June 6, 2012
Since moving interstate for work, my friend’s investment property was performing so well that she occasionally forgot she had it. That was, until a phone call out of the blue from her old neighbour. “I think the girl renting your house is running a brothel,” was how the conversation started.
BY SHANNON MOLLOY
Sarah, as we’ll call her, had lived in her inner-Brisbane cottage for a few years, before accepting a job in Melbourne and leasing it to a lovely 30-something professional woman.
June 5, 2012
Last year I wrote a blog asking why property pundits were so glum, even though the property market was soft and property prices were falling. We had a record number of properties on the market and almost a record low number of property sales. This state of affairs has improved, as has the situation with inflation, unemployment and interest rates.
BY PETER KOULIZOS
Last May, I pointed out that:
• Inflation was under control
• Interest rates were steady with a possible rise in the future
• Unemployment remained very low.
Let’s look at the situation today to see what’s changed.
June 1, 2012
It’s no secret that property markets, in fact all economic markets, are driven by fear and greed. Greed is the dominant driver during a boom, but things have changed and now it’s all about fear – fear of the world’s economic woes spreading to Australia, of taking on more debt, of investing because the market might collapse.
BY MICHAEL YARDNEY
Fair enough. After all, any smart investor will opt for safety during a downturn… right? Actually, the opposite is true. Most of Australia’s wealthiest property tycoons have made their fortunes by investing when everyone else saw doom and gloom.
