Settling into a new rhythm in 2019

The best time I spent over Christmas was in Lorne, particularly on sunset with the wide and eclectic range of visitors found at the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club.

It’s amazing what a cross-section of people in the property industry holiday down there – whether they’re local or from Geelong or Melbourne.

There are developers, builders, agents, consultants, contractors, lawyers, tradies, bankers…
While we viewed the beautiful sunset, and eyed Sammy the seal waiting under the pier to steal any fisherman’s catch he could, we enjoyed a quiet ale or two.

The consensus was that the Lorne and Surf Coast market is still travelling well, due to a lack of supply of property. Geelong, too, is still tracking well although it is softening.

By contrast, the Melbourne market is completely up in the air. Everyone is wondering what the final effect of the banks tightening their lending might be in the industry.

So, things are settling into a new rhythm in 2019. People don’t quite know where the market will head. In fact, with economic uncertainty in Europe, the disruption of Brexit and the Trump
political farce in the US, the world is becoming quite unpredictable.

I came across a few Americans while in Lorne. On introduction, their first sentence, without prompting, was either “Trump’s not my fault” or “I didn’t vote for Trump”.

With all this going on around us, we can really appreciate how the Surf Coast and the Great Ocean Road are the best place on earth.

By contrast, I’ve just come back from the eastern side of Melbourne where I went to Wonthaggi and Wilson’s Prom.

While they are spectacular, they arequite remote – it’s very hard to find a meal after 8pm.

The point is, often we don’t really appreciate how well serviced we are here.

We enjoy great ease of access to beaches, that are close to car parks or just a short walking distance away. We have great infrastructure support for our holidays.

Whether it’s life in the towns, the morning cycling groups, or the Pier to Pub, or events like the Rock to Ramp and other swims along the coast, everyone here should appreciate how lucky we are to live in this special location.