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Blog
“Investing in Mortgage Schemes can be a complex business, and we have learnt a lot in our 30-plus years of service. The intent of these blogs is for our team to pass along our knowledge and experience to ensure investors are given all the information needed to make informed investment decisions.”
Insights from Richard Woodhead, Managing Director of GPS Investment Fund Ltd (GPS) At GPS, we always have, and always will, prioritise transparency and the...
Is This A ‘New Norm?’ We’re Ahead Of It
Earlier this month, GPS Development Finance (GPS) was approached to finance the completion of a project in a high-growth area of Brisbane—one that had...
Understanding Investment PDS’S and IM’S
We're often asked about the difference between investing under a PDS or an IM. While these documents may serve different purposes, at the core...
Behind The Distribution Rate
Many investors focus primarily on headline distribution rates when selecting investments. However, this can overlook critical factors that significantly impact the safety and profitability...
Welcome to the New Financial Year
At this time of year, the GPS Investment Fund (GPS) team like to take stock and reflect on the year so far, and prepare...
Introducing Pooled Platinum
Despite only being June, it’s been a big year so far for GPS Investment Fund (GPS), to say the least!We spoke last month about...
When Policy Pushes Back, We Fill The Gaps
At GPS Investment Fund (GPS) we’ve seen many changes to the South East Queensland project landscape already this year. Namely, while demand for developed...
Why Choose GPS? The Value of Risk vs. Reward
GPS Investment Fund Limited (GPS) is in the business of risk. In fact, by default, all investments are in the business of risk. When...
Stay One Step Ahead of Us
Planning for the future can sometimes feel like navigating uncharted territory, and one topic that often gets pushed to the back burner, but shouldn’t,...
December 2023 – It is the most wonderful time of the year
As the year draws to a close, GPS has performed its usual review of its strategic direction. There aren’t any surprises. It continues to...
November 2023 – We have been getting things done!
Can you believe that it is November already! We are asking ourselves the age-old question – ‘Is it too soon to put up Christmas...
October 2023 – Celebrating all things South East QLD
This month is a celebration of our journey and commitment to you, our loyal investors, for the past 30 years. In this article, we’ll...
September 2023 – Same, same but different
An aspect of the GPS business which keeps me engaged is that there is always an issue to solve. I note that if you...
August 2023 – It’s go time!
There has been a lot of talk over the past couple of months about the success that GPS has seen thanks to a nice...
Residential Construction – Where is it going?
We hear a lot in the news about the “Housing Crisis”, and while it is an issue facing many, it doesn’t feel quite right...
Cost to complete? Why?
Last month we did an article about our builders, and the processes that we go through to ensure that a builder is up for...
June 2023 – We are prepared.
At the most recent monthly board meeting, the Board of GPS discussed the economy, the federal budget and the building industry etc. This broader...
We have news!
We have news! Nothing is wrong! In fact, the news is GOOD! GPS has a pipeline that is nice and full with only minimal...
What do they do? Lawyers!
The next instalment of “What do they do?” is reserved for everyone’s favourite. Lawyers. They get a bad rap most of the time, but...
April 2023 – Whatever you do, do not panic!
There has been a lot happening in the financial world over the last couple of weeks! While it is easy to assume that all...
March 2023 – We are all in this together
One of the benefits of being with a boutique, family-owned, business is that you are not just a number. You are not just an...
What do they do? Valuers
In the next instalment of ‘What do they do?’ we are looking at Valuers. If you have bought a house, then what a valuer...
What do they do? Quantity Surveyors or ‘QS’
There are many important Third Parties that we consult with when determining whether a project is viable. While our team at GPS is full...
February 2023 – Let’s be smart about this
By the time you read this newsletter your GPS Invest Pooled Fund (Pooled Fund) investment will already be seeing the benefit of the 0.75%...
January 2023 – Starting the year off with a bang!
We hope you all had (or are still having!) an amazing time celebrating the silly season with your family and friends. The GPS team...
December 2022 – The year that was
It is hard to believe that the year is almost over! GPS has had a great 2022, but now is not the time to...
November 2022 – Our consistency makes us different!
In the world of investing there are lots of options – shares, cryptocurrency, NFTs and many more, where you hope that your knowledge of...
November 2022 – Construction Updates
Now that we are getting closer to the end of the year, here are some project updates! Rankin 4 Pty Ltd: 16.99% complete. External...
October 2022 – GPS Distribution Rates
This has been a hot topic in recent months for GPS investors. It is therefore no surprise that this complex item was discussed at...
September 2022 – The benefits of GPS!
It can be hard to tell at the moment where the best place to put your money is in order to get the best...
August 2022 – Planning for the future
A lot has happened in the last few years! It therefore seemed like an appropriate time to review the strategic plan of GPS. While...
June 2022 – GPS Future Pipeline
It is interesting out there. If you simply looked at the number of loans in our loan pipeline you would expect the team to...
