How this TV star paved her way in property

The pair first took the plunge into property back in 2007, scooping up a one-bedroom apartment based in St Kilda, Melbourne. After five years of reaping the financial benefits, they decided to sell under the guidance of James Nihill from Patrick Leo.

Leveraging developments within the Melbourne market, the profit from the sale was almost enough to pay off the couple’s Brisbane family home.

“We kept a very close eye on the property market in Melbourne and watched the capital growth of the apartment increase. The value of the investment rose significantly over the five years, and an apartment boom was beginning to take off in Melbourne – so we knew that it was the right time to sell,” said Mr Nihill.

With a solid investment property under their belt, and their mortgage almost being paid off, Ms Thomson and Mr McCall decided to invest again, taking on what Mr Nihill refers to as “affordability and trainspotting strategies”.

The plan saw the couple purchase a large pasture of land in the Melbourne-west suburb, Tarneit, which was poised as a growth area due to the construction of new railway line in 2015. This development quickly became the second-busiest V/Line station, after Melbourne Southern Cross, upon completion.

Since the purchase, Ms Thomson and Mr McCall have witnessed significant capital growth, choosing to offload the property through Patrick Leo, allowing them to invest again.

This year, hoping to replicate the success of their Tarneit investment, the pair again engaged Mr Nihill for advice regarding investment hotspots in Queensland, wanting to purchase closer to home this time.

Utilising the “trainspotting” investment strategy, Mr Nihill advised that buying in Flagstone was a stable way to reach their financial goals.

The strategy paid off, with Ms Thomson and Mr McCall purchasing a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house-and-land package in the south-east suburb.

“The Queensland government’s plan for a proposed passenger rail link between Salisbury and Beaudesert is a game changer for the surrounding suburbs, and with Flagstone included in this railway line, population growth and increased housing and rental demand due to more accessible public transport is a given,” Mr Nihill said.