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Articles by Anthony Klan
Melbourne property market faces a long road to recovery
The Melbourne residential property market isn’t expected to turn around until 2028, say experts, but there are opportunities as well as potential pitfalls. The national property downturn and negative gearing and capital tax changes and associated uncertainty are all weighing heavily on the southern capital. “I don’t have any residential investors at the moment,” Robert Di Vita, Senior Property Consultant with National Property Buyers, told API Magazine.
ASIC compensation loophole under fire as ripped off investors demand accountability
Investors stung by failings of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission are fighting to close a little-known loophole that protects the regulator over “defective administration”. Nationals MP Pat Conaghan has formally lodged in parliament a 2,000-strong petition seeking action over the loophole, which allows ASIC to avoid accountability when it bungles the handling of dodgy schemes.
Brisbane boom finished but buyers already eyeing next opportunity
The Brisbane property market has followed most other capitals into the wider downturn, with prices beginning to fall after leading the nation’s biggest bull run over the past decade. Over the past ten years, the median dwelling price in the Queensland capital more than doubled, surging a massive 116.6 per cent — more than any other capital — followed by Adelaide (110.1) and Perth (107.2 per cent).
Hobart resists national slowdown as rents, tight supply steady market
The Hobart property market remains more buoyant than most of the rest of the nation, which experts say is being underpinned by strong rental growth and healthy yields. According to property analyst Cotality, dwelling values edged up by a slight 0.1 per cent in the month of July, behind only Darwin, at 0.8 per cent, and grew by 1.4 per cent over previous quarter.
Property scams surge as market slows
Buyers and sellers need to be particularly careful of scams and unscrupulous operators, with recent property tax changes and the market slowdown encouraging bad actors, according to experts. Tyron Hyde, CEO of quantity surveyors Washington Brown, said the Federal Government’s scrapping of negative gearing for established homes could leave buyers exposed to agents pushing overpriced new properties.
Darwin outpaces Perth as one of the final frontiers for capital growth
Having spent a decade in the doldrums — with prices in May last year lower than ten years earlier — the Darwin property market has shot the lights out. Over the past quarter home prices in city soared 5 per cent, which was more than double Perth, the next best performer at 2 per cent, taking price growth to a stellar 19.8 per cent for the year, according to Cotality.
Adelaide's property boom is over, agents say
The Adelaide property market is following Sydney and Melbourne into the red — it’s just yet to show up in the official numbers. According to agents, the housing market in the City of Churches has peaked, with prices down 4 to 5 per cent in some areas. According to analyst Cotality, Adelaide dwelling values remained dead flat in the month of June — steady at 0.0 per cent — having risen by a total of 1.3 per cent over the preceding three months.
Brisbane's property boom may be slowing, but experts say the fundamentals remain strong
Brisbane property prices are almost 40 per cent higher than Melbourne — a city almost twice the size — and are now even within a stone’s throw of the notoriously expensive Sydney. As the national property boom draws to a close, bookended with rising rates and last month’s Federal Budget announcements, questions are being asked about the outlook for the bigger markets.
Melbourne missed the boom, but could it lead the next property upswing?
Long-time speculation that Melbourne’s property market is on the cusp of a turnaround has proved a mirage, with the property boom passing the southern capital by. Full-time has been called on the boom, with rising interest rates and last month’s budget announcements snuffing out the final embers of the national property upswing. And even though it missed the boom almost entirely, Melbourne is leading the downturn with prices down 2.3 per cent over the last quarter, according to analyst Cotality.
Lion investors furious as police refer $122 million collapse back to ASIC
Victoria Police will take no action over the failed $122 million Lion Property Group despite being given a secret dossier containing allegations of serious illegality, and have instead handed the matter back to the beleaguered corporate regulator. That refusal is also despite explosive public findings by liquidators KPMG that, before its collapse, more than $25 million dollars was shifted from Lion to entities controlled by its directors Gary Pesochinsky and John Sader.
