After making it to the point where cash flow from rentals was enough to maintain our basic lifestyle I was able to semi retire from full time work. This availability of time meant I was able to further investigate the market.

I found again the worst house in the street, this was going to auction and was listed just before Christmas in 2024 with a guide price of $500 000, the suburb had a median of $610 000 at the time.

The opens I attended had very limited turn out which did surprise me, however with Auction being the sale type this can limit the available purchasers.

On Auction day I was the only registered bidder which put me in a great position, when the Auction began I made a bid of $350 000, I knew this would not be accepted but you never know.

The agent confirmed with the vendors representative and then came to me, the agent let me know the reserved was $590 000 and asked if I would pay that, I said no thanks and the maximum under Auction conditions I would pay was $500 000.

Three days after the auction I found out I had missed out on another property in Christie Downs and that the offer on that one was over $700 000.

I contacted the agent from Finian and said what was the minimum I had to pay, he came back to me with $530 000 and then I eventually signed at $550 000.

After a $12 000 investment into paint, carpet and a few other fix ups I was able to secure a 5% rental yield and had the property valued at $620 000 within 3 months.

This project was an off market purchase with three friends, we purchased the land after the previous property had burnt down. We immediately subdivided the land and listed the new blocks within 30 days.

This was in February 2020, and due to the uncertainty that followed we had very minimal enquiry for 4 months. when the government released their home builder grant we had 2 enquiries which we quickly which we jumped on.

We made a 5% return in 6 months, however had we known what was ahead for the property market this could have been much higher.

Having one property already on this road I had always observed that if the neighbouring property came up I would try to buy it.

In November 2018 this came up, and I jumped at the opportunity, we had a friend whose sister was struggling to get a rental property and so we lined her up immediately for the home.

The property had a frontage slightly below 18m which made it unattractive to developers, however my property next door had a frontage just over 18m so together they were very valuable.

Securing the property for $227 000 and quick tidy up with new flooring and a scrub clean it has kept a strong rental yield and grown in value 171% since purchase.

another future development site to be able put 3 new homes on in the future

This was a project I managed for my long time best friend, he had purchased a 820 SQM corner block in 2012 and had tenanted the property until it was no longer habitable due to cracking in the foundations.

I project managed a subdivision into 3 Torrens title blocks and designed 2, 4 bedroom homes and 1 3 bedroom home to maximise the useable land area. 

Completing selections, and managing the builder relationship as well as arranging retaining walls, fencing, paving my friend only had to sign where he was told to.

returning over 25% for my client and friend and selling in March 2020 this was a success. This required diligent management of funds, getting multiple quotes, engaging the right professionals and always asking more questions.

After selling the Emerson Drive property we felt it was time to think about our next owner occupier as my daughter was growing up and would be starting school in the coming years. 

We had a friend who had moved to Willunga and this town had always been a favourite of mine due to the community, lifestyle and history, and so we discussed this as our future home.

Never shying away from the worst house in the best street or properties that had been listed for a while I showed my wife this property, it had been on the market for around 60 days at this time and this was a long time for any Willunga property.

Every wall was red brick, inside and out, it was dark and the walls did not meet the ceiling so every room except the bathroom was connected.

I saw potential and a good way to get a new owner occupied home without breaking the bank.

I made a cash offer (without having the cash until the Emerson Drive property settled) at $10 000 below what the current owner paid for it and 10% below the price range.

After bit of back and forth and writing a long story as to why my offer was lower we were able to get the property $5 000 below what the previous owner had paid the property 4 years earlier.

We tenanted the property for 18 months before moving in in November 2019. In 2022 we completed an extension of 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and renovated the original home. 

The property now being valued twice our dollar value investment and bringing rental income from a self contained apartment.

The land for this property was subdivided from the Kingsbridge drive property and so had a base cost of around $45 000 after completing retaining walls, fencing and removal of trees and a shed.

I had observed that the area had a big desire for 4 bedroom homes but not a large desire for big backyards due to the fast paced lifestyle we live today. 

With some adjustments to plans I was able to build a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with second living area and large laundry.

Selling on the first weekend of inspections for above my asking price of $375 000 we were over the moon, this had returned almost 50% on our investment into the property and so was a very successful development in 2017 and early 2018.

This property was another off market transaction, it was on a corner and prior to my offer I had consulted with a town planner and surveyor to ensure I could complete a subdivision whilst retaining the original home.

I was able to subdivide a 302 SQM Torrens title block and retain the original dwelling and tenant.

