The Property Nerds

Change is afoot for The Property Nerds and the Australian market alike. In this episode, host and InvestorKit founder Arjun Paliwal shares the exciting news that the show will be doubling its frequency to fortnightly, bringing listeners more of the data-driven insights that help them power their property decisions. Welcoming Cameron Kusher, executive manager for economic research at REA Group, to the show, the duo discuss how Australia might also be amping up the output this year, as it’s hoped a stabilising interest rate environment will give way to an increase in property listings. Mr Kusher shares his predictions for prices, while the pair discuss some strategies for overcoming the challenges that might persist this year and which investors will have to navigate to keep their property portfolios in strong standing.

The end of the year may be just around the corner, but The Property Nerds are back in full force, just in time for the holidays! Leigh Paliwal returns to the show after a six-month hiatus, joining fellow property nerd Arjun Paliwal to give a run down on the year that was 2023 from both a finance perspective and a family one, before turning their attention to the opportunities in the year ahead. And while many people are now at the point of putting off their financial considerations until 2024, the duo stress there’s no better time than the present to get your finances in order, especially in an environment where lenders are actively pivoting to maintain their competitive edge.

The country is facing a severe housing supply crunch, and investors are needed to contribute to fixing the issue. In this episode of The Property Nerds, InvestorKit founder Arjun Paliwal and his co-host Leigh Paliwal delve into the factors shaping the nation’s supply crisis, which investors need to know about to make informed purchasing decisions. Together, the duo reveal 20 regions highlighted in InvestorKit’s latest research paper that are ripe for investment in the midst of tight markets. They also discuss how migration will shape the nation’s future housing needs, and go over the many elements that can contribute to healthy market conditions.

You may be fixated on the latest developments in your local property market, but a look at the macro data could clear your investment vision. In this episode of The Property Nerds, InvestorKit founder Arjun Paliwal takes listeners on a deep dive into the 25 housing fundamentals that make the nation’s property market move. Arjun shares his insider tips and tricks on how to analyse markets holistically and avoid being swayed by inaccurate property claims. He explains how a razor-sharp understanding of how to interpret data can help investors accurately forecast market movement for maximum investment success. Arjun also discusses why market demand is surging, why rental affordability ratings are in for an overhaul, and what we can expect for the future of the interest rate cycle.

Analyst John Lindeman joins host Arjun Paliwal to unpack 25 core housing fundamentals across the country in 2023 as they compare to 2022. The Property Power Partners CEO and Arjun then turn their attention to market pressure, highlighting the impact felt by population growth and movement, before explaining why rising unaffordability isn’t the most accurate measure of market performance. They also examine the most common mistakes made by economists who are predicting housing market trends, before John divulges his three favourite pieces of property data for the benefit of listeners.

Long-term planning is an important step, albeit one many might miss at the outset of their investment journey. Bushy Martin, author, podcaster and founder of KnowHow Property Finance, joins host, Arjun Paliwal, to discuss the planning patience that it takes to build a property portfolio and approach to investing that’s able to withstand the test of time. Bushy, whose sizeable portfolio spans the world, reveals some of the key numbers and metrics that he believes investors should be using to determine what their investment journey will look like during the design phase. Arjun and Bushy also discuss the importance of setting clear lifestyle goals to power your investment journey, both as motivation and so that you can tailor your approach to get what you really want out of life.

With the country’s interest rate at an 11-year high, what are the new rules for playing the property investment game? Data nerd and founder of InvestorKit, Arjun Paliwal, sits down with Redom Syed, co-director at Confidence Finance, to provide a combined property research and housing finance point of view on how the Reserve Bank of Australia’s rapid rate rise cycle has raised the hurdles faced by property investors. Amid increased mortgage repayments and reduced borrowing capacity, many property investors are skeptical about buying. However, the experts say it’s all about learning the new rules investors must play in this high-interest rate environment, such as adopting a holistic cash flow perspective and prioritising microeconomic factors over macroeconomics, among others. Lastly, they remind investors there are always opportunities across the markets, emphasising that “doing something is better than doing nothing”.

You may be waiting to see how mortgage rates shake out to make any big portfolio changes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be proactive about your financial management. In this episode, Arjun Paliwal, founder of InvestorKit, and Leigh Paliwal, director at Hills Finance, talk tactics for facing interest rate pain in light of the June rate hike and potentially more in future. They share some of the options for refinancing that have become increasingly popular as investors look to ensure they don’t end up in mortgage prison. Arjun and Leigh discuss how a second- or third-tier lender can help you out when the big four aren’t right for you. The duo also dig into why South Australian investments have been such high performers over the past year and look at how local supply conditions and microeconomic trends can be important indicators of when an area is about to go off.

With the RBA delivering another blow to mortgage holders’ borrowing capacity in May, data nerds Arjun Paliwal and Leigh Paliwal offer insights into how mortgage holders can improve their financial positions. Arjun, founder of InvestorKit, and Leigh, director at Hills Finance, take a closer look at how the lending landscape has shifted in the wake of 11 interest rate hikes, including banks scrapping cashback offers, adjustments to fixed rates, and tightening in serviceability requirements. Amid the challenging high-interest rate environment, the duo explore strategies for borrowers to find flexibility in their mortgages. Lastly, they unpack the investment opportunities available to property buyers in Queensland who are working within a budget of $500,000 and below.

In this episode, data nerd Arjun Paliwal is joined by Nerida Conisbee to make sense of the different housing data indicators and work out what it means for future property trends. Arjun, head of research at InvestorKit, sits down with Ray White’s chief economist to talk about how the market is beginning to show signs of recovery before analysing which areas are poised to lead the rebound. For investors looking to “make a call” in their investment strategy, the duo underlines the importance of not only taking into account housing data but also economic indicators, demographic trends and other market-shaping factors. They also address the different challenges in today’s market, including the ongoing rental crisis, escalating construction costs, and supply shortages before unpacking the short, medium and long-term indicators that investors need to keep track of to make informed and data-driven investing decisions.