We're talking about protection & insurance with Craig Bigelow, Founder & Head of Insurance Advice, True Pride. Are you underinsured or overinsured & are you paying more than you need? We talked:

• Australia’s insurance problem - are you under or overinsured?
• Life, income, home insurance are you wasting cash?
• Framework: How to build an insurance plan you actually need.
• Why some insurance companies discriminate on mental health.
• Why you should undertake annual reviews of your insurance contract?
• What is a step premium vs. level premium & which is better?
• Trauma protection - who needs it now?
• Smokers & why they may be paying a 40% premium! 

GUEST WEBSITE:Craig Bigelow - True PrideWork with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected] EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/095

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Sales agent Geoff Grist, who’s written a book called “Sold Above Market” is a real estate agent on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. This episode reveals some great insights into how the best agents operate.

Here’s what we covered:

• Why the remuneration of agents goes hand in hand with mistrust
• Why AVM’s aren’t worth the paper they are printed on
• What you need to do prior to selling your home to maximize price.
• What makes buyers pay above market prices?
• How to get your offer accepted, the rules of engagement.
• How can you buy below market?
• How do vendors ruin their own sales campaigns?
• How can an average agent can ruin a sale.

We hope this episode gives you some great insights into the psyche of sales agents.

WEBSITE LINKS:Episode 12 - John CunninghamEpisode 20 - Georgie Bates GUEST WEBSITES:FREE copy of “Sold Above Market” click HERE Geoff Grist - Richardson & Wrench Mosman/Neutral Bay

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

Read the transcript:www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/094

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David Johnston of Property Planning Australia, & co-host of the podcast The Property Planner, is a property planner and a mortgage strategist.

We asked him to explain recent changes to the mortgage industry, including:

• What is a property plan & why everyone needs one before they purchase 
• The property plan conversation - building it around life plans
• Loan structuring tips, risk assessment & extended approvals. 
• How good brokers are helping clients buy quality assets 
• What are the options if your pre approval & bank valuation don't stack up?
• What are the main mistakes property buyers make, particularly investors?
• Pre-approvals:  why postcodes, property type & property title can make a difference
• Why timing your property sales/purchase in the same market matters
• The future of mortgage broking & why all mortgage brokers are not equal 

It’s a great episode, we hope you enjoy listening!

WEBSITE LINKS:Episode 46 - Lorna Patten, Why wishful thinking costs you moreGUEST WEBSITES:David Johnston - Property Planning AustraliaFreebie: E-book “How to Succeed with Property to Create Your Ideal Lifestyle – The three steps to success and the seven critical mistakes”   

Podcast: Property Planner, Buyer and Professor Podcast 

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT: www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/093

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We interview auctioneer & coach Phil de Fegely. Phil coaches many other successful auctioneers & he works with well known agency groups such as McGrath, Buxton, Jellis Craig, to name a few. 

If you’re looking to buy a property, you will no doubt be dealing with an auctioneer at some point, so here’s the inside scoop on:

• How do good auctioneers influence buyers to bid?
• What type of bidding wins the auction?
• How do you know when the property is ‘on the market’?
• Why bringing your whole family to auction is likely to make you miss out.
• Strategy, predictability & other things to confuse the auctioneer.
• What is “Auction strategy” - what are agents trying to achieve?
• What are the three things you need to know about the reserve price?

It’s a great episode, get in touch & let us know what you think.

WEBSITE LINKS:Australian Property Investment Show - Free Ticket LinkSimon Russell, Behavioural Scientist - Episode 1Damien Cooley, Auctioneer - Episode 2Tim Heavyside, Auctioneer -  Episode 36GUEST WEBSITES:Phil de Fegely - Auctioneer/Coach

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

Read the transcript:www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/092

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We pick the brains Rod Fehring, CEO of Frasers Property Australia. Rod has 30 years of property industry experience so is well placed to give us insights into current issues with Australia’s construction industry.

We cover a lot of ‘ground’ including:

• What needs to change in the building regulatory environment to lift standards & deliver better quality properties?
• Is the lack of consumer confidence in new apartments hitting prices hard?
• Do developers owe society more consumer protection?
• Why do regulatory & building frameworks cater to the lowest common denominator?
• How will the building industry flip recent building issues on it’s head to regain consumer confidence?
• What are the questions to ask yourself before you buy into an apartment development?
• What’s the difference in buying of the plan if you’re an investor?

This episode could not come at a better time. WEBSITE LINKS:Australian Property Investment Show - Free Ticket Link

GUEST WEBSITES:Frasers Property - Rod Fehring

Read the transcript:

www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/091

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

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We get the inside scoop from David Easterbrook, director of Elite Buyer Agents in Melbourne.

