The Elephant In The Room Property Podcast | Inside Australian Real Estate

With half of the country in lockdown and Sydney just completing its third month, much has been made about the vaccination targets of 70% and 80% of eligible adults being our golden ticket to freedom. How much have these lockdowns affected the economy and the nation’s mental health? Will Australia’s strategy for reopening do the job of balancing health outcomes with growth and prosperity for all?  How well are we managing the health and the economic trade-offs - and what might the next few months look like? Grattan Institute’s Economic Policy Program Director, Brendan Coates, joins us for a very colourful and informative discussion on Australia’s plan to reopen, the strategy being used, how realistic it really is, the challenge with reaching the 80% vaccine rollout, plus so much more! We’ll see you in the episode!   Episode Highlights: How realistic & effective are the steps to reopening the country? [02:32] Is “Covid Zero” now a thing of the past? [06:09] How quickly will we be able to get everyone vaccinated? [09:20] What about the UK’s decision to reopen fully with a 70% vaccination rate? [14:42] Should we have gotten Covid out in the community to avoid burning ourselves in the end? [16:02] Thoughts on Labor’s negative gearing policy [17:38] The challenge of getting to an 80% vaccination rollout [19:17]  Does stopping Covid rely so much on vaccinating kids? [22:36] How about top-ups and boosters? [24:37] Let’s talk about vaccines available & their potency [24:56] Are we rushing vaccine shots too much just to get everyone through? [27:05] Anti-vax proponents & how much they impact the rest of the population [29:22] Did prioritizing physical health cause more mental health problems? [32:20] What we’ve lost to Covid, in an economic aspect [34:42] The debt impact of the pandemic [36:55] Migrant intake and impact when the borders reopen [40:49] The problem with reassuring people that the 80% rollout is our ‘ticket to freedom’ [44:58] On estimate, when will we hit the 80% vaccine rollout? [48:57] Learning, observing & testing before moving to Phase D [51:31] How about people who die due to other causes that couldn’t get an ICU bed? [53:52] What should be happening (that isn’t) at a government level in terms of spending? [55:11] “Leaning against the wind” [58:50] Brendan’s property dumbo [01:02:45]   Links from the Show: Check out The Grattan Institute’s Report: Race to 80   Episode 153 - Accessing Super for Home Buying? Episode 124: The New Normal: Will Your Household Finances Hold Up? Episode 89 - Australia’s Home Ownership Crisis   About our Guest: Brendan Coates is the Economic Policy Program Director at Grattan Institute, where he leads Grattan’s work on tax and transfer system reform, retirement incomes and superannuation, housing, macroeconomics, and migration. He is a former macro-financial economist with the World Bank in Indonesia and consulted to the Bank in Latin America.    Connect with Us: Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au  Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au    Find this episode on our website:https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/195   If you’ve enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share, rate and subscribe for more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regardless of location, expats have had to adapt and deal with the effects of Covid. There’s been evidence of expats returning and re-occupying their properties, leading to a shortage of family homes on the rental market. We’ve also heard of people staying put because they’re reluctant to abandon a promising international career and settle for a lesser role in Australia.  Then there are those who want to return when they find the right job and are now actively looking to buy so they’ll have a home to come back to. Most local buyers get spooked by the last group, thinking that they have a lot more money to spend - but do they really? Well, it’s not that simple. You see, buying and selling property while you live overseas brings with it a range of financial - tax - implications. We’re speaking with Brett Evans, the Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East and African region (EMEA) and a Financial Planner with Atlas Wealth Management. We’ll cover a wide range of topics surrounding property, tax, and expat life amid Covid, and dig into some advice that will truly benefit those abroad or those planning to leave the country. See you in the episode!   