In this episode, we discuss the Dollar Cost Averaging Strategy, which is a risk mitigation tactic. It involves slowly purchasing assets over time and consistently investing in the market in increments - since no one really knows when the market may take a sudden hit.  Throughout the episode, we discuss the benefits (market timing) and drawbacks of this strategy.  Those drawbacks are primarily that following this strategy can mean less time in the market, which can be damaging for investors with relatively short investment time horizons.  We also mention our No Money Worries email course, which collates our top 9 property investment lessons for you.

In this episode. we discuss how the property market is currently functioning based in the responses received from the June REINZ / Tony Alexander Real Estate Agents survey.  The key takeaways are that real estate agents are seeing more activity from investors everywhere except the Tasman region. There is a lot of activity happening at the lower end of the market, spurred by first home buyers and investors hunting for bargains. Some investors have unrealistic expectations of price declines, hunting for bargains that aren't materialising, while others are getting in for Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). We also mention our No Money Worries email course, which collates our top 9 property investment lessons for you.

In this episode, we discuss what it means to become a commercial customer to the bank, along with the triggers of when you'll become a commercial customer.  If you have lending for 5 or more properties with one bank – or total investment loans of more than $3 million, then the bank may transfer you so that your lending is held with the commercial division of the bank. That comes with higher interest rates and lower LVRs – both bad things for residential property investors.  We discuss, what these changes mean for property investors, as well as how you can keep yourself out of the commercial side of the bank.  We finish off the episode by discussing our property investment email course, which teaches you our top 9 lessons on property investment. 

In this episode, we discuss one reason why house prices might not double over the next 10-15 years. This is based on the argument that house price inflation over the last 60 years in New Zealand has primarily been driven by one-off factors, that have cumulated to keep house prices rising.  Here, we debate whether this will continue into the future and what one-off factors could happen in the future to spark further house price inflation. This is a preview of our webinar which is happening tonight (Tuesday 30th June) at 7pm. If you are keen to attend, then click here to register for our property investment webinar. Otherwise, click here to watch the replay. 

In this episode, we discuss whether you should buy your first home or first investment first, with a real worked case study from a fellow listener.  We then detail 5 different scenarios for how to buy your first home and your first investment property as quickly as possible. We wrap up the episode, by mentioning our upcoming property investment webinar. In this webinar, we're going to carefully weight both arguments for and against house prices doubling in the next 10-15 years. It's happening this Tuesday 30th June at 7pm. Register through the link above. 

In this episode, we discuss syndicated property investment, including how to fail and how to do it right. We kick off the episode by profiling 3 failed models of real investors who have suggested ways of investing together. These include having too many people in the syndicate, putting in differing levels of cash, and not actually talking to the people who plan to syndicate with before exploring property options.  We then go on to discuss how Andrew has syndicated properties in the past within his consortium.  Finally, we discuss our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will go through both sides of the – "will property prices really double in the next 15 years?" argument. This is happening on Tuesday 30th June at 7pm.

In this episode, we discuss a new announcement from the Ministry of Social Development. In this announcement, the government will give up to $4,000 to tenants who are in rent arrears, who can't pay their rent and who are at risk of being evicted.  This money needs to be paid back by the tenant, which has the effect of transferring the liability from the landlord to the government. This should make landlords feel much more comfortable because they'll know that if worst came to worst there may be another option.  Not everyone will have this loan approved, however, and Work and Income New Zealand will make a judgement call about who they will and won't approve based on income and the value of assets held.  We then wrap up by mentioning our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will honestly dissect the arguments for and against ongoing house price inflation occurring in New Zealand.

In this episode, we are joined by Julian Ellis, a property investor and property partner at Opes based in Christchurch. In this episode, Julian shares how he grew his property portfolio to 6 properties, without renovating.  Julian shares how he bought new or near new properties and waited for capital growth to occur in order to fund the deposit for his next property. At the same time, he also saved heavily to contribute to that ability to continue to purchase a property. We then wrap up by mentioning our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will honestly dissect the arguments for and against ongoing house price inflation occurring in New Zealand.

In this episode, we discuss whether there is an alternative to renovating properties as an investment strategy. This is a question Serena, a fellow listener of the podcast has asked.  We've probably shied away from talking too much about the alternatives to renovation for fear of being too self-promotional on the podcast. So, because we were asked the question, we take the time here to talk about the method of buying new or near new properties in growing cities and holding them for the long term.  We then wrap up by mentioning our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will honestly dissect the arguments for and against ongoing house price inflation occurring in New Zealand.

