The Holy Grail of Property Investing

How does an "Ordinary" Bank teller go from working in a Bank to accumulating 151 properties? Well strap yourself in, grab a cup of coffee and lean in as Felicity Heffernan reveals just how she did it and still managed to have a life. At 39 with two kids under 5 Felicity came across a system that was highly profitable known as "Vendor Finance." Felicity unpacks how this worked and how she raised "Private Finance" for each house. Felicity shares the good, the bad and the ugly of owning 151 properties...from evictions to a house burning down to the ground and the ramifications of this. By 2010 Felicity had 80 odd properties on her books and she shares that it has taken until now to widdle her Vendor Finance properties down to 5 people who are still with her despite Felicity's best efforts to bring them across to a traditional lender. I ask Felicity about her advice to someone about to get on the investment ladder and how she would approach assisting someone who has been through a "life event" and are in the process of rebuilding. This will give you HOPE. Mindset plays a big part in all this... Felicity's final piece of advice for our listeners is..."Turn the TV Off...it only paints a picture of Doom and Gloom." Secondly do what the airlines suggest and that is "Put your own facemask on first, then you help others!" A sage piece of advice. You have to help yourself first. Felicity's book is available on Amazon at https://amzn.asia/d/06oQvIG or on her website https://propertyloanadvisor.com.au/

John Maxwell is an "Industry Veteran" and "Legend" having both run some of the most successful Brokerage Teams at one time having over 140 brokers he managed and mentored. John has spent 24 years in the Mortgage Industry and 17 of those as a top performing broker. He knows what it takes to run a successful Mortgage Brokerage. John is the Co Founder of Uptick Marketing which is focused on providing a "real" solution for brokers in staying connected with their customers and in finding new ones to help brokers grow a sustainable Mortgage Business. Uptick since it's inception has already been nominated for Broker Marketing Platform of the Year and was a Finalist for the Best Industry Service in the 2023 Australian Mortgage Awards. John shares how Uptick are taking brokers from a drawer full of A.I.P.'s to providing solutions to getting a loan in place for the benefit of the brokers' clients and the broker too. In a rising Property Market John shares why it's so important to take Action Now rather than wait. John addresses head on the "Elephant in the Room" which is that Lead Generation doesn't work! John provides context to how Uptick are addressing this by reminding us that it's a customer at the end of the phone that needs to be looked after and educated. It's all about a Win for the Broker and a Win for the Consumer. John shares how his team have become the "Virtual Back Office" for Brokers through ongoing client engagement and why this is producing repeat business with customers. To learn more about the work John and his team are doing in providing amazing outcomes for motivated Brokers across Australia check out Uptick Marketing https://uptickmarketing.com.au/

In this episode Terry and I take a real swipe at the Queensland State Government and it's current Land Tax proposal that comes in to effect from 1 July 2023. We look at who is really be punished here and the implications of what this tax will mean for Tenants and Property Investors. It's the really big Elephant in the Investment room at the moment.  We discuss how investors have already been taxed in the other States where they own property but the QLD Government is going to tax you based on all the properties you own across Australia combined.  We discuss how would you enforce this particularly when you are relying on other State Governments to give you the information on Individual people's holdings... I ask Terry will the QLD State Government fine people if they don't provide the property holdings information? For once the Mainstream Media has done it's job in alarming people of the consequences of this new Land Tax in particular tenants and we talk about what this will mean for them.  Terry unpacks the lack of process and planning around how this tax will be applied and how they will get the information they need in order to apply it. Terry gives us some insight in to the trend of the past 5 years based on investors actually selling more than investors who are buying and the implications are dire - much lower vacancy rates.  Terry shares the example of what happened in Ireland.  We look at what would happen according to the QLD Government's own website if you own one property in Victoria and another in QLD your land tax bill will almost quadruple per year! The Mainstream Media is constantly telling us that the "property market" is in decline. Terry and I put paid to that myth and provide examples of regions that are still experiencing capital growth plus some capital cities too. We debunk the supposed correlation between rising interest rates and falling property prices and explain what's actually happening. Terry reminds us of the right question to be asking ourselves about when to buy...You'll have to listen to get the answer.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been travelling in to Regional Queensland. After flying in to Brisbane and picking up a hire car I made my way to Sugar Cane country to Bundaberg, the home of Bundaberg Rum. Sugar Cane contributes around $137 million to the local economy according to QLD Economic Advocacy Solutions. Bundaberg is at the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. It has a diverse economy based around agriculture, tourism, health. You can still buy homes in the high $200,000’s. The Bundaberg region is responsible for 70% of Australia’s Sweet Potato production, 50% of Australia’s Macadamia Nuts and is the largest passionfruit growing region in Australia. I next headed up the Bruce Highway to Rockhampton which is considered the “Beef Capital of Australia.” Just like Bundaberg you can still buy properties under $300,000 in places like Allenstown, West Rockhampton and Berserker and rental yields in some suburbs are over 6%. Rental vacancies are well below 1%. There are a number of projects of significance and these include the $600 million Capricorn Integrated Resort the $1.3 billion Clarke Creek Wind, Solar and Battery Power Station the $495 million lower Fitzroy River Weir project and $1 billion in infrastructure projects. The energy and resources sector contributes $1.5 billion to Rockhampton’s Gross Regional Product and employs 8000 people. According to Demographer Bernard Salt Rockhampton is set to become one of the top 20 biggest cities in Australia by 2050. After leaving Rockhampton I headed on to Gladstone which is definitely making a comeback after the big downturn around 2012-2013 where supply of new dwellings far exceeded demand. Well it’s fair to say that “glut” of properties has well and truly been soaked up and rents are also on the rise with weekly rents trending upwards for the past 4 years. SQM Research revealed that the median rent of $400 is 18% higher than in 2019 and 13% higher than a year ago. In Gladstone we are seeing demand on the rise due to people relocating to for employment and lifestyle opportunities. Some of the highlights for Gladstone include the Renewable Energy Industrial Precinct, the $1.5 billion Hummock Hill Island Tourism Development, the $1.2 billion Surat Basin Rail project thw $1.4 billion Riverstone Rise Master Planned Community and the $760 million Port of Gladstone Channel Duplication. The big difference this time round for Gladstone is it’s not reliant on the Gas projects but has a number of smaller projects to support the economy and this diversification is what gives us confidence around the future for Gladstone and it’s property market.

