The Property Playbook - EP9: Smart Money Habits for First-Time Buyers with Glen James
Release Date: 01/30/2025
Budget Deficit & Housing Aid - Terry Ryder on TickerNews
Hotspotting
Terry Ryder—founder of Hotspotting.com.au and Australia’s #1 independent real estate analyst—joins Ahron Young in the Ticker studio to unpack the 2025–26 Federal Budget and what it didn’t address: the worsening housing crisis. From unaffordable home prices and stalled construction to the lack of support for investors and renters alike, Terry pulls no punches as he explains the structural failures that continue to drive Australia’s housing shortage. 🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode: Why Terry calls the budget an “election bribe” with no real housing reform The key...
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Cash Hand Outs Or Real Solution
Hotspotting
Politicians at the upper levels of government have failed to deal with the cost-of-living pressures faced by Australians, including all the major components of high inflation such as electricity prices and the high cost of housing. Rather than deal with the underlying core issues, our elected representatives prefer to wait until an election is looming and then throw cash donations at voters to give the impression of dealing with the core problems. At the previous federal election three years ago, Anthony Albanese and his colleagues promised to bring down power prices. But...
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Australia's Population Surge & Regional Shift
Hotspotting
Australia’s population grew by 1.8 per cent in the 12 months to September 2024, adding 484,000 people to the national headcount, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). That puts our population at 27.3 million, with overseas migration once again leading the charge—albeit at a slower pace than earlier quarters. While the post-pandemic migration surge has moderated, we’re still seeing 618,000 arrivals versus 238,000 departures, giving us a net overseas migration figure of 380,000. This continues a tapering trend, but still marks a major...
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Australia's Record Resale Profits Revealed
Hotspotting
Australians who sell residential properties are achieving record profits, according to the latest Pain & Gain Report from CoreLogic. The median profit achieved by Australian vendors was $306,000 in the December quarter of 2024. That’s the highest nominal gain recorded since the data-set began in the mid-1990s. But behind the headline figure lies a more nuanced story—one where detached houses continue to deliver, while units in Sydney and Melbourne are still unwinding the damage of past planning mistakes. The report analysed 95,300 resales nationally over the quarter, with...
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Government Taxes Crushing Housing Costs
Hotspotting
New research has confirmed one of the greatest scandals in Australian real estate – the reality that taxes and charges from the three levels of governments comprise between 40% and 50% of the cost of creating new homes. At a time when Australia is experiencing its greatest ever housing crisis - marked by shortages of homes, poor affordability, escalating rents and increasingly high construction costs - it’s outrageous that anyone building a new house on a small block of land will be paying a huge percentage of the cost to government. Taxes, fees and charges make up almost 50% of the cost...
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Why Cheapies Can Deliver Big Growth
Hotspotting
One of the many ways media misinforms Australian consumers is their misunderstanding of the difference between building approvals and actual construction of new dwellings. Right now, at a time when we have major dwelling shortages and construction costs are so incredibly high, there is a very important distinction between the number of dwelling approvals and the number of homes actually being built. The difference between the two is quite stark and it speaks to the biggest single problem amid the housing crisis – approvals often are not translating into actual construction of homes, because...
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How Disasters Can't Stop Property Growth
Hotspotting
When Cyclone Alfred was bearing down on southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, the impact on the property market was probably not high on the list of considerations for citizens of these areas. But in the aftermath of this major weather event, there will be some thought given to how home values will be impacted by storm damage and floodwaters. The reality is that Australian property markets typically show remarkable resilience in the face of natural disasters, whether they be cyclones, storms, floods, bushfires or periods of drought. Locations with a history of...
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Approvals vs Reality The Housing Crisis Explained
Hotspotting
One of the many ways media misinforms Australian consumers is their misunderstanding of the difference between building approvals and actual construction of new dwellings. Right now, at a time when we have major dwelling shortages and construction costs are so incredibly high, there is a very important distinction between the number of dwelling approvals and the number of homes actually being built. The difference between the two is quite stark and it speaks to the biggest single problem amid the housing crisis – approvals often are not translating into actual construction of homes, because...
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Why Apartments Are Booming in 2025
Hotspotting
The Great Australian Dream still exists, it’s just that - for many - it now means owning an apartment, not a house with a white picket fence. As property prices continue to grow, the dream of owning a freestanding house has morphed into the dream of owning an apartment - for more and more Australians. Apartment living is no longer just a financial choice, but a conscious decision to seek out a different way of living - a more affordable and low-maintenance lifestyle. The percentage of Australians who live in a freestanding house has been declining since the beginning of the new...
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Brisbane: Australia’s Hottest Market
Hotspotting
Brisbane was one of the nation’s boom markets in 2024 and likely to do even better this year. The price data shows that Brisbane delivered a strong performance last year, both with house prices and in particular unit prices – but was third in the capital city growth rankings behind Adelaide and Perth. Figures from PropTrack and CoreLogic show Brisbane house prices overall were up 10% last year and unit prices around 15%. In 2025 we expect Brisbane to have another strong year and to overtake those other cities to be the national leader on price growth. ...
info_outlineOwning your first home might feel like a distant dream, but the right financial habits can bring it closer than you think. In this episode of The Property Playbook, host Tim Graham sits down with Glen James—creator and host of the Money Money Money podcast and founder of the Glen James Spending Plan.
Glen shares practical tips on saving smarter, spending wisely, and investing confidently to help first-time buyers achieve their property dreams.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- The most common financial mistakes that hold first-time buyers back and how to avoid them. Glen's top strategies for saving a deposit while balancing other financial priorities.
- Practical tips for staying financially resilient in a high-interest-rate environment. Advice for singles re-entering the property market after a separation.
- How the Glen James Spending Plan helps people take control of their money and get onto the property ladder.
Guest Bio:
Glen James is a retired financial adviser with over 10 years of experience. As the creator of the Glen James Spending Plan and the Money Money Money podcast, Glen is dedicated to helping people spend, save, and invest with confidence through simple, actionable advice.
Follow Glen James:
Website: https://www.moneypodcast.com.au/
Podcast: Money Money Money
Spending Plan: The Glen James Spending Plan
Follow The Property Playbook:
Website: www.hotspotting.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timgraham_hotspotting/