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545 | Burnt-Out Vans, Mouldy Eaves & Broken Trust: A Cautionary Buyer’s Agent Tale

When long-time listener and four-property investor Jayson reached out to Bryce on LinkedIn, we knew this was a conversation worth having on the couch. 

Why? 

Because he’s been through something many won’t talk about publicly:  

What happens when you put your trust—and your money—in a so-called “top tier” buyer’s agent 

And things go bad. 🙁  

In this candid, courageous chat, Jayson walks us through:

✅ The real story behind his borderless investing experience
✅ What went wrong with not one—but THREE—properties
✅ The moment that shattered his confidence in the professionals he hired
✅ And how he rebuilt that trust and bought interstate (successfully!) on his own terms. 


We also unpack:  

📌 What to look out for before signing on with a buyer’s agent
📌 The clauses in a contract that could cost you thousands
📌 Why yield alone should never be your north star
📌 And how to spot red flags that might not show up on a spreadsheet. 

Folks, this one’s a cautionary story with a positive ending.  

It’s for anyone considering hiring a professional—and a reminder that communication, transparency, and trust must be non-negotiables when building a property portfolio. 


Free Stuff  

    • Just 3 WEEKS Left to Help Us Restore Sight! 👁️
      To celebrate Bryce’s 50th birthday, we’ve teamed up with the John Fawcett Foundation to give the life-changing gift of sight to those in need in Indonesia through cataract surgeries. Thanks to our generous community, we’ve already raised $4,184.93 – but we’ve got 3 more weeks left to hit our $10,000 goal by 27th May. Whether you’re a long-time listener of The Property Couch or simply believe in giving back — every dollar counts.Here’s what your donation can do:
      👁️ $100 = Restores sight to 1 person
      👁️👁️ $200 = 2 people
      🖐️ $500 = 5 people
      ✋✋ $1,000 = 10 people
      Donate now and help us to transform lives!
       
    • Time’s Running Out to Pre-Order & Save!
      Our brand-new book — How to Retire on $3,000 a Week — is almost here! With just weeks to go before launch, now’s the perfect time to lock in up to 10% off and be one of the first to get your hands on it. Pre-order today from these retailers: 

  • (RRP is $32.99 — so whichever option you pick, you’re ahead!). Or join the waitlist for exclusive behind-the-scenes updates, bonuses, and sneak peeks you won’t find anywhere else!
  • MyKNOWLEDGE Has Landed! 🚀
    This episode isn’t just packed with evergreen lessons— it also marks the official launch of MyKNOWLEDGE, our brand-new digital learning hub designed to fast-track your property, finance, and MoneySMARTS. As a special thank you to our podcast community, we’re offering 50% off MyKNOWLEDGE — but only until 31 May! Simply create or log in to your Moorr account, and you’ll see MyKNOWLEDGE on the sidebar.
    👉 Redeem your discount here
    💬 Or use code: ACT50 at checkout 

Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – Burnt-Out Vans, Mouldy Eaves & Broken Trust: A Cautionary Buyer’s Agent Tale 
  • 1:32 – Footy Banter: Is Bryce questioning his support for Freo? 😮  
  • 7:48 – Federal Election Results  
  • 13:23 – Join the waitlist for our latest book: “How to Retire on $3K a Week”  
  • 15:13 – Bryce’s 50th: Just 3 WEEKS left to help us restore sight  
  • 16:37 – MyKNOWLEDGE has just launched! Get 50% off for a limited time only 
  • 21:22 – Mindset Minute:  The painful cost of overthinking  
  • 25:12 – Welcome, Jayson!  
  • 25:58 – Why he turned to a buyer’s agent—and what he was chasing 
  • 26:54 – Money Story: Invoices, QuickBooks, and watching mum & dad invest 
  • 33:47 – From tradie to investor: DIY confidence & an aggressive approach 
  • 37:14 – Jayson’s Safety Net  
  • 39:08 – “Accidental investors” and building their property portfolio  
  • 44:28 – Why did they decide to engage a “top-tier” buyer’s agent?  
  • 45:51 – Property #1: Mould, misdirection & a burnt-out caravan next door 😬 
  • 51:05 – Cooling-off confusion: The clause that could’ve cost thousands 
  • 57:20 – Property #2: Shaky walkthroughs, low yield & misleading comparables 
  • 1:00:49 – Property #3: The final straw that broke the camel’s back 
  • 1:05:46 – After the two burns, why did they go back for a third swing?  
  • 1:08:19 – The refund request 
  • 1:13:53 – A surprising response from the CEO 
  • 1:16:11 – The Walkaway Test: The overlooked fourth component 
  • 1:21:22 – How Jayson rebuilt confidence!  
  • 1:23:02 – The red flags & real lessons learnt 
  • 1:26:39 – Jayson’s North Star: Freedom, flexibility & financial springboard 
  • 1:28:20 – The true power of lived experience 

And… 

  • 1:30:57 – Life By Design: The best way to teach your kids about taxes  
  • 1:32:18 – WMPN:  The most common landlord insurance claims…  

 

TPC Gold | How Property Spruikers Pressure You into Buying

This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: WARNING: The Unconscious Mental Triggers Property Spruikers Use To Trick You. 

Today we dive into a topic many Aussies don’t realise they’re being exposed to until it’s too late: the tactics used by property spruikers to pressure you into making a decision. 

Bryce and Ben break down the psychology behind these marketing strategies and explain how you can spot the signs before getting caught in the hype.  

From red sticker sold signs in display booths to “limited time only” offers and infomercial-style urgency, property spruikers know exactly how to create a sense of scarcity and FOMO. 

In this short and sharp bonus snippet, you’ll learn:
✨ The classic sales tactics property spruikers use to create urgency 
⚠️ Why the scarcity pitch is often manufactured—not real 
📊 How established properties differ from off-the-plan in terms of genuine scarcity 
🔍 What to ask before you sign anything 
📄 Why doing your own due diligence is your strongest defence 

Cut through the noise and start making confident, informed decisions when it comes to property investing! 

Want Personalised Property Advice Without the Hype?

The team at our sister company, Empower Wealth aim to help you make better property decisions—with no pressure, no flashy promises, and no “limited time only” gimmicks.  

👉 Build Your Own Property Portfolio Plan  

No two people or plan are the same! When you engage one of our qualified property investment advisors, we’ll sit down together to design a plan that fits your very own personal lifestyle and retirement goals. 

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | How Property Spruikers Pressure You into Buying, You Might Also Like:


Transcript

Ben Kingsley
Scarcity is a big seller.  

Bryce Holdaway
When there is less of something people will inherently want it more.  

Ben Kingsley
Correct.  

Bryce Holdaway
Well the thing is, knowledge is empowering but only if you act on it Ben, isn’t it? So some of these things are, but for us it’s you know a free book or whatever we’re trying to use scarcity. We’ve got a webinar – to attend those webinars they’re free right. 

Ben Kingsley
Infomercials: the first 50 only get this offer with the bonus. All of those things are all part of trying to enact you to take action right now.  

Bryce Holdaway
So how does that work in property, folks? Well, you’ve all walked into a display booth and you’ve seen all the red stickers on the ones that are “gone”, Ben.  

Ben Kingsley
Sold. 

