydney and Melbourne's resurgence will slow Non Syd & Melb markets to steadily improve over the medium term. Under-supply calls to get louder and louder Off-the-plan sales to stay muted (except WA) More regulatory competition between the state. Global uncertainties to remain the wild card. Read the full paper here and I am very keen to hear your thoughts.

There are 6 themes driving the apartment market in 2020 plus gobal economic issues like the Coronaviris. Some are shorter term and some longer but all will directly impact how apartments perform from both a capital and rental value throughout the year and beyond. Mr Leigh Warner - Senior Director Research Australia with JLL has just completed his analysis for the residential market outlook and discovered six themes that will directly influence the apartment market throughout 2020 and beyond. These are... Sydney and Melbourne's resurgence will slow Non Syd & Melb markets to steadily improve over the medium term. Under-supply calls to get louder and louder Off-the-plan sales to stay muted (except WA) More regulatory competition between the state. Global uncertainties to remain the wild card. Read the full paper here and let me know your throughts.    

One of the greatest challenges for many sellers of real estate is what happens if we don't get our price or worse still... it doesn't sell at all. Adding to that stress is if you have already bought your next home committing yourself financially so you have double the exposure to the market. What about if you could get a guaranteed sale but were still able to go to market to see if you can do better? Well they do. It is called Brickfloor. Dean Fraser is the Founder and CEO of Brickfloor which is a really exciting new offer in real estate. Brickfloor agree a guaranteed sale price with you giving you confidence to step out into the market to sell your home with a sale already in your back pocket. Nice eh! This means you can buy your next home before selling your current home with comfort of your fall back position.

One of the greatest fears for most sellers of real estate is what happens if we don't get our price or worse still... it doesn't sell at all. Adding to that stress is if you have already bought your next home and committed yourself financially so you have double the exposure to the market. What about if someone offered you a guaranteed sale price but still let you go to the market to see if you can do better? Well they do. It is called Brickfloor. Dean Fraser is the Founder and CEO of Brickfloor which is one of the most exciting new offerings in real estate. Brickfloor agree a guaranteed sale price with you giving you confidence to step out into the market to sell your home with a sale already in your back pocket. Nice eh? Also you can now buy your next home before selling your current home with comfort of your fall back position.

One of the keys to having a sucessful investment property is getting all the little things right. Some of them like landlord insurance don’t make for riveting dinner party conversation, but are very important to understand and have in place. Landlord insurace for apartments is a bit different from houses. For a start it is part of a larger building and has many other residents and owners all around it. What does it cover? How much does it cost? Am I paying for the tenants insurance? What happens if my tenant wrecks the place and takes off? Roy Garcia is the Executive relationship manager in Victoria for EBM RentCover has a very solid understanding of this topic and cuts to the chase on all these questions and  other things you need to know. Talking Apartments and its sponsor Wood Property Partners are not endorsing or specifically recommending EBM RentCover and you are encouraged to do your own research to find the insurance cover that is right for you, your circumstances and your property. RentCover policies are issued by QBE Before deciding to buy insurance, download the Product Disclosure Statement available on the RentCover.com.au All advice given in this chat is general advice only

One of the keys to having a sucessful investment property is getting all the little things right. Some of them like landlord insurance don't make for riveting dinner party conversation, but are very important to understand and have in place. Landlord insurace for apartments is a bit different from houses. For a start it is part of a larger building and has many other residents and owners all around it. What does it cover? How much does it cost? Am I paying for the tenants insurance? What happens if my tenant wrecks the place and takes off? Roy Garcia is the Executive relationship manager in Victoria for EBM RentCover has a very solid understanding of this topic and cuts to the chase on all these questions and  other things you need to know. Talking Apartments and its sponsor Wood Property Partners are not endorsing or specifically recommending EBM RentCover and you are encouraged to do your own research to find the insurance cover that is right for you, your circumstances and your property. RentCover policies are issued by QBE Before deciding to buy insurance, download the Product Disclosure Statement available on the RentCover.com.au All advice given in this chat is general advice only

