Show Notes
Back in 2021, we called Levin the most overvalued town in the country. A listener gone unconditional on a $930k house there. Today, he's down around $150,000, and he asked a fair question: would we change our answer now? In this episode, Ed and Andrew re-run Levin through five tests to see if it's finally a buy. You'll learn: Whether Levin is genuinely cheap now, or just getting cheaper Why it's still overvalued after four years of falling prices The small-town risk that most buyers never check The lesson? This was never really about Levin. He paid 1.8x the average house in town... and the "overflow town" has nothing overflowing into it right now. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
More from The Property Academy Podcast
Last time I walked through open homes. But what about when you’re buying something that doesn’t exist yet ... just dirt, a fence, and a sign with a picture on it? So I visited three developments at three different stages to find out what you’re actually looking at. In this In The Field episode, Ed shows you how to inspect a new build before it’s built. You’ll learn: Never buy a property off the plans without checking this Come with me as I go in the field looking at a development site The crucial features that property developers always miss The takeaway? Buying off the plans doesn’t mean buying blind. You just have to know what to look at. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
The Reserve Bank just surprised everyone, leaving the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.75%. In this episode, Ed and Andrew share why the Reserve Bank broke with expectations and where the OCR could go next. You’ll learn: What the Reserve Bank decided to do with the Official Cash Rate Where interest rates could go next When the next hike could come
Everyone who gives you property advice gets paid somehow, including us. So, why are we telling you this? Because sunlight is the best disinfectant ... and once you can see the incentives, you can judge the advice. In this episode, Ed and Andrew lay their own incentives bare, then show you how to spot everyone else’s. You’ll learn: Is your property adviser biased? The hidden incentive behind every piece of property advice How to work out whose advice you can actually trust The takeaway? You don’t need advice with no bias ... that doesn’t exist. You need advice where the bias is out in the open. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
In July, police found 17 West Auckland properties being used as grow houses. So, what do you actually do if it happens to you? And can you even see it coming? In this episode, Ed and Andrew break down the real rules, the insurance traps, and the warning signs. You’ll learn: How do you actually, legally get drug-growing tenants out The $91,000 bill a landlord got just a few weeks ago And what the tenants were REALLY doing in there The takeaway? You can’t always prevent it, but you can make sure your insurance will actually pay when it matters. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok
The national average to build a standalone house is about $3,236 a square metre – roughly $576,000 before land. But that's only half the story. And there's a myth worth busting: that the land goes up while the building goes down. In this episode, Ed and Andrew break down what building really costs, region by region, and why buildings actually appreciate. You'll learn: What a build really costs (and the 20–30% most people forget to add on top) Why it costs about 50% more to build here than in Australia Why your building gains value over time, and what insurers and valuers prove The lesson? Replacement cost is the floor under house prices ... as building gets more expensive, so does the home you already own. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a voice message on the Property Academy Hotline For more from Opes Partners: Stay ahead of the NZ property market Instagram TikTok