Bryce Holdaway
Sold, therefore there’s only a few left and then they released new stages of land and all those sorts of things. So it well and truly happens. But so if we circle back to my experience with timeshare, I was told that. Because the offer that was provided was compelling and I was impressed.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, they are amazing those programs. 

Bryce Holdaway
And they said: If you don’t sign up today, you can never be exposed to this offer ever again. And I played a little bit, and I went, so does that mean if I talk to another person, like in two months’ time or two years’ time. He goes: No, your name will be in the system. You won’t be able to get this offer again. So that was actually pretty good scarcity. And I could see how that would get someone in.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, well, and yet we know that two months later, two years later… trust me, if you’re putting money on the table, they will take your money. There is no doubt about it that it won’t be a limited time offer. It never is. And they stack the value as part of that story as well. So they normally put high values on certain things and say, if you sign up today, you’re getting $19,000 worth of value for only $2,997 or whatever that looks like. So when you’re seeing those types of stack-the-value opportunities, you’ve also just got to say to yourself: but the thing that I’m buying, the thing that I absolutely want today and what I want to get from this and what I learn from it is that, does that represent value for me? Because if that represents value for you and you’ve checked and done all your research, then that should still be something you would consider. Because if you don’t, they were just ancillary. If the product stacks up on its own, then that’s something I would go after. So I’d be very, very mindful of the way in which scarcity is always used and just be mindful, okay, they’re gonna use it on me. So again, if I still feel like there’s a good opportunity here, I’ll explore it more, but I’m not gonna sign anything on the day. I’m gonna digest it and basically look at it. 

Bryce Holdaway
In established property there is a bit of scarcity that you do need to pay attention to like once the auction hammer goes down, make sure that you’re on the right side of that. If you’re buying established properties, they’re usually not homogeneous. There’s not sort of Apartment 9 or Apartment 22. There is legitimate scarcity that comes from having to act and move quickly. 

Ben Kingsley
And that’s why it’s such a good performing asset price because it’s unique, it’s one of them. There’s not 20 or 30 of them being built. That’s the property in that street, in that location, at that price point. And you’ve to go after it. 

Bryce Holdaway
Which is the asset, but I was even talking just a little bit about action you know, sometimes if you’ve identified an asset, you do need to move quickly. And you do need to jump. Sometimes we find anecdotally with clients, they are a little bit… what’s the right word here?  

Ben Kingsley
They’ve got to lose something before they gain something sometimes, and we’re saying please don’t be that type of person. If the expert’s telling you that this is good and all that, you don’t want to lose the good one. Because sometimes a good one can just turn up 48 hours after you’ve decided that this is what you want to do. Sometimes it can turn up four weeks later. So that’s the challenge.  

Bryce Holdaway
And the thing is these mental triggers are most powerful when they’re in clusters. So if scarcity on its own has none of the other triggers, like that before the auction goes down or you’ve got to move quickly because it’s an established property and it’s going to go… In the absence of the other ones, well then there’s not necessarily a bigger game being played other than to try and serve you. So folks, the mental triggers when it comes to marketing. Number one, reciprocity. Two, have an event paced. Number three, include anticipation. Number four, have social proof. Number five, have actual proof. Number six, community. Number seven, have some form of interaction conversation as Ben said, storytelling. And number eight as Ben double checks my counting is scarcity. Now why did we go through that, folks? Because Athena and Jason wrote in to say they went through this process. Alex wrote in to you Ben; we get scores and scores of people so we are trying to defend and advocate for folks to make sure that you don’t go to a slippery spot and slip.  

Ben Kingsley
So can I just give some tips? Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Keep asking more questions. Ask how you’re getting paid. Talk about your qualifications. Talk about the business success. You know, of the overall performances of everything that they’ve done and what they’ve done and how humble are they in giving that announcement because same with us in our business, we’re not perfect. You know, there’s properties that we would say second time over, over the thousand properties we’ve bought. Maybe, maybe not. It’s a line ball decision. So that’s the truth right, in terms of so are they telling you the truth? If they’re offering things like satisfaction guarantees, full refunds… 

Bryce Holdaway
Mazda 2s… 

Ben Kingsley
Don’t sign anything on the day that they’re doing the pitch to you. Digest it, get some information behind it, go and do some of your own independent investigations. Certainly for house and land packages that’s a classic one, where if you actually do a bit of research on those new estates you could probably find other opportunities to buy the same property in that area for about $25,000 or $30,000 less than what’s being offered. So you’ll find that, and we’ve had plenty of feedback from our listeners over time saying exactly that. This person was selling me product off-the-plan. I did some of my own investigations. I rang around, and within two days, I got an offer on the table that was less than the fee that they were gonna charge me. So it’s little things like that that you can then sort of make sure you understand. So just some little tips and takeaways as we close it out.  

Bryce Holdaway
Very good Ben. So there you go folks, we want to make sure that you make better decisions. So make sure you are aware of those things. 

 

544 | Election Promises vs. Reality: Will Any Party Actually Fix Housing?

It’s Federal Election time! 🇦🇺🏠💥

Folks, in this special deep-dive episode, we’re lifting the bonnet on the major parties’ housing policies and asking the real question… 

Will they actually fix Australia’s housing affordability crisis… or just make it worse? 

With both Labor and the Coalition promising big solutions to the “housing crisis”, we’re unpacking whether their policies will truly help you get into the market.

And we’re doing it with a special lens on how these policies will impact supply and demand – the real solution to affordability.  


Tune in to hear:

️ The top housing policies from both Labor and the Coalition (including Labor’s 5% Help to Buy Scheme and the Coalition’s $5B shovel-ready program)

✔️ The larger economic forces at play — supply, demand, and what’s really driving this housing crisis

✔️ What it would actually take to fix Australia’s housing affordability issues

✔️ Why aspiration is Australia’s true competitive advantage (and what it means for you)

✔️ The real difference between throwing money at the problem vs targeting supply, and more!  

If you want a clear, practical look at how upcoming election policies will impact your portfolio and the wider housing industry, then tune in now!  


Free Stuff  

  • Help Us Give the Gift of Sight to 100 More People 👁️✨
    To celebrate Bryce’s 50th birthday, we’ve partnered with the John Fawcett Foundation to restore eyesight to as many people as possible through life-changing cataract surgeries in Indonesia.In Part 1 of this journey, we gathered an incredible crew to come with us to Bali to witness these surgeries firsthand.️ But we’re not stopping there!Now, in Part 2, we’re aiming to help 100 more people see again — and we need your help to get there. So far, we’ve raised just under $3,000 which gives 31 people back their eyesight – leaving 71 people we’re still yet to help.Here’s what your donation can do:

    • 👁️ $100 = Restores sight to 1 person
    • 👁️👁️ $200 = 2 people
    • 🖐️ $500 = 5 people
    • ✋✋ $1,000 = 10 people
  •  Every dollar makes a difference. Every person matters. If The Property Couch has brought you value — or if you simply believe in the power of giving — please consider donating or sharing this cause with someone who might.  Donate now and help restore sight >>  
  • UNDER 1 MONTH LEFT: How to Retire on $3,000 a Week
    Our third book will officially be hitting shelves on 27 May! To get up to 10% off and secure your copy, you can pre-order it today from these retailers:

  • The official RRP is $32.99 (set by our publisher 😊) — so whichever one you choose, you’re getting a great deal!
    Or join the waitlist for more updates, behind-the-scenes content and VIP bonuses!