While the spring selling season tends to drive the housing market, the apartment market doesn’t like to miss a good party and this year, it is getting picked up for the ride. Spring has sprung early and values are on the move. Trent Wiltshire is an economist at Domain focusing on the property market and housing policy. As you will hear he has some good news for both house and apartment owners. While the amount of property being offered for sale is lower than this time last year, Auction clearance rates have picked up in the last month. And so has the number of people attending inspections which Trent can see from his access to inspection data. See the latest Domian research here Trent’s experience of 4 years at the Reserve Bank of Australia and 3 years at the Grattan Institute positions him very well to read the more macro economic signals and overlay it with the latest property data coming out of Domain to form a view on how the apartment market will play out over the next 2 to 3 years and shares it will us here.

While the spring selling season tends to drive the housing market, the apartment market doesn't like to miss a good party and this year, it is getting picked up for the ride. Spring has sprung early and values are on the move. Trent Wiltshire is an economist at Domain focusing on the property market and housing policy. As you will hear he has some good news for both house and apartment owners. While the amount of property being offered for sale is lower than this time last year, Auction clearance rates have picked up in the last month. And so has the number of people attending inspections which Trent can see from his access to inspection data. See the latest Domian research here Trent's experience of 4 years at the Reserve Bank of Australia and 3 years at the Grattan Institute positions him very well to read the more macro economic signals and overlay it with the latest property data coming out of Domain to form a view on how the apartment market will play out over the next 2 to 3 years and shares it will us here.

For 10 years from the mid 80's Stephen Hodge was one of Australia's leading professional cyclists racing in Europe competing in 6 x Tour de France, 4 x Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and 2 x Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain). Through the work he and others have done on and off the bike he has helped pave the way for male and female Australian cyclists to win not only the Tour de France but many other prestigious races around the world. Stephen continues to champion cycling - but this time it's for everyone, (even if you don't ride a bike) and he does this in his role as Director - National Advocacy with We Ride Australia. That's right... because even if you don't ride a bike, the case for safer cycling that Stephen espouses here means there will be less cars on the road, which means less money needed for new roads, and a happier, healthier community which lightens the load on hospitals due to the health benefits cycling brings, plus many other benefits. And that is good for everyone. Stephen shares his international observations where commuting by bike is well entrenched and brings hugh benefits. So why don't more people ride a bike for those small trips for work, school, friends, or just the bread and milk? Tune in and find out...

For 10 years from the mid 80's Stephen Hodge was one of Australia's leading professional cyclists racing in Europe competing in 6 x Tour de France, 4 x Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and 2 x Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain). Through the work he and others have done on and off the bike he has helped pave the way for male and female Australian cyclists to win not only the Tour de France but many other prestigious races around the world. Stephen continues to champion cycling - but this time it's for everyone, and he does this in his role as Director - National Advocacy with We Ride Australia. He is working for you even if you don't ride a bike. That's right... because even if you don't ride a bike, the case for safer cycling that Stephen espouses, means there will be less cars on the road, which means less congestion and money needed for new roads, plus a happier, healthier community which lightens the load on hospitals due to the health benefits cycling brings, plus many other benefits. And that is good for everyone. Stephen shares his international observations where commuting by bike is well entrenched and brings hugh community benefits to everyone. So why don't more people ride a bike for those small trips for work, school, friends, or just the bread and milk? Tune in and find out...

With some apartment buildings now exceeding 1000 units and containing multiple uses such as retail, office and food plus many resident services, the role of the Owners Corporation Manager (OCM) (formerly Body Corporate Management) has had to step up dramatically. Add to this issues such as combustible cladding, greater community integration, high service standard expectations and long term maintenance plans and OCM is a critical component to ensuring the successful longevity of any building management. I sat down with Sam Atkins, Managing Director of Bluestone OCM who is one of Australia's leading OC Managers to discuss all things OCM. We chat about everything from the hot issue of combustible cladding to what sort of apartment he would buy.

