The Elephant In The Room Property Podcast | Inside Australian Real Estate

Covid has accelerated the remote work movement. Australians have fled the big city to greener pastures and clearer shores. What better place to a sea change, tree change than Australia’s most eastern tip. Global media coverage has put Australia at the forefront of Covid safe spots, this has drawn celebrities, actors and affluent business owners to find sanctuary in a small beach town in northern New South Wales.

Byron Bay has grown from what was a small tight-knit beach community, to become Australia’s most expensive location to buy property, with median house prices in Byron Bay eclipsing the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

In this episode, we shine the light on the Byron Bay property market, with no better expert than pioneering buyers agent, Michael Murray. Born and bred in Byron Bay, Michael has helped families, friends, celebrities and entrepreneur to find their slice of paradise for over 30 years. The influx of new money has pushed locals out and put mansions on hills, has this changed the bay forever?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Suburb Trends April 2021 | Highest median growth suburbs! Episode 160 | Working from Home Movement: Has Covid accelerated the inevitable | Soren Trampedach, Work Club Global Episode 158 | Top economist puts Australia in the world picture | Warren Hogan

GUEST LINKS:https://www.byronpropertysearch.com.au/ Facebook.com/byronpropertysearch Instagram -@byronpropertysearch https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-murray-69b21510/

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in April 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/173

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome back Shelley Horton from episode 34. Shelley is the general manager of CoreLogic Valuation Solutions, which advises on the future of valuations’ and their role in the market. The property market is booming. For any transaction -- to buy, to sell, to refinance -- it all requires a valuer. Some valuers are seeing up to 15 properties a day. From desktop valuations to feet on the ground, how are 30 minutes with a property enough to reveal its true value? The reports can have a flow-thru effect on a buyer/seller's decision, leading to action or inaction that could be costly.In this episode, the team and Shelley discuss the state of the valuation industry. Understanding how valuers assess and produce their reports—highlighting the overwhelming need for accurate, objective reports that ultimately guide property buyers to make better decisions.

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 171 | Pain & Gain Q4 2020: Who suffered and who triumphed? | Eliza Owen Episode 121 | Valuations: What should you know? | Bart Mead Episode 34 | The hidden things to look for when working out the price to pay | Shelley Horton

GUEST LINKS:https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/valuing-properties-more-about-expectation-management-valuation-itself

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected].

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in April 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/172

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to another edition of our Suburb Trends report where we look at Australian suburbs’ condition, analysing, rationalising and theorising their present and future. In this episode, we'll focus on the top 10 highest median growth suburbs, honing in only on houses and suburbs with more than nine sales a month.

The team looks at the various possible reasons for the growth in these suburbs, dissecting buyer behaviour, financial flows, and the development of new stock on the market.

We discuss some suburbs you know and love, questioning if the statistics around median growth is an effective lens to evaluate an area's future?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Suburb Trends March 2021 Suburb Trends February 2021 Suburb Trends December 2020

GUEST LINKS:www.suburbtrends.com https://www.suburbtrends.com/top-10-price-change-suburbs

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected].

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in April 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/st9

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome back Eliza Owen for the fifth time -- we can't get enough of her property market data and insights. Eliza is the head of residential research at CoreLogic and the author of CoreLogic's quarterly 'Pain and Gain' reports, which cover the entire Australian property market at a macro level, then drills down into suburb and property category performance.

Eliza is quoted in countless articles and is a regular media guest as an expert in the residential property space. Her data is relied on by governments, the property industry, and individuals who are keen to better understand the property market. 

As competition shoots up, supply plummets and clearance rates hit 100%, we see how the results of Q4 2020 have set the stage for the current market and potentially the rest of the year.

Eliza and the team interpret and break down this data for your benefit.

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 170 | 2021 Fool or Forecaster Report | Which experts can you trust to get it right? Episode 159 | Why hasn’t the property market crashed? | Eliza Owen Suburb Trends March 2021 | Areas with big price falls!

GUEST LINKS:Eliza’s socials: LinkedIn | Twitter Purchase CoreLogic Residential Pain & Gain Report

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in April, 2020.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/171

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who could've predicted what happened last year? We began 2020 with high hopes and a positive outlook for the Australian property market, after the lows of 2019. Then came COVID-19, which threw everything we thought that was possible right out the window. Panic ensued and the real estate market came to a halt, especially in Melbourne. But as the year progressed and restrictions were lifted, the urge to upgrade and/or buy a first home became imperative, but vendors were concerned about selling in an unpredictable market. This led to a severe lack of supply.