Lion Property Group founders declared bankrupt as pressure mounts on ASIC over collapse
The directors of failed $122.5 million Lion Property Group, Garry Pesochinsky and John Sader, have both been declared personally bankrupt. Filings with the bankruptcy register show shows Garry Pesochinsky, 48, was registered as a bankrupt on 27 April; and John Sader, 46, was declared bankrupt on 10 March. The filings with the National Personal Insolvency Index show Andrew Yeo, a partner of Pitcher Partners, has been appointed “registered trustee in bankruptcy” to Mr Sader.
ISG director hit with 10-year ban as ASIC probe into $145m collapse continues
The director of the failed $145 million ISG Group, which liquidators say destroyed records and falsified documents, has been banned from providing financial services for ten years. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) banned Ben Godfrey from 31 March, and Australian Property Investor Magazine can report he has not appealed the decision within the 28-day timeframe.
Sunshine Coast property boom powers into a new phase
Since the pandemic and the surge in remote working Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has shifted from an affordable regional market to a blue-chip location with a diversified economy. Property prices have soared 90 per cent since mid-2020, and healthy growth appears set to continue, with strong population growth, extremely low vacancy rates, and a major infrastructure project pipeline, much of it driven by the 2032 Olympics.
There's more to Queensland's red hot property market than Brisbane
Regional Queensland property values are continuing to surge, extending a multi-year stellar run, and the good times appear far from over. In Toowoomba, about 150km west of Brisbane, prices boomed 21.6 per cent over the past year, according to analyst Cotality, while prices in North Queensland’s Cairns and Townsville also continued their golden run.
Darwin boom presses on as investors chase nation’s highest yields
The Darwin property market is surging as southern investors chase the nation’s strongest yields — and the party is set to continue amid surging rents and low supply. One year ago, Australian Property Investor Magazine flagged the Darwin market was on the cusp of a surge, with prices lower than a decade earlier. Over the past 12 months, the market has grown almost 20 per cent, with southern buyers chasing dream yields at the end of The Ghan.
Outer suburbs stalling as war, rates and fuel shocks hit buyer confidence
The outer suburbs of the nation’s capitals have been the standout performers over the past year, as the last vestiges of the property upswing ripple outwards. Yet the US and Israel’s war on Iran, soaring petrol prices, and interest rate rises may have put an abrupt end to the party, snuffing out the last embers of the nation’s real estate boom.
Melbourne’s top investment hotspots revealed as buyers target affordable family housing
The tipped top ten Melbourne suburbs for investing are scattered across the city, with a heavy bias toward family suburbs where houses are tightly held, according to a new report. Houses in family suburbs where long-term owners are unlikely to sell in the next downturn dominate the top ten list for greater Melbourne investments, according to analysis by Convergence Buyer’s Agents.
Modest growth predicted as Sydney property market shows signs of division
Australia remains a two-speed housing market, with Sydney and Melbourne lagging, but there are also clear market divergences within the Harbour City itself. As a whole, the outlook for the Sydney market appears stable. It’s “moved into a more measured phase” with “relatively modest growth overall” expected, but zoom in closer and different pictures emerge.
Melbourne home prices lag other capitals, but buyers spot value in key suburbs
Melbourne property prices are substantially lower than all other major capital cities, and despite a modest uplift over the past year, still remain below the peak of almost four years ago. Last week’s interest rate rise, with the possibility of more on the horizon, has put paid to speculation the southern capital is on the cusp of a resurgence, but buying opportunities remain, according to experts.
'Destroyed records, falsified documents': ASIC turns up heat on ISG's $145m collapse
Liquidators of Brisbane’s failed $145 million ISG Group, who say they have uncovered the destruction of records and falsification of documentation, have been given $600,000 by the corporate regulator to investigate further. The appointed liquidators, Olvera Advisors are also seeking to engage commercial litigation funders to recover company assets, including “scheme funds loaned/paid to related parties”.