 


Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – Election Promises vs. Reality: Will Any Party Actually Fix Housing? 
  • 1:13 – AFL Talk: Pies sitting top of the ladder 
  • 5:15 – Help us give the gift of sight to 100 more people 👁️✨ 
  • 7:34 – Mindset Minute: The mindset that wins, in property and in life. 
  • 11:00 – Why aspiration is Australia’s competitive advantage 
  • 14:48 – Election Promises: Will their plans help you get into the market — or just push prices even higher?” 
  • 17:41 – The Labor & Coalition’s macro policies  
  • 20:33 – The real solution for affordability 
  • 21:12 – Labor Policies: $10B for social and affordable housing 
  • 24:55 –  $1.2M new homes: The National housing accord & new builds  
  • 26:11 – “The most important thing for supply”: Shovel-ready sites 
  • 27:24 – The Social Housing Accelerator  
  • 28:55 – The Help to Buy scheme 
  • 30:37 – Who it benefits and demand impacts  
  • 32:44 – The Home Guarantee Scheme Expansion: Only a 5% deposit?!  
  • 35:03 – However, it does have a dark side…  
  • 36:15 – Rent Assistance: $2.7B spend for low to middle income earners  
  • 37:46 – $9.3B for the National Housing & Homelessness Agreement   
  • 38:46 – Build-to-Rent and its multiplier effect  
  • 40:33 –The #1 policy we’re critical of (& it’s unintended consequences)  
  • 42:00 – Wrapping up Labor Policy: “It’s throwing a lot of money at the problem.”  
  • 43:52 – Coalition Policies: The Housing Infrastructure Program – $5B for $500,000 shuttle-ready projects   
  • 45:16 – From the US to Australia: The First Home Buyer Tax Deduction 
  • 47:41 – Reducing Immigration: Does it really speak to the supply story?  
  • 50:01 – Why “The Ban of Foreign Buyers” is a smart policy  
  • 51:30 – The sensible Superannuation Saving Scheme  
  • 52:44 – (Labor Policy) Why Free TAFE is NOT a good idea  
  • 53:27 – Construction Apprenticeship Boost: The $12k incentive  
  • 54:15 – Easing APRA’s 3% buffer & the blaring red flag with it  
  • 57:49 – Freeze the national construction code for 10 years 
  • 59:49 – Utilising unions to stop corruption and increase productivity  
  • 1:01:22 – The top 4 coalition policies & its challenges  
  • 1:02:10 – What will actually be effective against Australia’s housing problem?  
  • 1:07:30 – Why either policy will benefit existing property investors in the short-term!  
  • 1:08:46 – The Labor vs. Coalition: Whose policies are better?  

And… 

  • 1:11:22 – Life By Design Hack: During election week, 10 minutes reading the news, 10x that on your own financial game plan. 
  • 1:12:24 – WMPN: The most unaffordable electorates across Australia & the Greens’ policy  

 

MyKNOWLEDGE | How The Property Couch and Moorr Work Together

If you’ve been following us on The Property Couch — whether through the podcast, books, blogs, or free resources — you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been talking a lot more about Moorr lately.

So what’s the connection?
And why are we so excited about it?

Here’s a quick explainer to help you understand how The Property Couch and Moorr fit together — and most importantly, how they can help you on your financial journey.

 

🛋️ The Property Couch: Where It All Began

For years, The Property Couch has been focused on one mission:

To help everyday Australians build financial peace and security through property investing, smart money management, and sound financial decisions.

We’ve done that by sharing real frameworks, real strategies, and real conversations — no hype, no gimmicks.
Through the podcast, The Armchair Guide to Property Investing, Make Money Simple Again, How to Retire on $3,000 a Week (our newest book!), and countless masterclasses, we’ve been able to educate and empower thousands of listeners and readers around Australia (and beyond).

But education was only one part of the puzzle.

 

💻 Why We Built Moorr

Over time, we realised something important:

Learning about property and finance is one thing.
Applying it consistently, day-to-day, is another.

That’s why we created Moorr — an in-house platform designed to give you the tools to put everything we teach on The Property Couch into action.

Think of it like this:

  • The Property Couch gives you the roadmap.
  • Moorr gives you the car, the GPS, and the dashboard to drive it.

They work hand-in-hand to help you move from knowing to doing — all while tracking your goals, managing your money, and growing your wealth smarter.

 

🎯 What You’ll Find on Moorr

Inside Moorr, you’ll discover:

  • MyKNOWLEDGE — our new learning hub with free resources, masterclasses, eBooks, premium workshops, and more
  • MoneySMARTS — the exact money management system we teach on the podcast and in our books
  • WealthDASHBOARD — your personal financial snapshot, tracking assets, debts, and net worth in real-time
  • Goal setting and tracking tools — so you can stay focused on what really matters
  • Property insights and calculators — to model cashflows, depreciation, and investment scenarios
  • Net Worth and Asset tracking — helping you see your full financial picture at a glance

And because Moorr was built by the same team behind The Property Couch, every feature has been designed to align with the strategies and frameworks you already know and trust.

 

🔗 Why Our Courses Moved to MyKNOWLEDGE in Moorr

If you’ve previously purchased one of our premium workshops — like Start & Build, Look.Find.Buy, or 10x Property Research — you might notice they’re no longer housed on the old TPC portal.

That’s because they’ve moved into MyKNOWLEDGE, inside Moorr.

It’s the same content (and bonuses) you purchased — just delivered through a smarter platform, alongside even more free resources to support your journey.

👉 Create your free Moorr account here
(Or simply go to www.thepropertycouch.com.au/myknowledge)

Once you log in, your courses will be waiting for you, ready to dive into — at your own pace.

 

🚀 In Short…

  • The Property Couch gives you the “what,” “why,” and “how” of building wealth through property, finance, and smart money habits.
  • Moorr gives you the real-world tools to track it, manage it, and live it every day.

They’re designed to work together — helping you learn, plan, act, and achieve financial peace, step by step.

Thanks for being part of the podcast community — we’re thrilled to have you with us on the next stage of the journey.

Let’s keep moving toward your financial goals, smarter and stronger than ever! 🙌

 

 

TPC Gold | Have I Left It Too Late to Buy Property?

This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: When Is It Too Late To Get Into Property? 

It’s a question many Australians are quietly asking themselves: “Is it too late for me to buy property?” 

In this TPC Gold snippet, Ben and Bryce respond to a heartfelt listener question from Luke—who, at 46, is still renting with his wife and two teenage kids.  

With $80K in savings and a growing concern about renting into retirement, Luke wants to know:
👉 Is it worth taking on a $700K mortgage at this stage of life?
👉 Or is it simply too late to start the property journey? 

In this honest and practical discussion, Ben and Bryce break down: 

  • The mindset shift needed when starting later in life 
  • The real numbers behind a $700K home loan at 46 
  • Alternatives like downsizing, rentvesting, and seeking support from family 
  • Why “lifestyle by design” should always be your north star 

It’s not about comparing yourself to others—it’s about what’s still possible with a clear plan. 

Not Sure What the Right Move Is?

Book a free initial appointment with our Property Wealth Planning team. We’ll help you get clarity on your financial goals, borrowing power, and next best steps. 

