Posts by CateBakos

Property Diaries has had a few recent changes and a little bit of a new identity. Our first ten episodes were an exciting window into the daily life of two buyers agents who had worked together for nearly seven years. You will notice a change in tempo and the introduction of a new guest for…

Property Diaries has had a few recent changes and a little bit of a new identity. Our first ten episodes were an exciting window into the daily life of two buyers agents who had worked together for nearly seven years. You will notice a change in tempo and the introduction of a new guest for…

Cate and Amy discuss the different types of property appraisals, and teach listeners how to do a comparable sales analysis. We’ll run through the challenges of appraising a property, and give our top tips for buyers who are wanting to hone their skills and become experts in values for the areas they’re buying in.

Spending time to find the right property manager is a crucial, but often anoverlooked step by investors. For Episode Nine, we’re joined by our special guest Jacinta Vear, a property manager veteran and partner at Nelson Alexander Flemington.  Cate and Amy explore some common questions, challenges and misconceptions buyers often have with property management, and…

Back by popular demand, in part 2 we ask some MORE real estate agents what buyers do or say which makes them look naive, gets the agent offside or impacts their chances of a successful negotiation. Cate and Amy dissect these mistakes buyers make, and explain how buyers can better interact with agents.  Marcus from…

From choosing their support-people to formulating a viable purchase strategy, Cate and Amy share some of their valuable tips and tactics for helping their buyers get pre-purchase ready. Cate and Amy have not only formulated this episode with a detailed checklist on hand, but they have also developed a detailed pdf version for their listeners…

Where do people currently source their property advice from? Cate and Amy chat about why bad, misinformed or misguided advice can be so dangerous when it comes to making property decisions, and where you SHOULD be getting your advice from. From falling prey to ‘free seminars’ to listening to well-meaning parents, Cate and Amy share…

Buyers often have moves that aren’t so clever. Maybe they aren’t well thought out, or maybe they received dud advice from the wrong person…. Or maybe they are going into their purchase journey with a bad attitude. Either way, agents see these rookie mistakes all the time and often these mistakes leave the buyer at…

In the grip of COVID-19, this topic is particularly pertinent, because vendors, buyers and their agents have all felt the impact of the restrictions imposed on us during this difficult period. However, Cate and Amy have been capturing virtual inspections for expat and interstate clients for many years now, and they share their remote client…

As Robert Redford suggested to Demi Moore in 1993’s Indecent Proposal, the most surprising of arrangements can be negotiated. The critical recipe is agreement between two parties. Cate and Amy discuss some of the quirkiest negotiations they have handled, from auction bidding clauses to settlement conditions, including a crazy story about a client who bid…