This week I have been travelling through Regional NSW and spent time in Tamworth and Armidale. Two cities with a lot to like. Firstly we dissect what’s going on in Tamworth. Just a quick overview of Tamworth it’s 415km north-west of Sydney. Currently 65000 immediate population, 200,000 Greater population for the District. 1,000,000 plus sqm of Commercial Industrial Land under development - Creating 5000 - 7000 Jobs. There’s the New University Going in – University of New England. The Tamworth Airport has the most blue sky flying days of any Airport on the Eastern Seaboard. It’s been identified as being Ideal for pilot training. There’s a new Airline coming - Bonza - offering flights to Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. Tamworth has outstanding Sporting and Education facilities, all it’s Dams are 100% full. Now to the properties there is a Vacancy rate on rental properties less than .05 of 1 % Capital Growth 40% for the last 2 years but there’s plenty more to come. We then check out what’s going on in Armidale – A population of just over 30,000. Brilliant Education with University of New England and an array of Public and Private Schools. Highlights – Solid Rental Pool with good yields, great transport links with Armidale strategically placed at the junction of the New England Highway and Grafton Road it likes with the Pacific Highway at Raleigh near Bellingen. NSW Translink runs a daily rail service from Arimidale to Sydney and Sydney to Armidale. Other notables are the Metz Solar Farm, the Walcha Energy Project and the upgrades to the airport and hospital. Median prices in Armidale $300,000. As usual I provide stories from my travels to give you the real sense of what is happening in these communities. We believe both cities are poised for continued growth. Remember we told you so…

We start out with the perception that the great Australian Property dream is getting further and further away for most Australians… We look at the “real” requirements for First Home Buyers getting into the market. It’s not as difficult as Media keeps making out. Media are reporting a crescendo of disastrous consequences such as Interest Rates will rise and Property Prices will fall. We unpack this and look at what has happened in the past with Interest Rate rises to Australian Property Markets. We look at some quality research from recent years on the impact of rising interest rates on Property Markets and what to expect in a Boom like the one we are having now. What role is the media playing apart from creating more stress for the public! Terry talks about how from a Building Industry perspective we are in the middle of a “Profitless Building Boom…” Terry weighs in on the Political landscape and how the Political parties are not addressing the high cost of housing in Australia and what’s been happening to cause this. We discuss the Rental Crisis in Australia and the discouragement by Governments with their policies to Investors. I give my two bobs worth on Self-Managed Super Funds and we look at the impact of changing tax rules and what it’s meant for investors. We take a look at Media Headlines about “The End of the Property Boom” and whether this has any merit and the ways in which the Media interprets the Data and how often they “misinterpret” what is reported. Terry cites examples from the recent Corelogic Report. You will be amazed how Media get it so wrong! We chat about Historical Property Price Data and how times have changed and how this bears little relevance to prices moving forward. Terry cites The Sunshine Coast as an example of this. We are reminded when it comes to research it’s the future that’s important not the past! Terry reminds us that the Media has since February 2021 called an end to the Property Boom in 5 of the past 14 months! We talk about Tamworth in New South Wales and once again we remind listeners that it’s the future that’s most important not the past when it comes to picking where to invest. Terry addresses the impact of the recent floods on the Brisbane Property Markets, the misinformation from a “leading economist” and recently reported “Australia’s Housing Affordability” in the so-called Global Study of Housing Affordability. Terry gives his tips on what you should do if you want to be a successful Property Investor.