Lion Property Group collapse: liquidators uncover $25m shifted to director-linked entities
More than $25 million was shifted outside Lion Property Group before its collapse — with the money moved to external “related party” entities tied to its directors — an explosive report has found. Liquidators KPMG have identified $25.29 million of funds from the group, which collapsed owing around 600 investors $122.5 million, that have been removed before their appointment.
Changed names, dubious qualifications: Lion Property Group's murky path to failure
One of the two directors of the failed $120 million Lion Property Group empire is a former hypnotherapist and “life coach” who previously had a different name. Australian Property Investor Magazine can further reveal that corporate regulator the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) — which has come under fierce public criticism over the Lion collapse — has said it is now investigating the group.
Court shuttered Lion Property Group fearing directors were luring more hapless 'investors'
The alleged misconduct of the two directors of the failed $120 million Lion Property Group — handed to police in a confidential report — was so serious it alone justified the appointment of liquidators, a court has ruled. The Victorian Supreme Court has found Lion directors John Sader and Garry Pesochinsky either had “no insight” into the difficulties facing the group, or they had “deliberately avoided facing them” before the court.
Senator Jacinta Price dumped from Liberal front bench over migrant comments
The Liberal frontbencher and MAGA enthusiast has been stood down after just four months in the role. Anthony Klan reports. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been dumped from the Opposition front bench after just four months in the role – and four months with the Liberal Party – over her attacks on Indian migrants. Price, who was one of the nation’s most prominent campaigners against the Indigenous Voice, has been stood down after repeatedly refusing to apologise for her comments.
High-rolling ISG director loses luxury cars but investors still left at the curb
The executive director of failed Brisbane property investment giant ISG Group has filed for bankruptcy and the group’s luxury vehicles are being repossessed, according to liquidators. Olvera Advisors — appointed liquidators to 27 ISG entities —have said the group’s directors, including Executive Director Ben Godfrey, are refusing to hand over key documents, amplifying calls for the corporate regulator to act.
ASIC allowed 'insolvent ISG' to operate for more than a year before $145m collapse
The nation’s embattled corporate regulator gave a failing $145 million property group its fundraising licence back despite it having frozen interest payments to investors — and been insolvent for five months. Investigations show the Australian Securities and Investments Commission suspended the financial services licence of the failed ISG in July 2022.
Victoria's short-term rental taxes fail to deliver on housing promises
The Victorian Government’s 7.5 per cent tax on short-term rentals has failed to deliver any meaningful improvement to the state’s rental supply, echoing similar failures internationally, experts say. The “Airbnb tax” came into effect on 1 January 2025, yet since then, Melbourne’s rental shortage had become even worse, according to rental vacancy data from SQM Research.
Investors face $145 million in losses as ISG Fund Management folds amid fraud allegations
Liquidators for a failed $145 million Brisbane funds management company — which had been trading while insolvent for over a year — have discovered the “destruction of books and records” and cases of “falsifying documentation”. Olvera Advisors have been appointed liquidators to ISG Fund Management and its two schemes, the ISG Real Estate Equity Fund and the ISG Private Access Fund, as well as at least 24 other connected companies.
Police to investigate secret report into Lion Property Group's 'blatant scam'
Victorian Police will be handed a secret report into the $120 million collapse of luxury developer Lion Property Group, after it was wound up in court. The move comes as lawyers for burned investors have labelled it a “blatant financial scam”, and lashed out at corporate regulator, the Australian Security and Investment Commission (ASIC), over its failure to act.
How could Sydney's $1.5m median house price possibly offer investor value? Apparently it can
The median Sydney house price is now $1.5 million — $500,000 more than Brisbane, in second place — but the Harbour City still presents buying opportunities for investors able to navigate a two speed market. A shortage of quality properties, a booming rental landscape and strong long-term fundamentals are underpinning the health of the city’s property market, according to experts.
