The Finance Bible | Property & Investing

Should you wait for prices to hit the bottom before you buy? In part 2 of their buyer’s market series, Zeke and Oscar play devil’s advocate on waiting for the trough, then share a seven-step playbook for negotiating property investment and home purchases in a slower market. In part 2: Why nobody rings a bell at the bottom, and what happened after values fell about 7.5% in 2022–23 Why time in the market with the right property beats trying to time the market Why there’s no single “Australian property cycle” The seven-step playbook: target stale stock, keep your conditions, bring evidence not emotion, use terms as currency, ask for the extras, be ready to walk away, and work passed-in auctions How a building and pest report can become a negotiating tool Where it is and isn’t a buyer’s market: Brisbane and Perth listings, Sydney and Melbourne prices, and rising rents Missed part 1? Listen to “Is It Finally a Buyer’s Market? Why Homes Are Taking 41 Days to Sell (Part 1) | #108”. Thinking about buying or investing in property? Book a free strategy call with Asset Road: https://www.assetroad.com.au Instagram: @zeke.guenthroth_official, @oscardonproperty and @assetroad General information only. Nothing in this episode is personal financial advice. Comments on the market, prices and interest rates are the hosts’ personal opinions, not forecasts. Consider your own circumstances and get professional advice before acting.

Homes are now taking 41 days to sell, up from 26 a year ago, and sellers are discounting more than at any time in five years. Zeke and Oscar ask the big property investment question: is this the start of a buyer’s market, or is it time to wait? In part 1: National values down six months in a row, 5.2% below the March peak Time on market at 41 days nationally, 38 in Brisbane and 26 in Perth Vendors cutting a median 4.4% off their asking price Total listings up 19% while new listings are down 8% Sydney and Melbourne clearance rates down from 64% to 48% How a slower market gives buyers leverage, including keeping finance and building and pest conditions Four rate hikes, a 4.6% cash rate and roughly $90,000 less borrowing power Part 2: whether waiting for the bottom makes sense, and seven ways to negotiate in a buyer’s market. Thinking about buying or investing in property? Book a free strategy call with Asset Road: https://www.assetroad.com.au Instagram: @zeke.guenthroth_official, @oscardonproperty and @assetroad General information only. Nothing in this episode is personal financial advice. Comments on the economy and interest rates are the hosts’ personal opinions, not forecasts. Consider your own circumstances and get professional advice before acting.

From $200 in his pocket to $500 million in online sales. Greg Cassar has spent 22 years building and scaling businesses, helped more than 350 companies grow, and coached over 150 Australian business owners through his mastermind, The Collective. Today he runs travel brands in the US, an e-commerce import business, and a portfolio spanning property, Bitcoin, AI tech and robotics ETFs. Oscar and Greg cover: The $200 voucher that taught him "one" is the worst number in business: one employer, one income stream His make it, keep it, multiply it framework for business owners Why you need both cashflow and growth assets, not just one Buying Bitcoin in 2017, holding through 12 corrections, and why managing your emotions matters more than timing His views on government deficits, money printing and scarce assets How he uses Claude, projects and "loop engineering" to run his businesses, and how AI took one company from 50 staff to under 10 Why young Australians should be building AI skills now Connect with Greg: https://www.collective.com.au/ and https://www.businesswealthfreedom.com/ Thinking about buying property? Book a free strategy call with Asset Road: https://www.assetroad.com.au Follow us on Instagram @oscardonproperty and @assetroad for daily property insights. General information only. Nothing in this episode is personal financial advice, and the views of guests are their own. Cryptocurrency and other investments can be highly volatile, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Consider your own circumstances and get professional advice before acting.

The cash rate is sitting at 4.6%, the highest since 2011, after four RBA hikes this year. With another decision landing on Melbourne Cup Day, are we about to get hit with a fifth? This episode breaks down what the data says, what the banks are predicting, and what it means if you're holding or buying property right now. In this episode: September inflation: headline 4.3% and a trimmed mean of 1% for the quarter, above forecast Why ANZ and Westpac were tipping a hike while CBA and NAB were calling a hold What another 25 basis points costs on a $700,000 loan (roughly $107 a month) How every hike quietly shrinks your borrowing power Three things to do now: stress test your budget, call your lender about the loyalty tax, and run investment numbers at a higher rate Why fewer buyers can mean more negotiating power for investors Rates go up and rates come down. Buy well, hold well, and make sure you can sleep at night while you do it. Thinking about buying property? Book a free strategy call with Asset Road: https://www.assetroad.com.au Follow us on Instagram @oscardonproperty and @assetroad for daily property insights. General information only. Nothing in this episode is personal financial advice. Consider your own circumstances and get professional advice before acting.