This week I talk with Terry Ryder about some of the cities that haven’t attracted a lot of attention for “Treasure Hunters” like me. In a market where just about everything investors touch seems to be turning to gold we felt it important to uncover Regional Cities that are at an earlier phase of the investment cycle. At The Holy Grail we want to ensure our clients are buying wisely and not getting caught up in Media Hype and following the herd. Terry and I take a look at Murray Bridge 80kms south-east of the Adelaide CBD. We look at the prospects for growth, some of the main employers, the median price and it’s extraordinary low vacancy rates for houses. We next move on to Port Lincoln located about 280km from Adelaide as the crow flies and 650km by road. Port Lincoln is primarily driven by established agriculture, manufacturing, fishing, tourism and mining. We discuss the Future Prospects for Port Lincoln. Then it’s up to Queensland and the coastal port of Gladstone which has had a checkered history since the property market crash in 2013. We unpack the main factors that caused this downturn. Gladstone is making a comeback with vacancy rates now at 1.1% according to SQM Research and the annual number of house sales up 68% over the year. What’s driving the renewed interest in Gladstone and what projects are underway and or forecast? With the fall in prices over the previous 5-6 years this means the Gladstone property market is now one of the cheapest among regional cities of Queensland. We take a closer look at some of the better performing suburbs. Staying in Queensland we explore Biloela a rural town 120km south-west of Gladstone and 145km south of Rockhampton. There’s great dollar value in Biloela with the median house price at $255,000. We take a look at the economic drivers of this location and how it is feeding off the back off the Gladstone resurgence. With a vacancy rate of just 0.5% it represents good value in our opinion. Finally we take a swipe at the Mainstream Media for it’s constant scaremongering about Interest Rates and Property Prices and add some balance to this conversation. Happy Treasure Hunting folks.

This week I talk with Terry Ryder about The City of Churches Adelaide. It’s no longer the sleepy country town but rather it is the leading Technology Centre of Australia. We talk about the Companies who now call Adelaide Home and what is happening with Technology, Aerospace and Manufacturing, Defence, Logistics and Automotive. I ask terry about the $1.9 billion Edinburgh Parks Precinct under development and the Defence projects that represent over $4 billion a year to the local economy and the creation of 11,000 jobs over the next 10 years. I share with Terry some examples of suburbs with capital growth within 25km from the Adelaide City that have rental returns in the mid to high 6’s. We discuss Rental Vacancies and why they are so low and give examples of what’s really happening at the coalface. Terry shares his thoughts on why Adelaide is such a winner with it’s proximity to two winery precincts, gorgeous beaches and the Adelaide Hills. We chat about the future for Adelaide and compare it’s position to Brisbane. As usual we check out what is happening in other markets with real stories and we take a look and a swipe at the Mainstream Media who keep spruiking about the “Property Market” being on the verge of a price fall (I note that we never refer to the “Property Market” as Australia is made up of thousands of Markets. We also examine the Media Rhetoric around a possible Interest Rate rise and put some perspective around what this means or could mean. There’s a lot to like about this market and we give thought to why it is likely to keep going up for at least another 12 months. Hold on to your hat Folks!

I ask Terry when you look back on the Property Market in 2021 what were the highlights? We take a look at the big winners and losers…not that there were many! Terry and I chat about some of the lessons for investors when it comes to picking the right property. I ask Terry about whether there are any warning signs we need to heed for the year ahead? With just about everything turning to gold at the moment we explore just how long the current National Property Boom has to run. We discuss the importance of treating Property Investing as a Business and the value in Investing in Quality Research and how you need to block out “noise” namely Mainstream Media so you can make better informed investment choices. We chat about Adelaide, Queensland and Regional New South Wales and why Terry really likes them. We unpack what’s driving these markets and their prospects for future Capital Growth. I ask Terry about the areas he feels are going to be the best performers in 2022 particularly when it comes to Regional Property Investing. It’s been one heck of a year and we are so grateful to have been able to bring great information to our listeners in 2021. We are definitely looking forward to sharing more insights with our audience in 2022. Merry Christmas everyone.

In this episode I catch up with regular guest Terry Ryder and we take a look at the types of questions we both get asked as a Property Analyst and a Buyers Advocate. We come to the conclusion that a lot of these are based on the misinformation on what people have read, listened too or watched in the past via Mainstream Media. One of the most misconceptions for example is the notion that you should buy in a Capital City and that being close to the CBD is really important. We discuss how times have changed and that this is no longer the case and why. We cite examples of cities that refute this argument and there are plenty of them these days. Some examples of questions we will look at include "Is an apartment still a good purchase?" "Can you tell me the likely capital growth in XYZ suburb in the next 10 years?" "Would you put a granny flat on a property?" and a number of others. The key message is You always start with where it is you want to go and work backwards from there and that will help you to formulate the right questions to ask for your personal situation. In a nut shell there isn’t a Yes or No answer…one size definitely does not fit all. Terry and I reiterate the importance of asking the right types of questions and we give examples and as always the value of investing in research cannot be underestimated and we cover off why. The final word… The past performance of a city is not necessarily a good indicator of what the likely capital growth is going to be for the future and again we show examples of slow regional cities that are now booming and why. As always we include real "In the trenches" examples of what's happening at the coalface.