Author; David

Markets are fickle because they are driven by humans, who are fickle. Market sentiment is a very subjective and nebulous thing – attempting to collate a bunch of people’s feelings and emotions towards the market. It is purely subjective. It depends on who you ask and when. It can also turn on a dime.  Anyone […]

In a “normal” market like today, where prices are neither in free fall nor rapidly accelerating, most property transactions occur via negotiation between two parties – vendor and one buyer.  So, for example, when you see a clearance rate of 70%, it often means that out of 10 auctions, two sold before, two sold under […]

Today we were presented with REA’s latest economic data by their Property Economist, Anne Flaherty.  There were several key takeaways, but the woolly mammoth in the room was Melbourne’s gross underperformance in property price growth compared to literally everywhere else in Australia in recent years.  Median house price growth since March 2020: Adelaide – 73.2% […]

We have just entered that short window of the year when the premium family homes come to market. The trophy homes… Your forever home.  If you’re looking in the $5,000,000 – $10,000,000 range in Stonnington, especially outside of Toorak, there’s never much choice.  Spring of 2022 and 2023 were meagre affairs in this respect, with […]

This unseasonably warm weather has been a welcome yet unexpected treat lately, like a Raygun lighting up social media feeds around the world. The August heatwave is very timely too, given that most of us had to do a double take when reading our latest energy bills, which seemed to have doubled since last winter. […]

We had a glimpse of spring today.  Driving through the wide streets of Malvern, I was surprised to see the plane trees are already budding green and the cherry blossoms are out in full force.  Buyers are about to bask in the warming glow of even more screen time, with a lengthening list of new […]

On a global standard, Australians are more property obsessed than most other nations.  The Australian dream is owning your own home.  This is not the case in other parts of the world. Berliners and New Yorkers are very happy to rent.  Property in Australia is aspirational. Most people want a bigger, better, nicer home.  Otherwise […]

Auction is the preferred sale method for most properties in Stonnington. It is the most transparent method, which is why buyers tend to prefer it. You know where you stand. One of the main benefits to vendors is that auction sales are unconditional. This means buyers need to have their ducks in a row before […]

If you hadn’t yet pulled out your Melbourne winter uniform (big black puffy jacket), you would have today. Winter is here.  It’s cold, wet, and windy. The Plane trees are bare, the winter solstice is next Friday, and the 2023/2024 financial year is about to close.  It’s been an interesting year, property wise. Positive overall, but […]