Two investors, $1 million each. One buys a house, the other buys a small warehouse in an industrial estate. A year later the house has put about $24,000 in their pocket and the warehouse about $65,000. Same money in, nearly triple the income out. So what's going on? In this episode Oscar breaks down commercial vs residential property investing, starting with the yield trap most investors miss: commercial yields are usually quoted net, residential yields are usually quoted gross. A house renting at $750 a week looks like a 3.9% yield, but after property management, council rates, insurance, land tax, water and maintenance it nets closer to 2.4%. A warehouse at 6.5% net, where the tenant pays most of the outgoings, keeps close to the full 6.5%. We cover: Gross vs net yield, and how to compare them properly Where yields sit right now for houses, units, industrial and retail Why SMSF investors are looking at commercial property The trade-offs: vacancy risk, 30–40% deposits, higher rates and shorter loan terms Why you're buying the tenant, not just the building Why many investors go residential first, then commercial later Follow the show, share it with someone weighing up commercial property, and leave a review with your biggest question about yields. Thinking about buying property? Book a free strategy call with Asset Road: https://www.assetroad.com.au Follow us on Instagram @zeke.guenthroth_official, @oscardonproperty and @assetroad for daily property insights. General information only. Nothing in this episode is personal financial advice. Yields and figures are examples and market estimates, not forecasts or guarantees. Consider your own circumstances and get professional advice before acting.

You can pool three incomes and get into the market faster, or you can pool three incomes and destroy a family. Buying property with parents, siblings, or multiple family members is one of the fastest-growing strategies in Australian real estate right now, and it makes sense when you look at the numbers. Prices have run away from what a single income can borrow, so families are doing the math and realizing that together, they can actually afford something. But the gap between a brilliant move and a costly mess comes down to what you sort out before you sign. We start with borrowing capacity and why combining incomes changes everything. Two or three incomes can push your budget from $400,000 to $600,000 plus, which is the whole appeal. But here's what most people miss: the bank also looks at everyone's debts and expenses together. Your dad's car loan, your HECS, your sister's credit card limit, it all comes off the top. One person with a lot of debt can drag the whole group's borrowing power down. And on a joint loan, every borrower is liable for the full amount, not just their share. That means if the loan is $600,000, the bank can chase any one of you for the whole debt. When you go to buy your own place later, many lenders will count that full debt against you, not just your third. So this purchase can limit what you can borrow next time, and most people don't ask that question until it's too late. Then we break down the two ways you can hold title in Australia: joint tenants and tenants in common. Joint tenants means you all own the whole property together in equal shares, and if one owner passes away, their share automatically goes to the surviving owners, not through their will. That works for couples, but think about it in a family setup. If mum, dad, and their son buy together as joint tenants and the son passes away, his share goes to mum and dad, not to his partner or his kids. Tenants in common is where each person owns a set share, the shares don't have to be equal, and your share is yours to leave in your will. For most family purchases, tenants in common reflects each person's contribution and keeps things fair. But your shares on the title don't change the loan. Even if you own 25%, you're still on the hook for 100% of the debt. The title says who owns what, the loan says who owes what, and they're two different things. We also tackle the uncomfortable part: what happens if someone stops paying or wants out. Life changes, someone loses their job, gets married, moves interstate, or just wants their money back. If one person stops paying, the others have to cover it or the loan goes into arrears for everyone. Missed payments hit every borrower's credit file. If someone wants out, there are three main options: the others buy them out, which usually means refinancing and the remaining owners need to qualify on their own. They sell their share to someone else, which is possible with tenants in common but hard to find a buyer for a share of a family home. Or you sell the whole property and split the proceeds. If you can't agree, you can go to court, but