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | Have I Left It Too Late to Buy Property? You Might Also Like:


Transcript

Bryce Holdaway
“Is it worth having a $700k mortgage at our age?” is the title for this. Here it goes: My wife and I are at a crossroads. We never thought owning a home was worth it until now. And I reckon we’ve missed the boat. For years, my wife and I deliberated over buying a home. We travelled for work in our twenties, so renting was easier while we were on the go. By the time we settled down to have kids, one income made it almost impossible to save for a deposit. Fast forward 15 years and we’re 46 with two teenage kids and still renting. We have around $260,000 in super between us, plus $80,000 in savings. We’re sick of seeing that $3k rent disappear from our banks each month and we’re scared of renting as we age further. So, is it worth having a $700,000 mortgage at our age? And if not, what’s the best way for us to secure our future? That’s from Luke. Good question there, Ben and probably there’d be a bunch of our community who could relate to that.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, look, it’s a really challenging question, right? Because what’s going on in Luke’s mind is that he’s seeing the stories of the day showing property prices booming and a whole consideration for what his life looks like. So I’m gonna start with a sort of broad concept here and then hopefully we can get down to some number crunching as well, just to give some dialogue around that. My first point here is, don’t worry about what the Joneses are doing because what you and your family need to work out Luke, is what floats your boat? What’s the lifestyle by design that you want to create?  

Now, if traveling is a big part of that and not having all of the bells and whistles and all of this, you know, the sort of the spoils of high-end things, don’t worry about that. What I am saying to you, if that is important to you and having a nest egg and a financial future for life, we do need to do something now, right? We do need to basically look at your situation. So how we would go about that is spend a bit of time in terms of writing down your core values. What are the things that are important to you that give you great worth? Not as in material value, but in great worth in terms of make you enjoy life and have happiness around that life. And then start to work from that position in terms of what money do we need to be able to enjoy that?  

Because you will come to a potential conclusion that you are right, that rental that you’re paying, that $3,000 if you could substitute that for a mortgage, whereby that’s then going into a longer asset and the reality for you at 46 is you don’t have a 55-year, 60-year retirement target. The funds that you’ve saved up unfortunately won’t carry you through for 30 or 40 years. So you’ve got to make that decision around what that looks like for you. And as a family, what you’re going to do as a family unit to get that. Because what we haven’t learned from you, Luke, is all of those experiences, that amazing travel journey and all the things that you’ve done, which has made your life a rich life in terms of that. Well, now we’re starting to think about the future. So if you can understand those concepts, you can now start to get yourself into a stage where you can start doing some number crunching around what’s possible. 

Bryce Holdaway
Yeah, because it’s true that time is the secret sauce. So the longer the better, but 46 is certainly not over the hill. And as you said, if the time horizon for retirement age is like, it’s not 55 or 60. It’s more extended than that. Let’s call it 65. That’s at least 20 years that you have in a cycle going forward. And if it’s at another 10 years, it’s 30 years; that’s still a long time. So the question of “Is it worth having a 700K mortgage at our age?”  

As Ben said, it’s not easy to say because we don’t know what your income is. But it’s probably worth thinking that if you’re just having cash in the bank, you’re probably losing money each and every year because of inflation, right? Cash is not returning much, whereas at least if you have a property, it’s giving you a hedge against that inflation. And ultimately, the goal here is to not, it’s not to retire on $2,000 a week, which our book is. The goal is to actually find out the number that you need to actually get what Ben said, the lifestyle by design that you’re chasing. So a couple of things to think about.  

It’s not too late at 46 if it’s still your goal to get into the property market. But one of the interesting things that you’ve got here is $80,000 in savings. That is a phenomenal amount of cash to save. Like ask anyone who’s tried to save $20,000. It’s difficult and it requires sacrifice. So you’ve done four times that, which is $80,000. So $80,000 is a lot of money to save, but then when you put it in context with purchasing property, it’s not a lot of money because there’s a fair bit that you need to buy. So what I would suggest is needing to be really realistic about where you can buy, because if you’re renting, chances are you’re probably able to rent in a location that allows you to match your lifestyle. But the big question is, can you actually still buy in the same area for as Ben said, like for like. The amount of rent that you’re paying equals the amount of the mortgage that you’d be paying. So I thought a quick run through of the basics might be helpful here. So if you have, let’s go back to the question, $700,000 that you wanna (use to) buy property.  

Just so you have an idea in your mind in this situation how much you need. If we just do a basic 20% deposit, so the bank will lend you 80%. $700,000, 20% (of that) is $140,000. So first of all, you’ll need to kick in $140k, but it doesn’t stop there because you’re also going to have to get the entry cost for property, which is stamp duty and costs. So let’s just do that at 5%, sometimes a little bit more, but 5% because I don’t do quick maths in my head. So $700k, 5% (of that) is $35,000. So if at a 5% deposit, that’s another $35k. So add those two together, the $140k plus the $35k means $175,000. So you need $175,000 to buy the property. But then if you’ve spent all your money to get the property, that’s a dangerous position to be in, so you need a buffer. So if you’re 46 with teenage kids, let’s just say you need a $20,000 buffer. So add all that together, the $175k plus the $20,000 buffer means you need $195,000 to buy a $700,000 property, which clearly is a bit a way from the $80,000. So it’s hard often to reconcile that… that I’ve saved all this money, Ben, but then when you put it into what does it take to buy some real estate, it’s still not enough.  

Ben Kingsley
No, it’s not. I think that the challenge that Luke has got is gotta be around what you’ve got to do. It’s absolutely, it’s non-negotiable, right? You’re gonna have to start putting some money away for something. So whether you choose to put that into super or whether you choose to put that into property, it’s really clear that the run rate that you’re on right now is not necessarily gonna build out that nest egg for a comfortable retirement.  

So if you looked at your opportunity, you’ve got effectively judgment calls and trade-offs to make here. The trade-off could be that you move to a cheaper location and you effectively then try and buy in that cheaper location. So Bryce has used the classic 20% example. If we do say a $500,000 purchase, 5% cost is $25,000. You put a 10% deposit down, that’s 50 grand. That’s a total of $75,000; you capitalise the interest on lenders mortgage insurance because you’re above the 80% and you’re pretty close. And then you’re in the game. And then all of a sudden your $3,000 is going off to paying off a debt over a 20-to-30-year period. And you’d be pretty comfortable in the view that property prices will increase to a point where you build up a nest egg. Now it may not be your dream home; it may be a property that you buy that you add value to over time.  

And you may choose to sell that one to downsize or retire to a regional town or whatever to live out a quieter life. And then put the proceeds into investments and live off that passive income or into super. But the bottom line here is you need to start doing something. The clock is ticking on your retirement target. And the longer you leave it, the more a situation where you see you could be working into your late 60s or early 70s. So we do want you to do something.  

You can go and seek advice to get a look at those numbers and those cash flows. Once you do the work on what’s important to you and your wife and the kids. The alternative option, which we haven’t addressed and probably our community saying, how come you haven’t mentioned rentvesting yet? Rentvesting is a model where you live where you wanna live, but ultimately you trap the difference between a very high mortgage and what you’re paying as rent and you turn that into some form of investment in acquiring, say borderless assets and low entry level properties that you can build out cashflow on and build out that wealth over time as well. So you then try and get the best of both worlds. There is an increased risk element to that for some people. But again, the bottom line for me here is you need to get some advice around your situation.  

