Insider Tips to Help You Discover How to Succeed with Commercial Property
THERE WAS an article in The Age last Saturday (BusinessDay) — which provided some fascinating insights into Australia’s retail scene.
Based upon GPT’s national portfolio, some interesting long-term trends are taking shape. And while GPT’s overall earnings actually rose by 7% over the past year … it required a fair amount of “fancy footwork” to achieve that. [Read more…]
AS YOU WILL appreciate, being able to sleep at night is one of the key objectives for any Commercial property investor.
And that’s what many property investors refer to as staying below your “Threshold of Insomnia”.
There can be several things that might cause you to lose sleep. One is over-borrowing; and the others are making a poor assessment of the market and the property itself. [Read more…]
IN CASE you missed the lead story in last Friday’s Financial Review … the Treasury secretary (Martin Parkinson) was outspokenly critical of the government’s recent handouts to the car industry.
And more particularly, given the recent strong growth in the unemployment figures.
In his view, taxpayers ought not be subsidising so-called “strategic industries” — when these represent inevitable structural changes, which need to occur in order to make Australia more productive in the long-term. [Read more…]
LAST WEEK, the Property Council of Australia released its Office Space survey, for the 6 months to January 2012. And this will have some interesting implications for the Commercial property market.
Across the 26 markets depicted in this chart … demand was up 20% up and supply 30% down, on the 20-year average for the six-monthly period.
As you can see, total vacancies fell from 9.0% to 7.9% — the lowest since January 2009. And perhaps a quick summary of the CBD Office markets would be worthwhile. [Read more…]
THE GENERAL consensus seems to be that the RBA will further reduce rates by 25 basis points. But can this view be fully justified; and what does all this mean for Commercial property investors?
Most pundits would point to the recent CPI figures and say “Yes”! And on the surface, an underlying inflation rate of 2.5% per annum is plumb in the middle of the RBA’s stated target zone.
Yet despite what seems to be a rather hesitant mood by consumers, inflation in the service sector actually surged by massive 4.4% per annum. And some other sectors (not affected by overseas competition) also finished the year strongly, growing by 3.9% per annum. [Read more…]
THE LAST quarter of 2011 saw a definite improvement in the US economy — with consumer spending up, and companies finally replenishing their inventories.
GDP increased by an annualised 3%, with improved sales for durable goods and new homes.
Petrol prices have been cheaper, since mid-2011; and the US jobless rate was the lowest in nearly 3 years.
Therefore, with improved employment figures, consumers have felt more comfortable spending — which represents around 70% of US economic activity. [Read more…]
EVERY capital city has both a CBD and suburban Office market. And as you can appreciate, keeping tabs on all the various suburban markets is almost an impossible task for most investors.
But generally speaking, the health (or otherwise) of the CBD Office markets within each capital city will provide you with a fairly good gauge of the overall Office scene around Australia.
Accordingly, this graph will provide you with a clear picture of what has occurred over the past 4 years.
As a rule of thumb, Office markets are said to the “in balance”, when their Vacancy Rate lies between 5% and 7%. [Read more…]
WILL COMMERCIAL property investors and businesses be starved of ready funds during 2012?
The banks seemed to be protesting about the increased cost of offshore borrowing. And using that as their excuse for not wanting to pass on any future RBA rate reductions in full.
But are they really telling you the whole truth? [Read more…]
You cannot go anywhere nowadays, without somebody offering you their advice about Commercial property.
And it’s hard to know whether they are giving you good information, or just passing on ideas they have picked up on from rather dubious sources.
But once you understand that Commercial property and Residential property completely different, you then begin to understand how the commercial market actually works.
That’s why these articles are intended to give you the real information — to help you become an expert on the subject.
So let’s start with doing homework properly. [Read more…]
At last Friday’s AGM, Mike Smith told the ANZ shareholders he was optimistic about the Australian economy … due to its proximity to fast-growing Asia.
In China, the economy grew at 9% over the year. And while many commentators talk about the risks to growth in China, I have been there regularly this year and I am confident about the ability of the Chinese government to manage inflationary pressures and managed the shift from export-led growth, to growth based on more internal demand. [Read more…]
ALL YOU need is a sprinkling of confidence … with an understanding that things are not as bad as you read in many newspapers.
For some time now, I have been trying to explain how the underlying fundamentals for Australia’s economy and Commercial property are strong.
And a recent AFR headline Recruitment boom bucks the trend (9 Dec 2011, page 41) now confirms that our major law firms are “in the midst of a hiring spree”.
However, if you still need some more convincing of Australia’s well-being, just take a look at these two graphs. [Read more…]
WITH EVERY NEGOTIATION, you always need to be thinking on your feet. And here are several simple Tips to help you do just that.
WHEN YOU EMBARK on your journey as a property investor, it can be overwhelming – with a flood of information and diverse opinions. To help simplify the process, here are five essential tips for new (and seasoned) investors.
IT DOES NOT MATTER whether you’re an investor or an owner-occupier, there are several important factors to consider when purchasing a commercial property to ensure you make the right choice.
In a previous article, I shared a handy App to assist you in shortlisting potential properties. If you haven’t already downloaded it, simply click on the HiReturn Filter over on the right, to install it on your tablet or mobile device.
THERE IS A BELIEF among many experts that a surge in the stock market typically precedes a recovery in the commercial property market by about six months. And the start of this year saw equity markets gaining some momentum.
I HAVE BEEN ASKED countless times about the secrets to a successful negotiation. And I want to share with you the key elements to help make your negotiations effective.
But first, just watch this short video to gain a quick understanding of these three essential elements that form the foundation of every negotiation.
If you’re new to investing, you might be wondering if it’s possible to manage your own commercial property. The short answer is “yes”, but only if you know what you’re doing.
It’s important to note that owning a commercial property comes with certain legal responsibilities, particularly when it comes to compliance with Essential Services requirements under current Building Regulations.
The current trends in the business have made it clear that office landlords have to cater to the needs and preferences of their tenants. Building owners and managers (who understand and meet these demands) will be able to command higher rents and reduce vacancy rates.
To expand on this, here are four key tips to help attract quality tenants.