Episode Highlights: How has Covid affected the expats’ financial plans? [02:47] Are expats still willing to stay abroad despite the financial instability? [05:07] The perception that the government doesn’t care about expats [07:12] Taxation changes for expats [08:53] The impact of the main residence exemption [10:36] The unintended consequences of the changed tax policy [13:34] New qualifying tests to classify which rules apply to you [17:38] Where are expats moving around to? [22:28] What does it mean to be an AU tax resident but live in a different country? [24:58] Does the government double-dip? [28:17] What do expats need to be thinking of in regards to stamp duty? [34:23]  How the policy change is affecting Aussies’ decision to come home [39:23] Do non-residents have to pay more stamp duty than residents? [42:53]  Factors that affect where Aussies move to when coming back home [46:25] The biggest issue with working in Australia from afar [49:35] Advice for expats who want to buy property [54:32] The industry is adept at utilising buyers’ emotions [59:18]   Links from the show: Visit Atlas Wealth Check out NEOM Read about the Saudi Crown Prince’s Vision for Neom on the WSJ   About our Guest: Brett Evans is the founder and Managing Director for the EMEA region for Atlas Wealth Management which is the leading provider of financial advice to Australian expats. With over 24 years of experience in the finance and investments industry, Brett has worked for blue chip companies that include the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), HSBC, Suncorp and Citigroup. Brett & Atlas Wealth Management have been nominated as a finalist (and have won) numerous domestic and international awards for their specialised advice to Australian expats.   Connect with Us: Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au  Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au    Find this episode on our website:https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/194   If you’ve enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share, rate and subscribe for more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s no mystery that COVID has affected everyone in one way or another, and some effects will no doubt carry on even after the pandemic has passed. Knowing this, how different will life be when this blows over? What will the new normal look like? Today, Simon Kuestenmacher, Director of Research at the Demographics Group shares his insights into how the pandemic and lockdowns have changed Australia on a number of fronts. If you’ve heard the past episodes we’ve had with Simon, you know you’re in for a treat. We also talk about the changes in population, housing preferences, and consumer behaviour among a whole heap of other valuable topics! We’ll see you in the episode!   Episode Highlights: Lockdown surprises and impact from a demographer’s point of view [01:49] The effect of COVID on boutiques and smaller operators [04:38] Is the flexible work from home setup here to stay? [09:00] Contentment (and discontentment) with working from home [17:00] Have HR regulations kept up with Integrators & Separators who work from home? [19:04] Chris’s ‘elephant in the room’: migration [22:02] Will there be higher or lower skill shortages in the coming future? [26:02] How are Australians coping in & out of the country? [29:31] The census this year was both a blessing and a curse [32:04] Why are people moving away to live outside the city? [35:40] Fertility rate and its effect on the property market [45:17] Balancing the demographics of a city with available housing stock [49:02] The increase in ‘early inheritance’ cases [51:21] Europe’s property market and their rental and home-owning expectations [54:10] Could the Australian property market move into a similar situation as Europe? [56:42] Simon’s property dumbo for this episode [59:35] Growth is the goal [01:01:10]   Links from the show: Episode 40 Episode 138 About our Guest: Simon Kuestenmacher is the Director of Research at the Demographics Group. He has amassed 140,000 followers globally in just two years, who enjoy his insights and his quirky observational style. He is a columnist for The Australian on demographic trends and urban development. Visit Simon’s website: https://www.simonkuestenmacher.com/ Check out The Demographics Group: https://www.tdgp.com.au/simon-kuestenmacher   Connect with Us: Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au  Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au    Find this episode on our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/193   If you’ve enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share, rate and subscribe for more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re living in such a crazy time. COVID is still rampant globally and has more or less affected most markets for better or worse. The property market has also been affected, but how much has it been really hit? Today we’re having a chat with Martin North because we want to get a contrarian perspective. We’ll be uncovering the dark underbelly of what’s driving this property market and seeking his perspective on these crazy times we live in. We talk about whether or not the government has run out of stimulus, what businesses have been hit by COVID, why properties actually CAN go down contrary to popular belief, and so much more. We’ll see you in the episode!   