Now, with Q1 of 2021 behind us, the property market is thriving with historic clearance rates and FOMO rampant across the nation. 

In this annual episode, we cover the experts and property pundits who were brave or foolish enough to forecast the year that was. Who got it right and who got it wrong? Which voices potentially impacted the market, and what role did the media play amplifying their opinions and even causing panic?

We hope to answer the question: where can you get good advice during a volatile situation?

THE REPORT:https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/fool-or-forecaster

THE EXPERT’S EPISODES:Roger Montgomery - Founder of Montgomery Investment Management

• June 24, 2019: Episode 73 | Why are so many equity investors bearish about property?

Eliza Owen - Head of Residential Research at Corelogic

• Aug 19, 2019: Episode 81 | Will a crisis in confidence kill our apartment market?
• March 31, 2020: Episode 115 | The impact of new restrictions & increasing unemployment
• Aug 3, 2020: Episode 135 | Corelogic report: Pain and Gain, March quarter 2020
• Jan 18 2021: Episode 159 | Why hasn’t the property market crashed?

Louis Christopher - Founder of SQM Research

• Jan 13, 2020: Episode 102 | Research data - 2020 Boom or Bust?

Shane Oliver - Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP Capital

• Apr 7, 2020: Episode 117 | The next Great Depression? The next Roaring 20s?

Pete Wargent - International Buyers Agent & CEO of Next Level Wealth

• April 13, 2020: Episode 118 | Current global property market: What you should know.

Martin North - Founder of Digital Finance Analytics (DFA)

• May 11, 2020: Episode 123 | To buy, or not to buy: that is the question
• Sept 28, 2020: Episode 143 | Postcode Analysis: What properties are outperforming the market

Stuart Wemyss - Financial Advisor & Author of Rules of the Lending Game & Investopoly

• June 1, 2020: Episode 126 | Lending rules & predicting the property market
• February 8, 2021: Episode 162 | Houses vs Apartments

Nicola Powell - Senior Research Analyst at Domain

• Sept 7, 2020: Episode 140 | Behavioural science of property buying

Saul Eslake - Former Chief Economist of ANZ and Bank of America Merrill Lynch

• Nov 30, 2020: Episode 152 | What does top economist say on the current economic environment

Warren Hogan - Former Chief Economist of ANZ

• July 8, 2019: Episode 75 | Is Australia heading into a recession?
• Jan 11, 2021: Episode 158 | Top economist puts Australia in the world picture.

Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction Paperback

https://www.amazon.com.au/Superforecasting-Science-Prediction-Philip-Tetlock/dp/0804136718

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March, 2020.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/158

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Robinson is the Director of Rental Results in Brisbane and has nearly two decades experience in the property management industry. Lauren has also authored the book ‘Rented!’ which helps investors develop successful property management skills. Adding to the arsenal of investment property episodes, we jump into being landlords looking at the roles, responsibilities and benefits.Here’s what we covered:

• What are typical ways landlords fail?
• How are vacancy rates currently looking?
• How has the rental market changed over COVID?
• What legal responsibilities do landlords have to their tenant?
• What makes a great property manager?
• How to successful market your investment property?
• How is technology changing in the property investment space?
• What due diligence should you be doing before you buy your investment property?
• Are all investments equal?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 168 | How to buy an investment property Episode 165 | Investing in commercial property Suburb Trends February 2020 | New popular suburbs

GUEST LINKS:https://www.rentalresults.com.au/

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March, 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/169

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of our dedicated listeners Lily, asked six questions around buying her first investment property. The questions were so relevant and important they warranted their own entire episode. We discuss how to assess, prepare and act on buying your first investment property, what you should be buying and how to know if you’re ready.Questions:

