Investment By Design

Welcome to the Investment By Design Podcast, where we sit down with successful and up-and-coming real estate investors from Cairns and across Australia.Each episode uncovers their journey, the lessons they’ve learned, and the strategies that led to their success.Whether you’re just starting out or building your portfolio, you’ll find practical insights, inspiration, and real-world advice to help you invest smarter and grow with confidence.

Investment By Design is a business podcast hosted by Shaun Craike, with 42 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Shaun Craike hosts Investment By Design, a business show with 42 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #43

  Ep 43. Building New Has Changed | Here’s What You Need to Know

  Aug 20, 202644 minS1

  Building a new home has changed. Higher construction costs, smaller blocks, changing buyer expectations and pressure on housing supply are reshaping what it means to build in Cairns, Far North Queensland and regional Queensland. In this episode, I sit down with Ram Singh from Five Rivers Group, a Cairns-based builder and property professional whose business delivers around 50 dwellings a year while also operating across property sales and rentals. We discuss whether building new still stacks up against buying established, the mistakes that can cost buyers thousands, what is actually driving construction costs higher and why new housing estates across Cairns and regional Queensland are increasingly moving towards smaller lots and higher-density housing. We also cover: Building new vs buying established The hidden costs and risks buyers need to understand before building Why Cairns house blocks are getting smaller What is driving construction costs across FNQ and regional Queensland How to design a new home with future resale value in mind What tenants actually want from a new investment property The rise of duplexes, triplexes and higher-density development Why Australia is struggling to build enough new homes What the next generation of housing could look like What Ram would personally buy or build with his own money Although we use Cairns and Far North Queensland as the case study, many of the challenges facing builders, developers, home buyers and investors are being seen right across regional Queensland and Australia. If you're considering building a new home, buying a house-and-land package, developing property or simply trying to understand where the housing market is heading, this conversation is worth watching before making your next move. Subscribe for more discussions on Cairns property, FNQ real estate, regional Queensland property investing and the Australian housing market. #CairnsProperty #CairnsRealEstate #FarNorthQueensland #FNQProperty #RegionalQueensland #PropertyInvesting #NewHomeBuild #AustralianProperty #HouseAndLand #PropertyDevelopment

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  Episode #42

  Ep 42. The Property Market Has Changed: Here's Why Cairns Could Beat Melbourne

  Aug 12, 202646 minS1

  Has the Australian property market entered a new phase? With tighter rental regulations, changing investor sentiment and evolving tenant expectations, many investors are asking the same question: where are the best opportunities now? In this episode, I'm joined by a leading Cairns property management expert, Adam Saitta from Benchmark Real Estate, to discuss why regional markets like Cairns could outperform some of Australia's larger capital cities, and what investors need to understand before buying their next investment property. Whether you're buying your first investment or growing a portfolio, this conversation covers the practical insights that can help you reduce risk and improve long-term returns. In this episode we discuss: Why the rental market has changed. Why fewer investors may enter the market. Why Cairns could outperform Melbourne. Current rental demand across Cairns. What tenants are really looking for. How professional property managers screen tenants. The biggest tenant red flags. Due diligence when buying a property with an existing tenant. What questions every investor should ask before going unconditional. The property features that attract quality tenants. Common mistakes investors continue to make. Where we believe the Cairns property market is heading. If you're interested in real estate investing, Cairns property, Melbourne property, property investing Australia, rental property, or buying investment property, this episode is packed with practical insights from professionals working in the market every day. If you enjoy evidence-based discussions about Australian property investing, subscribe for weekly episodes covering market trends, investing strategies, regional property opportunities and interviews with industry experts. Looking to buy property in Cairns or North Queensland? The Buyers Co helps home buyers and investors secure the right property through independent advice, negotiation and due diligence. https://www.thebuyersco.com.au

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  Episode #41

  Ep 41. The New Rules of Property Investing | Cairns Experts Debate

  Aug 6, 20261h 4mS1

  The property investing playbook that worked ten years ago may not work today. Borrowing capacity has tightened, ownership structures matter more, SMSF investing is under pressure, tax strategies are being questioned and simply buying any property and waiting for it to grow is becoming increasingly risky. So, what are the new rules of property investing in Australia, and how can investors still build a successful portfolio in 2026 and beyond? In this episode of Investment By Design, Shaun Craike brings together three leading Cairns property professionals, Ben, Kurt and Cameron, for an honest debate about what has changed, which traditional strategies still work and where investors could make their biggest mistakes over the next decade. The panel discusses: • Whether the property investment playbook that created wealth over the past 20 years has officially changed• The biggest myths Australians still believe about property investing• What an ideal investment property actually looks like in 2026• What they would buy with an $800,000 budget, and which properties they would avoid• Whether capital growth should still be the number-one priority• When buying a new property for the tax benefits can make sense• The differences between buying personally, through a trust or through a company• How ownership structures can affect future borrowing capacity• Whether investors should still buy their first property in their own name• What potential SMSF changes could mean for residential property demand• Where superannuation money could move if residential borrowing becomes more difficult• The financial habits separating one-property investors from those who build substantial portfolios• Who could be the biggest winners in Australian property over the next ten years The panel also reveals the investing advice they would no longer give, the rules they have personally changed their minds on and the strategies Australians may need to stop following. Whether you are preparing to buy your first investment property, deciding how to structure your next purchase or trying to grow beyond one or two properties, this conversation will help you understand the decisions that matter most in today’s market. Do you believe the old property investing playbook still works? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to Investment By Design for practical conversations about Australian property, finance, wealth creation and the regional markets shaping the country’s future. #PropertyInvesting #AustralianProperty #RealEstateInvesting #SMSF #PropertyInvestment #InvestmentProperty #WealthCreation #CairnsProperty