With apartment buildings now exceeding 1000 units and containing multiple uses such as retail, office and food plus many resident services, the role of the Owners Corporation Manager (OCM) (formerly Body Corporate Management) has had to step up dramatically recently. Add to this issues such as combustible cladding, greater community integration, high service standard expectations and long term maintenance plans and OCM is a critical component to ensuring the successful longevity of any building management. I sat down with Sam Atkins, Managing Director of Bluestone OCM who is one of Australia's leading OC Managers to discuss all things OCM. We chat about everything from the hot issue of combustible cladding to what sort of apartment he would buy.

I had to book a long way ahead to find a slot with Nerida which is not surprising really as Nerida Conisbee is the Chief Economist at REA group (or for our purposes - realestate.com) and is a regular commentator on the property market for many TV and radio stations on the residential property market around Australia (as well as some highly regarded property podcasts. haha). As it turned out the timing could not have been better. With the  Federal Election swinging the tide of sentiment in the property market and the RBA cutting interest rates, Nerida's her views on the market and its direction for the rest of 2019 are very insightful. Through the enormous data capture capability of realestate.com,  Nerida receives regular reports on what property is being searched, suburb by suburb, state by state and she can see almost instantly what the market is doing so her view is both current and well informed. We cover many topics from interest rate cuts, the impact of flammable cladding, the Federal election result and go around the ground in Australia to see what is hot and what's not.

I had to book a long way ahead to find a slot with Nerida Conisbee who is the Chief Economist at REA group (or for our purposes - realestate.com) and is a regular commentator on the property market for many TV and radio stations around Australia. As it turned out the timing of this interview could not have been better. With the  Federal Election swinging the tide of sentiment in the property market and the RBA cutting interest rates, Nerida's views on the market and its direction for the rest of 2019 are very insightful. Through the enormous data capture capability of realestate.com,  Nerida receives regular reports on what property is being searched, suburb by suburb, state by state and she can see almost instantly what the market is doing so her view is both current and well informed. We cover many topics from interest rate cuts, the impact of flammable cladding, the Federal election result and we go around the grounds in Australia to see what is hot and what's not.

Regardless of your political persuasion if you are a property investor you would have been pleased to see negative gearing and capital gains tax rules remain unchanged after the recent Federal Election. With those issues off the table it is back to business as usual when it comes to property tax. One important property investment tax deduction that is occasionally overlooked is depreciation. This is where the notional decline in the value of buildings, plant and equipment can be claimed as a tax deduction. With June 30 fast approaching this is one thing to get onto ASAP if you haven’t already. Mike Mortlock is the Managing Director of MCG Quality Surveyors and heads a team of highly qualified professions who can advise you on how much you are able to save off you tax bill by getting a depreciation schedule on your investment property. To find out if you can benefit from a depreciation schedule contact Mike on Phone : 1300 795 170 Email : mike@mcgqs.com.au As you will hear in my discussion with Mike it is a complex field but one that can save you thousands.

Regardless of your political persuasion if you are a property investor you would have been pleased to see negative gearing and capital gains tax rules remain unchanged after the recent Federal Election. With those issues off the table it is back to business as usual when it comes to property tax. One important property investment tax deduction that is occasionally overlooked is depreciation. This is where the notional decline in the value of buildings, plant and equipment can be claimed as a tax deduction. With June 30 fast approaching this is one thing to get onto ASAP if you haven't already. Mike Mortlock is the Managing Director of MCG Quality Surveyorand heads a team of highly qualified professions who can advise you on how much you are able to save off you tax bill by getting a depreciation schedule on your investment property. To find out if you can benefit from a depreciation schedule contact Mike on Phone : 1300 795 170 Email : mike@mcgqs.com.au As you will hear in my discussion with Mike it is a complex field but one that can save you thousands.

