Property Investment Podcast Network

Prestige vendors are being asked to accept millions less, forecasters are revising their predictions down, and the RBA is hinting that inflation is worse than expected ... but will rising yields be a silver lining? Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack what it could mean for investors, first home buyers and anyone with a mortgage.

On this episode of Property Buzz, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman look at a market where negative equity is spreading. They discuss a report that 20,000 Perth homes are now worth less than their owners paid and a Harbourside Sydney listing where the guide has reportedly slipped from a $28 million offer to $20 million-plus.

The pair then weigh up the forecasts, including JPMorgan's revised outlook and Coolabah Capital's warning that some pockets could fall by as much as 40 per cent. Garman explains why he doesn't agree with every call, and why falling prices could open up higher yields in blue-chip suburbs for long-term investors. Both urge listeners to do their own due diligence and be wary of spruikers.

Tarrant also challenges a report that investors are shifting to new builds, while the hosts discuss what proposed changes to trusts could mean for tradies and builders, and how rising interest costs and the pullback of SMSFs are adding pressure to developers.

Then it's on to rates and politics: hints of a Melbourne Cup rate rise, what is feeding inflation beyond the war in Iran, and One Nation's pledge to restore the capital gains tax discount for up to two investment properties. Garman argues investors should factor in every political outcome, with the hosts floating a tongue-in-cheek policy of one negatively geared property per child.

To get in involved, leave questions for Phil and Liam, or simply share videos or memes - join the Whatsapp group here.

Josh Crealy used to sell commercial property for a living. Now he says most investors are pivoting from residential too early, and he's put his money into Melbourne and western Sydney units instead.

On this episode of The Smart Property Investment Show, Liam Garman sits down with LEVR's Josh Crealy, a former commercial sales agent who has bought 15 Melbourne properties in the past 18 months, to ask where he'd put his money now and why.

Crealy says the 18.6-year land cycle points to Melbourne and Sydney leading the next recovery, with the smaller capitals having already had their run. He treats the cycle as a framework only, and explains why it must be overlaid with supply, demand and affordability.

Then he explains why he's wary of commercial property. From a Perth hair salon with a tenant who isn't paying to an off-the-plan warehouse with a rent-back guarantee that left its owner unable to sell for what they paid, Crealy shares the cautionary tales he's seen. He also outlines what to check in a lease, and why he believes better commercial buying opportunities could be 12 to 24 months away.

The pair also compare individual units with unit blocks, including how lenders classify larger blocks as commercial loans, what that means for loan-to-value ratios and borrowing power, and the checks Crealy runs before buying.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email [email protected] for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

A long lease isn't always a safe one, and a headline yield can hide months of vacancy. Victor Kumar says the investors who win in commercial are the ones who know exactly how to manage risk before they buy.

Commercial property carries more risk than residential, but not all of it is unavoidable. In part three of the Smart Property Investment Post-Budget Guide to Commercial Property Investing, Phil Tarrant and Victor Kumar of Right Property Group break down what can quietly destroy a commercial investment, and how to protect yourself.

Kumar explains why vacancy can run to months or even years rather than weeks, and why the yield is really the price you're paid for carrying risk. They also look at how to size up a tenant, from digging into the lease and the business behind it to checking whether a guarantee is backed by real cash or just a promise.

Then there's the fine print. The pair walk through the lease details that can make or break a deal, from "triple net" claims that don't hold up to who pays for fit-outs and make-good clauses, and why Kumar says using your usual residential solicitor on a commercial lease is like treating a fracture with a massage.

They also cover economic risk, structural shifts and property-specific traps, including asbestos roofs, contamination and zoning problems. Kumar shares a live example of how he restructured a lease to de-risk a $6 million purchase, and why every investment needs an exit plan.

From rat houses and meth houses to a property nicknamed "The Brothel", we've seen some seriously questionable properties turn into incredible investments. We have so many wild stories and bargain deals to share that one episode just wasn't enough. Part 2 is out now! A trashed house bought for $550,000, now worth $950,000 – 72 per cent growth in just over two years. A desperate vendor slashing $100,000 off a deal after a buyer's finance fell through. Fully renovated properties snapped up at massive discounts in a slowing market.

We're back with Hung Chuy from Strategic Brokers to share how we uncover bargains when others are sitting on the sidelines and why buying below market value can give investors a valuable buffer during a downturn.

The deals get bigger. The stories get better.

Investors could be missing new lending opportunities as second- and third-tier lenders ramp up competition, making finance strategy and cash flow more important than ever.

On The Property Nerds podcast, Arjun Paliwal speaks with broker Corey Goldby about a post-budget lending shake-up, as second- and third-tier lenders compete harder for investors with more flexible borrowing options.

Goldby argues against mapping out a decade of purchases, instead focusing on getting the next deal right, with cash flow, lending policy and available funds shaping each move.

The pair discuss investors buying several properties before pausing, selling at a loss to reduce debt and the transaction costs that can erode gains when selling and re-entering the market.

They also examine the importance of keeping a cash buffer when releasing equity, aligning finance and accounting advice, and choosing ownership structures that support borrowing and income distribution.

For business owners facing tax debt, Goldby points to alternative lending options, including high-LVR and low-documentation loans, while noting the extra interest costs that can come with them.

Negative gearing was never part of the plan for Iconic Investing's Aneesh Thomas and John George. They buy for cash flow, land and below-valuation prices, and say price corrections are now opening up even more opportunities. On this episode of The Smart Property Investment Show, host Liam Garman speaks with Aneesh Thomas and John George of Iconic Investing, two Brisbane nurses-turned-buyer's agents, to ask: if your strategy never depended on tax breaks, what is there to fear from tax changes?