May 2022 – Interest Rates and GPS
Where interest rates are going and the ramifications to the residential development industry is the current hot topic. The simple answer is that there...
April 2022 – GPS as always, is 10 steps ahead.
There is no secret when it comes to my views regarding how everything is now sensationalized by the media for clickbait. It has been...
March 2022 – Flood update in South East Queensland
The Queensland Floods have been stressful and scary for everyone affected. The GPS team is all safe and well, and the office building (minus...
What could 2022 look like?
The SEQ property market. It is difficult to be definitive about property markets at the best of times. Currently it is influenced by many...
Christmas 2021!
It feels like we blinked and the year is gone! Please take note of our office hours over this festive period. Our team is...
December 2021 – What could 2022 look like?
The SEQ property market. It is difficult to be definitive about property markets at the best of times. Currently it is influenced by many...
November 2021 – What a month we have had!
October was a very busy month for the GPS team with the opening of the GPS Invest Pooled Fund (‘Pooled Fund’) and offerings of...
October 2021 – Your Investor Services Team
In GPS’s last newsletter we introduced new staff to the GPS team. This month we say goodbye to a member of staff most of...
October 2021 – GPS Invest Pooled Fund Opens!
At the start of October GPS was very pleased to announce the opening of the GPS Invest Pooled Fund (Pooled Fund) for a round...
September 2021 – Hold off on the Marketing!
Hold off on the marketing! It has been a long time since I said these words to GPS borrowers. The last couple of years...
July 2021 – A new financial year ahead!
My usual newsletter article for this time of year is a detailed review of the past financial year. I expect most of you are...
August 2021 – Maintain Momentum
Our current mantra in the GPS office of late has been “maintain momentum”. As mentioned last month, May and June were a return to...
June 2021 – Welcome to life with COVID!
Progress on getting new loans settled continues to be frustratingly slow. Welcome to life with COVID! The team at GPS are persevering and we...
The Interest Rate Question
A significant issue for GPS is the volume of very cheap institutional monies which is presently available. This is driving borrower rates down. GPS...
Eureeka Pty Ltd – Over 90% Sold
Construction is now complete on the Eugaree Street, Southport project and 90% of the units are under contract. This great result is indicative of...
May 2021 – GPS rates set with the long term in mind
Recently some of our investors have called asking about the chance of a drop in the GPS rates. To answer this question, GPS does...
April 2021 – Hands on loan management
GPS is in the business of risk management. In our February newsletter we wrote about our move to reduce risk for our retail investors...
March 2021 – Brisbane planning changes cause slowdown in new projects
It was a slower than usual start to the year for GPS. Apparently, most people needed a longer break to get over 2020. This...
February 2021 – Reducing Risk for Retail Investors
It will come as no surprise that during this time of uncertainty, GPS is being conservative. To reduce risk for our retail investors, GPS...
December 2020 – Thank you and Merry Christmas
2020 has been an interesting year. GPS was lucky enough (and skilled enough) to find ourselves in a good position. However, we would not...
March 2020 – The GPS Balancing Act
GPS provides a niche product. We invest in residential unit and townhouse construction loans within two hours of the Brisbane CBD. Our investors and...
What is “subordination”?
Olivia and Jess, from our Investor Services team, have recently received a few requests from investors to explain ‘subordination’, a term mentioned in our...
Builder cashflows are suffering
Following several conversations with builders GPS has commenced a program to strengthen our relationship with builders on GPS funded projects. It turns out that...
Nothing wrong with being boring
I am always humbled by the support GPS is shown from our investors. Right down to readership levels of this newsletter. Each month I...
Who’s Responsible?
As part of our responsibilities as a Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) holder, GPS is required to “maintain our organisational competence at all times”...
How do we add value?
The Hayne Royal Commission demonstrated the damage that lawyers, who are equipped with the benefit of hindsight and retrospective morality, can do to businesses....
April 2019 – Digesting the Royal Commission
We have now had time to start to digest the findings of the Hayne Royal Commission. GPS could dismiss the findings as not affecting...
Questions you need to ask when looking for development funding
Australia Day is upon us, signifying the property industry’s return from summer holidays. The major focus for developers this year will be on obtaining...
Life after the banking royal commission
To mark ten years since the GFC, I re-watched the movie The Big Short. It highlighted to me how little has been learnt. We...
Credit Crunch Deepens for Construction Funding
An indicator I look at to determine where we are in the credit cycle is average loan term. When there is plenty of credit...
We take pride in our projects
One of the great moments of satisfaction the GPS team experience is getting to see the final result at the completion of a project....
How will the changes to GST affect you?
Residential development is about to undergo the most radical change since the introduction of GST. For all sale contracts entered after 1 July 2018,...
What to look for in a non-bank lender
A recent survey by Stamford Capital of banks, non-bank lenders and private financiers found that 40 percent of respondents expect the major banks to...