Episode Highlights: Has the government run out of stimulus? [01:46] How sustainable is pumping stimulus at the lower end of the margin? [06:49] These businesses feel the impact of COVID more than others [11:21] Different markets behave differently [14:32] The unit market versus the rest [16:17] The current state of the high-rise property market [19:05] The continuous ‘supply’ of house and land packages [23:12] What’s with New Zealand possibly lifting their interest rates? [24:13] Property prices CAN go down [25:49] Some people are deceptive with how they talk about property & success [27:19] Thoughts on the responsible lending change [32:24] What can APRA do (and not do) about bank lending? [38:27] Is the property market too big to fail? [42:20] RBA: “Immigration is the cause of low price growth” [44:06] What’s the government’s strategy around opening the borders? [46:33] Will increasing interest rates be enough to slow down asset prices? [50:41] Martin’s property dumbo: a story about a granny flat [55:59]   Links from the show: Episode 123 Episode 143 Episode 178 About our Guest: Martin North is the founder of Digital Finance Analytics, a boutique research, analysis and consulting firm that specialises in offering insight into the dynamics of the mortgage, lending, savings, payments and superannuation sectors. Learn more about Martin’s new charity: Asbestos Awareness Australia   Connect with Us: Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au  Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au    Find this episode on our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/192See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing affordability is on everyone’s mind but what’s being done? In this episode, we welcome back Michelle Adair, CEO of The Housing Trust. The Housing Trust, which is the second-largest housing provider in the Illawarra, delivering subsidised rental homes to over 2000 people, with almost 1100 properties from Thirroul to Nowra. Michelle is at the forefront of the housing affordability crisis. Her professional and personal experiences will move you as she illustrates how deep this problem runs, and who has the ability to rectify it.   Here’s what we cover: What’s wrong with the current housing policy? Is focusing on first home buyers an effective strategy? What is the role developers play in this crisis? What is the economic case for providing more social housing Is welfare enabling further social problems or remedying them? How to balance a growing and a stabilising market? Does the government want low housing prices? Who benefits the most from housing concessions? What role can investors play?   RELEVANT EPISODES: Episode 104 | Build-To-Rent the new standard for renters | Adam Hirst Episode 81 | Will a crisis in confidence kill our apartment market? | Eliza Owen Episode 66 | What's causing Australia's housing affordability crisis? | Michele Adair   GUEST LINKS: https://housingtrust.org.au/Housing: Taming the elephant in the economy [full report]Housing: Taming the elephant in the economy [4-page summary]https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7319955/governments-ignoring-holy-grail-of-affordable-rentals/ https://www.smh.com.au/national/before-she-was-a-ceo-michele-and-her-kids-lost-everything-20210427-p57mqu.html   HOST LINKS: Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.auWork with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au   Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au   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 in August 2021 https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/191See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to Rebeka Morgan, co-founder of the BuildHer Collective and CEO of Beirin Projects which focuses on high-end renovation and construction in Melbourne’s inner North. Rebekah worked for 14 years in construction management before becoming a developer herself and is passionate about sharing knowledge and experience, both as a tutor at Swinburne University and through the courses and events run by the BuildHer Collective. BuildHer Collective has a huge reach and audience with hundreds of thousands of followers, their influence has transformed lives and properties. This episode is dedicated to our audience who have constructions or renovations currently in the works or being planned out. We tap on all the relevant ways to make the most of your skills and execute a successful build. RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 163 | Smart Houses: Fad or Necessity? | Brett Savill Episode 109 | Expert Property Styling Secrets & Tricks that sell | Amy Stead Episode 106 | Dodgy developers & Strata Living | Jimmy Thomson GUEST LINKS:BuildHer Collective - Resources Facebook - BuildHer Collective Instagram - BuildHer Collective Pinterest - BuildHer Collective Instagram - Beirin Projects HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 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 in July 2021. https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/190See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A core focus of the podcast has been to uncover who you can trust and who should you avoid when buying property. Today we are joined by Daniel Butkovich, Money & Advice Editor at Domain. He writes about buying, selling, renovating and investing in property to help educate people, whether they’re just starting out or have owned property for a while, with the aim of helping to inspire confidence in all life’s property decisions. The Australian property market is highly unregulated despite being the preferred investment vehicle for millions of Australians. In such a prosperous but uncontrolled market how do property buyers looking to purchase their first or next set of bricks and mortar do so safely? What should buyers avoid and who should they talk to when mapping out their movements in the market? RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 175 | Moving regionally: Will it last and will it be sustainable? | Kirsten Craze Episode 168 | Listener Q&A: How to buy your first investment property Episode 166 | Gamestop, interest rates & investing | Scott Phillips GUEST LINKS:https://www.domain.com.au/advice/ BEST ARTICLES - DOMAIN:   What could make property prices slow down?   