Scale of failed Lion Property Group's 'Ponzi scheme' unveiled by liquidators, Supreme Court
Melbourne’s failed Lion Property Group, which folded owing $120 million, had “ceased trading activities” before provisional liquidators were appointed and its offices have been “vacated”, the Victorian Supreme Court has heard. An explosive report provided to the court by provisional liquidators KPMG states construction on the group’s string of projects, in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, “seems to have halted in 2024”.
Jillian Segal 'won’t dictate' to husband over $50,000 to Advance
The special envoy seeking to dictate the nation’s speech has suggested it was her husband who was responsible for $50,000 given to far-right group Advance — and that she won’t “dictate” his actions. Embattled antisemitism special envoy Jillian Segal has broken her 48 hours of silence, responding to the scandal that has sparked widespread calls for her replacement.
Melbourne property market: the comeback kid or come back later?
Melbourne’s multi-year slide to become the nation’s cheapest major capital has spurred countless headlines predicting an impending property market recovery. Experts say that long-term mirage is now slowly starting to materialise: interest rate cuts have put a floor under the market — applying a tourniquet to falling prices — and investors are starting to stir. Just don’t expect a major boom any time soon.
Days of buying a property for less than $500,000 'almost over'
You don’t need to go to the ends of the earth to find a capital city house for under $500,000, the latest data shows. But you probably will need to go to the ends of the continent. With two interest rate cuts already this year — and two to three more on the cards before Christmas — first home owners and investors are looking to act quickly before prices take off again. That has many asking the question: is anything truly “affordable” anymore? And if there is, where can I find it?
Melbourne's fringes offer property market's glimmer of light
The broader Melbourne property market remains in the doldrums — despite ongoing forecasts of a revival —but the city’s outer suburbs are being underpinned by relative affordability. In the year to April, inner Melbourne was a sea of red ink, with just 4 per cent of suburbs recording price growth, according to Cotality, formerly CoreLogic. Yet for suburbs 20km or more from the CBD, 38 per cent of suburbs saw growth during the year, as stretched affordability pushed buyers further afield.
Investors fear millions lost, take legal action against Lion Property Group
A forensic auditor has been appointed to investigate Melbourne developer Lion Property Group after legal action was instigated by aggrieved investors, raising questions over hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of proposed East Coast property developments. The Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday (27 May) appointed an auditor to the group, after more than a dozen investors launched legal “wind-up” applications against Lion and at least 18 of its connected entities.
New REIWA president on Perth's property prospects, housing policy and fighting the bad guys
In the often-sparkling world of property investment — awash with celebrity sales agents and Insta investment gurus — the humble renter can at times be something of an afterthought. Not so for Suzanne Brown, the first property manager to be appointed President of the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA). In 2006 Ms Brown founded Perth property management giant Rentwest Solutions, which pushes the ethos that successful property investment “all starts with finding the right tenants”.
Darwin property luring investors with prices last seen a decade ago
After a decade in the doldrums the Darwin property market is dusting off the cobwebs, and with 2015-level prices on offer, astute southern investors are homing in on the Top End. Despite growing 28.1 per cent over the past five years, Darwin dwelling values remain 0.5 per cent below a decade earlier, and down 2.7 per cent down on their May 2014 peak, according to Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) data released on 1 May.
Perth property market likely immune from Trump's economic chaos
The Perth property market has knocked the lights out in recent years — and a combination of tight supply, strong migration and relative affordability means the party’s not over yet, experts say. Since 2020 Perth dwelling prices have soared by more than 75 per cent — more than any other capital — and the fundamentals point to continued growth, albeit at a slower pace. “Perth is still experiencing the highest amount of migration in the country,” says Scott Townsend, Director, Perth Property Buyers.
