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If you’re planning to buy, sell, upgrade, or invest in property in 2026, this episode cuts through the noise and focuses on what actually drives prices. Rather than forecasts or headlines, Stuart unpacks the evidence-based factors that matter most, including lending volumes, borrowing capacity, interest rate expectations, interstate migration, and where each capital city sits in its property cycle.

A clear picture is emerging of a two-speed market. More affordable properties are seeing stronger demand and faster growth, while higher-priced and premium stock is struggling to keep pace. He explores why this split is happening, how serviceability ceilings and years of ultra-low interest rates have reshaped buyer behaviour, and why sentiment is playing such a powerful role right now.

You’ll also hear how relative value and mean reversion help explain why some cities are late in their growth cycle, while others may still have years ahead of them. Stuart discusses which markets appear well-positioned for 2026, where caution is warranted, and why patience may be rewarded in areas that have underperformed for a long time.

Whether you’re an owner-occupier, first home buyer, or investor, this episode provides a clear, data-led framework to help you think more clearly about property decisions in 2026, and beyond.

Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email

Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

In this episode, Stuart works through a series of real-world questions that sit right at the intersection of money, lifestyle, and long-term strategy. From couples in their early 50s weighing up a beachside lifestyle purchase versus preserving liquidity for early retirement, to younger families juggling income shocks, property portfolios, and big upcoming capital events, this episode is about decision-making when the stakes are high, and the margin for error is small.

He also unpacks a major trust tax court case currently unfolding and explains, in plain English, why it matters for anyone using family trusts and bucket companies. If you’ve ever wondered whether structures you rely on could change under your feet, this discussion will help clarify the risks and what to watch next.

Along the way, he explores redundancy and retirement uncertainty, how to think about super when balances are uneven between partners, when property becomes a concentration risk, and why borrowing capacity can be both an opportunity and a trap later in life.

This episode isn’t about perfect answers. It’s about frameworks, how to balance logic versus emotion, growth versus safety, and flexibility versus commitment, so you can make decisions that still work when markets, rates, or personal circumstances change.

Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email

Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.

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Most people chase investment tips; few build the engine that powers every strategy: cash flow and debt discipline. In this final Wealth First Principles instalment, we show why your savings rate beats your stock picks in the early years and how small, repeatable improvements compound into big results. You’ll learn a practical two-account banking setup that makes good behaviour automatic, how to measure spending without micromanaging, and why buffers and automation keep plans on track when life gets lumpy.

Stuart unpacks the difference between deductible and non-deductible debt, how to structure loans for flexibility, and a plain-English walkthrough of debt recycling, turning home-loan debt into productive, tax-effective investment debt over time. We also flag the behavioural traps that quietly erase progress (lifestyle creep, anchoring, false security, underestimating irregular costs) and give you a simple operating system: set a target savings rate, automate transfers and investing, preserve liquidity in offsets, review annually, and adjust as life changes.

Investments are the vehicle; cash flow is the fuel. Build a strong surplus, manage debt intentionally, and let time do the heavy lifting. Do this consistently, and you’ll outperform most investors not through luck or timing, but through process.

Subscribe via www.investopoly.com.au/email

Do you have a question? Email: questions@investopoly.com.au or for a faster response, post a comment on the episode's video over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@investopolypodcast/podcasts

If you're interested in working with my team and me, discover how we can work together here: https://prosolution.com.au/prospective-client/

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating on your favourite podcast platform.

Subscribe to my weekly blog: https://www.prosolution.com.au/stay-connected/

Buy a one of Stuart's books for ONLY $20 including delivery. Use the discount code blog: https://prosolution.com.au/books/

DOWNLOAD our 97-point financial health checklist here: https://prosolution.com.au/download-checklist/

IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.