The opportunity of property ownership

A nest, to lay your eggs, to raise your flock, keep them warm and protected?

What is property? And why are we so obsessed with owning something?

It boils down to belonging and place.

Let me explain.

Our ancestors came from a far away place. They felt belonging in their villages. Villages filled with family, friends who became brothers and sisters, because of the close proximity.

Then our ancestors dispersed for many reasons. Namely, to create a better life.

I have only just been reminded, after watching Aladdin (2019), one of my all time favourite Disney cartoons, they also fled their home countries for greater freedom. They foresaw the writing on the wall so to speak. Freedom from not being able to be unique. Freedom from not being able to be at the source of their own income. Freedom from a life of ongoing poverty. Freedom from NO opportunity.

The ones who came to Australia, also dispersed across Australia.

Ownership of property meant three things. One provide a home and stability for their large families, my dad was one of ten. Two influence the ability to be at the source of their own income, my dad worked from age 13 in the selling of products they made themselves from their home. Three belonging, knowing they now belonged to a community, my dad told me a tale of my grandfather saying hello to every single person who walked by him, I do this too unknowingly.

It wasn’t just the ownership of a home that was important or on the radar but also the ownership of a business and it’s premises. My grandfather pushed by my grandmother, saw the opportunity of a fish and chip shop and 3 bed home above. She not only pushed him to make sure they owned the shop and the home, when the time came to own the mixed business behind, she pushed for that too. So on two parallel streets our family was street front facing - one side fish and chips and the other a mixed business (aka a sandwich shop and convenience store). With the staircase between both shops leading to the family home. Between both shops was a tiny kitchen, a tiny dining room and sitting room. But leading to the fish and chip shop was a much bigger room, we used as a dining room for when we had big dinners. They would have called it the prep room when not converted for guests.

So I wonder where my obsession with real estate both residential and commercial comes from. My mum, my husband and myself all have our real estate sales license. We all at some point sold real estate but that’s not where our passion lies. Our passion lies in understanding what is truly important to a buyer and being able to navigate the current market to find a match. We get really obsessed with finding property that matches the buyers needs and wants. And we understand the process that a buyer goes through.

Here is the thing with property, you’ve got to be watching all the time. You’ve got to keep your finger on the pulse. What is really going on right now. There are many amazing properties coming on to the market now. Some are home accomodation based in areas that would have had high tourism traffic, some are hotels in regional locations, again impacted by the current situation, some are investment properties investors letting their assets go, with a perceived threat of cutting their losses while they’re ahead.

The thing with any investment is you have to take the long view. Just as my grandparents did they never intended on selling. My heart broke when the house and businesses sold but I wasn’t old enough nor influential enough to be able to say a thing. For if anyone wanted to keep it, they would need to work it. I didn’t even live in Sydney at that stage. I lived in Darwin/Brisbane.

That sale represented more than just a sale to me. It was to me a letting go of everything my grandparents and their children built. But I soon realised the memories and moments are still with us.

I continue to look for opportunities. I never tire of looking at what’s possible.

There was a hotel with a residence and train carriages. There was a cafe overlooking a tourist location. Imagine being able to produce an income in the middle of covid-19? These are obviously the businesses that we’re impacted.

But we have a bigger lens as we combine both our learning of online business mastery with the opportunity of a freehold bricks and mortar.

It still got us to thinking why are we so obsessed?

This time it’s not just for any home but a home that can accomodate our “village” (our big family).

This time it’s not just for any business but a freehold business where food is still a major income driver.

So why bricks and mortar? Because you can touch and feel it and why food? Because our ancestors used to say you can never go wrong with food, because people will always need to eat.

Well they were spot on.

Owning property and investment properties is opportunity in and of itself. My mum started her first home ownership journey with just $2.5k in 1985 when interest rates were sky high. I was 21 when I bought and borrowed for my first home.

Since then, together, we have learnt a lot about the pitfalls of property and conversely the opportunity of property. Together we have bought and sold many times. We have supported family and friends through this process including the borrowing process. Sometimes knowing what to expect helps you sleep better at night. So watch this space for how we will arrive a way to help others. The purpose is to give the buyer confidence they otherwise wouldn’t have for a process that can be very daunting.

​Owning property is not in and of itself the goal anymore, it used to be. Now it's about having a financial strategy that matches our inner purpose and external goals.