Just had a very enjoyable catch up with Jordy Catalano and Tim Fleming on the current market and future direction of apartments. Five years ago Jordy Catalano and Tom Hywood launched Apartment Developments to bring the disparate offering of off the plan apartments to one place. Both Jordy and Tom are the sons of media heavyweights and injected fresh energy into a burgeoning sector. Since then AD Group (as it is now known) has grown to cover three distinct markets being - Apartment Developments  - Off the plan Apartment Sales House & Land Developments - Land sales & house and land packages in new communities ID Development Business to business platform to manage development sales Tim Fleming is the General Manager of AD Group and apart from an illustrious football career with the the Richmond Tigers (amongst others) spent many years at REA group (realestate.com.au) through its formative years when real estate advertising on the internet was still a hard sell. It took me a while to get Tim and Jordy in the same room to talk to me about AD Group and how they see the apartment market but I finally did it. Listen in for a very frank and fascinating chat with what they are up to and how they see the outlook for apartments and the property market generally.      

Just had a very enjoyable catch up with Jordy Catalano and Tim Fleming on the current issues and future direction of apartments. Five years ago Jordy Catalano and Tom Hywood launched Apartment Developments to bring the disparate offering of off the plan apartments to one place. Both Jordy and Tom are the sons of Fairfax media heavyweights and injected fresh energy into a burgeoning sector. Since then AD Group (as it is now known) has grown to cover three distinct markets being - Apartment Developments  - Off the plan Apartment Sales House & Land Developments - Land sales & house and land packages in new communities ID Development Business to business platform to manage development sales Tim Fleming is the General Manager of AD Group and apart from an illustrious football career with the the Richmond Tigers (amongst others) spent many years at REA group (realestate.com.au) through its formative years when real estate advertising on the internet was still a hard sell. It took me a while to get Tim and Jordy in the same room to talk to me about AD Group and how they see the apartment market but I finally did it. Listen in for a very frank and fascinating chat with what they are up to and how they see the outlook for apartments and the property market generally.      

How refreshing it is to hear Abbie Freestone talk about community living. Assemble Communities are very focused on ensuring apartment living does not mean a compromise to someones quality of life. It is easy to say and perhaps harder to deliver unless you turn the entire apartment development model upside down and consult closely with the future residents to provide what they want. With their print and subscriber partner Assemble Papers and developer Make Ventures Abbie explains how being dedicated to housing and shaping the culture of people living closer together plays out in the real world. Most of our discussions on Talking Apartments focus on the financial and capital market side of apartments to keep you on top of the market and help with decisions about owning, buying, selling, and managing your property investment so I have been so pleased to chat to Abbie and found just what I was looking for. Abbie has a background in Urbanism & Architectural communications and as you will hear she lives and breathes urban communities. Abbie generously gave us her time to let us know what they are up to.

Six months ago when I caught up with Leigh Warner the big issue was the decline in foreign buyer due to extra taxes and the difficulty for them to obtain finance. Now in February 2019 we are talking about the challenges for pretty much everyone getting finance. The impact of the Royal Commission into the financial services sector and the resultant self imposed or regulated measure have had a significant impact on the apartment market. In some ways the tighter lending market has been the impetus to a correct a market that has enjoyed several decades of solid growth. Leigh Warner is the National Director for Residential Research at Jones Lang Lasalle and has just released his findings on the residential apartment market for the major capital cities in Australia. Listen in as Leigh reviews what is going on in each capital city market and what is in stall for 2019 and beyond. If you would like to read the full research papers for each state you can download them here. Brisbane Residential Market - Research Paper Sydney Residential Market - Research Paper Melbourne Residential Market - Research Paper Adelaide Residential Market - Research Paper Perth Residential Market - Research Paper

