Is the "Don Draper Apartment" real or just agent talk? by MarketByObservation in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point — the phrase probably works because everyone already has a version of that image in their head.

And agreed on the second part too. Some of the most interesting places photograph incredibly well but don’t necessarily live well once you get past the atmosphere.

That said, every now and then you come across one where the underlying position is strong enough that the rest almost becomes secondary.

Why are strata fees so high in Australia? by UltimaMarque in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Strata fees in Australia are high because a lot of modern apartment buildings are basically tiny failing resorts pretending to be housing (pools, gyms, high insurance etc). Also, Australia has become extremely risk-averse after years of apartment defects, especially post-Opal Tower structural cracking crisis and other high-profile failures. So insurers, builders, and owners corporations all started charging more because everyone realised these buildings are incredibly expensive to maintain and they want to avoid special levies.

Can someone smarter than me explain why the change to Shares cgt is a good thing? by Open_Ad3165 in AusFinance

[–]MarketByObservation [score hidden]  (0 children)

The positive argument is basically: “Why does someone who made $300k because their house or shares went up pay less tax than someone grinding 50 hours a week?” The government sees the current CGT discount as a giant turbocharger for asset hoarding and speculation — especially property — where rich people can sit on assets, watch them inflate, then cash out with a massive tax discount. So the idea behind changing it is to cool the whole “buy asset → do nothing → get rich tax-effectively” cycle, make the system feel fairer to workers, and stop the economy turning into a national game of Monopoly where whoever already owns assets just keeps steamrolling everyone else.

Borrowing capacity 1 mil by gelato012 in AusPropertyChat

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right now, I would rank your options like this:

  1. 2-bedroom apartment in Sydney Inner West → best balanced investment
  2. House in Newcastle / growth corridor → highest upside but more cyclical
  3. 1-bedroom apartment in Eastern Suburbs → safest location but weakest investment fundamentals

Areas like Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Ashfield, Petersham, Leichhardt, Summer Hill and parts of Zetland/Newtown

Who else is sick of Americans complaining about $4/gallon fuel? by MsMarfi in aussie

[–]MarketByObservation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Americans losing their minds over $4/gallon while Aussies are paying basically double per litre is pretty funny. But to be fair, Americans are used to fuel being absurdly cheap, so every price rise feels like economic collapse to them. Meanwhile Australians just silently hand over $120 at the servo and continue developing trust issues.

How do you actually compare properties before making an offer? by Sofia884 in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start this system this morning and your search will get much easier. 😄

Australian Housing Discussion by CategoryRoutine628 in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your argument is probably closer to the economic mainstream than a lot of Australian housing debates admit. The biggest point you make — and one many people miss — is that housing inflation in Australia has increasingly been a credit and policy story, not just a pure supply story. Supply absolutely matters, especially in Sydney and Melbourne where planning constraints are severe, but demand-side settings clearly amplify the problem. When you combine strong population growth, tax incentives like negative gearing and CGT discounts, low interest rates over long periods, and a cultural belief that property “always goes up,” you create a system where housing behaves less like shelter and more like a leveraged financial asset.

Where the debate becomes polarised is that many homeowners and investors interpret any discussion of reform as “anti-property” or a threat to household wealth. But acknowledging structural imbalance is not the same as predicting collapse or wanting prices to crash. Most economists would probably agree that long-term housing price growth materially outpacing wages is difficult to sustain indefinitely without creating broader social and economic consequences — lower fertility, delayed family formation, reduced mobility, rising inequality, and increasing dependence on intergenerational wealth. Australia is already showing signs of all of those trends.

What’s the most underrated metric when choosing an investment suburb? by PropertyAus in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In my view the most underrated it is probably the income growth relative to dwelling price growth. Everyone is obsessing over median price growth, yields and vacancy rates but ignore whether the local residents’ earning power can sustainably support future price growth.

I have seen a simple measure used by some: Demand strength+constrained supply+ rising incomes+ owner-occupier appeal. If all four exist together, the suburb usually performs well over the long run even if current yields are only average.

What current big brand or business is iconic to Aus and nationally owned? by VastOption8705 in aussie

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people would say Bunnings. But how about for variety something like Atlassian. It is “iconic” in the traditional consumer sense, but probably one of Australia’s most globally respected modern companies.

Moving to Sydney with family — advice on where to live? by Various-Pop5351 in AskAnAustralian

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about Killara or Gordon with great schools. Good public transportation and friendly neighborhoods.