In this episode, we discuss how Opes has just acquired JUNO magazine, New Zealand's only investment magazine, which is published quarterly.  We then feature an article from the 2018 property issue, which highlights 3 different property investors and how they grew their property portfolios. This includes Christchurch's Liz Harris who owns 122 properties, Tom Alexander who owns 33 properties and Sanjay and Aiswarja Raj, who own 3 properties together. We then wrap up by mentioning our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will honestly dissect the arguments for and against ongoing house price inflation occurring in New Zealand. 

In this episode, we follow on from our previous episode which looked into whether Hamilton was a good city to invest in for long term buy and hold property investors.  We specifically detail some of the main points that Jen Baird, the General Manager for City Growth at Hamilton City Council mentioned she was most excited about ina recent phone conversation. This included the Hamilton-Waikato Metro Spatial Plan and some of the strategic agreements Hamilton City Council has made with neighbouring councils to acquire land and expand the city.  Finally, we mention our upcoming property investment webinar, where we will discuss whether house prices will really double over the next 10-15 years. 

In this episode, we discuss some of the long term terms that make Hamilton an attractive city to invest in for buy and hold investors.  In particular, we cover trends that are attracting more businesses to Hamilton, along with infrastructure projects that are creating jobs and more opportunities for the region.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss new data that we have collected to show how many current active whole-home Airbnbs are available in each district of New Zealand.  All up, we are seeing that Airbnbs are having very little impact on the rental market. Nation-wide about 12% of whole-home short term rentals have been taken off the market, and in the worst case, have only added a maximum of 3.25% supply to district-wide rental markets.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss proposed changes to New Zealand's Building Act, which will mean that low-risk works will no longer require council consent.  This will save investors on average $2,000 per project, while also saving time. That means that councils can spend more time assessing and pushing through higher risk consents. These changes are likely to be passed in late August, which will also cut red-tape for pre-fabricated homes.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss and compare the apartment markets in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, to determine which have the greatest potential to rise and which have the greatest potential to fall. Our conclusion is that the Christchurch and Wellington apartment markets are more likely to hold value compared to the Auckland apartment market. This is because apartments in these cities are more likely to be owner by owner-occupiers, have less reliance on international tourism and the international student market, and because of (in Wellington's case) a reliance on government employers, which are less likely to call for redundancies. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss a recent story from the Property Investor Magazine, featuring New Zealand property investor, Michael Burge. Michael started with just a $30k deposit and turned that into 5 properties within 18 months. he made sacrifices, choices and eventually a decent property portfolio. Here's how he did it, along with what you would need to do to replicate his success. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss the latest market figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand for the month of May.  We walk through how New Zealand's median house price fell by $60,000 (over 8%) month on month, but why you shouldn't feel worried at all about that, along with all the other stats you need to be aware of. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss how the Queenstown rental market is operating after the Covid-19 induced shutdown.  Although multiple stories are hitting the papers claiming some rents in Queenstown have been cut by up to 50% – all may not be what it appears. We walk through the headline stats as well as some of the on-the-ground experience from investors we work with, in particular, Hayley Stevenson from HouseMart.  If you'd like to get in touch with Hayley, email [email protected] and we are happy to facilitate an introduction.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss how banks calculate Uncommitted / Unencumbered Monthly Income and how that number impacts your maximum ability to borrow for your next investment.  During the show, we mentioned our new Mortgage Serviceability Calculator, which you can use to calculate your maximum borrowing based on the rental yield of a property, the test interest rate and your UMI. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss how to deal with confrontation within property investment and hear some of Andrew's personal stories where he has had to deal with disputes in property investment. Disputes can often arise in property because there is so much at stake, both because we personally live in houses, apartments and units (so they're close to our hearts) and because they are worth a lot of money.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss what the value of adding an extra bedroom to an existing property is and how that changes based on the region of New Zealand you live in. This includes the holes in the data that you should consider to make sure that you have realistic expectations about the gain you can expect from your investment in property. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss whether you should buy a timeshare and whether it counts as an investment property or not. The answer should not surprise you. It's no.  In a timeshare, generally, the only person getting rich is the person selling the property. That's because by the time the purchase price is spread across 50 different people, the purchase price of the property may be twice its market value. Timeshares are very hard to sell as there isn't any robust secondary market, which means there is little capital gain to be had.  And during the time you are able to use the property, you generally do not have the ability to rent it. That means no cashflow.  We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website.