So, how have they stayed the course through the federal budget and shifting interest rate expectations? They target affordable markets between $400,000 and $600,000, tight rental conditions, land of more than 600 square metres and yields of at least 4 per cent.

They also reveal what they avoid, from house-and-land packages to markets that have already run hard, and share the mistakes they see most often: emotion tops the list, followed by chasing tax outcomes, "backyard" investing and hotspotting. Thomas tells the story of a friend who bought a $1 million Brisbane property renting for $700 a week and is now working overtime to cover the repayments.

Along the way, the pair discuss where they still see value in regional Victoria and NSW, why high rates can mean less competition, and why they believe the best time to buy is whenever you're ready. George also opens up about the commercial property lessons he learned the hard way, including an office that sat vacant for 10 months, and why he says it isn't for everyone. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email [email protected] for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

Brokers know things banks would rather keep quiet. In the debut episode of Which Mortgage, the Finni team starts with one of them: how a 25-year-old on a $100,000 income can buy an investment property without saving a deposit. This isn't another investment property podcast. In the very first episode of Which Mortgage, host Alex Whitlock is joined by Eva Loisance and Costa Arvanitopoulos from Finni to pull back the curtain on the finance tactics brokers know and lenders would rather keep quiet. The trio dive into a real client scenario: a 25-year-old on a $100,000 income with just $20,000 saved, priced out of the market and looking at a Melbourne investment unit. The solution was a family pledge, using her parents' property as security, which can cover up to 105 per cent of the purchase price, costs included, without the parents handing over a cent in cash. But there was a twist: a desktop valuation on the parents' home came back about a million dollars short of a full valuation. Loisance explains why accepting a bank's first number can be a costly mistake. They also unpack how the buffer rates of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) affect borrowing power and share their lenders of the week, including a non-bank offering 40-year loan terms, a newcomer with no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) up to 85 per cent, and a major bank that gets sharper on pricing at $2 million. Plus, each week, the question every borrower should ask: What don't lenders want you to know?

NSW collected 23 per cent less residential stamp duty in September than a year earlier, and Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman say it's only the start. But when the conversation turns to mortgage brokers, the hosts stop agreeing.

On this live episode of Property Buzz, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman dig into the numbers behind a sharp fall in NSW residential stamp duty: $663.7 million collected in September, down from $864.3 million a year earlier. Extrapolated across the country, they put the potential loss at $7.36 billion, a figure that sits inside the $6 billion to $8 billion range they've been predicting for months.

The pair also unpack the NSW Labor pledge to let investors restructure trusts hit by the new discretionary trust tax without triggering stamp duty, and Victoria's promise to return its property tax threshold to $50,000.

Then there's the data. Brisbane listings are up 40 per cent on last year with a clearance rate of just 20 per cent, unemployment has ticked up to 4.7 per cent, and part-time jobs have dropped by 74,000. Tarrant shares what buyer's agents and brokers are telling him on the street, from tactical finance to banks loosening up, and explains why he says now is the time to have a good broker in your corner.

And then it gets heated. Tarrant takes aim at a looming levy hike on brokers while Garman plays devil's advocate – arguing consumer protection is a fair reason for scrutiny. Who wins the argument? You'll have to listen.

Investors waiting for the market to turn could miss a buying window, as cash flow, rental yields, and changing financial conditions reshape the cost of holding an investment property.

On The Smart Property Investment Show, Liam Garman speaks with Arjun Paliwal of InvestorKit about the cash flow pressures holding investors back and the financial shifts that could make negatively geared properties more manageable.

Using a $700,000 property as an example, Paliwal estimates an initial shortfall of $2,400 to $2,800 a month, but says lower interest rates, rent increases, a cash deposit, and potential tax changes could reduce the outlay to about $600 a month, ultimately saving more than $30,000 a year.

The pair also examine the psychology keeping buyers on the sidelines, the impact of lower purchase prices on rental yields, and the importance of assessing buffers, borrowing capacity, and diversification before committing to an investment.

With listings tightening and many buyers waiting for a clear market signal, Paliwal discusses how seasonal patterns, political changes, and shifting sentiment could shape the next buying window. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email [email protected] for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

From warehouses to medical centres and service stations, not every commercial asset is as safe as it looks. Victor Kumar says three simple tests can separate a smart buy from a costly mistake.

A long lease looks like security, but when the tenant walks out, you may be struggling to find a replacement.

In Part 2 of the Post-Budget Guide to Commercial Property Investing, Phil Tarrant sits down with Victor Kumar, founder and director of Right Property Group, to unpack the hidden risks in "safe" commercial assets, and how to compare very different commercial asset classes.

Victor says every asset should pass three tests: how easily it can be re-leased if the tenant leaves, whether the building will still do its job in 15 years, and who pays when major repairs hit. He explains why industrial assets such as warehouses tend to score well on the first test, while specialised assets like childcare centres and fast-food sites can take longer to re-let.

From there, the pair break down office, industrial and retail, including why the rent on paper isn't always the same as rent in practice and rate re-leasability risk across sectors, from storage to service stations and childcare.

Finally, Victor outlines the sectors he believes face structural pressure post-budget, including CBD offices, childcare and NDIS-related buildings, and why he says residential is "all about sentiment" while commercial is "all about mathematics".