{"id":23870,"date":"2018-12-28T01:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-12-27T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realestatetalk.com.au\/?p=23870"},"modified":"2018-12-28T01:00:24","modified_gmt":"2018-12-27T14:00:24","slug":"to-have-and-to-hold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/to-have-and-to-hold\/","title":{"rendered":"To Have And To Hold"},"content":{"rendered":"

John and Lani Tucker started their respective relationships with property separately, in the mid 2000s. At 24 years of age, John bought his first property in Melbourne for $45,000, while Lani made her first investment in her native UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese were our attempts back then to provide shelter and escape the nest,\u201d John explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe then went on to sell those properties for differing reasons \u2013 mine was to seek investment elsewhere and Lani\u2019s was to relocate to Canada.\u201d John did not think about growth or future potential when he purchased his first home, though he fortunately made a profit when it sold for $105,000 a number of years later. Instead, at the time, he elected to invest in shares via margin lending.<\/p>\n

He eventually moved into property investing, buying a townhouse in St Kilda in 2007 \u2013 a property he ended up renting out to the original vendor for a few years. Lani also bought her own townhouse in Lymm, outside of Manchester in the UK.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAT A GLANCE<\/u>
\nYears Investing: 11
\nCurrent number of properties: 6
\nPortfolio value: $5.5m<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2011, the couple began their shared investment journey by purchasing their first principal place of residence in Australia, with an aim to eventually convert it into an investment property.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe then got married in 2013 and looked to formulate a plan for our retirement together \u2013 and we saw property to be the vehicle for cash flow,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

The following year, the couple began to take a serious look at how to build their portfolio. Their research led them to property investment advisory firm Empower Wealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found Empower Wealth videos online that outlined how a conservative plan and correct approach could allow us to invest in the right assets, in the right locations, to allow growth and passive income for our early retirement,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir approach resonated with us, and our first meeting confirmed this. We engaged with their buyer\u2019s advocacy approach, which was a shared way of suggesting properties that we then viewed, inspected and confirmed to purchase. We\u2019ve found the advice, guidance and benefit to be invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Buy no more<\/strong>
\nAfter purchasing three properties in Footscray, Ivanhoe and\u00a0Ascot<\/a>\u00a0Vale in 2014, John and Lani quickly determined that they were not the kinds of investors to build massive portfolios.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have completed our property portfolio. We\u2019ve now rented out our principal place of residence as our final investment property in Australia and have begun renting in our preferred beach location whilst we continue to work in Melbourne,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s strategy rests on maintaining a small portfolio of positively geared properties, enabling them to earn a strong passive income.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no additional plans, apart from continuing to keep our tenants happy in all of our properties by attending to any issues that arise, as well as being proactive in making improvements for the people and properties,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

Their most successful investment in this regard has been their Footscray house, which was purchased for $810,000 and is presently valued at a little over $1.14m.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality and type of house has seen long-term tenants and very little ongoing costs,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

Another standout investment has been the townhouse the couple bought in St Kilda, which is the top-growing property in their portfolio.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has probably had the best overall growth, which is a reflection of time in the market. It also has a higher yield but more frequent tenant turnover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lani has also held on to her townhouse in the UK, which has been maintained with the help of a property manager based there, and by filing a UK tax return annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication is key, and we tend to perform an inspection ourselves when we pop back to the UK. The property manager keeps in touch as and when needed via email. We also travel back regularly, at least once every 18 months, to visit our many family and friends there,\u201d Lani says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe value [of the property] has increased \u2013 the location is sought after and in good proximity to transport and to Manchester.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, their multimillion-dollar portfolio consists of five properties in Victoria and one home in the UK. It\u2019s a portfolio that John and Lani hope will carry them all the way to retirement.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Portfolio timeline<\/strong><\/u><\/div>\n
1994<\/strong>\u00a0– John buys his first property, a home to live in, in Melbourne, paying just $45,000. He sells it a few years later for $105,000<\/div>\n
2004<\/strong>\u00a0– Lani buys a townhouse in Lymm, in the UK<\/div>\n
2<\/em>007<\/strong>\u00a0– Ready to buy an investment property, John purchases a townhouse in St Kilda East in Victoria, renting it out to the original vendor<\/div>\n
2011<\/strong>\u00a0– John and Lani buy their first PPOR together, in\u00a0Southbank<\/a>, Melbourne, with plans to convert it to an investment property later<\/div>\n
2014<\/strong>\u00a0– After marrying, John and Lani start their journey together as property investors. They purchase three properties in succession in the Victoria suburbs of Footscray, Ascot Vale and Ivanhoe<\/div>\n
2016<\/strong>\u00a0– The couple return to the UK and check on their townhouse, which is now worth over half a million dollars<\/div>\n
2017<\/strong>\u00a0– The St Kilda townhouse remains the pair\u2019s best-growing investment to date \u2013 10 years after buying it, it\u2019s increased in value by almost $300,0002018<\/strong>\u00a0– John and Lani celebrate the end of their acquisition phase, happy with their portfolio of half a dozen properties, which form the foundation of their financial future<\/div>\n

Gearing towards a bright future<\/strong>
\nThroughout the years, the couple has learnt the importance of knowing their life goals and the purpose of their investments, as well as how their family\u2019s plans and circumstances figure into this.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, we wish we\u2019d had advice and knowledge rather than just jumping in. Some of our earlier properties we may not have purchased given what we know today,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we have a biannual review of the plan. We also use Empower Wealth\u2019s mortgage broking services, which allow for periodic check-ins on our mortgages and any rate adjustments. In the event our plans were to change, we\u2019d also consult further.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four years after John and Lani officially embarked on their property investment journey as a couple, their initial plan to fund their retirement via cash flow generated has been paying off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe embarked on this life plan that has focused on completing a property portfolio. It\u2019s our plan and goal to retire in our mid-50s with our current portfolio; that is, no further purchases, with cash flow enabling us to enjoy the lifestyle and freedom we seek,\u201d<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0John says.<\/p>\n

While he is no longer involved in margin lending, and the couple has not bought shares in a decade, they continue to supplement their income by participating in dividend reinvestment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring retirement, we plan to give back by volunteering our time. We enjoy travelling, and the benefit of volunteering allows us to do so across countries. [We] wish to spend time with friends and family also, by extending our travel and following the sun, with maybe six months in Europe and six months down under,\u201d John says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on track and about 50% of the way towards our goal. We anticipate hitting our 100% target in about five years, based on our current trajectory. Our plans could change along the way as life continues to unfold \u2013 if so, we\u2019ll adapt!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John and Lani Tucker started their respective relationships with property separately, in the mid 2000s. At 24 years of age, John bought his first property in Melbourne for $45,000, while Lani made her first investment in her native UK. \u201cThese were our attempts back then…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176692473,"featured_media":23871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13,25,31],"tags":[70],"class_list":["post-23870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-story","category-sponsored-channels","category-your-investment-property","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\nTo Have And To Hold - Realty Talk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/to-have-and-to-hold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"To Have And To Hold - Realty Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"John and Lani Tucker started their respective relationships with property separately, in the mid 2000s. 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