Notice changes to the GPS loan product?
As the property market continues to go through its usual cycles, you will notice the loan product that GPS offers changes to match. Currently...
June 2018 – GPS is 25 years old!
This month the GPS business is turning 25 years old! It all began in 1993 when I resigned as partner of a law firm...
May 2018 – Banking Commission highlights why people come to GPS
For over 20 years people have asked me, “why would a developer borrower from GPS if they can go to the bank?” After everything...
It’s all about the bottom line
The banks requiring 100% (or more) debt coverage from presales has seen an influx of traditional bank customers approaching GPS to fund their projects....
Not just the developers stuck waiting for finance approval
GPS is largely a “word of mouth” business. Funds come from our direct investor base and we rely on referrals for growth in funds under...
December 2017 – Put your investor’s interests ahead of your own
A decision has finally been made about a banking royal commission. It should keep the banks occupied for some time and, therefore, not competing...
Real Research
For a deal I am working on for a unit development in Wynnum, the valuer made a comment about the project potentially coming up...
Involved in a project where funding is uncertain?
In early 2016, GPS stopped lending while we got our heads around the apartment oversupply issue. We then refocused our lending to avoid types...
What counts as a sale?
Each GPS loan has a set of construction and sales milestones to assist GPS in monitoring the loan’s status. If the Borrower is not meeting the...
Say goodbye to the cranes
Investors frequently ask me to comment on media articles, and so I thought I would get ahead of the game with the latest topic:...
The real cost of finance
It never ceases to amaze me how some borrowers are fixated on interest rate, but are blind to the overall cost of finance. When...
Retirement? – No way
The question I am most frequently asked comes out more as a statement along the lines of “you are not thinking about retiring anytime...
June 2017 – Invest with GPS
It has been a long term goal of mine to be able to go out to investors and say “invest with us”. Not “invest...
May 2017 – Data is king
At GPS a lot goes on behind the scenes to generate consistency of return to investors. We are constantly looking for ways to improve...
Sub-contractors bearing the brunt of builder collapses
There has recently been a spate of builder collapses. Builder failure risk has moved up the priority list for most lenders. Part of the...
When it all goes wrong
Brisbane is now in a sector of the property cycle which will test all involved in residential development. We have seen the failure of...
The next step for our Next Generation Program at GPS…
At GPS we focus on our Next Generation Program because we know how important it is to pass on skills, knowledge and expertise to...
Watch, learn and show restraint
As the banks are unlikely to broadcast their plans, I continue to watch and learn from what they do, rather than listen to what...
October 2016 – Our Niche Product
One of the reasons GPS can provide investors with above market returns is due to our operating a niche product (service, skill and culture...
The importance of building a relationship with your lender
The current market for development financing has highlighted the need for developers to again establish solid working relationships with funders. Banks have pulled back...
Winning no awards for photography
As part of GPS’ loan management procedures, Portfolio Managers, and other GPS staff, make regular site inspections. We like to have someone out at...
Soft Landing
There will be no silver bullet solution to any potential apartment oversupply issue. Here are five reasons I believe that, if the problem exists...
The myth of offshore funding
Promises of large tranches of cheap offshore monies for construction lending have always been about. I can recall back to the petrodollars. I have...
Pick a lender and run with them
Construction lending is a highly specialised field and is currently hard to obtain. Due to ongoing capitalisation requirements, the banks have either withdrawn or...
Horror story
In April 2015 I issued a letter of offer for a project (Project A). I was informed that I was too expensive and they...
The three month rule
Too many developers focus on the interest rate rather than the overall cost of finance. Banks traditionally require presales before construction can commence. Presales...
A brief history of private lending
Private lending started as solicitor’s trust account lending. Due to solicitors making a dog’s breakfast of the industry we saw the Managed Investments Act...
December 2015 – A Very Good Year for GPS
It is once again the time of the year for the traditional review, thank yous and predictions for the coming year. Overall it has...
June 2015 – GPS Business Plan
GPS Business Plan In the next 6 months, GPS has budgeted to raise an additional $10,000,000 (or thereabouts) across the GPS Invest Select and...
GPS turns 20 in 2014
Welcome to 2014, the year GPS turns 20. Rather than a year to party the team at GPS are looking forward to a more...
How Well Do You Know Your Fund Manager?
How Well Do You Know Your Fund Manager? Anyone can lend money but very few can consistently get it all back. The GFC has...
Risk Vs Return – What Is The Niche?
I do not think that I am delving into the financial advice arena by noting the old adage of “the higher the return the...
Mortgage Funds Are Not Property Funds
One of my soap box subjects and pet issues is when GPS is referred to as a property fund. Unfortunately, mortgage funds have had...
Is Your Mortgage Scheme & Operator Currently Licensed?
In order to operate a Mortgage scheme for Investors the operator needs to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). An AFSL can be...
