Posts by Mike Mortlock
Investing in fast rising market
Oh, the swings and roundabouts of pandemic property investment! That sounds like the title track of a Gilbert and Sullivan production. It conjures up images of barely-in-control players swinging each other about the stage while traversing vocal gymnastics of the highest calibre. Property markets have been riding a similar emotional rollercoaster. We’ve gone from famine…
Read MoreThe wealthy, the comfortable middle and the rest: Australia’s wealth and income ladder explained
“If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.” Those are the exact words of American actor and comedian Chris Rock during a past interview with New York magazine. He was referring to the enlarging gap between the rich and the poor in the US. Here at…
Read MoreThe true costs of investing without expert advice
Property investment has achieved an almost religious following among a large swathe of the country’s population – zealous in their devotion to building portfolios. It’s understandable of course. For starters, home ownership is so deeply ingrained in our nation’s psyche that we’ve classed it as ‘The Great Australia Dream’… and this appeal has flowed into…
Read MoreThe simple solution turning negative investments into positives
Sometime investors are too quick to judge whether a holding is ‘successful’ and end up making the wrong decision about whether to hold or sell. Now, I admit I’m not immune to the occasional bad decision. More than once I’ve reflected on what possessed me as a 20-something to make dubious shirt selections for those…
Read MoreHow the government delivered an ‘accidental investor’ boom
Cause and effect is a well know law of relationships. In 2020, there was an almighty cause, which brought an incredibly response across political and social landscapes. But another lesser-known law is, “If you’re going to throw a party you’ve got to expect a little damage.” In other words, things implemented to bring about one…
Read MoreAverage distance investors are buying from where they live – A surprising Result
In round figures, approximately 2.2 million Australians own an investment property – which is less than 10 per cent of the population. Of these investor figures, the vast majority own just one holding (over 70 per cent). I firmly believe that investors are getting stuck at one property simply by getting the first one wrong.…
Read MoreMy 2021 Predictions – thoughts on what 2021 will deliver
Profound predictions, bold statements and audacious utterings are not something normally associated with the button-down persona of quantity surveyors. But I’m about to buck the trend. Perhaps I’ve been I’m emboldened by this year of challenge. Maybe I’ve gone lockdown stir crazy. Possibly, it’s just the end of the year and it’s time to pop…
Read MoreDo you know how many investment properties you need to retire on?
In a way, I hope you don’t have an answer to that, as the number of properties isn’t really the answer. You could have ten properties worth $200,000 on 90% interest only loans in areas with no growth. Or 3 blue chip properties worth 1.5m each returning 7% growth per year unencumbered. The true answer…
Read MoreThe NSW Stamp Duty fallout: my three big predicted outcomes
There’s been a cacophony of opinion this week filling column inches and taking over the airwaves of property centric media. Refreshingly, the big news wasn’t pandemic related. Nor did it involve a concession speech of any description. No, the chatter has been dominated by a NSW government discussion around the abolition of stamp duty which…
Read MoreProperty Investors are being ignored and it’s hurting Australia
The government’s helping hand during 2020 has seen assistance arrive thick and fast to all corners of the community. And rightly so! Our economy would be tanking into an unholy mess if it weren’t for the help on offer. Fortunately, the past decade’s worth of decent fiscal management has seen the nation in a strong…
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