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  Episode #40

  Ep 40. Buy Now or Wait? What Cairns Property Experts Would Buy

  Jul 29, 202659 minS1

  Is now the right time to buy an investment property in Cairns, or should investors wait another 12 months? In this episode of Investment By Design, Shaun Craike is joined by financial planner and former accountant Ben Cole, mortgage broker Stacey Hart, and top-performing Ray White real estate agent Natasha Whalley-Thompson to build a practical blueprint for investing in Cairns property after the 2026 Federal Budget. The panel looks beyond the headlines to discuss what is actually happening across the Cairns property market, borrowing capacity, negative gearing, investor confidence and the availability of quality properties. They also work through a realistic scenario involving homeowners earning approximately $200,000 per year with equity available in their home. The panel considers how much they may be able to borrow, what they could realistically purchase in Cairns and which risks they would need to manage. In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 Buy Now or Wait? Cairns Property Outlook 2026 03:02 Why Property Investing Is a Long-Term Strategy 05:54 Could Cairns Property Prices Fall 10%? 10:19 Interest Rates, Confidence and Cairns Property 14:30 Lending Changes and Building the Right Property Team 17:42 Negative Gearing Changes Explained After the 2026 Budget 22:35 SMSF Property Deadlines and Serious Cairns Buyers 25:20 How Emotion Leads to Bad Property Decisions 29:50 Buying Your First Investment Property: Where to Start 33:46 Using Home Equity to Buy an Investment Property 36:10 Rentvesting: A Smarter Way to Start Investing? 39:00 Property Investment Mistakes to Avoid 43:47 Units vs Houses: What Would We Buy in Cairns? 52:30 Co-Ownership Risks and Final Investor Lessons This conversation is designed for first-time property investors, existing homeowners considering using equity, and anyone researching the Cairns property market in 2026. The discussion provides general information only and does not constitute personal financial, lending, tax, legal or property advice. Always seek advice based on your individual circumstances before making an investment decision. Subscribe to Investment By Design for more conversations about Australian property, investing, finance, business and the future of Cairns and North Queensland. #CairnsProperty #PropertyInvesting #AustralianProperty #CairnsRealEstate #InvestmentProperty #FirstTimeInvestor #NegativeGearing #MortgageBroker #PropertyMarket #RealEstateInvesting

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  Episode #39

  Ep 39. Pay Off Your Mortgage or Buy Property? | My Real Result In Cairns

  Jul 23, 202614 minS1

  Should you pay off your mortgage or buy an investment property? In this video, I compare mortgage reduction with property investing over 10 years, using current Australian interest rates, historical property growth and two real Cairns property results from my own portfolio. In 2024, after selling our previous business, my wife and I had a major financial decision to make. We could reduce our owner-occupier mortgage and lock in an interest saving of approximately 6%, or use the money to purchase another investment property. We chose property. We purchased a Cairns apartment for $386,000 that is now worth an estimated $530,000 and produces positive rental cash flow. That is approximately $144,000 in capital growth over two years, before selling costs and tax. However, property investing does not always deliver results like this. My first property was purchased for $135,000 in 2010 and sold for just $148,000 in 2020. That represents only $13,000 in capital growth over an entire decade, immediately before the Cairns property market began its strongest period of growth. In this video, we break down: Whether you should pay off debt or invest in property Credit card debt, personal loans and high-interest consumer debt Owner-occupier mortgage debt versus investment debt Why home-loan interest is generally not tax deductible How investment-property interest deductions work Debt recycling in Australia The risks and benefits of borrowing to invest Negative gearing and property holding costs Why rental income does not equal profit How leverage magnifies property gains and losses Cairns property-price growth from 2016 to 2026 A 10-year comparison using $120,000 Paying down a mortgage at 6% versus buying a $500,000 property The cash buffer property investors should maintain Which strategy I believe has the greatest wealth-building potential For the 10-year comparison, we model two options. Option one places $120,000 against an owner-occupier mortgage at an assumed 6% interest rate. If the interest savings remain in the loan or offset, the estimated financial benefit after 10 years is approximately $215,000. Option two uses the money to purchase a $500,000 investment property with a $400,000 loan. Using an illustrative annual capital-growth rate of 6.8%, the property would be worth approximately $965,000 after 10 years, creating around $565,000 in gross equity before holding costs, selling costs and capital gains tax. The mortgage strategy offers a more predictable return and greater financial security. The investment-property strategy carries greater risk, but leverage allows you to earn capital growth on a much larger asset base. Paying down debt protects the wealth you already have. Buying the right property gives you the opportunity to create significantly more. This video is general education only and does not constitute financial, tax, credit or property advice. Debt recycling and investment-loan structures should be established with qualified tax and lending professionals. Learn more about buying property in Cairns and North Queensland: www.thebuyersco.com.au Subscribe for more Australian property investing, Cairns property market analysis, buyer education and real-world investment case studies. #PropertyInvestingAustralia #PayOffMortgage #CairnsProperty

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