In this episode, we discuss what you should do in-between purchasing properties and adding them to their property portfolio.  The key steps you can take are: paying down debt; monitoring your rental properties and generally living life – if you're looking for a passive investment. We also mention our No Money Worries – property investment email course. This 9-lesson course will teach some of the basics about property investment, including our top tips that aren't available elsewhere on our website. 

In this episode, we discuss how to set realistic property investment goals. This includes walking through a few unrealistic goals, both for long term investment and for trading.  Then we walk through a couple of realistic goals, such as replacing your income, which you could likely achieve through property investment.  We finish up by talking about our free property investment email course, which you can use to learn our top 9 lessons in property investment. 

In this episode, we discuss contemporaneous settlements and how you can use someone else's money in order to make more money in property.  A contemporaneous settlement is where you are able to buy a property and then sell it on the same day ... and what we mean by that is you have two settlements occur – you settle on the first property with you as the purchaser, and then you settle on the property again as the vendor – all on the same day.  This is an advanced property investment strategy, that can be very useful in very specific situations. There are also a few fishhooks to keep your eye out for.  We also mention the No Money Worries Email Course, where you can get our top 9 lessons on property investment, absolutely free.

In this episode, we discuss Core Logic's evaluer, which provides an electronic valuation of every property in New Zealand.  That valuation is based on an algorithm which looks at the actual sale prices of recently-sold properties that have similar attributes (bedrooms, bathrooms, land size, property size, location and any other attributes that come within Council-sourced data). Within the show, we discuss some of the intricacies in how this is calculated and how it changes based on the type of property being valued.    We also mention our podcast survey, where we are seeking your help to make this show even better. Click this link to take the survey, and once you're done we'll send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss a few important updates that have recently been announced by BNZ and ASB sound their lending policies.  Banks are rapidly changing their lending criteria in the fall out following the Covid-19 induced lockdown, which is why it's important to start on top of the property investment market.  We also mention our podcast survey, where we are seeking your help to make this show even better. Click this link to take the survey, and once you're done we'll send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss why you can't always believe what you read in a developer's marketing materials, with a special focus on a recent article featured in The Press. This article profiled a particular Christchurch developer who had suggested that a property they were developing could be used for Airbnb, despite the fact that purchasers would need resource consent for that to be legal. The developer in question had inserted a disclaimer that suggested that enforcement action from Christchurch City Council would not be forthcoming. The council has taken exception and stated that they will be enforcing their current bylaws and that the disclaimer should be removed from the developers marketing materials.  Finally, we wrap up by asking if you would please take our Podcast Survey. Our goal is to create the best podcast in the world that teaches real Kiwis how to invest in New Zealand property. You can really help us do this by taking two minutes to answer these 7 questions.

In this episode, we discuss what going unconditional means. This is a question received from George who is based in Queenstown.  We explain that there are four steps involved in purchasing a property: 1. Put a property under contract. This gives you the right to purchase the property at a specific price, subject to you feeling comfortable that you should buy the property 2. Do due diligence to work through the clauses you need to satisfy yourself of in order to purchase the property 3. Go "Unconditional" where you confirm that you will purchase the property and there are no further conditions. This is when you are locked in and you have to purchase the property.  4. Settle the property and pay the balance of the purchase price through your lawyer We wrap up by asking you to please complete our podcast survey, Once you fill out the survey we'll send you your very own branded Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss a questioner that has recently been submitted by another Property Academy Podcast listener, this time from Hamilton. They query whether property prices will really double over the next 10-15 years. Although we don't have a crystal ball, we walk through 5 reasons why we think there is reason to have confidence that house prices will appreciate and we walk through why you can't use a standard house price to income ratio as an indicator that house prices have a limit to how much they can increase relative to incomes.  Finally, we mention our podcast survey. This survey is going to help us create the best podcast in the world about investing in New Zealand property. You can help us get there by filling out the survey .... and in return we will send you your very own branded Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we answer a listener question, which was: how do you make yourself look better in the bank's eyes when applying for credit.  We specifically go through how to correct poor account conduct and how to protect your credit history so that you are more likely to get the lending you need when attempting to purchase an investment property. If you'd like to check your credit history, you can do so for free through Equifax here.  Please also take a moment to take our podcast survey. Our goal is to make the best podcast in the world about investing in New Zealand property. And a big way you can help us do that is by answering these 7 questions. Bonus: once you answer all 7 questions we'll send you your very own branded Property Academy Podcast mug. In this episode, we answer a listener question, which was: how do you make yourself look better in the bank's eyes when applying for credit.