They operate two offices, one in Hawthorn and the other in Brighton. They help both owner occupiers & investors buy quality properties in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.

David walks us through what’s happening on the ground in Melbourne, including:

• Lack of quality listings right now in Melbourne, when will it change?
• Why so many developers are going underground?
• Has the apartment market started to recover or are prices dropping?
• How prices & competition have been impacted by Chinese buyers exiting the market?
• Signs that show the downsizer market culture in Melbourne is changing.
• Rentvesting - capital gains tax issues & why it’s hard to make the numbers work.
• The dangers of being lured into a house & land package.

WEBSITE LINKS:Location, Location, Location - BLOGGUEST WEBSITE:

David Easterbrook - Elite Buyers Agents

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected] 

Read the transcript:

www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/090

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We pick the brains of Brendan Coates of the Grattan Institute. Brendan’s research focuses on tax reform, economic & budget policy, retirement incomes & superannuation, housing, transport infrastructure & cities. He works in a think tank with a bunch of clever people with access to all manner of research that allows them to tackle the big questions & problems facing us as a nation.

Here’s a preview:

• Home ownership crisis - why so many young & poor simply can’t afford their own home.
• Why is the government & our politicians afraid to make big reforms to Negative Gearing, Land Tax & Stamp Duty?
• Home Buyer Saver Scheme - is it all it’s cracked up to be?
• Who’s to blame for the lack of housing built to meet the demand of homeowners?
• Australia’s aging population - should inheritance tax be modified?
• Super increases - will higher super contributions exacerbate the problems of an ageing population?
• Why Australia’s housing stress will mean a rise of homelessness.
• What can be done for everyday Australians to assist housing affordability?

This is such a great episode, packed with so many insights, we hope you enjoy listening!

WEBSITE LINKS:Grattan Institute Housing Affordability re-imagining the Auystralian Dream 

Lessons from the national Rental Affordability Scheme 

GUEST WEBSITES:Brendan Coates - Grattan Institute, Household Finances Program Director

Read the transcript:www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/089

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

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We’re honored to be joined by Alan Kohler, one of Australia’s most respected finance reporters. For decades readers & viewers have enjoyed his expert opinion in the press, TV &, more recently as Editor-in-Chief at InvestSMART. 

We love to look at the wider world of investing - beyond property. We enjoy discovering alternative investment methodologies & frameworks - always with our filter of low risk & sustainability & we loved our chat with Alan!

Here’s some highlights:

• Is Australia headed for a recession or could we be headed for a boom?
• Why it is important to wait to invest after the valley of death?
• Who is deeply invested in propping up the housing market?
• Our GDP growth is from population growth so should we open up the gates?
• What will happen if we go into negative interest rates & what does it even mean?
• How can the average investor prepare for a low growth economy?

This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

WEBSITE LINKS:Alan Kohler - The Eureka Report

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected] 

READ THE TRANSCRIPT: www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/088

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We get the inside scoop from Kerry Hunt, Manager of the Building Certification Team at Inner West Council in Sydney. With 40 years in Building Surveying in local government both here and in the UK she’s adept at navigating the complexity of planning, building and certification legislation.

We look at the nuts & bolts of:

• Building approvals & conflicts of interest in the Building Certifying Act & what needs to change.
• Who is really to blame for the poor quality of our apartment buildings? 
• What does a certifier do & are private certifiers high risk options?
• Why did councils lose the power? What is the difference between the way things used to be done and how they are now?
• What certificates should be in a contract of sale and what do they all mean?
• Why it’s critical to invest time in due diligence pre purchase.

It’s a great episode, exposing some home truths.GUEST WEBSITES:Inner West Council Building Certification Team - Kerry Hunt Read the transcript:www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts087

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [email protected]

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Kylie Davis is back again combining her time at CoreLogic with the world of proptech & is one of the people behind Australia’s Proptech Summit, launched last year.

Having launched Home Prezzo a content marketing solution for real estate agents, she gives a glimpse into the proptech world.

Here’s what’s coming our way:

• What happens when property & technology meets?
• How will proptech change the way real estate is handled?
• How to mitigate risks of implementing new technology into your business.
• Ways to create liquidity in your property.
• Where is innovation making the most difference?
• Why making everything transparent in real estate builds trust.
• Should the property industry be threatened by disruption?

This is a great episode & we hope you enjoy listening. 

WEBSITE LINKS:Ep 30 - Kylie DavisThe Future of Property Investing - Kylie DavisGUEST WEBSITE:Kylie Davis - HomePrezzo Australia

Work with Veronica? [email protected]Work with Chris? [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 on 22 August, 2019.

Read the transcript:www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/086

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.