How to keep your first property as an investment (and why most home owners don't do it) How to use equity to pay for a car, boat, wedding, holiday, or investment property Tightly held: Why some neighbourhoods are so good that owners don’t leave Money tricks to turbocharge your savings and boost your buying power Refinance, upgrade or both? What home owners should do while rates are still low Are fixed-rate home loan deals below 2 per cent too good to be true? How to estimate the value of a home when the property market is rising How to determine the value of your home How much does it cost to sell a house?     HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 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 in July 2021. https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/189See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we chat through our favourite new metric, the ‘tightly held index’. This metric quantifies the amount and type of property that are currently held long term including additional data points that maps out the possible reason for these properties being tightly held.  Kent breaks down the data of recent suburb price movement, looking out how the demand for regional property has shifted from 2 months ago. We also scope out the Brisbane market and the future of this relatively infant capital city market. Here’s what we covered: What is the tightly held index? How does this index predict future property movements? What are the potential causes for the property being held long term? What changes in the market will increase the supply of property? What areas have the lowest stock level? Why are specific properties being held and are they worth holding? RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 186 | Online Auctions | Jesse Davidson Suburb Trends July 2021 | Best metrics to measure growth? Episode 171 | Pain & Gain Q4 2020: Who suffered and who triumphed? | Eliza Owen LINKS:www.suburbtrends.com https://www.suburbtrends.com/suburb-reviews HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 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 in August 2021. https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/st13See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve invited Rob Broadhead, CEO of 2020 Fire Protection; member of NSW Govt’s Fire Safety Steering Committee and a Board Director of the Fire Protection Association of Australia. Rob has been in the fire protection industry since 1992, and has contributed to Australian Standards and helped draft fire protection training for Strata and Facility Managers. Rob is passionate about improving general knowledge around fire safety so building occupants and owners can make good decisions about fire protection before the worst occurs. RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 176 | Developers are in the Government’s crosshairs | David Chandler Episode 113 | What’s behind the wall?: 85% of developments have defects | Dr. Nicole Johnston Episode 103 | Strata owners - rights & obligations | Amanda Farmer GUEST LINKS:https://www.2020fireprotection.com.au/Here is the NSW Fire & Rescue data:  https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/gallery/files/pdf/annual_reports/annual_report_2019_20.pdf Here is an old video showing the difference in time from ignition to flashover between a modern furnished room & a legacy furnished room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsReYgKpHbE HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 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 in July 2021. https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/188See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining us today to discuss the aftermath of lockdowns in Melbourne on the property market is Jarrod McCabe, buyers agent and director of Wakelin’s Property Advisory. Jarrod’s property career spans two decades covering valuations and investment advice and has played a critical role in adapting to purchasing property during periods of lockdown.  With no better expert, Jarrod discusses how last years lockdown impacted the property market and draws similarities to the current wave including what buyers and sellers should expect from the aftermath. RELEVANT EPISODES:Episode 180 | Are buyers agents worth the cost? | Cate Bakos Episode 159 | Why hasn’t the property market crashed? | Eliza Owen Episode 42 | How to invest in Melbourne and avoid overdevelopment | Jarrod McCabe GUEST LINKS:https://wakelin.com.au/ HOST LINKS:Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? www.gooddeeds.com.au Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au Work with Chris: calendly.com/wealthfulbook/30min Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 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 in July 2021. https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au/podcasts/187See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.