In this episode, we discuss a question posed by one of the listeners of the show: how do you create instant equity when purchasing an investment property off a developer. We discuss that you either need to: 1) get a discount from the developer by buying a property through a bulk buying scheme, or 2) buy the property below its registered valuation, or 3) Purchase a property off the plans so that some capital growth will have occurred in the market before you settle the property.   We want to know what you think of the show. We are currently running a Podcast Survey to find out what you think about the Property Academy Podcast. To say thank you, once you complete the survey we will send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug. 

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of owning student rentals. This is a question that's come in from a fellow listener of the podcast. Throughout the show we share the three different types of student rentals: Standard student flats, which tend to be higher-yielding, but much higher maintenance Purpose-built room by room rentals, which are higher-yielding, but get lower capital growth since they are an investor specific product Student apartments (standard apartments) which tend to be between the two of them We also mention that there is now a new form where you can recommend a podcast topic for us to talk about. If you'd like to suggest a show topic, use the form on this page. Finally, we also discuss our Podcast Survey, where you can let us know what you think about the show. Once you've filled out your survey we'll ask for your address which we will then use to send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss a few things that you should look out for when conducting your own research about investment properties. This episode is based off a question one of our property partners received from a Kiwi property investor based in France.  The key takeaway is that you need to know the difference between a suburb's median sale price and the median house value. We then talk about how you can use these interactive maps in Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington when investigating any suburb to invest in.  We finish up by mentioning our podcast survey. We want this podcast to be the best podcast in the world about investing in New Zealand property. You can help us achieve this goal by taking the survey, and once you do, we'll send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss how to read accounting statements for investment properties and how to minimise the amount of tax that you are legally required to pay. We then go on to discuss how you can restructure your property's debt and finances to make them relatively more profitable.  We also mention our current podcast survey. We want to make sure that this is the best show in the world about investing in New Zealand property ... we love having you on the journey and we can't wait to get your feedback. Once you've taken the survey we will send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss 3 past property project that Andrew has worked on, along with the real financial results gained from these projects. These three projects spread across the main property investment strategies – 2 buy, reno and holds, along with a buy new off the plans and hold.  We also mention our current podcast survey. We want to make sure that this is the best show in the world about investing in New Zealand property ... we love having you on the journey and we can't wait to get your feedback. Once you've taken the survey we will send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss whether it is easy or hard for New Zealanders living overseas to buy property in New Zealand.  Generally, the toughest issue is to get lending from banks in order to purchase property. Overseas investors are typically restricted to 65-70% of lending on properties, and their income is scaled back under the tests to 60-90% of usual income. That range is based on which country the borrower is located in and the risk of currency fluctuation. We also mention our current podcast survey. We want to make sure that this is the best show in the world about investing in New Zealand property ... we love having you on the journey and we can't wait to get your feedback. Once you've taken the survey we will send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss current interest rates, along with which banks currently have the best deals. Beyond, that we also talk through what this actually means for property investors over the short and medium-term within their cashflows. As usual, we also make a few predictions about where we think the market will head. We also mention our current podcast survey. We want to make sure that this is the best show in the world about investing in New Zealand property ... we love having you on the journey and we can't wait to get your feedback. Once you've taken the survey we will send you your very own Property Academy Podcast mug.

In this episode, we discuss how the NZ median house price can increase, even if house prices across the country decrease. This seeming anomaly is based on how the median house price is calculated. This measure of average does not track differences in the distribution of houses sold across the country.  If a higher proportion of Auckland houses are sold within a given month the median house price will increase, even if fundamental house prices do not increase over the same period.  This makes the median house price a poor measure of how the property market is actually performing month to month.  If you'd like your own free Property Academy Podcast mug, then please do take our podcast survey here. Once you've completed the survey, we'll be in touch to send you your free mug.

In this episode, we discuss when you can sell 1 property to buy 2 properties. Banks have internal LVRs that restrict how much they are willing to lend against certain types of properties.  Holding these asset types takes up a lot of equity in an investors portfolio, which means that in some cases an investor can sell one property in order to buy two more. These are often niche investments, such as bare land, hotel units and small apartments.  We also mention that you have the option of taking our property investor quiz. In just 7 questions, this quiz will give you a 'yes', 'no', or 'maybe' answer about whether you are in the position to invest in property as a first time investor.

