Property Investment Podcast Network

Another RBA rate hike is pushing mortgage repayments higher, but thousands of investors could be paying far more interest than they need to. Finni brokers Eva Loisance and Costa Arvanitopoulos reveal how SMSF investors can slash their repayments through refinancing, and how one simple change could save $61,000 over a decade and potentially add more than $300,000 to their retirement nest egg.
On this episode of Which Mortgage, host Alex Whitlock is joined by Finni brokers Eva Loisance and Costa Arvanitopoulos to unpack the latest RBA rate hike and how SMSF investors could save tens of thousands of dollars by refinancing.
Arvanitopoulos uses his own SMSF portfolio to show how investors could save thousands by refinancing. With SMSF loans typically attracting higher interest rates, he reveals how switching two loans from 7.9 and 7.7 per cent to 7.05 per cent could save $512 a month, or $61,440 over 10 years. Eva then explains how reinvesting those savings at an assumed 8 per cent annual return could add more than $300,000 to his retirement nest egg over 20 years.
The trio reveal why SMSF loans often go unchecked, how newer refinancing policies can simplify the process, and why borrowers with clean repayment histories could avoid a full reassessment.
They also examine where investors are buying, with Finni's data showing a 14 per cent jump in Victorian loan applications over 12 weeks, and why properties priced between $500,000 and $650,000 are attracting interest.
Finally, Loisance ranks her top three lenders, Granite, Macquarie, and Resimac, including a lender offering first home buyers a 5 per cent deposit option without lenders mortgage insurance.

Distressed property listings have surged 42 per cent, but Australians are quietly stockpiling billions in mortgage offsets. As another RBA rate hike squeezes borrowers, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the risks of bridging loans and parental guarantees in a falling market, and whether the government could be forced to backtrack on its controversial property tax reforms.
On this episode of Property Buzz, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack Australia's cooling property market, with national listings up 19.3 per cent, distressed listings climbing 42.3 per cent and another rate hike putting borrowers under pressure.
The pair examine a 168 per cent jump in bridging loan submissions and the risks of buying before selling in a falling market. They also warn about the hidden dangers of parental guarantees, negative equity and commercial property margin calls, and why investors need to understand their exposure.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Garman reveals that Westpac's mortgage offset balances have climbed from $71 billion to $81 billion in just 12 months, with National Australia Bank (NAB) reporting a similar trend. Are Australians preparing for a recession, or stockpiling cash for their next investment?
The hosts also challenge the popular 18.6-year property cycle theory, questioning whether its apparent accuracy is simply coincidence, and debate whether the government will be forced to wind back its self-managed super fund (SMSF) lending restrictions and negative gearing reforms.
Finally, it's listener questions, with the pair tackling debt recycling, the impact of falling property transactions on government tax revenue, and when investors should consider selling rather than continuing to fund a struggling portfolio.

Before the budget, about half of Kev Tran's new clients were first-time investors. Now most already own two or more properties. Experienced investors with equity and buffers are moving while others wait for the all-clear, and the gap is widening. Tran breaks down four very different plays for four kinds of investors, and why waiting for certainty can leave you six months behind.
On this episode of The Smart Property Investment Show, editor Liam Garman sits down with Kev Tran of KTG Property Advisory to unpack why the post-Budget market is splitting buyers in two: those who are acting, and those who are waiting.
Tran says the mood is squeezed and confidence is low, yet his seasoned clients see opportunity in a softer market. His first rule is to review your portfolio before you look at a single property: rates, equity, loan-to-value ratios, holding costs, and buffers. For some, that review ends with a clear "hold off".
For those who are ready, Tran breaks down four plays for four kinds of investors, with real deals:
Tighter budget or cash flow: Melbourne's brick walk-ups, where Tran shares an example of a recent Thornbury apartment and Pascoe Vale villa, plus the due diligence watch-outs on roofs, levies, and insurance.
A bigger budget: a Narre Warren house bought for less than a comparable vacant block nearby, with granny flat upside.
Regional: Victorian houses yielding around 5 per cent gross.
An established portfolio: why he's cautious on commercial if you're not ready – but for those who are, he shares the example of an industrial unit he bought at a 6.7 per cent net yield.
If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

Residential investors can wait for the market to do the hard work. Commercial investors who want growth usually have to build it themselves. Victor Kumar reveals the levers that lift a property's value and how recovering a few thousand dollars in outgoings can add six figures to a valuation.

Buying a commercial property is the start. What you do next shapes its value. In Part 5 of the Post Budget Guide to Commercial Property Investing, Phil Tarrant and Victor Kumar of Right Property Group ask how you actively improve a property's income and value once you own it.

Victor breaks down why commercial value is a function of its income, and how rent, lease length, tenant quality, recoverable outgoings, and vacancy can each move a valuation. They run through the strategies behind improving a commercial valuation: buying dependable income and holding, restructuring leases, repositioning the tenant mix, upgrading the building, and subdividing without disturbing a single tenant.

They then analyse why not every value-add plan can be delivered. Victor explains how a lease can block an upgrade or a change of use, using his own St Kilda Road office, where a tenant has kept renewing for seven years and stopped him from adding a second lettable space.

The pair also look at owner-occupier and SMSF strategies, including how renting a property back to your own fund can affect its value, and why the rent needs to stay at market value.

Finally, they look at how to build a portfolio around it all: one big asset or several smaller ones, spreading risk across tenants, industries and locations, and balancing commercial with residential and income with growth.

As higher interest rates squeeze borrowing power, non-major lenders are becoming more competitive than ever. Arjun Paliwal and Jack Fouracre explain why lending policies matter more than rates and the strategies investors can use to stay ahead.
On this episode of The Property Nerds podcast, InvestorKit's Arjun Paliwal and Fouracre Financial's Jack Fouracre unpack what the latest rate rise means for investors: from repayments to borrowing capacity, and why the action is shifting to third-tier and non-bank lenders.
Fouracre says that while borrowing power has reduced by 2 to 3 per cent, falling investor lending has sparked a price war among non-major banks. The pair explain why the right policy, such as longer loan terms and extended interest-only periods, can unlock more lending than a sharper rate.
They also examine whether pre-approvals can protect investors against further rate rises, with some lenders offering six-month approvals and locking in assessment rates even if interest rates increase.

Finally, Paliwal reveals why the coming months could present a buying opportunity for investors, as softer property prices lift rental yields, fewer buyers attend open homes, and increased listings give purchasers greater negotiating power.