2025 was a defining year for first home buyers — shifting markets, tougher borrowing conditions, new risks emerging, and unexpected opportunities opening up in cities like Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. In this Christmas-Eve episode, we're wrapping up the year with the insights that mattered most: the lessons that helped first home buyers buy smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and head into 2026 feeling informed, confident, and in control.
🎄 The Moments That Transformed How We Teach First Home Buyers
Some episodes stopped us in our tracks this year — conversations that challenged what we thought we knew, revealed blind spots in the buying process, and reshaped how we guide buyers who are buying a home for the first time. Instead of a fluffy highlight reel, we're sharing the real gold: the game-changing insights that sharpen your decision-making and give you a strategic edge in any market.
🚫 The Rentvesting "Shortcut" That Isn't Always a Shortcut
One of the biggest wake-up calls of 2025 came from our rentvesting series. Rentvesting surged on social media, promising a clever path into the market — but our deep dives revealed a different story.
We explored rentvesting pros and cons, how it can quietly restrict your borrowing power, and why some buyers find it pushes homeownership further away. Across our most replayed episodes, we unpacked:
👉When rentvesting truly works
👉When it backfires on first home buyers
👉How long-term cash flow and borrowing limits affect your future PPOR
👉The hidden trade-offs most TikTok videos never mention
These episodes became essential listening for anyone considering rentvesting as a strategy rather than a shortcut.
🛡️ The Insurance Product Almost No One Knows About
Title Insurance was one of the biggest surprises of the year. Despite decades of industry experience, we uncovered new scenarios where it can protect buyers from risks that even solid due diligence may not catch — from unapproved structures to boundary discrepancies and undisclosed easements.
We explained:
👉What Title Insurance covers
👉When it's worth considering
👉Why it's a safety net, not a replacement for preparation
👉How it steps in when councils issue show-cause notices or when sellers overlook critical details
For first home buyers without the budget for major surprises, this insight is invaluable.
📈 The Episode That Transformed How We Teach Growth
Our deep dive into compounding — and why time is a first home buyer's greatest asset — completely shifted how we teach long-term property growth. Once you see the maths laid out decade by decade, it's impossible to ignore how dramatically a good asset outperforms an average one.
We explored:
👉Why compounding feels "impossible" until you understand the pattern
👉How quality assets can double multiple times over a lifetime
👉Why delaying your first purchase can cost you more than you think
👉When to rethink — or walk away from — an underperforming asset
It was one of the most energising episodes of the year.
📉 The Pain & Gain Report Every Buyer Should See
Our analysis of the CoreLogic Pain and Gain Report was another major standout.
This year's data revealed:
👉Which markets saw the highest loss-making sales
👉Why cookie-cutter units perform differently across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne
👉How scarcity and oversupply shape returns
👉Why the old advice to "just get on the ladder" can be financially dangerous
For first home buyers trying to avoid costly mistakes, this episode is a must.
🔥 Hot Market Survival: What 2025 Taught Us
Whether it was bidding wars in Sydney or intense competition in Brisbane, 2025 taught buyers how emotional — and expensive — a hot market can be.
We broke down:
👉How to make stronger offers in competitive conditions
👉Why your first offer rarely wins
👉How to avoid rebounding into the wrong property
👉The mindset and habits that keep you grounded when prices rise faster than you can save
👥 The Campfire Coaching Moment That Became an Episode
One of the year's most powerful conversations came from a one-on-one Campfire coaching session — a rare deep dive into a real buyer's scenario. It became a full episode because the insights were simply too valuable not to share.
These episodes helped buyers stay strategic, calm, and focused despite the pressure.
🎯 The Mindset Shifts That Mattered Most
From saving money tips Australia and budgeting tips Australia to navigating stress, media noise, and comparison fatigue, our mindset episodes helped listeners stay motivated and adaptable through a challenging year.
We unpacked:
👉Healthy habits and money management
👉How to stay emotionally resilient when deals fall through
👉What really drives confidence for first home buyers
👉How to pivot smartly when the market shifts beneath you
These are the shifts that keep buyers moving forward instead of stuck.