The Residential Tenancies Act and several other pieces of legislation controlling the rules that govern how people lease property between each other is changing. This impacts peoples lives including a tenants home and an owners very large financial livelihood and it is complex to get it right. As societies expectations change and the way our cities and towns operate so must the rules that govern how we live. Technology changes also play a part. Hopefully your property manager is up to speed so you don't need to worry but we just want to help you out. Hayley Mitchell - Director of Mitchell Property Training is 100% focused on making sure everyone understand the forthcoming changes. Not just professionals managing rented accommodation every day but owners and renters the like. We were delighted when she agreed to speak to us and give us the goods on what the major changes are and what people need to know. To check on how the changes will play out in practice we asked Kelly Thomas - Team Leader at Wood Property Partners to join us for the chat. Kelly runs the Property Management team and has over 12 years of property management experience. Between Hayley and Kelly they are able to unpack the changes for you and even predict how these are playing out in the market already. Here are some valuable links for you to check out more detail about the changes. Consumer Affairs Victoria Victorian Government  

Most property around Australia has enjoyed solid growth for about 20 years save for a few bumps along the way. We are now in a downturn and who knows for how long or how deep but most people are suggesting we are about 6 to 12 months into a 2 year slump. To find out how to sell your apartment in a tough market we need to speak to someone who has experience and worked in property cycles since the mid 1980's. Ray Wood (yes related.. my brother) worked as a real estate agent in Melbourne from 1982 and now coaches and supports agents across Australia and Canada. He has a unique expertise and can talk about selling in a tough market with a lot of authority. I hope you get great value from our chat. He is a blog pulled from our discussion... You want to sell your apartment but are worried it is perhaps not the right time given the market is weaker. Firstly if you are selling and buying in the same market conditions, then it is a net sum game as you may sell for less than you hoped, but you will also buy cheaper. In weaker markets there are generally fewer properties for sale making it harder to find the property you want so consider buying first and then selling second if you can arrange it. The big question in weaker markets is how to market and sell your property for the very best price. To answer this let’s understand why the market is weaker and how to circumvent the issues. There are a few factors at play but the single biggest issue across all categories of property is finance. By this I mean the difficulty in buyers being able to borrow money. The banks and second tier lenders have all tightened up there lending practices by lending a lower percentage of the price, fewer interest only loans, scrutinising loan application more, and limiting exposer to particular types of property or locations. This is driven from APRA (Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority) and findings from the recent Royal Commission into Financial Services. Now we know obtaining finance is the problem, how do we adjust the marketing to help buyers through this and pay you the highest possible price. Hire the best agent Now more than ever, you need a great agent and especially one that has seen and worked through difficult markets before. This means they will have 10 -15 years experience, be well equipped to advise you, work hard and be able to dig deep into their kit bag of experience to negotiate a sale at a good price. They will also give you the right advice on every step set our here. Method of Sale When someone bids at auction, that is an offer on an unconditional basis. ie. They can not bid subject to finance or building inspections or anything else. If they are concerned about how much finance, they will be able to get they will either not bid at all or only bid to a lower price. Private sale allows negotiations on a subject to finance basis giving a buyer more confidence of offering a higher price knowing it is subject to their finance being approved. Some property still suit Auction but just not as many as in a boom market. Length of Marketing The normal 4 weeks marketing may not be long enough. Especially if one or two buyers are knocked back on their finance application and your agent needs to go back and agree another sale. This could mean the sale process takes 5 or even 6 weeks. Be ready from day 1 Internet ads and staging (furniture) hire costs last 4-6 weeks and because the negotiations may take a bit longer than usual you need to make every day of your marketing count. From the day your property hits the market your agent must have contracts of sale available, presentation perfect, all maintenance items completed, inspections arranged, brochures printed, sign board in place, letter box drop done, etc Estimated Selling Price It is time to be realistic about price. Trying to set a high price and negotiate down will burn up valuable marketing time and lose qualified buyers.

