CHECKING THE IDEA

In July 2024, on my return from a (wonderful) couple of months in Europe, I called into Perth to check the validity of my spreadsheets. Was it possible to buy a home with all the requirements that Susan and I needed for a home:

- a pool

- 3 to 4 bedrooms (so Sebastian & our Eastern States friends could come to visit) 

- 2 living areas (because we have such different tastes in television)

- single story (Susan in particular is over stairs)

- close to a good beach...and to Perth friends.

I enlisted my real estate researcher friend Stephanie and we drove all over the city looking at suburbs - north as far as Gwelup and south as far as Hamilton Hill. What had looked good on paper was starting to look dodgy because the Perth real estate market took off in 2024. By the end of the year prices had increased by 25% while the Melbourne market had sunk by 5%. What we could afford was looking further and further away from ideal locations.

However, traipsing around the town with Stephanie was enjoyable because as well as her real estate research skills, she can also locate the best lunch venue in any suburb. Regardless of my concern about the viability of my idea, I was always well fed.

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