The Property Pineapple - Kerry Ashbrook

Performance Property Data

“Work out what it is that’s stopping you…and do something about it.”

Sharon’s guest on this edition of The Property Pineapple is Kerry Ashbrook, founder and director of Life You Choose, an organisation empowering women to achieve financial independence.

Kerry has bought 11 properties over her life, and still owns three of them. She sat down with Sharon to discuss a few of these purchases and some of the things she has learned along the way.

Kerry spent much of her early years on a caravan travelling around Australia. Although it was often a difficult and challenging experience, it instilled in her the confidence that she could do whatever it was she wanted to do.

Along with the caravan, her parents did own a home which they would return to every once in awhile. Over the years, subsequent relocations to different houses showed to Kerry that they were going backwards financially. In the end, after some bad luck, her parents didn’t have a home at all. Even as a child, Kerry witnessed this and knew it wasn’t what she wanted for herself.

She bought her first property in Sunshine, and although it was nerve-wracking decision to take the leap, it paid off in the long run as she sold it for a health profit. She had planned to live in it, but never got a chance to as she relocated to Perth for work.

Later, her third purchase was in Bendigo, and was a house that her family could live in while her father battled terminal cancer. It helped her to see how property was a means to something else, rather than a means in itself. To be able to provide for those she loved and provide a place for them all to be together through that difficult time was incredibly important to her.

The fourth house she bought was going to be the one she would ultimately live in. Although it wasn’t called rent-vesting back then, that’s exactly what she was doing. She was renting where she wanted to live, but had bought properties where she could afford. Now, the time had come where she could also afford to buy where she wanted to live, and so she purchased a place in Port Melbourne.

Kerry believes it is all about the mindset. If you’re set on buying where you want to live before you can afford to, then you’re probably going to waste a lot of time and money.

Next came a holiday home on Phillip Island, which she now has on AirBnB. Kerry originally listed it with an agent, but then an increase in supply saw the bookings steadily drop over time. Since using AirBnB the bookings have gone through the roof. Although it is more hands-on and time-consuming, the commission is a lot less than going through an agent, and so the yield is greater.

Kerry’s philosophy is that it’s all about just getting started, and potential investors need to work out what they are able to manage. There are still affordable places to buy in regional cities, so it’s about doing your research and getting good people behind you to advise on the best strategies. She believes that people need to work out what it is that’s stopping them from doing something, and then do something about it.

Kerry finishes by saying, “You need to have your own home, you need to have an investment strategy, and you need to have your super. And if you don’t have all of those three things, you going to end up financially dependent, and that’s not a great place to be in and it certainly doesn’t give you choices in life.”

About your host, Sharon Taylor…

Sharon heads up the research division at Performance Property Advisory. She is responsible for the aggregation of economic and property data sources, as well as deep analysis of the data to provide quarterly reports on each capital city of Australia.

These reports identify between 5 and 8 submarkets in each capital city, and provide an opinion as to the short term performance of each submarket. This information is vital for clients to maximise the performance of existing assets, and also for selection of new blue-chip investment locations.

About Sharon’s guest, Kerry Ashbrook…

Kerry Ashbrook is an entrepreneur, businesswoman, inspirational speaker, author, coach, corporate executive, and investor. After a long and successful corporate career and achieving personal wealth through investment, Kerry founded Life You Choose to pursue her passion of educating, challenging and empowering women to get the clarity and confidence needed to choose their life.

With an abundance of experience to share, including how she has successfully built wealth through investment, Kerry has worked with 100s of women from all walks and stages of life. She believes a holistic approach to life is needed, with an understanding that money is key to achieving the control and personal freedom you desire.

To learn more about Life You Choose, head to www.lifeyouchoose.com.au

‘The Property Pineapple’ is one of three segments you will hear on the Performance Property Data podcast. Released fortnightly, and hosted by Sharon Taylor (Research Analyst - Performance Property Advisory), the show presents listeners with stories from real investors, discussing their wins and admitting their losses.

‘Property Insiders’ are also released fortnightly and are conversations between David McMillan (Director Acquisitions - Performance Property Advisory) and industry leaders offering knowledge and expertise.

And ‘Performance Insights’ are released every Wednesday and Friday, giving you technical information and the lowdown on key property markets around Australia. These episodes are also available as short videos at our youtube channel.

For more information about how Performance Property Data can help you maximise your investment dollar, head to www.performancedata.com.au