Empower Blog Research

Smart Decisions Boil Down to Smart Numbers

Who knows what a correlation coefficient measurement is? Answer: A very sophisticated measure that determines the degree to which two random linear variables movements are associated. The correlation coefficient is calculated as: The calculation will result in a figure between -1 or +1.  A zero result indicates no linear relationship ...

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Why are people so scared of auctions?

It’s true. Melbournians are scared of auctions. For some, the very idea of an auction sends adrenaline rushing, but for others it throws a great property listing onto the scrapheap before they have even seen it in real life. We constantly field questions about auctions and introduce ideas for clients to combat some of their auction concerns. ...

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What makes a Buyer’s Market become a Seller’s market?

Without doubt, the defining aspect of 2011 for us was the rapid swing of the Melbourne Seller's market to a Buyer's market. To explain this, cast your mind back to 2009 when, after the full impact of the GFC first hit Australia, our government and RBA instigated some immediate moves to aid buoyancy in our market. We had one-off stimulus cheques ...

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Predictability in an Unpredictable Time

How does that saying go…"Change is the only certainty in our world”.  It’s true, all things change, some quicker than others, but over time change is inevitable. When you put your investor’s hat on the same thing rings true. Markets are constantly changing.  Investments that were nice earners over the past few years might now be stagna...

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Can You Compete and Beat the Best?

Did you stay up and watch that Epic men’s final of the Australian Open between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal?  WOW, what a match!  I confess I only watch it up until around midnight when the rain delay hit, as yes I needed to go to work in the morning. In watching that match it staggered me just how two men can hit the ball so hard and so ...

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Reflection a Powerful Learning tool

Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back in time…… We’d all be wiser and wealthier for the experience, especially if we could take back those lotto numbers with us! Of course the reality is that we can’t. So what can we do? You need to learn from past events and be wiser from that experience moving forward. When it comes to property and...

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Reducing the ‘Fear Factor’ in Property Investing (Part Two)

As a Buyer’s Advocate, I get asked all kinds of property related questions. People lean on my expertise and experience for all manner of things.  One of the most common questions I get asked is about the value of any given property. People like to know whether they are paying too much, offering too little, considering selling for the right figur...

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Population Growth = Value Growth? – NOT ALWAYS

At our final Property Wealth Forum event for 2011, my team and I busted a dozen myths about what drives property values. One of the biggest myths we busted centred around the view that if you get population growth you will naturally get growth in property prices.  Not entirely true - let me explain. Population is seen as a demand driver of value,...

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How do you Get Started?

In the previous Newsletter, we looked at the first step in Money Planning  -  knowing where you are now  -  and outlined the sort of information that you would need to collect to be able to prepare a picture of your current financial position. But that’s only the beginning - your financial position will be constantly changing over time, and ...

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Property — Everyone is an Expert

You have just been off to see your GP who diagnosed a problem, so you’ve being referred to a specialist who’s going to help you.  You agree without any hesitation as you want to get back to full health. You tell a few people about your situation and they provide support and the odd person some advice, but you know inside you are going to li...

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Want Advice or an Opinion?

When it comes to property investing, everyone has an opinion on what makes a good property investment. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we know so many people who have made a property purchase and I suppose it’s the fact that once they have experienced it, they know a bit about the topic and are happy ...

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Your Call to Choose a Wealth Road less Travelled

Our minds are an amazing tool and mysterious in the way in which they operate.  They allow us to understand and size up risks pretty much every moment in our lives, from driving motorcars to jumping out of perfectly good aircrafts.  With each of us having our own individual mindset to determine what risks we plan to take in life every day. Rem...

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Timing Your Purchase?

A lot of commentary, opinion and theories go into the ‘melting pot’ when it comes to the ‘TIMING’ of purchasing any investment asset and this is no different when it comes timing the purchase of a Residential Property, whether for owner occupier or investment.  There are those that will put a call out there ‘Now’s the time’ and those...

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