After 7 years I decided there was only limited value this property could provide into the future so after the tenancy ended I spent around 10 days over 3 weeks installing a new kitchen, flooring and removing some of the older features such as a combustion heater. 

After a fresh coat of paint this property was a blank canvas for any first home buyer, downsizer or investor.

The property was listed and under contract in less than 10 days for an excellent price.

including the sub division above this site was able to return nearly $500 000 in 8 years, a very successful project.

My first off market purchase, after a successful ownership of 15 years, my stepmother was selling an investment property, I was able to secure this for the current market rate but with a slight saving as there was no agent commission to pay.

This property had a secure long term tenant with strong rental yield of 6.5% at the time of purchase. 

The zoning of the property meant the site could be split into four at the time so I felt this had good growth, the suburb was also at the bottom of the market so in my mind had only one direction to travel.

10 years on from the purchase it has retained its tenants and grown its rental return as well as capital growth in excess of 150%.

This will soon become a development site for 3 new properties to be held as rental properties long term. 

In early 2013 the South Australian State Government were providing an $8000 grant for anyone who bought or built a brand new home, after living in a renovation site for 18 months there was great appeal to live in a new home and Moana was a very happy place for me with walking distance to the beach. 

The owner of the left hand side had decided to build 2 new properties and were planning to reside in one and sell the other, I had watched them being constructed as they were on a main road on the way to a friends place. 

They were first advertised for $345 000 but had been on the market during construction and finished for 3 months with no takers, in my mind the main road was the big issue. 

I started my negotiation at $308 000 and the owners did not take the offer, I waited this out as I was not in a hurry, once I had a contract for my Wheatsheaf Road property I offered higher at $320 000, eventually settling at $322 500, around a 7% reduction from the original asking price.

Today the property has grown 145% in value and has a solid rental rental return.

Purchased in September 2011, my first development project, a little 2 bedroom 1950's house on a large 862 SQM block. Due to the zoning changes to medium density I was able to subdivide a Torrens title block in the front yard of 199 SQM and sell for $100 000 within the first 3 months of owning the property. 

I was then able to sub divide a 215 SQM block in the rear yard and make the original house part of a Community title and again was able to sell this land very fast and for a good number.

I was residing in the original property and over the 18 months I owned was able to move the kitchen, renovate the bathroom, add a second toilet to the laundry make a third bedroom where the old kitchen was.

In early 2013 I put the original house up from sale and was able to sell it just below what I had paid for the whole site.

Including budget blowouts and unexpected costs I was still able to make $100 000 in 18 months, around a 25% return on investment, a very successful first development.

Purchased in May 2009 this 3 year old property represented an opportunity to make a 6% rental yield and also add a property with a depreciation schedule to positively affect my taxable income.

This property grew 10% in the first 12 months, however then stagnated for 10 years as most of the South Australian market did. 

In the middle of 2021 I saw significant growth in the market and decided it was time to sell, in the last 12 months it had grown in value by $100 000 which then freed up some cash for other projects I was working on.

Still fresh in my investing journey, early in 2009, I found a 2 bedroom unit locally that had been on the market for around 60 days, the asking price was $195 000, by reviewing the data I could I felt I would offer $185 000 and I was lucky enough to win it.

The property had a long term tenant which has now lived there for 30 years and has required minimal maintenance during that time.

The property has now had capital growth of 300% over the time I have owned it.

My second land and construction and first project management experience for family, the subdivision I had previously purchased in had two blocks of land left from stage one still on the market, however they were onto stage 3 by this point. My older brother called me with an idea of buying a property together, my thoughts were this could be fraught with danger when one of us wants to sell the property and the other doesn't.

So I suggested we purchase two blocks of land adjacent each other and I would project manage his build as he was living in New South Wales at the time.

We were able to get a discount of $1000 off each land purchase price, a substantial amount when the land was only asking $78 000

This worked very well and with some sweat equity by completing flooring, landscaping and blinds we were able to secure a 6% rental yield immediately, making the properties positively geared from day one with interest only repayments and depreciation schedules.

We spent $204 000 on land and build in 2008 and the properties were valued at $290 000 when the tenant moved in, making for an excellent equity growth and allowing the property to be a stand alone security from occupation.

This was a long game and my first purchase, currently the property is worth four times what it cost to buy land and build back in 2006. This purchase and construction required taking a calculated risk, buying one of the first 20 blocks in a new subdivision, 46 km from from the CBD when the Southern Expressway only went one way. 

After tenanting the property for 16 years through an excellent property manager, I was able to complete a quick tidy up in 3 working days plus a professional paint to have this ready for market.

The funds from this sale will go towards the next purchase for development or to build 3 new properties.