Insights & Resources

Investment Insights

Expert analysis, market trends, and practical advice for property investors

2022

5 articles
I'm a Buyer's Agent. My Own Home Cost $700K and Returns $1,300 a Week.
Joey DonProperty Management

I'm a Buyer's Agent. My Own Home Cost $700K and Returns $1,300 a Week.

Everyone asks what kind of mansion a buyer's agent lives in. The answer disappointed them — until they saw the rental projections. A 3-bed, 2-bath in Narre Warren South that I bought for just over $60

May 511 min read
I Stopped Listening to Everyone Around Me. Then My Portfolio Exploded.
Joey DonMarket Analysis

I Stopped Listening to Everyone Around Me. Then My Portfolio Exploded.

The hardest thing I ever did in property wasn't negotiating a $40K discount or managing a nightmare tenant. It was telling my family to stop giving me investment advice. That single decision changed e

Apr 510 min read
BRRR in Melbourne: I Bought Three Houses This Year Using the Same Recycled Deposit
Joey DonScam / Warning

BRRR in Melbourne: I Bought Three Houses This Year Using the Same Recycled Deposit

Buy. Rehab. Rent. Refinance. Repeat. The strategy sounds almost too clean on paper. But I did it three times this year with real money, real properties, and real tenants paying real rent.

Mar 612 min read
What a Year of Cold Calls Taught Me About Property Negotiation
Joey DonInvestment Strategy

What a Year of Cold Calls Taught Me About Property Negotiation

I left a comfortable IT career to become a buyer's agent. The first year nearly broke me. But the sales lessons I learned transformed how I negotiate property deals for clients.

Feb 410 min read
90% of Property Advice Online Is Noise. Here's How I Filter the Signal.
Yan ZhuFinance & Tax

90% of Property Advice Online Is Noise. Here's How I Filter the Signal.

My mum nags me about a dozen things every day. None of it is useful. But the moment she says 'dinner's ready,' I move. That's signal versus noise — and the same principle separates good property decis

Jan 510 min read

2021

12 articles
She Had $700K and Everyone Said Buy an Apartment. We Found a 700sqm House Returning $810 a Week.
Yan ZhuSuburb Analysis

She Had $700K and Everyone Said Buy an Apartment. We Found a 700sqm House Returning $810 a Week.

Fish was a food blogger with a $700K budget. Every agent pointed her toward apartments. We bought her a 700-square-metre corner block, renovated the layout for dual tenancy, and she's now collecting $

Dec 611 min read
Melbourne's Crime Headlines Are Ugly. Here's What They Actually Mean for Property Investors.
Joey DonGuides

Melbourne's Crime Headlines Are Ugly. Here's What They Actually Mean for Property Investors.

A friend in Kew sold his house within a week of a stabbing 300 metres from his front door. I get it — safety is visceral. But panic-selling based on headlines is one of the most expensive mistakes a p

Nov 611 min read
I Invest in Both Stocks and Property. Here's When Each One Wins.
Yan ZhuRenovation & Development

I Invest in Both Stocks and Property. Here's When Each One Wins.

Stocks or property? It's the wrong question. The right question is: which one first, and when do you switch? I invest in both. Here's the complete comparison — with actual numbers, not vibes.

Oct 712 min read
We Bought a House for $850K, Sold the Back Yard for $417K, and Kept a $600/Week Rental.
Yan ZhuProperty Management

We Bought a House for $850K, Sold the Back Yard for $417K, and Kept a $600/Week Rental.

The client paid $850,000 for a 750-square-metre house. The rear 278 square metres alone is worth $417,000. After selling the back yard, the effective cost of the house drops to $433,000 — renting at $

Sep 711 min read
He Spent $800K of Superannuation on the Wrong Property. Here's Every Mistake He Made.
Joey DonMarket Analysis

He Spent $800K of Superannuation on the Wrong Property. Here's Every Mistake He Made.

He thought 600 square metres was enough for development. It wasn't. He put the property in his SMSF without understanding the restrictions. Then he planned renovations that would have triggered penalt

Aug 811 min read
I Used an AI Architect to Design a Subdivision. The Result Was Surprisingly Useful.
Yan ZhuScam / Warning

I Used an AI Architect to Design a Subdivision. The Result Was Surprisingly Useful.

I fed a Cranbourne land parcel into an AI architecture tool and asked it to design the maximum number of compliant residential units. Six seconds later, I had a rendered concept. Is it ready to replac

Jul 910 min read
I Nearly Became an Actuary. It Taught Me the Only Property Rule That Matters.
Yan ZhuInvestment Strategy

I Nearly Became an Actuary. It Taught Me the Only Property Rule That Matters.

Two hundred students entered Melbourne University's actuarial program with me. Fewer than ten made it through. The survivors learned one thing above all else: build in a safety margin for everything.

