Empower Blog Property & Financial Investment

Sky Business Channel, Your Money Your Call (January 2014)

On this first episode of SKY Business News – Your Money Your Call for 2014, Ben Kingsley joins Margaret Lomas and Paul Rickard from Switzer while discussing about all things property. In this episode, Ben answers a variety of questions from viewers and shares a few property investment advices such as: Where to go for property investment in 20...

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Full disclosure of fees and commissions is never a given

In this issue of Smart Property Investment Magazine (SPI Magazine), Ben Kingsley emphasizes that not all property 'experts' are bound by a code of conduct. This is escalated when we take into account that the property investment industry is not as heavily regulated as other financial products. For example, when an operator who recommends a property...

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Retire Sooner and Richer

Maximising your profits through property investing may be best achieved over the long term, but there are smart strategies you can use now to fast-track your profit an retire sooner. In the December 2013 Issue of Your Investment Property Magazine (YIP Magazine), Ben Kingsley, our CEO & Founder contributed to the cover story: Retire Sooner ...

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New or established – which makes a better investment?

>> Play Audio Here   When it comes to investing in property, do you go New or Established? This is not a new point. The common debate for a Property Investor is usually, "Should I invest in new properties or established ones?". If you are constantly asking yourself this, you are not alone. It is usually an initial part of anyone's p...

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What Causes Auction Property Sales Results to Fly Past the Quoted Range? It is the Agents’ Fault?

Buyers get very frustrated by auction results exceeding quote ranges; and justifiably so. Interested buyers invest emotional energy, precious time, and in many cases, valuable dollars when they shortlist and pursue a suitable property. Building inspections, solicitor’s review fees and travel costs can make a property pre-purchase adventure quite ...

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8 Tips to Buy in a Hot Market

I’ve been buying property on behalf of clients since October 1998 and in that time I have experienced many hot property markets.  Having moved from Perth to Queensland in 2002 and then to Melbourne in 2006 as well as travelling around the country filming Location Location Location Australia for the last 3 years, it sometimes seemed like I was of...

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Why Do So Many Academics and Economists Get Residential Property So Wrong?

You have to admire those who spend their days trying to improve ours – that’s the pursuit of so many academics and economists all around the world.  They are trying to solve problems and predict outcomes, which makes their work very challenging and also highly rewarding, one would guess, when they do get something right. Knowing these peopl...

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Location is your Trump Card

It is easy to inspect a property and lose yourself in it, even if you are an investor and is trying your best to stay emotionless. After all, who can ignore the fancy but practical new kitchen, the newly renovated bathroom, spacious and cleverly built in robes. But what if the property is located right next to the rail line or in the wrong suburb? ...

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RBA Rate decision – November 2013

The RBA once again has left interest rates on hold at their board meeting today. So the cash rate still remains at record low levels (2.50%). If we look at the RBA Rate Indicator at the start of November only 5% of the market watchers expected the cash rate to be reduced at this meeting. So where are the rate’s heading?... Well it’s still ver...

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It’s all about you

Capital growth or yield? The investment strategy you pursue should depend entirely on your own personal circumstances and there is no absolute one-size fits all strategy. Despite what others might have told you buying an investment property with strong growth means nothing if you can’t find any cash flow to hold the property in the first place. A...

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Buying Well vs …well,… buying.

Every aspiring investor is gripped with fear about the impact of their property selection when I first meet with them. Their questions range from “where should I buy?” to “what do you think of off-the-plan apartments?” The answer is simple – there are MANY factors that you need to take into consideration to ensure that you buy well; it’...

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It’s never too late to stop being scammed

As a property investment advisor you will inevitably be faced with the question at some stage of your career… “Will I chose PRIDE or will I chose PROFIT?” because in the property investment industry there are some very lucrative commissions that are on offer when a property transaction happens – particularly brand new property. At first gl...

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Is Australia really a good place to grow old?

You may have been pleasantly surprised earlier this month to read in the newspapers that “Australia ranks 14th out of 91 countries in a new index of the best and worst places to grow old, and which warns many nations are ill-prepared to deal with the old age time bomb.  In a rapidly greying world, the Global AgeWatch Index - the first of its kin...

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