For literally decades property commentators and the media have debated the development of apartments in Australia's capital cities. Usually the commentary ran along the lines of “there are too many being built”, or “they are too small”, or “they are creating an urban jungle”. One thing we do know for certain is that this development has created a very valuable supply of housing and with out it we would have a serious housing crises. What's done is done but the future apartment developments have changed mainly to meet the changing demand or purchaser profile. In the last 1 or 2 years the buyers have moved from mostly foreign and domestic investors to mostly owner occupiers. The world of lending to develop and buy apartments has shifted dramatically as has the tax regime which may change further if there is a change of government in 2019. John Meagher has been immersed in the apartment market for over 20 years and is founder and managing director of three sixty property groupwho specialise in the sale of off the plan apartments on Australia's Easter sea board. Chatting to John he explains what the current purchaser is looking for in an apartment and how the type of apartment projects currently being planned and built has changed. In essence the foreign investment buyer has been replaced by the local owner occupier buyer. This means the way apartments are designed, services they provide, finishes and appliances, options to reconfigure have all been stepped up as the buyer is going to be living in it and not renting it out. This means the next generation of apartments will be bigger and better but they will also be more expensive. Like everything, the housing market needs to provide choice and diversity to enable the population to have the ability to change their accommodation needs in line with their life needs. Regardless if they wish to rent or own the diversity of housing choices is a very good thing and ensures people to change the cost and style of their accommodation as their life changes. As John explains the last 20 years of apartment development has supplied exactly that and will continue to evolve with the market demands to provide people what they want.

For literally decades property commentators and the media have debated the development of apartments in Australia’s capital cities. One thing we do know for certain is that apartment development has created a very valuable supply of housing providing choice for owners and tenants and with out it we would have a serious housing crises. Apartment developments are constantly changing to meet the demand of the day or purchaser profile. In the last 1 or 2 years the buyers have moved from mostly foreign and domestic investors to mostly owner occupiers. The world of lending to develop and buy apartments has shifted dramatically as has the tax regime which may change further if there is a change of government in 2019. John Meagher has been immersed in the apartment market for over 20 years and is founder and managing director of three sixty property group who specialise in the sale of off the plan apartments on Australia’s Easter sea board. Chatting to John he explains what the current purchaser is looking for in an apartment and how the type of apartment projects currently being planned and built has changed. In essence the foreign investment buyer has been replaced by the local owner occupier buyer. This means the way apartments are designed, services they provide, finishes and appliances, options to reconfigure have all been stepped up as the buyer is going to be living in it and not renting it out. This means the next generation of apartments will be bigger and better but they will also be more expensive. Like everything, the housing market needs to provide choice and diversity to enable the population to have the ability to change their accommodation needs in line with their life needs. Regardless if they wish to rent or own the diversity of housing choices is a very good thing and ensures people to change the cost and style of their accommodation as their life changes. As John explains the last 20 years of apartment development has supplied exactly that and will continue to evolve with the market demands to provide people what they want.

The valuations profession has formed the bedrock of the property industry for ever. There is a rigor of valuations methodology and logic than enables valuers to make sense of any market conditions, property type, and purpose of valuation. Like all professions there are specialists and when I had the opportunity to talk to an apartment specialist valuer I had to jump at it. Damian Kininmonth has been a valuer for over 30 years and is a Director with Preston Rowe Patterson who span every state in the country with 23 offices. We sat down to chat about how valuers are navigating though the current apartment market and how he sees the outlook for apartments.

With the recent Royal Commission into financial institutions being felt by all new lenders, the role of valuers is also in the spotlight to see how they are interpreting the market slow down. The valuation profession forms the bedrock of the property advisory profession and has done for ever. The discipline of valuations methodology and logic enables valuers to make sense of any market conditions, property type, and valuation purpose. Like all professions there are specialists and when I had the opportunity to talk to an apartment specialist valuer I had to jump at it. Damian Kininmonth has been a valuer for over 30 years and is a Director with Preston Rowe Patterson who span every state in the country with 23 offices. We sat down to chat about how valuers are navigating though the current apartment market and how he sees the outlook for apartments.

