Episode 2: Inside a $500k Equity Play

In this episode of Inside Residential Property, host Liam Garman and Rethink Residential’s James Thomson unpack the real story of 26-year-old engineer Charlie Neil, who turned a $25,000 deposit and a spreadsheet into a property portfolio now worth over $2 million.

Charlie shares how he bought his first investment property in Wagga Wagga at just 21, before rapidly expanding into the Central Coast and Hunter Valley. Working multiple jobs through university, Charlie saved aggressively, researched regional markets, and identified cash-flow-positive opportunities that set the foundation for long-term wealth.

James dissects Charlie’s three-property playbook, highlighting the balance between capital growth and yield, the role of strategic refinancing, and how investors can replicate this success even in today’s tighter lending climate. Together, they discuss when to hold, when to sell, and the pitfalls of being equity-rich but cash-poor.