Adelaide, nation's strongest property market, to kick more goals in 2025
A shortage of stock, nation-leading rental growth, and healthy ongoing buyer demand — from both locals and out of state investors — are continuing to fuel Adelaide’s residential property market. House and unit prices in Adelaide grew faster than any other capital over the past three months, according to CoreLogic, and while growth is slowing, experts say fundamentals remain strong.
Sydney's top end takes a big tumble but property prices elsewhere prove resilient
House prices in some of Sydney’s most sought-after suburbs have plunged by as much as $1 million as the nation’s biggest property market comes off the boil. In Woollahra and Waverley, in Sydney’s east, median house prices have fallen by $425,600 and $389,400 respectively over the past year. House prices in beachside Cronulla, in the city’s south, are $267,800 cheaper than they were a year ago, while houses in North Manly, at the other end of the city, have fallen by $227,000.
Canberra's 10 best and worst property markets, and wildly divergent 2025 expectations
Canberra’s housing market was one of 2024’s worst performers amid surging listing and new apartment supply, but with the ACT election out of the way and rates headed south, things are starting to stir, experts say. Dwelling values in the nation’s capital fell 0.4 per cent over the year to December, against national growth of 4.9 per cent, according to CoreLogic.
Warren Mundine's uranium company a failure after 20 years
The value of Warren Mundine’s international “uranium exploration” company has crashed by half as it bleeds millions of dollars a year of investor funds. Investigations show Aura Energy — of which anti-Indigenous Voice campaigner Mundine is a director — has never made a cent of profit in its 20-year history. That’s despite the ASX-listed company publishing positive announcements over two decades. Investors have lost over $55 million dollars to date.
Massive fines await real estate professionals in breach of new money laundering laws
The Federal Government must launch education services for real estate agents and other property professionals if it wants compliance with its new anti-money laundering laws, says the Real Estate Institute of Australia. Real estate agents and other property industry professionals will face potentially massive fines from 1 July 2026 if they fail to comply with the new laws, passed late last year.
Queensland property boom moves from Brisbane to regional north
The regional Queensland property market is continuing to soar, as the tail end of the national property boom works its way out to smaller centres. In north Queensland’s Townsville, home values have surged 27.2 per cent in the past 12 months, while in Central Queensland’s Gladstone prices have soared 27.1 per cent, according to CoreLogic. The ten best performing regional Queensland markets performed even better than the top ten markets in regional Western Australia, where prices have rocketed.
Guide Dogs hits $1 million a year slump over Frydenberg scandal
Donations to Guide Dogs Victoria have plunged by more than $1 million a year since the Josh Frydenberg political advertisements scandal last Federal Election, investigations show. In each of the last two financial years, donations to the embattled charity fell to $4.9 million, down from above $6 million in each of the two years before the scandal broke.
Brisbane’s 10 best and worst property markets, and what to expect in 2025
House prices have fallen in some of Brisbane’s most exclusive suburbs, in signs the city’s red hot property boom may slowly be winding to an end. Median house prices in the blue-chip, inner riverside suburbs of Hamilton, West End, New Farm and Yeronga have all fallen over the past 12 months, as revealed in data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).
Airbnb crackdown in full swing but varies widely between states
Property investors seeking supercharged returns from short-term rentals are facing a new round of headwinds, with new laws kicking off in Victoria and Western Australia on 1 January. After years of stuttering starts, and at times hollow threats, the ‘Airbnb’ clampdown is in full swing, with many Australian states — and increasingly local councils — getting serious about policing the shot-term rental accommodation sector.
Trump, falling property prices and a stubborn RBA: will interest rate cuts ever materialise?
Having waited four years for an interest rate cut — and countless failed predictions the next cut is just around the corner — Australia’s mortgage holders may have to wait even longer after Donald Trump’s US election victory. Money markets have now “fully priced in” September next year for the next official cut in rates, back from May, with hefty tariffs and major tax cuts promised by Trump expected to put upward pressure on global inflation.
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