Hey, my name is Andrew Duncan.
On my blog, you will find real estate tips, advice and market commentary, with some off-topic ranting occasionally thrown in for good measure. I love working with nice people, enjoying plant-based food, CrossFit, NFL and living in Wellington, where I run Relatable, an independent real estate agency where we help buyers and sellers make smart property decisions.
My closest friends know I am passionate about fighting climate change. But until now I haven’t written about this topic on the blog. Partly because I wanted to learn as much as possible about the subject before putting my thoughts out there and partly because it’s such a big issue, it’s hard to know where to start! Below is a post I started writing at…
Would you like to take a massive step towards securing your financial future? Sorry for the rhetorical question, but it’s worth setting the stage here. Buying the right first investment property can put you on a high-speed, cruise-control path to financial freedom. Disclaimer… Before we get started: I am not a qualified financial adviser. This article will share tips and strategies I (and clients of…
Please note: I am not a qualified financial adviser and the opinions offered here are purely my own. It is critical that you seek professional advice from a solicitor before embarking on any property purchase. Read: Don’t buy a home without speaking to these 5 people first What a scary time it has become for first home buyers, especially if you started looking 12-24 months ago…
After more than a decade in real estate. I have seen the value that a really good salesperson can add to the process. I have seen houses sell for prices that blew me away – because the salesperson running the marketing campaign knew how to position the property. They knew how to attract the right buyers and how to create competition. At the same time,…
“The coolest thing about Taiwan is that we were usually the only foreigners everywhere we went but no one treats you like a tourist. And while the locals were always lovely and nice to us, they didn’t expect anything from us since their economy isn’t built on tourism. Not one single person hit us up for money or tried to sell us a selfie-stick…” We…
In this article, you will find straight-forward tips and advice on what to do if you have a home that is taking a long time to sell. If a house stays on the market a long time, does that mean there is something wrong with it? Not always. It is true that some properties are harder to sell. If there is unconsented building work that…
Sam Harris is a human I have unbridled admiration for. I love the way he thinks. When he talks I feel my anxiety washing away, seeping out of my pores. His podcast interviews have altered my perceptions and changed my thinking of many aspects of my life. I certainly don’t agree with everything he says, however. Some of his views on immigration are too strong…
I am an investment property owner. I am just the kind of person the Tax Working Group intends to target in their capital gains tax recommendations. This policy is likely going to cost my family a lot of money in the future. But I understand why it needs to be done and I agree with it. Here are 5 reasons I agree with a Capital…
I recently interviewed top Wellington mortgage broker Jenny Cheevers to get her thoughts on a few topical real estate finance questions, including: – What’s happening with interest rates? – Should I fix for 1 year or 2 years? – Should I switch banks for one offering 3.95%? – Can I buy a home with only a 10% deposit? – Should I pay off my student…
Letting fees are a cost which have historically been charged to tenants by property managers when they move into a property. It is usually equivalent to one week’s rent. It is a large cost for a tenant to bear, especially if they are only going to live in the property for 3 – 12months. While taking a sabbatical in Auckland in 2017, we rented a…