that's expensive, slow, and can wreck family relationships. Finally, we cover the one document every family should have before they buy: a co-ownership agreement. A solicitor drafts it, you sign it before you purchase, and it's the rule book for the property. It should cover who put in what, who pays what each month, who lives there and whether they pay rent to the others, how someone exits, what happens on death or divorce, and how disputes get resolved. People feel awkward asking family to sign a legal document, but the agreement isn't there because you don't trust each other. It's there so you never have to have the hard conversation in the middle of a crisis. It might cost a bit in legal fees up front, but compared to what a dispute costs in both money and relationships down the track, it's nothing. Done right, buying with family is one of the best ways to get into the property market sooner. Done badly, it's one of the fastest ways to fall out with the people you love. If you're thinking about it, follow the show, share it with someone planning to buy with family, and leave a review with your biggest question about co-ownership. Did you like this episode? (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Support the show (https://www.assetroad.com.au) 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thefinancebiblepodcast) @oscardonproperty and @assetroad (https://www.instagram.com/assetroad) for daily insights, property breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes updates. Explore more at www.assetroad.com.au (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Top 10 Finance Podcasts in Australia on Feedspots ranking- https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_personal_finance_podcasts/ (

Rates are at 4.6%, the highest since 2011, and there's another big decision coming on Melbourne Cup Day. If you told most people at the start of this year that we'd see four rate hikes instead of cuts, they'd have called you crazy. Yet here we are, with the cash rate climbing from 3.6% to 4.6% in under twelve months, and borrowing power shrinking across the board. This episode walks through how we got here, what to watch next, and what it all means if you're buying or holding property. We rewind to the end of last year when everyone was asking when rates would drop, not if. Then inflation stayed sticky, the economy ran hotter than the RBA wanted, and external shocks like energy price spikes kept pressure on. Government spending hit record levels, and despite everyday Australians tightening their belts, the RBA kept lifting. By September, we'd seen four hikes this year alone. Even the big banks got it wrong, with most tipping holds and cuts as recently as June. The lesson is simple: nobody can predict rates reliably, so your strategy needs to work regardless. Looking ahead, the next RBA decision lands on Melbourne Cup Day after the quarterly inflation figure drops in late October. That CPI number is what the RBA leans on hardest. If it comes in high, another hike is very much on the table. If it softens, they'll likely hold. We also cover the lagging effect of rate rises, why jobs data matters, and why you should never make a 20 or 30 year property decision based on one meeting or one headline. Then we get practical about what higher rates mean for you. Your borrowing power has dropped, sometimes by $100,000 or more, even if nothing else in your life changed. A 1% rate rise on a $600,000 loan adds roughly $390 per month, close to $4,700 a year. For investment properties, that's real money out of pocket until rent and growth catch up. We walk through why stress testing at half a percent or one percent higher is essential, and why the right mortgage broker can save you from sleepless nights by running those numbers properly. But here's the flip side nobody talks about: higher rates mean less competition. Fewer buyers show up to inspections, there's more room to negotiate, and for investors with solid finances and a long term view, this can be one of the best times to buy, not the worst. We also tackle the fix versus variable question, why there's no crystal ball answer, and how the conversation needs to happen with a broker who understands your cash flow and plans. If you're serious about buying or holding through this cycle, follow the show, share it with someone navigating rates right now, and leave a review with your biggest question about what comes next. Did you like this episode? (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Support the show (https://www.assetroad.com.au) 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thefinancebiblepodcast) @oscardonproperty and @assetroad (https://www.instagram.com/assetroad) for daily insights, property breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes updates. Explore more at www.assetroad.com.au (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Top 10 Finance Podcasts in Australia on Feedspots ranking- https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_personal_finance_podcasts/ (https://www.feedspot.com/fs/tk/GEbRwJQdFOYX4%2BIeCPdJ0eRH9%2BGUG%2BrqHeTiRwfFFvrmRsW0ZCHp6B3h4RcH%2BBvN3w7A9Y9S8PYR3R9KHAkj2RdWCPChI%2BLlVSAVSAUIWscVR%2FnkoVkiKhMUIFLT9lsMI1T17JdKIRVVFiNYEwNHBQ5I%2Fe6PVxYbRCEgSQf2WQ0iEdPmk04XH0nu5hvczRbP5Ajz86BM8BwXEBdKBQlbCxRG8%2BWbShwiEd0lXhT6I9kVUQDsnWAoJg%3D%3D) Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. Asset Road Pty Ltd recommends you seek independent financial, legal, taxation or other advice as required. All investments carry risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

You can scroll property listings for hours, read every article, and still ask the wrong questions. We pulled the best and worst questions from thousands of TikTok and Instagram comments over the last 12 months and ranked them from brilliant to baffling. If you're thinking about buying property, chances are your question is somewhere in this list, and the answer might change how you approach your next move. We start with the tier one questions, the ones that show you're thinking like an investor. What's the vacancy rate in this suburb? What would a bank value this at? What happens if the builder goes bust? These are the questions that protect your downside and help you avoid expensive mistakes before contracts are signed. We explain why a vacancy rate below 2% matters, how bank valuations can expose overpriced deals, and what domestic building insurance actually covers when builders disappear. Then we move into tier two and three, the questions that are fair but need context. Is now a good time to buy? Can you get me something under market value? What's the next hotspot? We unpack why timing the market is impossible but timing your personal situation isn't, why genuine bargains are rare and often come with hidden costs, and how fundamentals like infrastructure spending, population growth, and local employment beat hotspot lists every time. We finish with tier four, the questions that made us laugh but also reveal common myths. Can I pay your fee once the property doubles? Can I buy with no money down? Will the tenants mind if I pop in on weekends? We break down how buyer's agents are paid, what low deposit schemes really require, and why treating a rental like your own home can cost you good tenants and potentially break the law. If you've ever wondered whether your question is smart or silly, this episode will help you ask better ones. Follow the show, share it with someone about to buy, and leave a review with the worst question you've ever been asked or the best one you wish you'd thought of sooner. Did you like this episode? (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Support the show (https://www.assetroad.com.au) 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Follow us on Instagram @z (https://www.instagram.com/thefinancebiblepodcast) ekeguenthrothofficial @oscardonproperty and @assetroad (https://www.instagram.com/assetroad) for daily insights, property breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes updates. Explore more at www.assetroad.com.au (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Top 10 Finance Podcasts in Australia on Feedspots ranking- https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_personal_finance_podcasts/ (https://www.feedspot.com/fs/tk/GEbRwJQdFOYX4%2BIeCPdJ0eRH9%2BGUG%2BrqHeTiRwfFFvrmRsW0ZCHp6B3h4RcH%2BBvN3w7A9Y9S8PYR3R9KHAkj2RdWCPChI%2BLlVSAVSAUIWscVR%2FnkoVkiKhMUIFLT9lsMI1T17JdKIRVVFiNYEwNHBQ5I%2Fe6PVxYbRCEgSQf2WQ0iEdPmk04XH0nu5hvczRbP5Ajz86BM8BwXEBdKBQlbCxRG8%2BWbShwiEd0lXhT6I9kVUQDsnWAoJg%3D%3D) Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. Asset Road Pty Ltd recommends you seek independent financial, legal, taxation or other advice as required. All investments carry risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Your biggest raise this year might come from a 15-minute phone call. We’re talking about the “loyalty tax” banks quietly charge existing mortgage customers, and how a small rate drop can put real money back into your budget year after year. We walk through the exact approach: who to ask for (hint: retention), what to say in one sentence, and the two key decisions to make once the rate moves. From there, we get practical about “free money” moves that don’t require earning more. We break down how an offset account works, why it can beat a savings account after tax, and what to check so you don’t get stuck with a partial offset or a fee that cancels the benefit. Then we run a simple bill audit across insurance, energy, phone, and internet and explain how to compare like-for-like so you