We research and select on-market and off-market Canberra residential properties where the existing residence can be retained and a Secondary Residence added on a single title, creating dual-income outcomes and targeting sustainable 5–7% yields plus depreciation benefits.
Where possible, we prioritise opportunities involving motivated owners and agents, which may allow the initial acquisition at approximately 3–5% below prevailing market value.
Our objective is to apply this disciplined approach to create properties that are cashflow-positive or close to covering their holding costs, using conservative, non-gimmick rental strategies.
This approach enables clients to improve the net performance of each asset and, over time, use the resulting reassessed and improved property value to unlock increased equity, repeat the process, and build resilient residential portfolios.
Frank Walmsley is the Lead Strategist and a co-owner of the business. He operates in two practical roles within the Canberra region residential property market.
First, Frank is a Canberra-based auctioneer with over 15 years’ experience, having personally called more than 1,500 Canberra residential auctions across the region.
This provides direct exposure to how properties actually transact relative to market value, rather than advertised guide prices or theoretical models. In practice, a significant proportion of below-market purchases in the Canberra region are determined in real time on front lawns at auction, where outcomes are shaped by competition, vendor urgency, and timing—often without reliance on post-sale data, valuation models, or AI-driven analysis.
Second, Frank is a founder and part owner of Canberra Granny Flat Builders, a long-established local business specialising in the delivery of Secondary Residences, with over 300 completed building projects across the Canberra region. This role provides hands-on experience with feasibility assessment, construction costs, planning approvals, site constraints, and delivery timeframes specific to the ACT.
Together, these two roles underpin a practical definition of value: properties where market value is established at the point of transaction, and where purchase price, site layout, zoning, and build feasibility align to support the addition of a Secondary Residence without overcapitalisation and on terms that improve overall project outcomes.
We believe that anyone can, and should be able to, build a residential property portfolio, provided the strategy is disciplined, realistic, and repeatable. Property investment should ideally generate surplus cashflow or require minimal ongoing cash contribution, so wealth building is not limited to high incomes or continual injections of personal earnings.
We believe in deliberately boring, basic strategies that focus on accumulation, risk control, and long-term performance rather than speculation, hype, or complexity. In our view, a combination of established residential properties (without body corporate constraints) and well-designed new Secondary Residences provides one of the most effective pathways to creating reliable dual-income assets.
Despite Canberra’s relatively high rates and land taxes, we believe the Canberra region is well suited to this approach due to ongoing housing undersupply, stable demand, and comparatively strong rental returns. These conditions support the development of resilient dual-income portfolios that can sustain themselves over time.
We aim to apply our combined skills and experience to secure properties below market value, deliver high-quality Secondary Residence projects that create lasting value, and structure assets to generate strong, sustainable returns. By creating value at each step of the process—from acquisition to delivery to performance—we help investors follow a repeatable approach that allows equity to be unlocked and the strategy to be applied again over time.
Our ideal customer is focused on Canberra residential property and believes that a high-yield, cashflow-focused property strategy is the foundation for long-term wealth building when applied consistently over time.
They are specifically interested in:
Their objective is to build a Canberra-based residential property portfolio that generates reliable income and can be repeated as equity grows.
We are unable to assist with securing property outside this area of focus.
Each week, we research the Canberra market and add up to two selected properties to our recommended property list. These properties are filtered for market value, site suitability, and feasibility for adding an additional dwelling. Members receive access to these opportunities along with a clear explanation of why they were selected and the assumptions used.
For each recommended property, we also include a recommended fixed-price Secondary Residence design from Canberra Granny Flat Builders. Based on current rental demand, comparable leasing evidence, and outcomes observed on comparable properties delivered under similar conditions, we provide well-supported projections of combined rental yields, along with clear forecasts of expected gross and net returns using conservative assumptions. This allows members to assess the full dual-income scenario upfront, rather than evaluating the purchase and build in isolation.
Membership provides access to the recommended property list and supporting analysis. Members may choose to act on this information independently or opt in to additional services as needed. Optional services can include bidding at auction, negotiating purchases, and execution support, and are engaged only at the member’s discretion and agreed in advance.