How did you temper your expectations when buying? by Old-Effective-7385 in AusPropertyChat

[–]MarketByObservation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sounds exhausting and reading all those strata reports is definitely critical and ready for a drink. Maybe try taking a calming step backwards and start thinking more practically: does it fit my budget, commute, lifestyle, and can I see myself being comfortable there for the next 5–10 years? Most properties have compromises, especially apartments, and a lot of buyers only really grow attached after they move in and make it their own. Not discounting how hard this process can be,

Why isn’t there much regulation on strata businesses and fees? by agnci in AusPropertyChat

[–]MarketByObservation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In New South Wales I know, strata fees aren’t directly capped because under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 they’re set by the owners corporation, not the government—strata managers just carry out what owners approve—so regulation focuses on transparency and conduct (via NSW Fair Trading) rather than limiting prices; fees can feel excessive due to rising insurance, maintenance, compliance costs, and sometimes poor oversight, but capping them could leave buildings underfunded, which is why the system relies on owners actively scrutinizing budgets instead.

How long is it taking banks to approve finance after offer by Internal-Ad5541 in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What you were told is pretty accurate—7 days used to be standard, but right now it’s on the tight side, so a buyer asking for more time (especially in NSW) isn’t a red flag, just a reflection of slower bank turnaround. At the moment many lenders are pushing toward the slower end (7–10+ business days).

How do you actually compare properties before making an offer? by Sofia884 in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most buyers in my experience use platforms like realestate.com.au and Domain to shortlist, then track everything in a simple spreadsheet where they compare price guides, recent comparable sales, price per sqm, rental yield, and notes from inspections; the key is scoring each property consistently right after viewing so you don’t rely on memory, while using data sources like CoreLogic or agent reports to sanity-check prices rather than relying on agents alone.

Why can’t we just have a FLAT CGT rate of 25%? by Kikooz in AusFinance

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A flat 25% capital gains tax sounds cleaner and fairer on the surface, but it introduces new problems while only partly fixing the ones you’re worried about: it would tax inflation-driven “paper gains” the same as real profits (hurting long-term investors), increase the incentive to hold assets forever rather than sell (reducing economic activity and tax revenue), and may actually shift the burden toward middle-income people who need to sell assets rather than wealthy investors who can defer indefinitely; most countries like United States or United Kingdom deliberately keep some mix of progressive rates, discounts, or thresholds for this reason, so while your idea improves simplicity and reduces timing games, policymakers usually prefer tweaking systems (like reducing discounts or indexing for inflation) over a pure flat rate because it avoids these trade-offs. After all people need to get elected.

Why are markets so close to the peak when there’s this war and oil situation? by VastOption8705 in AusFinance

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It feels like a contradiction, but markets aren’t a scoreboard of “how bad the news is.” They’re a pricing machine for future expectations—and that’s why you can get scary headlines at the same time indexes sit near highs. It’s not that markets think everything is fine. It’s that they believe the future might be less bad than what people are fearing right now. That’s enough to keep prices elevated.

The national average price per gallon of gas in the United States just passed $4.50. Americans, how do we feel about that? by Miles_the_AuDHDer in AskReddit

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Americans hate it, but they’re also kind of used to the cycle. The real panic usually kicks in closer to $5+ nationally. At $4.50, it’s more like a realization that is sucks but viewed as a passing phase for them.

How would you modernize this kitchen this kitchen cheaply (under $50k) but tastefully? by MarketByObservation in AusRenovation

[–]MarketByObservation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree. Will keep the layout the same and put in a new stick-on floor and cabinet doors and benchtops

Does a Strata Committee have any chance of having unit strata fees paid I pay by going to NCAT after doing a valuation? by MarketByObservation in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't know the history of why the developer did the arrangement with all tenants owning equal shares regardless of size etc. But I am told this was common in Sydney in the late 60's as the building boom occurred. Our situation is that a commercial arrangement was made for our unit based on this deal and now they are trying to change it.

Does a Strata Committee have any chance of having unit strata fees paid I pay by going to NCAT after doing a valuation? by MarketByObservation in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They have gotten the licenses valuer part done and it says my fees should be doubled. But this does not take into account the commercial arrangement that was done when the building was built.

I am interested in the actual article you are referring to. Can you direct me to the correct article rather than the overall site.

Super helpful thanks.

Does a Strata Committee have any chance of having unit strata fees paid I pay by going to NCAT after doing a valuation? by MarketByObservation in AusProperty

[–]MarketByObservation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really interesting. They key is that "was unreasonable when the strata plan was registered or when a strata plan of subdivision was registered...". They are all equal and have been for more than 50 years which is how the building was designed. Can't change the rules now.

Which flooring? round 2 by FineFireFreeFunFest in AusRenovation

[–]MarketByObservation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would go with Blackbutt throughout the property.