May 2023 Newsletter
HEY NEIGHBOUR!
The Education CHANCES Foundation hosted Boroondara's Best Kept Secret. The event was a lovely opportunity to have breakfast with some of our team and guests while listening to guest speaker Suzi Young, the director of Think Impact. It reminded us that it's a wonderful charity to be involved in. We learnt that for each dollar spent, the return on investment is between $15-17, which is huge!
Our team believe in the work CHANCES are doing and our company has committed to donating $1 a month, for every property on our portfolio, to contribute towards a scholarship for a student in need. This month marks our 5th month of donating and we are pleased to say our contributions to date have covered the costs of one full scholarship. We will continue to show our support as the year progresses and hope to have several more scholarships offered to these inspiring youths.
In light of Mother's Day approaching, we thank all mothers and mothers-at-heart for their compassion and the care they put into our world. This Sunday, do something nice for the mother figures in your life. Show them they are loved and appreciated.
The markets continue to be a strange place to work in at the moment. Another interest rate rise this month both here and in the U.S. Although, we had the budget last night which is now in surplus after so long in debt. There's more on this in our market insights!
As always, we encourage you to be a part of your neighbourhood, support your local businesses and find ways to participate in community events. We have listed a few ideas below that may interest you, from National Walk Safely to School Day to the Bundoora Autumn Frog Census. Your community has so much to offer, once you start looking, you will find so many opportunities to engage and enjoy your neighbourhood!
Thank you and enjoy your day, week, and month
Speak Soon.
Carmela
MARKET INSIGHTS
We strive to stay up to date on the latest market trends. Here are a few articles we think are worth reading.
- The only way to fix the rental crisis.
An interesting solution that will apparently fix the rental crisis. We are not so convinced that giving away tax breaks to large multinational and institutional companies is the best way to go. Eager to hear any other thoughts you may have. - Building collapses to get worse.
According to Michael Bleby in the AFR, builders behind more than 5,200 homes ($2.2bn in total value) have collapsed since 2021. This is expected to get harder according to some of the industry veterans interviewed by Bleby. - Australia's Federal budget summarised.
The budget was released last night, this article provides 5 charts that sum it up. It's always interesting but I think it's fair to say this one will be more closely watched given the economic uncertainty and inflation situation. - Potential inflation and interest rates worsening with cost of living.
Balancing inflation versus investment to help encourage the economy. No easy feat.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
What's new in your neighbourhood? These are a few recent updates that are happening in some of our local communities.
- Mother's Day Fun Run for Breast Cancer
Put your best foot forward in the Mother's Day Classic fun run and support women with breast cancer through raising awareness and funds towards breast cancer research.
- Participate in a Citizen Science Event
The Autumn Frog Census supports local frog species in Bundoora. You will use a red-light torch and a voice recorder to find and capture frog calls in the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary. This free event is a great way to support your local wildlife.
- Get to School Safely
May 19th is National Walk Safely to School Day. Take the opportunity to encourage your kids to walk to school, and promote exercise and road safety. - Visit the Melbourne Museum
Fantastic Beasts; the Wonder of Nature exhibit will open at the Melbourne Museum on the 19th of May. Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment collaborated with the Natural History Museum of London to create an exhibit where imagination and natural beauty collide. - Plant seeds of Creativity around your Home
Sip and paint at Pinot and Picasso in South Yarra. BYO alcohol and your creative spirit to their Plants over People session on the 26th of May.
CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION
Here are a few things that members of our team have stumbled across over the month. Whether thought-provoking, interesting or entertaining, we want to share them with you.
- Last week, one of our owners met their newest renter and told them about the retirement village they manage in the street. The musically inclined renter offered to play guitar for the residents of the village as a nice treat. We love hearing stories of neighbourly kindness! Lending your time or talents is a lovely way to contribute to your community.
- Mitcham Community Meal is a community run organisation that hosts free Sunday dinners for those in need. Each week a group of volunteers come together to prepare and serve a feed. One of our staff was fortunate enough to see this program in full effect; a community lending a hand and relying on each other, to create a safe and friendly space.
- TED Climate podcast entitled Why it's "Not Too Late" with Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutanatabua.
- The Loneliness Epidemic. It sounds awful, but we loved the message of Dr. Vivek Murthy in this interview with Scott Galloway. This is something that we should all be thinking a lot more about as technology increasingly (and inevitably) continues to play a bigger role in our lives