1. Financially, what are some indicators you're ready to buy an investment property?  (Eg is there a rule of thumb for how much of your place of residence you should pay off first? And does that count money in an offset account?)
2. In terms of location - does the advantage of having local knowledge outweigh the risks of having all your eggs in one basket? (And if the advice is to diversify, does that mean look in a different suburb, or is it better to look in a completely different city? Diversifying makes sense in theory but buying in an unfamiliar city seems risky)
3. Is there any guidance around the value of an investment compared to the value of your place of residence, assuming you can service repayments? (eg would it be weird to have an investment property worth more than your place of residence, assuming you are happy living in a modest home?)
4. In terms of type of property, is it good to diversify from your first property or just to focus on a 'quality asset'? (Eg Our home is a townhouse - should we try hard to get a freestanding house for an investment property?)
5. What are some tips and considerations for structuring mortgages? (Eg we make currently make minimum repayments and keep any extra in an offset, just in case we want to buy or rent elsewhere and keep our current place as an investment property. However, it's looking more likely that this will be our 'forever home' and future property purchases would be investments - or if we didn't want to live here we'd be happy to sell it, rather than rent it out - would that change the strategy?)
6. What are the pros and cons of using the equity in your home as leverage?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 162 | Houses vs Apartments Episode 161 | Listener Q&A: Building your own home, retiring on property & sustainable properties? Episode 157 | 2021 predictions & 2020 review

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March, 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/168

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month we are focusing on what is not booming! Which suburbs and areas have had the greatest price falls, and why? Within this episode we will recap how the market is currently performing rationalising why these mentioned suburbs have had the greatest drop off and what it means for greater Australia.Here’s what we covered:

• How is the unit market performing?
• Where would be the last place you would buy property?
• How Western Sydney is compared to the city.
• What patterns and potential causes have impacted these areas?
• How has the drop in tourism impacted property prices across Australia?
• Where was the biggest fall in property prices in Australia?
• Will these areas bounce back in the future or will the demand flow elsewhere?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 159 | Eliza Owen Suburb Trends February 2021 Suburb Trends December 2020

LINKS:www.suburbtrends.comhttps://www.suburbtrends.com/suburb-reviews https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/suburbs-house-price-plummeting-011158856.html?guccounter=1

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March, 2021.

https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/st8

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome David Tucker Chief of Infrastructure Assessment at Infrastructure Australia. David joined Infrastructure Australia in 2018 after over 16 years with some of Australia’s top-tier consulting firms. In this episode we chat shop on how infrastructure factors within the property market and how have airports, roads, transport and essential goods been impacted in recent times from the change in working arrangement and the post-COVID normal.Here’s what we covered:

• What is infrastructure Australia and why does it exist?
• What are the different classes of infrastructure?
• How to assess key projects?
• What has made certain projects more of a priority than others?
• How has climate change impacted infrastructure projects and schedules?
• Has COVID shifted much point of view on the upcoming projects?
• How do regions compete in getting more spending for infrastructure?
• What projects should we be most excited about?
• How does infrastructure impact property prices?
• What will it take to solve the transport problems in Australia?
• What gaps in our infrastructure do we currently have and how can this be solved?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 158 | Warren Hogan Episode 148 | Bernard Gallagher Episode 145 | Lucinda Harley

GUEST LINKS:https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/Infrastructure_Priority_List_2021 Priority List interactive map: https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/search-priority-list-map Infrastructure beyond COVID-19: https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/Infrastructure-beyond-COVID

HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March, 2021.https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/148

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcoming back Scott Phillips, Chief Investment Officer of the Motley Fool. In this episode he details the current investment market, where people are putting their money and who is winning big and who are losing it all. We expand the chat discussing how interest rates are playing into the overall picture of Australian property, shares and cryptocurrency.Here’s what we covered:

• Why are buyers so confident investing into bricks and mortar?
• What other investments are going off?
• How did the craze of Gamestop happen and what will be the after effects?
• What is happening in the share market?
• What are the kinds of people investing and will they continue to invest?
• Will bitcoin continue to boom or bust?
• Will the TechReck happen?
• Have Australian saved or spent more during Covid?
• What is better to invest into super or property?
• Should you upgrade your house or invest?

RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 159 | Eliza Owen Episode 152 | Saul Eslake Episode 69 | Scott Phillips

GUEST LINKS:https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-rba-takes-three-years-off-what-does-it-mean-for-us/id1118867383?i=1000507802202

HOST LINKS:

Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected]

Send in your questions to: [email protected]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Please note that this has been transcribed by half-human-half-robot, so brace yourself for typos and the odd bit of weirdness…This episode was recorded in March.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.