13 years ago, when I first began investing in property, everyone knew what a ‘blue chip’ property was.
‘Blue chip’ referred to those dwellings located within 2-10km of the CBD.
But over the years, the demographics and infrastructure of our cities has changed.
Urban sprawl is literally changing the face of our nation’s capital cities at a rate that we can barely keep up with.
That built-up core at the centre of town that everyone so desperately covets is spreading out… and out… and out.
Thanks to improving public transport and road networks, the area that we consider to be central is growing bigger.
This means that the location of a blue chip suburb may be within a 15km radius of the CBD, or even a 20km radius.
It also means that those homes located really close to the city, within a few kilometres, are becoming really unaffordable to every day mum and dad investors.
But, back to the story…
My other problem with this line of thinking is that it promotes a “one size fits all” approach to property investing.
There is no tailored strategy, no consideration given to the investor’s personal finances or circumstances… just an assumption that ‘blue chip’ properties always make the best property investments.
I find this hard to swallow, when a basic three-bedroom home near the centre of Sydney or Melbourne is listed for around the $1 million+ mark.
It is certainly blue chip – but does that make it a good investment?
For some people, sure. But most mum and dad investors (assuming they have $1 million in borrowing power!) would be much better off buying elsewhere.
There are many good quality capital growth and cash flow properties located in outer areas of capital cities, or within major towns, which would often make much more sense.
It may also be beneficial to invest in two $500,000 properties (or even three $330,000 properties), rather than sinking all of your financial eggs into one very expensive basket.
But making the decision to invest in a certain area simply because it meets the criteria of being “blue chip”? That’s just plain reckless in my view.
Be practical. Do your own research. Look for areas that are experiencing population growth, where there are plenty of tenants and where local infrastructure is strong and improving.
And then, make your investment decisions based on the criteria I’ve outlined above – not some arbitrary “rule” about buying blue chip property.
Many of my students studying through the Real Wealth Australia mentoring program are following the ‘10 properties in 10 years™ strategy’, which is the exact opposite of this kind of “one size fits all” investing philosophy.
In our mentoring program, we show you how to create a tailored, customized investing road map that will help you to build wealth in a measured, low-risk way.
You won’t get rich overnight, but you will learn how to build long-term, sustainable wealth to secure to your financial future.
To discover more about our 10 in 10 wealth creation strategy book a property action call today.
It’s just one conversation…but who knows what doors it will open for your financial future?