And that needs to be firstly around goals, secondly around cashflow. And that will start to tell you the story in terms of what you’re prepared to trade off, what you’re prepared to give up and sacrifice for the long-term benefit of you and your wife in retirement.  

Bryce Holdaway
And look, the last thing I’ll add to that is if you are in a fortunate position where the ‘bank of mum and dad’ is an option for you, well, then that clearly could be another place where you could use that security to buy the $700,000 property, which means that you can keep your cash still available because you’re still servicing the whole debt. And then you can demonstrate that you have some liquidity there. You have a buffer, and you can get on with life and make sure that the family member is comfortable that you can service your debts.  

Ben Kingsley
They’re older, aren’t they, Bryce? So that’s the thing. You’ve got to make sure that the bank has an appetite for those people who might be semi-retired to be able to use that equity. But they’re around. So that’s where again, an investment-savvy mortgage broker could do that option shopping for you in terms of choices. And that’s another example of where you can potentially borrow more but have some security of your parents behind that as well. So, a good piece of advice. 

 

543 | How to Fix a Frankenstein Portfolio Before It’s Too Late

Folks, one of the most common pieces of feedback we receive on the podcast is, “I wish I’d found you guys sooner.”  

The problem they’re facing now? They’ve got the correct knowledge BUT they’ve built what we call a Frankenstein Portfolio.  

We’re talking about an impressive portfolio that looks great on the surface but, in reality, has very little growth.   


So how does it happen? 

✅ What are the most common traps that lead investors to this point? 

✅ Why do so many end up here — and more importantly… 

✅ How can you rebuild your portfolio before it’s too late? 

It’s an episode for those who started without a plan or without a clear cohesion of steps but want to turn it all around because, folks, it’s NEVER too late to start again. Tune in now!  

  

P.S. Feeling worn down by headlines, tenant challenges or worn down by mates who don’t get it? Listen to Bryce’s Mindset Minute for some quick wisdom to get you through these times. 


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    Moorr’s MyKnowledge centre is launching soon – now combined with our entire Property Couch backlog! We’re talking in-depth reports, practical calculators and comprehensive courses; welcome to your new home for all your property questions. Create your free account or login today to Moorr >>
     

 


Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – 543 | How to Fix a Frankenstein Portfolio Before It’s Too Late 
  • 1:20 – COMING SOON: Moorr’s MyKnowledge 
  • 4:12 – “How to Retire on $3K”: Join the waitlist for more updates 
  • 10:21 – Mindset Minute: Are You a Thermostat or a Thermometer? 
  • 12:46 – Frankenstein Portfolios  
  • 13:11 – The problem 
  • 14:24 – What is it?  
  • 16:25 –“If I’d known what I know now, I would’ve never built this portfolio.” 
  • 20:25 – Folks, property is NOT the goal, it’s about the freedom and target  
  • 24:33 – Why the frame matters!  
  • 25:38 – How to AVOID a Frankenstein Portfolio 
  • 28:07 – The inevitable pivot we all go through…  
  • 30:35 – A Portfolio vs. A Purposeful Plan 
  • 33:15 – #3 non-negotiable questions to ask  
  • 36:43 – Rebuilding with the evergreen 5-step property investment process  
  • 39:21 – BEWARE! The #3 big mistakes that lead to a Frankenstein Portfolio 
  • 39:33 – Mistake #1: Hotspots  
  • 42:40 – The link between the latest diets and property hotspots  
  • 44:58 – Mistake #2: Over-leveraging  
  • 46:25 – Mistake #3: Quantity over Outcome  
  • 47:40 – The TWO types of investors  
  • 49:24 – So, what does a successful property portfolio look like?  
  • 54:31 – Next week: Frankenstein Portfolio Case Study 
  • 55:38 – It’s whether you get to your goals.  

And… 

  • 56:42 – Life by Design: How to create your own Jet Lag roadmap  
  • 58:35 – WMPN:  Real estate agent goes full “Indiana Jones” mode to sell a $3M Central Coast acreage…  

TPC Gold | Property Due Diligence: What to Know Before Buying an Existing Unit

This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: Is Now The Right Time to Buy a High Rise Apartment? 

When it comes to buying an existing apartment or unit, doing the right due diligence can save you from years of costly surprises. 

In this TPC Gold snippet, Bryce and Ben break down the must-do checks every buyer should know before purchasing a strata or medium-density property.  

From digging into the body corporate minutes to having quiet chats with the neighbours, they share the practical (and often overlooked) steps that separate a smart buyer from a regretful one. 

If you’re buying into a building, you’re buying into a community—and sometimes that community has stories you won’t find in the contract. – Bryce” 

Whether you’re a first-home buyer, upgrading, or planning your forever home, this is a must-listen if you’re considering purchasing an existing property. 

Want Help Finding Your Dream Home—Without the Guesswork?

Due to popular demand, our sister company Empower Wealth has recently launched a brand-new Owner-Occupier Buyers Agent division. 

Where our existing Buyers Agents have helped thousands of investors find the right property to build wealth, this new division is specifically designed for everyday Australians looking to find their dream home. 

So—why engage a Buyers Agent when buying your home? 

Clarity and confidence: Cut through the overwhelm with guidance tailored to your exact needs and lifestyle.
Save time and stress: Let a seasoned professional handle the search, shortlist, inspections, and negotiations.
Avoid costly mistakes: With experience across different property types, our agents know what to look for—and what to avoid.
Access off-market opportunities: Get access to homes that never even hit the open market.
Emotional balance: Stay objective in one of life’s biggest decisions with a calm, strategic expert by your side. 

Book a free consultation with one of our Buyers Agents today and take the stress out of your next home purchase! 

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | Property Due Diligence: What to Know Before Buying an Existing Unit, You Might Also Like:


Transcript

Ben Kingsley
So what’s the DD, what’s the due diligence we need to do, Bryce? What’s the number one thing?  

Bryce Holdaway
Number one due diligence is you go and have a look at the past track record of body corporate minutes, because what does that tell you? You’ve got a community of people coming together saying the body corporate’s got a responsibility for X, Y and Z and if there’s something wrong with the building they’re going to let you know, or if there’s something wrong with a defect or a person who’s living there or something that is affecting the peaceful enjoyment of that community, it is usually going to be in those minutes. And I would go back as many as you can possibly get your hands on, minimum two, but it’d be nice to see three, so you can see if there’s anything back in the past where there might have been an issue. Now I’ve got a beware on that Ben, because based on what we’ve been talking about today, would there be an incentive Ben for… 

Ben Kingsley
…the body corporate not to disclose, Bryce? 

Bryce Holdaway
Correct.  

Ben Kingsley
Yes. 

Bryce Holdaway
Because what’s one of the biggest challenges that you’re going to have with the current issue around the crisis is people protecting the value of their asset. And how do they protect the value of their asset? They have an off-record chat, Ben, about some issues that they do not put on the minutes because they know this is what the diligent people will do. But first of all, that’s what I would do, Ben. Notwithstanding there’s an issue.  

And secondly, I talked about it before, but do you have a body corporate that is proactive about realising that a building will need some maintenance done? And are they going to be reactive or proactive? And reactive means that they will just deal with stuff as it happens versus people who go: Hey here’s our 10-year maintenance plan. Here’s that divided by 10; here’s that divided by the 18, the 16, the 12, the 8 owners. Here’s your contribution each year, so that you make that. Have they got a sinking fund balance for a rainy day? 

