Regional markets weather storm
As data starts to become available, the impact of the property market changes is becoming clearer by the day, and the story the data is telling us is not what we expected. The Greater Geelong property market is proving to be quite resilient, and across many suburbs we have seen price growth. But it has […]
The redevelopment of Market Square can help fix crime
OVER the last few months, a building that I have been renovating in the Geelong CBD has been broken into several times. On one particular night, we had three separate attempts from different people in one evening. As reported in local and statewide media, Pakington Street in Geelong West has also been subject to several […]
Jim’s budget blunder
It has now been 75 days since Jim’s budget blunder, and the changes to the property market have been significant. At first, it was like the whole market was dumbstruck, paralysed, and then slowly, it got back up off the floor and started moving again. Yes, it’s different, but we have not fallen off a […]
Will November bring a fresh start?
I was interested to hear that the Liberal Party nominated some strong candidates for the Geelong region in the last week ahead of the November state election: Andy Pobjoy (of Piano Bar fame) for the Geelong seat and Libby Pettit (fashion designer) for the South Barwon seat. A number of strong candidates have also put […]
The impact of tax changes on the state of play
Now that Labor’s housing tax bill has passed, it is time to take stock of where the market sits and what is really happening on the ground in our region. To find a baseline, I chose the first weekend in February, when the sun was out and our region was at its best. Kids were […]
What causes a recession?
HIGH interest rates, falling consumer confidence, housing market downturns, high inflation and lastly rising unemployment. Any guesses as to how we are tracking on these? Not great! When the foundations of good governance deteriorate, the risk of recession rises rapidly. The recent housing and taxation reforms are an example of poor governance, tacked on to […]
Post budget blues hit property market
THE reaction to the federal budget across our local property sector has been instant and stark. I have spent a few days ringing around agents in all areas of Geelong to get a handle on what’s happening on the ground and here is a chilling snapshot. Across our affordable-value markets (under $900k), pre-budget they were […]
Are we losing what makes us great?
There is much debate right now about the recent federal Labor government’s tax reforms. Many of us are just starting to understand the implications, digesting all the information and navigating conflicting opinions. Because of the complexity, many of us simply stick our heads in the sand – the great Australian way of thinking: she’ll be […]
Some pain, but the opportunity for gain
The property market is reactive but not very liquid, as selling a property takes time. Unlike the stock market, it avoids reactive pressures and short selling. PRP research shows inner Geelong properties sell in an average of 31 days. Affordable suburbs like St Albans Park sell within 18 days, Whittington in two, and Newcomb in 23. […]
El Niño is coming – and we must act now
The business world has grown quiet. Many are worried. The latter half of 2026 is shaping up to be significant – not just because of the November state election, Iran or the Strait of Hormuz. It’s more worrying – El Niño is on the way. Forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) suggest a transition […]