Your unfair advantage
in property investment

The picture above was taken around 1986 and is my childhood home under construction. Roughly 80 square metres of living plus a detached bathroom for 2 adults and 3 kids. Not quite luxury.

When I was 10 years old my Dad ended up needing back surgery due to 20+ years of manual labour and afterwards had to stop working. He was forced into retirement and onto the disability pension at age 40. They had no plan, no savings, no investments, no nothing and as a result struggled immediately (more than they already had). My parents were always the “too good to be true” type and as a result they were always shortsighted and living fortnight to fortnight. I don’t blame them at all, they never had any good role models for money and that took its toll like it does on 90+ percent of Aussies.

Growing up in that environment gave me a clear understanding of what not to do. I never wanted to be in a position where I wasn’t in control of my finances. That mindset only deepened as I watched their situation deteriorate.

Over the years, the timber framing became infested with termites, the house was falling apart and they had no money to fix it. It got to the point where the loft above the living room was being held up by a 2×4 and a car jack. It was at this point my brother and I said enough is enough and insisted on moving them out. We moved them into a rental, paid the bond, furnished it (everything from the old house was unsalvageable), and later helped them buy a home in Victoria.

I don’t share this to brag or pat myself on the back but to hopefully wake some people up to the reality of what living on the pension is like. I’ve watched too many people delay decisions about their future, only to end up reliant on their kids during retirement. That takes a toll on everyone.

So, how did I get to a position where I could help them?

After witnessing what “no financial plan” looks like firsthand, I made a decision early on: that would not be my story. From my mid-20s, I threw myself into learning everything I could about money, wealth, and retirement. Property became the path I chose. In 2013, I joined the property investment space and made it my mission to help everyday Australians avoid the same fate my parents faced.

In 2014, I founded a property investment consulting firm, working with property companies to deliver advisory services. After thousands of client conversations and years of training agents, strategists, and operations teams, and watching many of the mistakes companies make, I relaunched under Access Wealth to work directly with clients and bring a better experience to the industry.

I do this because I’ve seen the shit side of retirement. I’ve seen what happens to people that don’t plan or are ignorant to their future and I’ve experienced the impact it has on family members around.