Original Article published 14.06.2025, David Bonaddio, Herald Sun
Khaysan Kimberlin lives in an inner-city unit with her dog, Willow, but owns three properties in growth suburbs she’s never stepped foot in. The 30-something “rentvestor” says purchasing a property in the blue-chip Melbourne suburb she calls home would have derailed her entire financial strategy that will eventually allow her to buy.
“I could sell everything and own a place in the suburb I want outright,” she said. “But that would completely defeat the purpose. I’m not chasing the Aussie dream of a white picket fence, I’m building wealth for the long haul.” Ms Kimberlin mapped out a long-term strategy with property investment advisers OpenCorp and holds three properties where “the numbers stacked up”.
Ms Kimberlin said the Perth property alone had risen in value by $350,000 in four years. “I’ve never even seen it, that’s how unemotional the process was,” she said. “I wasn’t buying a home, I was buying a stepping stone.”
New data shows houses in Melbourne’s inner-city ring are out of reach for first-time buyers without family help, with even unit prices regularly topping $700,000.
But Ms Kimberlin, who works in Melbourne’s sporting precinct, said the area ticked every lifestyle box. “I grew up in the country, so if I’m going to live in the city, I want to be right in the heart of it,” she said. “I love being able to walk to work, to the gym, to games at the MCG – it’s perfect for where I am in life.”
While friends her age have taken out larger mortgages for homes in Melbourne’s middle ring, Ms Kimberlin said she chose to prioritise flexibility and future growth. “I have friends who stretched to buy and now can’t go on holidays or even enjoy their home properly,” she said. “I did it differently, and it’s changed my life. “I’ve built equity, I’ve kept my lifestyle, and I’m not tied down by a huge loan.”
Ms Kimberlin said many people still got caught up in emotion when it came to their first home, aiming for a suburb first, then scrambling to make the numbers work.
“Your first property doesn’t have to be your dream home, it just has to make financial sense. Then use it as leverage,” she said.
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