(Full coverage was published in the February 2015 edition of Your Investment Property magazine)
Welcome to one of our most-awaited issues of the year, in which we crown the winners of 2014’s Investor of the Year Awards and celebrate your achievements as property investors.
Being a landlord can be challenging in a rapidly changing market. When you combine this with constant scrutiny from the mainstream media, who tend to vilify and blame us as property investors for the sky-high property prices, it can be quite disheartening.
While it’s true that our main goal is to make money so we can secure our financial future, we’re also contributing a great deal to the economy as a whole. Our investments in property have a multiplier effect, resulting in more jobs and sorely needed housing.
Without investors’ active participation in the market, the economy would struggle to grow, especially now that the mining boom has come to a halt.
That’s why we honour your amazing accomplishments and contribution through our Annual Investor of the Year Awards. This year we’ve received yet another record number of submissions, and heard some of the most inspirational personal stories we’ve been told in a while.
We’re blown away by your unwavering tenacity and determination in pursuing your investment path. We’re humbled by the trust and generosity you’ve shown by sharing your journey with us.
This year’s winners are an eclectic mix of ordinary Aussies, but all share the same vision: to change their fortune through property investing. They made the decision, took action, and have succeeded.
We are proud to announce that the 2014 winner of the Investor of the Year Award is Matt Armstrong! Matt understood the importance of having a clear goal and investment plan, and stuck to his chosen strategy through thick and thin. The result? A strong portfolio with net equity worth $1.2M.
Congratulations also to our runners-up, Michelle Powys and Anna Correia. Michelle’s story is truly an inspiration to solo investors. She managed to rebuild her portfolio following a relationship breakdown and now enjoys a handsome return on her investments. Anna’s business approach to investing has produced extraordinary results and hugely diminished her risk – an example worth emulating.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and remember: next year, it could be you.
Judging Criteria
Judging of the Investor of the Year Awards is not just based on financial performance – it looks at several key factors that contributed to the success of the individual investor. These include:
- Ethics
- Contribution to other people and the community
- Entrepreneurship
- Leverage
- Strategy – including overall strategy and property selection criteria
- Risk management
- Financial performance
- Innovation
The judging panel
Ed Nixon, CEO, Trilogy Funding
Ed has been involved in the finance industry since 1991 and has 13 years' experience in commercial finance. In early 2003, he changed his focus to specialist mortgage broking.
Madeline Dermatossian, COO, Defence Housing Australia
John Kovacs, managing director, NMD Data
John created NMD Data after three decades of success in the real estate industry.
NMD Data exclusively lists mortgagee foreclosure, deceased estate and housing authority properties in one locality, offering the only comprehensive national database of its kind in Australia.
Nila Sweeney, managing editor, Your Investment Property
Nila is managing editor of Australia’s leading property investment magazine, Your Investment Property.
An active property investor herself, Nila owns a number of properties in Australia and overseas. She worked as a TV journalist at CNBC Asia and CNN International for more than 11 years and has been writing about the Australian property market for more than nine years.
Justin Davey, head of partnerships, Real Estate Investar
Justin heads up the Real Estate Investar (REI) partnerships team, responsible for delivering products and services
to REI’s 110,000 plus membership base. REI aims to deliver the best information and to help enable its members to create wealth
through property investment. Justin is an active property investor himself and has used REI’s tools
to successfully build and maintain his own multimillion-dollar property portfolio.
Tyron Hyde, director, Washington Brown
Tyron is director of Washington Brown and has over 20 years' experience in the construction and development industry.
Considered one of Australia’s leading experts in property tax depreciation, Tyron regularly presents at industry conferences and eventsand has published numerous articles on tax depreciation and property investment.Tyron Hyde is also the only published author on the topic of property depreciation in his new book, CLAIM IT! A Property Investor’s and Developer’s Guide to Depreciation.
By investing early in life and sticking to a well-defined strategy, Matt Armstrong is achieving all his dreams without compromising his lifestyle. Moreover, Matt has innovative and eco-friendly ideas that he plans to incorporate into his properties. And this is just the beginning. Click here to read Matt's story.
First Runner-Up: Michelle Powys
Starting a property portfolio from scratch is a challenging task. And when you factor in a relationship breakdown and doing it on your own, it’s even harder. But Michelle Powys did all that and is now well on the way to achieving her wildest dreams.
Second Runner-Up: Anna and Melvyn Correia
Talk about a busy couple! Anna Correia is a full-time property investor and mum, while Melvyn works full-time. Since migrating to Australia, they have built a portfolio worth $3.4m. And they have now been named second runner-up in this year’s Investor of the Year Awards.
Highly Commended: Karen Van Maanen
There are not too many people in the world who own more than 10 investment properties and work two jobs. Karen Van Maanen is a single woman who does both extremely well.
Highly Commended: Daniel Cameron
If you think you can’t start investing in property because you’re not earning enough money, you haven’t met Daniel Cameron yet. Despite living on a disability pension of just $14,000 a year, he went on to build a portfolio worth a quarter of a million dollars, earning him a Highly Commended ranking in this year’s Investor of the Year Awards.
Just three years ago, Keshav Jha was worried about funding his retirement and his daughter’s education. His solution? Property investment. Now he has a portfolio worth $3.27m and has earned a Highly Commended ranking in our Investor of the Year Awards.
