The Property Trio (formerly The Property Planner, Buyer and Professor)

This week, Cate and Dave answer a thoughtful listener question from Scott, who is approaching retirement with five investment properties, positive cash flow and a big decision to make.

Should he borrow to buy a $500,000 Melbourne apartment, or focus on preserving wealth?

Dave explores retirement planning, portfolio purpose, debt and cash flow, while Cate examines whether Melbourne's affordable apartments and units could benefit from changing investor behaviour following the recent negative gearing reforms. T

hey also discuss investment-grade apartment selection, owner's corporation costs, and long-term capital growth prospects. This is a practical conversation for investors planning their next chapter.

The Property Trio is: 

David Johnston, Mortgage Broker - Managing Director of Property Planning Australia https://propertyplanning.com.au/  

Cate Bakos, Buyers Advocate - Managing Director of Cate Bakos Property https://www.catebakos.com.au/  

Mike Mortlock, Quantity Surveyor - Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors https://www.mcgqs.com.au/  

📩 Got a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it through https://www.propertytrio.com.au/contact-us/  

Shownotes:
https://www.propertytrio.com.au/2026/07/20/the-retirement-countdown/

June's market update reveals a property market adjusting to powerful policy changes. The Trio unpack slowing momentum across every capital city, the combined impact of Budget Night tax reforms and three consecutive interest rate rises, and why cautious buyers and retreating investors are reshaping the landscape.

Tight vacancy rates and rental growth continue to pose a threat to renters, with gross rental yields continuing to climb.

The Trio explore whether Spring will deliver a larger volume of stock, and if so, will sentiment improve in time? Or could supply outpace demand? These are interesting times...

The Property Trio is: 

David Johnston, Mortgage Broker - Managing Director of Property Planning Australia https://propertyplanning.com.au/  

Cate Bakos, Buyers Advocate - Managing Director of Cate Bakos Property https://www.catebakos.com.au/  

Mike Mortlock, Quantity Surveyor - Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors https://www.mcgqs.com.au/  

📩 Got a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it through https://www.propertytrio.com.au/contact-us/  

Shownotes: https://www.propertytrio.com.au/2026/07/13/ep-370-june-2026-market-update/

Australia's negative gearing changes have created an important opportunity for existing homeowners that many people have overlooked. In this episode, Cate, Dave and Mike explain how grandfathering rules could allow eligible homeowners to retain negative gearing benefits if they later convert their home into an investment property.

The trio explores why mortgage structure matters, the strategic use of interest-only lending and offset accounts, and how repayment choices made today can influence future tax outcomes. They also discuss upgrade-and-retain strategies, rentvesting, cash flow management and the importance of seeking advice before making property or lending decisions.

The Property Trio is: 

David Johnston, Mortgage Broker - Managing Director of Property Planning Australia https://propertyplanning.com.au/  

Cate Bakos, Buyers Advocate - Managing Director of Cate Bakos Property https://www.catebakos.com.au/  

Mike Mortlock, Quantity Surveyor - Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors https://www.mcgqs.com.au/  

📩 Got a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it through https://www.propertytrio.com.au/contact-us/  

Shownotes: https://www.propertytrio.com.au/2026/07/06/a-negative-gearing-option-open-to-millions/

The latest research from the Reserve Bank of Australia offers a fascinating snapshot of who really owns Australia's investment properties, and it challenges many common assumptions.

Cate Bakos and Mike Mortlock unpack the data, revealing that most investors own just one property, while only a small minority build large portfolios. They explore what an ageing investor population, borrowing capacity, leverage and proposed tax changes could mean for the future of housing and rental supply.

This episode offers a balanced, evidence-based discussion that cuts through the headlines to explain what the numbers really tell us about Australia's property investors and the housing market.

The Property Trio is: 

David Johnston, Mortgage Broker - Managing Director of Property Planning Australia https://propertyplanning.com.au/  

Cate Bakos, Buyers Advocate - Managing Director of Cate Bakos Property https://www.catebakos.com.au/  

Mike Mortlock, Quantity Surveyor - Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors https://www.mcgqs.com.au/  

📩 Got a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it through https://www.propertytrio.com.au/contact-us/  

Shownotes: https://www.propertytrio.com.au/2026/06/29/what-the-rba-data-reveals-about-australias-rental-market/

This week, The Trio answer a fascinating listener question from Tom, who has built a $12 million property portfolio and is now facing a different challenge: where should future capital go?

Cate and Mike discuss the shift from accumulation to optimisation, comparing property, shares and superannuation as wealth-building tools. They explore the role of leverage, debt reduction and how age and working horizons influence risk. The episode also examines the hidden costs of large interstate portfolios, the increasing workload that comes with mature assets, and why simplicity becomes more valuable as retirement approaches.

Plus, Cate reveals what she'd analyse first before making the next move.

The Property Trio is: 

David Johnston, Mortgage Broker - Managing Director of Property Planning Australia https://propertyplanning.com.au/  

Cate Bakos, Buyers Advocate - Managing Director of Cate Bakos Property https://www.catebakos.com.au/  

Mike Mortlock, Quantity Surveyor - Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors https://www.mcgqs.com.au/  

📩 Got a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it through https://www.propertytrio.com.au/contact-us/  

Shownotes: https://www.propertytrio.com.au/2026/06/22/wealth-building-balancing-act/