Ben Kingsley
A healthy sinking fund balance is a good sign of a couple of things, Bryce; a well-built building as well. Because if they haven’t had to do anything with it, and I’ll give you a good example. Where was I? I was in Brisbane, and I was looking for an apartment for a client of ours and I came across this one in about six kilometres out of Brisbane and I went and had a look at it and I thought, okay, it’s really well-priced, good floor plan. I did notice a couple of cracks, so I’m like, okay. So everyone goes, well, can you still get a building and pest inspection on the building? I go, yes, you can. And you can even get them on high rises.  

Now, some building and pest inspectors will say there’s a limited scope in terms of the external work they do, especially if it’s 20 or 30 stories, they’re not gonna be able to get up on a scaffold and go and have a look at it. But they can still do the underground car parks, they can still do that, because most stuff comes from the foundation and works up. So in this particular case, I got a building and pest inspection done and I was like, oh, a couple of cracks there I’d like an engineer to have a look at. As soon as he said that, I said, no, no, don’t even worry about it. As soon as you say that I’m out. That’s it, I’m moving on to the next block because you can pay $400, $500, $600 and you get that and all of sudden it’s like, okay, if that’s worse than I thought it was because it’s structural in an area… I don’t even need to engage in an engineer; I’m not gonna buy that for my client. It’s like, next property please. Even though I thought it was a good buy, I’m moving on.  

Bryce Holdaway
That’s what we call self-selection, Ben.  

Ben Kingsley
I don’t need to spend a few grand to have the engineer tell me what’s wrong with it.  

Bryce Holdaway
Yeah, so there you go folks. And the last one is, I apply this particular one, Ben, even if it’s a house, if it’s a townhouse… I go and talk to the neighbours.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah.  

Bryce Holdaway
Because they are only too willing to tell you.  

Ben Kingsley
Well, it comes back to that story about whether the body corporate is fully disclosing right? So if you are buying into a medium density; again, owner occupiers could be listening to this saying: I do want to live here and that is the price point to get me into that suburb and there are lots of apartments with 30 or 40 apartments in them now, so go and door knock. You know how they’ve still got the security that you can’t get through the front door? Just door stop them. I’ve done it before, my door stop is: Oh excuse me do you live here? 

Bryce Holdaway
But what happens if you’re not a Collingwood supporter…?  

Ben Kingsley
There’s a nice way of doing it, and here’s the approach. It is as simple as: Oh hi. Because what they do is: Oh do you need to get in? And it’s like: No actually, I’m interested in apartment number 31. But I would love to have a chat with you. Do you own or rent here?  

Bryce Holdaway
“Ohhh, you’re buying the one that Jessie’s divorcing in, eh?” 

Ben Kingsley
Thank you, tick; nice bit of information. “Oh lovely couple, didn’t know what happened there.” Especially the old folk who have been in the building forever. Some of them ask you up for a cup of tea. “Would you like to come up and have a look at my place as well? Are you a buyers agent? Oh you can probably value it, what is my property worth?” You get the whole thing right. And “are you on the body corp? Oh you’re on the body corp? What’s happening?” Oh it’s just unbelievable. I would stop three or four people to get the information that I need to get to. 

Bryce Holdaway
That could cause a crisis Ben because people are wondering if they’re gonna buy this they might get stopped by you for a little chat and they might not buy anymore, so yeah. 

 

542 | The Overlooked CGT Timebomb Hidden in Joint Tenancy – Chat with Julia Hartman

As tax season looms, we’re bringing back Australia’s #1 property tax expert, Julia Hartman, to help you understand the nuanced world of joint tenancy, debt recycling, and more! 

Julia is the Chief Technical Tax Adviser here at Empower Wealth and the founder of BAN TACS, a cooperative of tax professionals that’s been helping Aussies navigate the world of property tax since 1992. 

This week’s episode is all about how to avoid accidentally handing thousands over to the taxman. 


Here’s what we unpack: 

✅ Debt Recycling: Can you legally turn non-deductible debt into deductible debt?  

✅ Joint Tenants vs. Tenants in Common: How choosing the wrong ownership structure could trigger a massive Capital Gains Tax bill later! 

✅ Victoria’s $50K Land Tax Grab: Who’s caught in the net, and can you avoid it? 

✅ Dominant Purpose: Understand this concept, and you could legally save thousands 

From legislative shake-ups to understanding the grey areas in tax-deduction strategies, this is a jam-packed episode for property investors and homeowners alike. Tune in now!  


Free Stuff  

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  • Give the Gift of Sight – Just $100 Can Change a Life 👁️
    To celebrate Bryce’s 50th birthday, we’re on a mission with the John Fawcett Foundation to restore sight through life-changing cataract surgeries in Indonesia. Thanks to our incredible community, we’ve already raised over $50,000 — and we’re aiming for $60,000 by May 27! As TPC listener, Jeff, shared: “It just felt so real — giving sight to unsighted people. I signed up and donated in 10 minutes.”

  • Here’s what your donation can do:
    👁️ $100 = Restores sight to 1 person
    👁️👁️ $200 = 2 people
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Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – The Overlooked CGT Timebomb Hidden in Joint Tenancy – Chat with Julia Hartman 
  • 1:15 – In the shadows of tax time…  
  • 3:23 – The $20K instant asset write-off  
  • 4:08 – Exciting upcoming guests; stay tuned!  
  • 6:51 – We’re on the hunt for Buyers Agents!  
  • 8:05 – Bryce’s 50th: Give the gift of sight for $100 😮  
  • 8:28 – Mindset Minute: “Success is something you attract, not something you pursue” 
  • 11:08 – Welcome Julia!  
  • 12:10 – Topic #1: Debt Recycling 
  • 13:13 – What is debt recycling?  
  • 14:59 – Understanding dominant purpose 
  • 16:11 – The Harts Case & Part 4A as the Government’s secret weapon 
  • 19:51 – The Grey Area: Debt recycling with Principal & Interest vs. Interest Only loans 
  • 24:26 – The 3 Definitions of Debt Recycling  
  • 28:11 – “You can’t owe yourself money”: How folks lose deductible interest on their deposit 
  • 31:22 – Topic #2: Joint Tenants do NOT technically inherit, here’s why! 
  • 33:28 – Joint tenants vs. Tenants in common  
  • 34:55 – Julia’s ideal plan 
  • 36:03 – Is it right? Couples carrying forward their partner’s CGT debt  
  • 38:25 – The Catch: Changing from joint tenants to tenants in common 
  • 41:36 – THIS is why tax planning is essential…  
  • 42:26 – Nuanced Examples: The 6-Year Rule, can stepchildren challenge the rule, and more! 
  • 46:59 – Topic #3: Victorian Land Tax Grab – The $50K Trap 
  • 51:00– The ATO tripwire & data matching  
  • 53:04 – What triggers this tax?  
  • 56:30 – Is it possible to avoid this? CGT, small business concessions & moving your home businesses  

And… 

  • 59:04 – What a fantastic fireside chat with Julia!  
  • 1:00:55 – Life by Design hack: Don’t ask your child what they want to be when they grow up. Ask these 5 Qs instead!  
  • 1:03:26 – WMPN: What do US tariffs mean for Australia’s economy?  