In this episode, we give you an update on how Airbnbs are faring under the current market conditions.  Since the last update, we gave 6 months ago, 10,000 Airbnbs have come off the market (20% of the stock). However, bookings have increased ... and are at the level where the number of bookings per Airbnb per week are on par with earlier in February. We also mention our property investor quiz. After just 7 questions, you'll get a 'yes', 'no', or 'maybe' answer about whether you're in the position to invest in your first rental property.

In this episode, we discuss the recent survey results that Tony Alexander has published which shows how property values are currently feeling about the New Zealand property market. We discuss why the opinions and outlook of values matter, and how they currently view of New Zealand's main centres – Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. We also mention our property investor quiz, which after just 7 questions will give you a 'yes', 'no', or 'maybe' answer about whether you are in the position to invest in property.

In this episode, we discuss Rent to Buy schemes and how they have the potential to benefit and harm both the vendor and the potential purchaser. In a Rent to Buy property-purchasing structure, a vendor will agree to sell a purchaser a property for today's price, but the purchaser does not have to pay for the property for a number of years (e.g. 5 years). Over that time, the purchaser will pay market rent to the vendor, plus an additional amount, which counts as part of the deposit.  The benefit to the vendor is that they will usually sell the property with a margin (i.e. it won't really be the market rate on today's market). And if the purchaser decides not to settle, the vendor gets to keep the additional rent.  That can make rent to buy schemes incredibly risky for purchasers, especially lower income purchasers who would typically be targeted by these schemes. We also mention our property investor quiz, which after answering 7 basic questions will give you a yes, no or maybe answer about whether you are in the position to invest.  

In this episode, we discuss and recap our recent webinar: How to Find the Most Profitable Areas to Invest in. Within this webinar we looked at the distribution of yields and historic capital growth rates within suburbs located in the four main centres: Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington.  As part of this webinar, we also created eight new maps – 2 for each of the four main centres. These maps show the capital growth rates and yields for each suburb so you can use them to find the most profitable areas to invest in. Map of the Auckland Property Market Map of the Christchurch Property Market Map of the Wellington Property Market Map of the Hamilton Property Market Click here to watch the full webinar replay.

In this episode, we discuss the concept of overcapitalisation, what it is and how you can avoid it. In simple terms, overcapitalisation is where you spend more money to renovate a property, but you get less out of the property than what you've spent. This applies to any dollar that you've spent on a property and not seen a return on that dollar (that is anywhere, where you have spent a dollar and not seen your property increase in value by a dollar). We also mention our property investor quiz, this is where you can answer 7 quick questions and you'll get an instant 'yes', 'no' or 'maybe' answer about whether you are in the position to invest or not just yet. 

In this episode, we reveal real aggregated data from the retirement plans of Opes Partners clients. This gives you the chance to peer behind the curtain and get a sense of how other Kiwis are planning for retirement.  Key figures include: The median desired retirement income is $100,000 The median age of a retirement planner (in the sample) is 41.5, with a median retirement age of 65 Given a median life expectancy of 90, that means that the average person has 23.5 years until retirement to make enough money to live for 25 years in retirement.  We also mention our upcoming property investment webinar, which is happening tonight at 7pm. If you are keen to attend, then click here. Or, click here to watch the replay (once it's live)

In this episode, we discuss the BNZ's recently announced changes to its lending policy. These policies govern how much the retail bank is willing to lend on different property types.  Most interesting for property investors, the bank will only lend a maximum of 70% of a property's value for any investment property. This includes any properties that would have been exempt under the previous LVR rules, like new builds and the dollar for dollar exemption. This will make it more expensive and challenging for investors to purchase a property if using BNZ.  Similarly, any flatmate and boarder income is not being used to calculate a borrower's servicing ability. That means that marginal borrowers who needed additional income to pass the bank's lending tests will now struggle to meet the minimum requirements.  We wrap up the episode by discussing our upcoming property investment webinar. You can sign up to attend by clicking the link above.

In this episode, we discuss how the property market is operating now that the country has come out of lockdown. This stems from a recent article Andrew provided comment for in The Press and for Stuff.co.nz (read the article here). We are seeing pent up demand coming onto the market, which likely stems from: a) the property market not being able to function during lockdown. 8 weeks worth of demand is now hitting the market in one week. b) potential property buyers have had time to research the market during the lockdown, which is providing renewed interest. TradeMe property, for instance, has reported a 38% increase in property searches from 18-29 year olds.  We also mention our upcoming property investment webinar, where Andrew will cover what he's learnt from owning 38 investment properties and how he manages to make sure that they are all performing for him. That is happening this coming Tuesday at 7pm. Click the link in this paragraph to register.