In this episode of Talking Property, Debbie interviews Sally Couper, author of the book Real Estate Adventures.
In this fun and interesting interview Debbie and Sally discuss property investment strategies, the state of the current market, as well as some of Sally’s best investment stories!
To listen click the play button below:
Show length: 20:09
Here’s Sally’s bio:
“My investment strategy is varied…. changes as I progress. I guess the bottom line is that my investment strategy is to make lots of money and get out of the rat race, which I have pretty much achieved!
Alex and I have an interest in about 60 deals – some of them are joint ventures and they are spread over 3 countries.
I started just over 9 years ago.
I read Rich Dad Poor Dad and discovered positive cash flow property. I went and bought one!! I was 50 and had almost no assets and wanted to become wealthy. Then I discovered it was a lot of fun!!
I guess negative geared properties have been a challenge. However I have actually made most of my money from capital gains NOT positive gearing and this changed my strategy over the years. I think you have to be fluid with your strategies as what works in an upmarket may not work in a down market. These days we buy newish good quality real estate but I actually made a heap of money in my early years by buying ‘little old houses’ that went up enormously in value.
The capital growth I got on the trust houses in Elizabeth and Port Augusta was a very pleasant surprise!!
Yes I sell property. Many reasons… Have not sold anything for a while as it is not a good market to sell in and my present portfolio is working well. We have, however, sold probably about 40 properties on top of the 60 we still have. I sold when I bought the property specifically to renovate and flip for income. I also sold in little towns that I had made good capital gain on and the market went flat and I wanted the money to buy in the city. Sometimes the renovations were so big that needed doing that I decided to sell and buy something with less work and more profit!! I have done a lot of renovating and loved it but I am ‘over’ that now!!
I have certainly not stopped investing. This is a SUPERB time to buy in my opinion. We currently have 5 mortgages we are applying for in Christchurch NZ and Queensland and Adelaide. The ‘economic downturn’ has been a help in some ways as the mortgage interest rates are down, saving us thousands of dollars per month. It also means there are great bargains out there. We are at the bottom of the real estate cycle and that is where we were when I started 9 years ago. Historically real estate goes up 8-10% pa and has done for over 2000 years. I do not think this is likely to change now. So buying at the bottom of the market is the best time to buy!!!”
Visit Sally Couper’s website to find out more about Sally and her book Real Estate Adventures.
The information provided in the Talking Property podcast is general in nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a professional advisor before making any investment decisions.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this podcast – I enjoyed it. Sally sounds like a really positive, glass half full type of person – no wonder she’s been successful in the property game!!!
Congratulations on your book, Sally!!
Don’t know if you remember me, but we had the same birthdays Aug 2, 1949!!!!
We had dinner at Paris in Las Vegas with Donna and Andrew Gold and my daughter Kristin a few yrs ago. I still have 4 units in Surfers Paradise which are renting well, but have negative cash flow for the last 2 yrs. Still hoping that Q1 will go up one of these yrs as I just leased it for another yr!!!
Dorothy