X

546 | The Frankenstein Portfolio That Lost $159K—And How to Avoid It

We’ve heard it time and time again from investors who look back and say, “What was I thinking?” 

In Ep 546, Bryce is joined by returning guest David Robertson—Head of Property Wealth Planning at Empower Wealth—to dive deep into one of the scariest (and most common) traps in property investing:

The Frankenstein Portfolio. 

These portfolios are stitched together from forums, free seminars, and flashy Finfluencer advice… but lack one crucial ingredient: a plan. 

👉 If you missed our intro to the concept, check out Ep 543: What Is a Frankenstein Portfolio?   

This week, we’re going one step further. 


We’re showing you how to fix it—with 3 real-life investor case studies: 

✅ Ryan & Claire: 4 underperforming properties—including a $159K loss on a rental-guaranteed unit 

✅ Steve & Elisa: Two good assets, but poor sequencing and a big debt dilemma. Should they hold or sell? 

✅ Mark & Tracey: A calm, boring, strategic portfolio built with intention from Day 1 (and zero stress) 

This is your crash course in avoiding—or correcting—a portfolio without a plan. 

Because activity ≠ accomplishment… and in the long game of property, boring wins. Tune in now! 


Free Stuff  

  • Over 5,000 lives changed through strategic property planning 🎉
    Our financial advisory, Empower Wealth, has officially created 5,000 Property Wealth Plans—that’s thousands of aspiring Aussies, their families and future generations gaining clarity, structure, and a clear path toward financial peace.This means:

    • 💼 More than $10.5 billion in property recommendations
    • 🏡 Over 9,400 investment properties suggested through strategic planning, and
    • ✅ Countless lives changed with structured, tailored roadmaps to wealth!A huge thank you to our brilliant advisory team and clients who’ve trusted us with their journey. 🙏
      Want to see how a property plan would look with your goals? Book in a free intial chat with our team today >>
        
  • Want a copy of How to Retire on $3,000 a Week — before it hits bookstores?
    To celebrate Bryce’s 50th birthday and raise funds to restore eyesight for 100 people in Indonesia, we’re gifting a copy of the new book to anyone who donates $100 or more to the John Fawcett Foundation.✔️ 100% of your donation goes directly to sight-saving surgeries
    ✔️ You’ll receive the book before it hits shelves
    ✔️ We’re halfway to our $10,000 goal — with just days to go. Every donation counts!

    Simply:  

    1. Donate $100+ at 👉 thepropertycouch.com.au/donation 
    2. Forward your receipt to 📩 [email protected]
       
  • Guests & Episodes Mentioned:  

Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – The Frankenstein Portfolio That Lost $159K—And How to Avoid It   
  • 1:25 – More than 5,000 aspiring Australian households helped!  
  • 7:54 – Want a free copy of How to Retire on $3,000 a Week?  
  • 9:58 – Mindset Minute:  The gold in your cracks  
  • 13:51 – Welcome, Dave!  
  • 14:22 – Refresher: What is a Frankenstein Portfolio?  
  • 17:37 – Case Study 1: Ryan & Claire (The Frankenstein Portfolio)  
  • 18:28 – Why most folks do well selecting their PPORs  
  • 20:41 – Property #1: Over a decade yet a decline of $150K? 🙁  
  • 24:16 – Why Rental Guarantees are one of the biggest red flags to run from   
  • 26:24 – Property #2: A repeat unit offender 
  • 29:22 – Property #3: The market they jumped into too late  
  • 31:25 – The development block project: Interest rates & reno plans  
  • 36:01 – Why did they seek help?  
  • 37:04 – Fixing their Frankenstein portfolio  
  • 41:45 – Boring vs. “Exciting” property plans  
  • 44:49 – Case Study 2: Steve & Elisa (The “Needs Work” Portfolio)  
  • 45:48 – Property #1: The high volume game  
  • 48:22– Property #2: No science in the asset selection 
  • 49:49 – Property #3: The Tassie house they bought at the peak of the cycle  
  • 51:55 – Growing the family home: What properties should they keep or sell?  
  • 54:35 – Should they buy a new home or redevelop their PPOR?  
  • 56:40 – “Planning is not just about your next investment property”  
  • 59:04 – Case Study 3: Mark & Tracey (The Successful Portfolio) 
  • 1:02:03 – What a calm, strategic plan looks like!  
  • 1:04:05 – “If you want adrenaline, go bungee jumping. If you’re investing, it should be boring.”  
  • 1:06:37 – Wrap up: Similarities & Red Flags (And how to avoid them!

And… 

  • 1:09:35 – Why boring is the goal!  
  • 1:11:03 – Dedicated to Ben’s father-in-law  
  • 1:12:38 – Life By Design hack: The #1 parenting skill we forget: Listening. 
  • 1:17:09 – WMPN: The average Aussie inheritance  

 

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. 


Free Stuff  

  • COMING SOON: Your go-to library for everything property, investing & money management knowledge
    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…  

Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Free Resources

What to be notified when there are
new updates & free resources?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

×

MONEY SMARTS SYSTEM

Plus We Will Also Notify You When We Release New Episodes

We Only Send You Awesome Stuff

×

SUGGEST A GUEST!

We Only Send You Awesome Stuff

×