What you don't see when you look at an apartment development is the highly technical and legal world of structures, agreements, contracts, and financials that not only make it happen but ensures it continues to deliver on many metrics for many years. There is a lot at stake financially as well as a development's performance for the ongoing stakeholders including the apartment purchasers, occupiers / tenants, owners corporation, leasing agents and the surrounding community who feel the impact of a new apartment development. Brihony Boan is a Partner at Gadens Lawyers and is fully immersed in apartment developments from the very start to the very finish. She was super kind to carve our some of her very valuable time to tell us how it all happens and share some professional insights I wasn't expecting.

Get ready to come behind the curtain and into the world of off the plan sales. Here the Founder and CEO of Investorist Jon Ellis shares with me not only what he thinks is going on in the market but what his clients and customers think. As we know when markets prices rise or fall it is usually as a result of how people feel and not economic logic. In fact I recently heard an economist say "Economists are often looking back to make sense of why something happened". So there is no better insight to a market than a sentiment survey to find out how the market is feeling... and this one is about off the plan property. (ie apartments sold before they are constructed) Behind the consumer retail front of display suites and glossy advertising is a complex global network of property developers, agents and advisors who connect to promote, track and sell off the plan property. This network of industry heavyweights and major projects is brought together by an Australian company called Investorist who provide a business to business service spanning the globe. So given sentiment drives markets Investorist recently thought they would ask their network of clients what they thought was happening in the world of off the plan development and sales. You can get your own copy of the survey here or hear the key takeaways directly from Jon on this podcast.

There has been an enormous amount of press recently about the Brisbane Apartment market and where it is at. It has been tough... no doubt about it... but if there is ever a sign of when it's a good time to buy, this just might be it. I am no expert on the Brisbane Apartment market but I know someone who is. Like his company name says, Rohan Banning sells Amazing Apartments and he is the authority on the Brisbane Apartment market. It is so refreshing to talk to someone who not only knows their market intimately, but is prepared to call it as it is without any agent spin or dressing it up. Rohan dissects the Brisbane apartment market by property and geography and shares his insights on what is going on in the Brisbane apartment market. Enjoy... Andrew  

Airbnb is the biggest thing to happen to accomodation around the world. And not just hotel accomodation (although that is a massive part of it) all accomodation including the long term rental market both directly and indirectly. There are some great stories and some hate stories from lots of perspectives. These range from people making easy cash, to cheap and great travel experiences, to tragic stories of homes being trashed and innocent next door neighbours who just what the simple quiet life. Outside the US Australia has the biggest short stay market in the world. We know Australia follows the US in many things so if you want to know what is going to happen here over the next few years just take a peak over the pond and see what is happening in the US. Andrew Keene lives in USA and while his day job trades the stock market -Alpha Shark Trading - he has invested in property for the sole purpose to cash in on the burgeoning airbnb market. He has studied it in intimate detail, experienced it first hand, learnt what works and what doesn't and how to work the system to maximise his return. He knows so much about it he has written a book - The Airbnb Profit Blueprint which tells you how to make money with airbnb, increase your ranking, and reduce the amount of time you spend working on your listing. Andrew explains how airbnb is not for everyone, nor every property, but if you can bring all the pieces together there is definitely money to be made. Join me with Andrew Keene to chat about airbnb US style.

If you love a good road trip then strap in for a Quick Lap of the Australian Apartment Market with JLL's Head of Residential Research - Leigh Warner. Leigh and I stop off at the 5 mainland state capitals to dissect his recent research papers which he has kindly shared here as follows... Brisbane Apartment Market Sydney Apartment Market Melbourne Apartment Market Adelaide Apartment Market Perth Apartment Market We discuss the local economics, supply, demand, pricing and rental markets to posture a view on where each market is at. It's a roller coaster ride with most markets experiencing a degree of cooling with Brisbane looking like the place to buy after suffering recent falls. We start off with some national and general issues then start in the sunshine state before turning right at Melbourne and then crossing the Nullarbor. You can jump to the market of interest here. 9:40 Brisbane market 14:20 Sydney market 16:48 Melbourne market 21:57 Adelaide market 24:02 Perth market