 

TPC Gold | Why We Swear by the Seven-Day Float

This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: Seven Tips to Trap Your Surplus Cash. 

In today’s TPC Gold soundbite, Bryce and Ben unpack one of the most powerful—and underrated—tools in the MoneySMARTS money management system: the seven-day float. 

Forget spreadsheets, complex budgeting, or tracking every dollar you spend.  

The seven-day float is all about simplicity and control. It’s a weekly spending system that helps you stay on top of your cash, ditch the guilt, and spend with purpose. 

As Bryce puts it:
“It’s a game changer. It might feel hard for the first couple of weeks, but once you find your rhythm, it can completely change your money habits.” 

What is the Seven-Day Float? 

It’s your weekly spending allowance—the money you’ve already set aside (based on your plan) to spend on things like food, petrol, and everyday expenses. You’re not budgeting in the traditional sense—you’re following a clear, rules-based system that helps you avoid tapping into savings or overspending. 

And the best part? It works whether you’re a uni student, a parent managing a household, or the CEO of a big company. 

Why It Works 

✔️ It replaces guesswork with clarity
✔️ It breaks the “tap-and-go” overspending habit
✔️ It gives every dollar a job
✔️ It builds financial confidence and discipline 

“The seven-day float makes you pause. It helps you ask: Do I really need this right now? Can it wait till next week? That’s the magic.” – Ben 

The banks don’t love this approach… because it’s not built to get you to spend more. It’s built to help you trap surplus, build wealth, and live with less stress. 

Want to Know How to Start with the Seven-Day Float?

Learn all about MoneySMARTS—including how the seven-day float fits into the broader plan—in our book, Make Money Simple Again.  

It’s helped thousands of Australians take control of their money without giving up the things they love. 

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | Why We Swear by the Seven-Day Float, You Might Also Like:


Transcript

Bryce Holdaway
So number three is get money smart. That’s a surprise from us.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, well we’ve got to weave it in, don’t we? But the point here is…  

Bryce Holdaway
…we believe in it. 

Ben Kingsley
It’s a proven system, Bryce. So the reason why we believe in it is because a lot of people don’t like to have complex ways in which they’ve got to document every dollar they spend. So our top-down approach in terms of how we make money management easier is what it’s all about. And in terms of these top seven tips, the one we want to highlight the most is the seven-day float right, so the weekly allowance.  

Bryce Holdaway
It’s a game changer. 

Ben Kingsley
It’s a game changer because you take that mindset that we were talking about before about how much money have I got, so irrespective of whether it’s a cashless economy or you don’t care that it’s a tap and go then, because you will absolutely know that I have got $50 left so this is a decent purchasing decision. Whereas if you know that there’s $60,000 in your offset account…  

Bryce Holdaway
Absolutely. 

Ben Kingsley
So boom, boom, you’ll just keep doing it, right? So we’ve gotta change that habit. It’s like, no, no, I’ve gotta get to my next seven-day allowance, you know, that weekly flow.  

Bryce Holdaway
So I’ve been doing the seven-day float for years now. Thanks to you and Popey introducing that. I can say to the people, and I don’t know if you can remember far back when you started it, I say to the people, when you implement it, you will probably stumble. Keep going. Because it’s usually week two, you’ve made less, week three, maybe even week four, Ben, but you’ll eventually get into the cadence, you’ll eventually get into that rhythm, and it’s really, really important. Because if you’re trying to undo a lot of habits of keeping up with the Joneses, tapping and going, not being accountable with your money, keep going back to the well. It’s actually a huge shift for you to go: Ooh, what do you mean I’ve got to reign in my spending? What do you mean I’ve got to actually identify how much is in my seven-day flow? What do you mean I’ve got to actually use Grade Five Maths just to keep up to date on how much money I’ve got left? It is an adjustment, it is a shift, but it’s one of those things if we go back (to) if you do what’s easy, your life will be hard. It’s actually gonna be hard in the very first couple of weeks as you’re trying to get two people on the same page if you’re sharing agenda with someone else, but once you’ve done it, it makes an enormous difference.  

Ben Kingsley
It does. I mean we’re seeing some of these money apps from the banks and so forth. I mean they want you turning money over, right? It’s in their best interest, commerce, the whole thing works for them, right? So if their app tells you, I can’t go and buy a dress now because it’s not payday, but if you’ve just been paid, you can go out and buy a dress or you can go out and buy something material, that’s probably not still the best money management system. What you should have is a classification for clothing and footwear, and you should provision for that, and you should know basically how much you’re going to spend on that over the year. Whether you go and buy that dress tomorrow, that’s fine. Just don’t go and buy three or four more dresses or five pair of shoes or in the guy’s case, don’t go and overspend on business shirts or whatever it is you’re going to spend on. That’s the point in terms of once you’ve provisioned for it, you’re able to spend it, but just don’t spend any more than that. So there’s a combination of ideas that meshes together to build the money management system in terms of MoneySMARTS. That’s the way in which to use that.  

Bryce Holdaway
So couple of things for MoneySMARTS… It’s not a budget; it’s a money management system.  

Ben Kingsley
Correct. 

Bryce Holdaway
It’s the money that you said you’d spend each week; we call it the seven-day float, and it just means that you don’t unconsciously overspend again, Ben. And the rest is just a simple rules-based system thereafter. So the fundamental principle behind it is that every dollar has a job to do, every dollar is allocated somewhere, and it’s just based on how our grandparents used to use money BC (before credit cards), and it’s evergreen, Ben. It works at every stage of your life.  

Ben Kingsley
Every stage.  

Bryce Holdaway
If you’re a university student on casual income, no problem. If you are CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it works. It doesn’t discriminate; works for everyone. So if you wanna check that out, clearly we’ve written a book on it, but it’s something that we think is imperative to trapping surplus cash. 

 

541 | How to Align Your Financial Plan with Your Partner

These are the questions you’re thinking… but haven’t asked yet. 

This week’s Q&A Day is a goldmine for anyone navigating the trickier parts of property investing — especially when it’s not just about the numbers, but the people involved. 

🏠 Jason’s got a long-term strategy (and a property plan to back it), but his partner’s worried about short-term costs. How do you bridge that gap when you’re not on the same page financially? 

💬 Monty (aka Ross) wants to know — should you release equity from your investment property or your home… and what does that mean if you’re planning to upgrade your principal place of residence in the next few years? 

💸 Tom asks us a fantastic question that we think will clear up a common misunderstanding about offset accounts and P&I loans. 

From communicating better with your partner to understanding the real mechanics behind your loan structure — we’re covering it all. If you’ve ever thought, “Surely, I’m not the only one confused by this,” then this episode is for you! Listen now.   


Free Stuff  

  • Pre-Order Now! How to Retire on $3,000 a Week
    Folks, our book is OFFICIALLY open for pre-order! We also charted #1 for pre-ordered bestselling book – Thank you to all those folks excited for our latest book, we can’t wait for you to read it! 😊
    You can preorder the book from these retailers:

  • The official RRP is $32.99 — so whichever one you choose, you’re getting a great deal 😊 To get more updates, behind-the-scenes content and VIP bonuses, join the waitlist now.