To avoid overlapping competition and maintain fairness, we limit participation to no more than 26 active clients at any one time. This ensures opportunities are not crowded and that each client can engage with the process without unnecessary internal competition.
We do not promise outcomes or push transactions. Final decisions always remain with the member. Our role is to filter, test, and explain, so investors can make informed decisions and proceed only when an opportunity genuinely aligns with their objectives and capacity.
$99 per year Get access to Canberra properties we have pre-qualified for dual-income potential.
Members see only what is qualified
Membership gives you access to our research and recommended property list. Some members are comfortable acting independently, while others choose to engage us for additional support with negotiating and securing shortlisted properties.
This support is entirely optional and designed for members who value experienced execution once suitable properties have been identified and shortlisted.
For members who choose to engage this support, we assist with negotiating and securing properties from the approved shortlist. This is provided within a private, client-only context, reflecting the commercially sensitive nature of bidding strategy, pricing limits, and agent interactions.
Our role is to execute within agreed parameters, apply strict price discipline, and manage the process through auction or direct (including off-market) negotiation. We act only on properties you have approved and strictly within pre-agreed limits. Final decisions always remain with you.
Where a property proceeds to auction, we manage the bidding strategy and live execution on your behalf. This includes setting a clear walk-away price in advance, responding to competitive dynamics on the day, and stopping immediately once value is exceeded.
In private treaty or off-market situations, we manage direct negotiations with agents and vendors, focusing on price, terms, and timing. Off-market opportunities are often simpler, but the same discipline and approval thresholds apply.
In practice, securing the right property may involve bidding or negotiating on multiple approved properties over time. The objective is not to transact quickly, but to secure one property on the right terms.
Where a member elects to engage execution support, a flat $15,000 fee is agreed in advance once the acquisition strategy has been confirmed, and applies to securing a property through execution across multiple approved opportunities under that strategy.
All standard purchasing costs (including legal fees, inspections, and government charges) remain the responsibility of the buyer and are paid directly to the relevant providers.
Securing a property below market value and on the right terms often requires patience and repetition. In competitive conditions, it is common to attend and bid at 5–10 auctions before securing the right outcome. This is not inefficiency; it is how price discipline is maintained.
To execute this effectively, we operate with three active bidders. This allows us to participate in multiple auctions on the same day where approved opportunities overlap, without compromising focus or execution quality. On some Saturdays, we may be bidding on two or more properties concurrently, stopping immediately once value is exceeded.
For this reason, properties must be pre-approved in advance. You approve a shortlist of properties and a maximum value for each, which gives us the authority to act decisively in live conditions. This also applies to direct and off-market negotiations, where we may place multiple offers at the same time to test value, extract terms, and increase the probability of securing one property on acceptable terms.
This approach recognises that value is often secured through multiple attempts, not a single bid or offer.
Execution support is provided on the basis that we are working toward securing a property within the agreed strategy and parameters. Where multiple auctions are attended as part of this process, our focus remains on securing the right outcome, not forcing a transaction.
If, after attending a significant number of auctions (for example, up to 10 auctions), the strategy or decision is changed and no longer proceeds, a time-based cost may be applied. This reflects the direct cost of attendance and execution and is generally approximately $250 per auction, representing time and operational involvement only.
Execution support:
Our intent is to remain fair, aligned, and disciplined, while recognising the practical realities of time-intensive auction work.
From experience, around 20% of auctions undersell. These outcomes are typically driven by seller circumstances, motivation, timing, and agent relationships, rather than overall market conditions. In these situations, there may be limited buyer competition and a genuine opportunity to secure value—provided preparation, discipline, and execution are applied.
By attending 5–10 auctions and applying experience and price discipline, the probability of securing a property below market value increases materially. This approach is not about forcing an outcome at every auction, but about being positioned to act decisively when conditions align.
For the types of properties we focus on, the typical purchase price is around $800,000. Securing a property 5–10% below assessed market value represents a potential saving of $40,000 to $80,000. While these outcomes are not guaranteed, this approach materially improves the odds compared to relying on a single offer or one-auction strategy.
The intent is simple: apply repetition, discipline, and experience to increase the probability of buying well, rather than relying on timing, luck, or pressure to transact.