Jun 910 min read
How I Score Melbourne Suburbs Before Buying a Single Property
Yan ZhuFinance & Tax

How I Score Melbourne Suburbs Before Buying a Single Property

Most investors pick suburbs the way they pick restaurants — word of mouth, gut feeling, maybe a quick Google. I built a scoring framework instead. Some of the results will make you uncomfortable.

May 1011 min read
Victoria's Interstate Migration Just Reversed. Here's What That Means for Property.
Yan ZhuSuburb Analysis

Victoria's Interstate Migration Just Reversed. Here's What That Means for Property.

Every other state in Australia shows the same boring pattern — consistent population inflow or consistent outflow. Victoria just did something none of them have done. The migration trend reversed. In

Apr 1010 min read
Regional Towns vs Capital Cities: I've Done the Maths Over 40 Years
Yan ZhuGuides

Regional Towns vs Capital Cities: I've Done the Maths Over 40 Years

Everyone and their cousin started buying regional property during the pandemic. The returns looked incredible. Two years later, a lot of those same people are quietly trying to sell. Here's why the 40

Mar 1111 min read
The Hidden Indicator That Predicts When a Melbourne Suburb Stops Growing
Yan ZhuRenovation & Development

The Hidden Indicator That Predicts When a Melbourne Suburb Stops Growing

There's an indicator I track that almost nobody talks about. When it rises in a suburb, property prices slow down. When it maxes out, growth stops entirely. It's the unit-to-house ratio, and it just t

Feb 910 min read
A $5 Million Property Got Split in a Divorce. A Family Trust Would Have Prevented It.
Yan ZhuProperty Management

A $5 Million Property Got Split in a Divorce. A Family Trust Would Have Prevented It.

One of my clients spent $5 million on a property for her daughter. The marriage lasted under two years. The ex-husband walked away with half. A $2,000 family trust would have prevented the entire disa

Jan 1011 min read

2020

7 articles
What Ten Years of Work Taught Me About Property, People, and Building Something Real
Joey DonMarket Analysis

What Ten Years of Work Taught Me About Property, People, and Building Something Real

I left a blockchain company where I grew a department from 5 to 25 people and generated $1.7 million USD in revenue. My boss thought I was crazy. Three years later, I still help him land deals. That a

Dec 1110 min read
Stop Making Excuses for Bad Property. These Red Flags Mean Walk Away.
Joey DonScam / Warning

Stop Making Excuses for Bad Property. These Red Flags Mean Walk Away.

I don't care how good the location is. I don't care that your mate's cousin made a fortune on the next street. If the property has structural issues and the vendor is deflecting, you run. Not walk. Ru

Nov 1112 min read
Victoria's New Commercial Property Tax Is the Biggest Reform in Decades. Here's What It Actually Means.
Joey DonInvestment Strategy

Victoria's New Commercial Property Tax Is the Biggest Reform in Decades. Here's What It Actually Means.

The Victorian government just announced the biggest change to commercial property taxation in decades. CIPT replaces stamp duty with an annual tax. Sounds good on paper. The reality is more complicate

Oct 1210 min read
He Earns $80K a Year and Bought 17 Properties in 12 Months. I Broke Down Exactly How.
Yan ZhuFinance & Tax

He Earns $80K a Year and Bought 17 Properties in 12 Months. I Broke Down Exactly How.

A Hugo Boss sales assistant earning $80,000 a year just bought 17 properties in a single year. His total portfolio sits at 38 houses. Before you call it impossible, let me walk through the mechanics —

Sep 1211 min read
How I Use Google Maps to Eliminate 70% of Properties Before Leaving My Desk
Yan ZhuSuburb Analysis

How I Use Google Maps to Eliminate 70% of Properties Before Leaving My Desk

Last weekend I watched a family drive to four open inspections across Melbourne's southeast. Three of the four properties had deal-killing issues visible on Google Maps. They could have saved five hou

Aug 1311 min read
A Developer Just Banned the Inspector Who Catches Defects. That Tells You Everything.
Yan ZhuGuides

A Developer Just Banned the Inspector Who Catches Defects. That Tells You Everything.

An Australian developer literally put a clause in their sales contract banning a specific building inspection company. That company's offence? Having one million followers and a reputation for finding

Jul 1410 min read
Your Interstate Buyer's Agent Isn't Inspecting Properties. Here's What They're Actually Doing.
Yan ZhuRenovation & Development

Your Interstate Buyer's Agent Isn't Inspecting Properties. Here's What They're Actually Doing.

An interstate buyer's agent rang me last month asking about a property in Cranbourne. He'd never been to Cranbourne. He was going to 'inspect' it via video sent by the selling agent. The selling agent

Jun 1411 min read

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