don’t save $200 only to lose cover you actually need. We also go hunting for the sneaky stuff: streaming subscriptions you stopped watching, free trials that converted, credit card annual fees that don’t pay for themselves, and bank fees you shouldn’t be paying in 2026. We finish with honest food math (keep lunch, just buy it less), easy grocery rules that cut impulse spending, and automation tactics like round-ups and post-payday transfers that keep the savings from leaking back out. If you own an investment property, we explain why a depreciation schedule can be one of the most valuable tax deduction tools you’re missing. If you get value from this, follow the show, share it with a friend who hasn’t reviewed their rate lately, and leave a quick review so more people can stop overpaying. Did you like this episode? (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Support the show (https://www.assetroad.com.au) 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Follow us on Instagram @z (https://www.instagram.com/thefinancebiblepodcast) ekeguenthrothofficial @oscardonproperty and @assetroad (https://www.instagram.com/assetroad) for daily insights, property breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes updates. Explore more at www.assetroad.com.au (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Top 10 Finance Podcasts in Australia on Feedspots ranking- https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_personal_finance_podcasts/ (https://www.feedspot.com/fs/tk/GEbRwJQdFOYX4%2BIeCPdJ0eRH9%2BGUG%2BrqHeTiRwfFFvrmRsW0ZCHp6B3h4RcH%2BBvN3w7A9Y9S8PYR3R9KHAkj2RdWCPChI%2BLlVSAVSAUIWscVR%2FnkoVkiKhMUIFLT9lsMI1T17JdKIRVVFiNYEwNHBQ5I%2Fe6PVxYbRCEgSQf2WQ0iEdPmk04XH0nu5hvczRbP5Ajz86BM8BwXEBdKBQlbCxRG8%2BWbShwiEd0lXhT6I9kVUQDsnWAoJg%3D%3D) Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. Asset Road Pty Ltd recommends you seek independent financial, legal, taxation or other advice as required. All investments carry risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Put $100,000 into shares and an 8% rise gives you $8,000. Put that same $100,000 down on a $600,000 property and an 8% rise creates a $48,000 gain. That simple comparison explains why leverage is the most powerful wealth-building tool many everyday Australians ever touch, and also why it can get dangerous fast. We walk through the real mechanics of property leverage step by step: how a bank loan lets you control a larger asset, why the bank will lend against residential real estate far more readily than a share portfolio, and how time in the market plus principal paydown can snowball your equity. We also unpack the “usable equity” idea behind the buy, wait, refinance approach, and why it can feel like the second and third properties get easier once the first one starts doing the heavy lifting. Then we flip it around and show the part that gets skipped on social media. A 10% fall can wipe out a huge chunk of your equity, selling costs can sting, and negative equity can trap you with no ability to refinance or exit. We talk cash flow reality, why portfolios often fail in a bad quarter, and what changed recently in lending: APRA’s serviceability buffer, the February debt-to-income cap, and how a higher rate environment hits leverage from three directions at once. If you’re building a property portfolio for retirement, this is the grounded framework: know your ceiling, buy fewer but better, protect your cash flow buffer, and stop treating equity like money. Subscribe, share the episode with someone planning to buy, and leave a quick review so more people learn the rules before they learn the hard way. Did you like this episode? (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Support the show (https://www.assetroad.com.au) 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Follow us on Instagram @z (https://www.instagram.com/thefinancebiblepodcast) ekeguenthrothofficial @oscardonproperty and @assetroad (https://www.instagram.com/assetroad) for daily insights, property breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes updates. Explore more at www.assetroad.com.au (https://www.assetroad.com.au) Top 10 Finance Podcasts in Australia on Feedspots ranking- https://podcast.feedspot.com/australian_personal_finance_podcasts/ (https://www.feedspot.com/fs/tk/GEbRwJQdFOYX4%2BIeCPdJ0eRH9%2BGUG%2BrqHeTiRwfFFvrmRsW0ZCHp6B3h4RcH%2BBvN3w7A9Y9S8PYR3R9KHAkj2RdWCPChI%2BLlVSAVSAUIWscVR%2FnkoVkiKhMUIFLT9lsMI1T17JdKIRVVFiNYEwNHBQ5I%2Fe6PVxYbRCEgSQf2WQ0iEdPmk04XH0nu5hvczRbP5Ajz86BM8BwXEBdKBQlbCxRG8%2BWbShwiEd0lXhT6I9kVUQDsnWAoJg%3D%3D) Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. Asset Road Pty Ltd recommends you seek independent financial, legal, taxation or other advice as required. All investments carry risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results.