 

  • Looking for a home? Our new service DEDICATED to owner-occupiers
    Due to the high level of client requests, we’ve now got a Buyers Agent dedicated to helping you buy your first, forever or next home! Reach out today by requesting a free initial consultation and select: “Finding A Home” from the drop-down menu. Get in touch today!  

 

  • Moorr Mobile Update: Historical Tracking now LIVE!
    Ever wished you could look back in time and see how your net worth has changed over the years? Or compare your financial position across any two points in time? Now you can! It’s like a fitness tracker… but for your money muscles. Login or create your account to use it today!

 

  • Have you faced the same challenge as Jason — or do you still have questions after this episode? We’d love to hear from you!
    If you’ve found a way to bridge the gap with your partner around financial planning or property investing, share what worked for you! Your story could really help others in the community.Or if you’re still feeling unsure about something we covered — whether it’s equity release, offset accounts, or anything else — let us know what’s unclear. Your question might be the one someone else is too afraid to ask. Head to our SpeakPipe and record your message today!  

 

  • Give the gift of sight for just $100! 
    To celebrate his 50th birthday, Bryce is partnering with the John Fawcett Foundation to restore sight to those who need it most. Together, we’ve already made a huge impact with more than $50,000 raised — but we’re not done yet. We’re aiming to hit $60,000 by 27 May! As Jeff, a TPC listener put it best: “It just felt so real — giving sight to unsighted people. I signed up and donated in 10 minutes.” Every dollar goes directly to sight-restoring surgeries. Here’s what your money can restore!

    • 👁️ $100 = Sight for 1 person
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    • ✋✋ $1,000 = Sight for 10 people
  • Help us to give sight back to those in need. Donate today >>

Questions We Answer

Q1) Bridging the Gap on Property Investment with My Partner from Jason  

“My partner and I have different perspectives on property investment. While I’m following our Empower Wealth property plan that considers our long-term strategy with our lifestyle by design, she’s concerned about the initial negative gearing and short-term costs. This recently came up when we purchased an investment property. 

Her background as a Chartered Accountant makes her very detail-oriented, and the initial financial outlay understandably worries her. I believe there’s a way to bridge this gap by clearly communicating our overall financial goals and the long-term benefits of property investment.  

However, getting her engaged in these conversations is proving difficult. She is the plumber who doesn’t like doing their own plumbing. 

What I’d like to know: 

How can I effectively communicate the long-term benefits of property investment to address her short-term concerns? 

What strategies can I use to encourage her to participate in financial planning conversations?” 

 

Q2) Investment Properties vs. Principal Place of Residence from Ross 

G’day guys, it’s Monty here.  

Thanks for the amazing work and the great content you produce each and every week on the podcast. My wife and I are very fortunate to have 3 properties. We have our principal place of residence in Sydney with roughly $300,000 owing on that.  

We have an investment property up in Brisbane, which we’ve had for roughly 10 years, and our second investment property is in Perth, which we’ve had for 3 years. All three properties are in separate loans, and they’re not linked at all.  

Obviously, the last couple of years we’ve seen significant growth across all three properties, and we’re looking at purchasing our 3rd investment property sometime this year. The question I had was, is it beneficial to release equity from either of the investment properties, or is it better to release more equity from our principal place of residence?  

Over the next 5 years or so we’re looking at upgrading our principal place of residence, and I wondered that if we released equity from our Sydney home, would that have implications down the track when we actually sell that Sydney home to upgrade our principal place of residence?  

Being teachers, my wife and I, we’re always interested to learn as much as we can, and that’s where you guys have been amazing over the last 10 years or so. It would be great for any information you could provide.  

Obviously, we want to do the best for our 3 kids, and hopefully we can help them out in the future. So any information you have on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for the great work you do and up the mighty Swannys in 2025.  

Thanks guys. 

  

Q3) Principal & Interest (P&I) vs Interest Only (IO) Offset Cashflow Feedback from Tom  

Hi Team, 

I’ve been debating whether to bother you with this or not as it may be a very rudimentary misunderstanding of mine, but after Thursday’s episode nearly addressed it and after doing some consulting with Opti to see if you had in a different ep, I wonder if I’m not alone in a knowledge gap I had before working with Joel. 

I’ve only ever had IO loans and as a result know very little about the mechanics of P&I loans (as I imagine many first home buyers or maybe other investor only, non owner oc’s like me may have too).  

During the planning with Joel I learned that an offset against a P&I loan doesn’t change the monthly repayment amount, just the proportion of P&I paid each month. i.e. improves the debt position but not monthly cashflow. 

Admittedly, I have not cut a full lap, I’ve not listened to 273 through to 494, so excuse me if it’s mentioned in these eps. Asking Opti, it pointed me to ep 448 where you skirt around it but not explicitly mention it. 

So to summarise, before being corrected by Joel, even after listening to nearly 300 eps, my previous naive understanding was that offsetting any debt improved cashflow AS WELL as lowered interest paid, So, I had grand plans where I could park company money into a home offset from time to time to improve cashflow, which I realise now is silly but again if i’m thinking it then maybe others might be too. 

For clarity, I am not explicitly looking for an improved cashflow position (paying a future home loan off earlier is fine by me) I was just so accustomed to the cashflow benefit of offsets on IO loans, and never really bridged the gap of how P&I worked in practice, I felt adequately foolish after we finished the meeting that day but at the same time validated the choice to pay for the big guns. 

I’ll leave you to do with this as you wish. 

Thanks again for all you do.

Tom

 


Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – How to Align Your Financial Plan with Your Partner
  • 1:47 – How to Retire on $3K a Week: Pre-orders now OPEN!  
  • 3:13 – Our service dedicated to owner-occupiers?! 
  • 4:37 – Moorr Mobile Update: Historical tracking now LIVE! 🎉  
  • 5:29 – Bryce’s 50th: Give the gift of sight for just $100!  
  • 7:46 – Mindset Minute: “Listen to the people closest to your goals!”  
  • 8:22 – Q1) Bridging the Gap on Property Investment with My Partner from Jason 
  • 10:20 –  But… the properties are making a net loss?  
  • 14:34 – “A human convinced against their will, remains unconvinced still…” 
  • 15:41 – Solution #1: Low-pressure conversations 
  • 16:55 – Solution #2: Let them choose their lane  
  • 17:43 – Solution #3: Neutral third-party 
  • 19:24 – Solution #4: The opportunity cost 
  • 20:00 – Why you need to understand the rate of return calculation  
  • 22:35 – The dilemma of residential property investing  
  • 26:14 – Why you want 9% gross property return  
  • 28:31 – Experienced the same problem? Send us a SpeakPipe of your solutions!  
  • 29:35 – Q2) Investment Properties vs. Principal Place of Residence from Ross 
  • 31:43 – Let’s take a moment to honour their achievement!  
  • 32:49 – What is the goal? Do you need a third investment property?  
  • 37:35 – Ben puts on his “investment-savvy mortgage broker” hat 
  • 41:56 – Summary   
  • 43:19 – Q3) P&I vs IO Offset Cashflow Feedback from Tom 
  • 47:08 – EXPLAINED: Amortising loans  
  • 49:39 – Solutions to recalibrate your loans later  
  • 52:15 – What if you have a substantial amount in your offset?  

And…

  • 54:15 – Life by Design hack: Cost-effective camp hack  
  • 56:40 – WMPN: What do Trump’s tariffs mean for Australia, rate cuts and property?

 

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