Is blood really thicker than water?
Last week, I wrote that “boom suburbs are a scam.”
Not surprisingly, that post got a lot of attention. That article explained why the boom-suburb narrative is misleading.
Today, I want to talk about how the scam actually works. Sometimes an idea catches on in our culture. It gets simplified, misquoted, and repeated. And before long, it becomes “common sense” — even when it’s not true.
A classic example is: “Blood is thicker than water.”
Most people think this means family comes first, no matter what.
My mum has even used it as emotional leverage — but that’s a family therapy session for another day.
Anyway, that’s not the real saying.
The original is: “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”
It meant the exact opposite — that chosen bonds, loyalty, and shared struggle are stronger than family by birth.
So what does this have to do with property investing?
It’s the same with the lie “location, location, location.”
This phrase has been so deeply embedded in culture that people accept it as gospel. Just because everyone repeats this phrase and believes it doesn’t make it true.
It’s a myth perpetuated by people who need it to be true so they can sell you something.
You’ve all seen the ads and headlines:
-
- “Revealed: 10 suburbs you can’t afford to miss”
-
- “Next Regional markets to skyrocket”
-
- “Internal algorithm predicts the next hotspot”
…..and so on and on
As if the people selling this scam have a magical genie whispering in their ear — or some secret algorithm that predicts exactly how, when, and why a suburb will “boom.”
There is no secret. There is just a system — and the good news is, you can learn it. In fact, you should learn it if you are serious about being a property investor.
I’ve seen this up close for years. What frustrates me is how confidently some people sell these narratives, knowing full well they’re little more than incomplete, unsophisticated guesswork dressed up as science.
If they were honest and said, “We’re using our crystal ball and taking a punt,” I’d actually respect them more.
You can learn how to do this yourself. It’s not hard to assess suburbs.
I hosted a webinar that walks through exactly how I assess and select suburbs.
As a thank you to those of you who reached out after my last post on “boom suburbs are a scam,” I’ve made it available to watch for the next 90 days — it’s free to access, you’ll just need to register with your email to watch it, because people deserve better than another “hotspot” fantasy.
Click here for a free lesson. Next 90 days only.
You’ll see exactly why I wrote this post.
You can also download a free digital copy of my book, Strategic Property Investing, where I explain my suburb selection process in detail.
The same people charging thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — for “suburb selection systems” are often selling you what you can learn for free if you’re willing to put in a little time.
To be clear: I’m not saying everyone who sells a system is illegitimate. There are many excellent professionals worth paying. But you need at least a base level of understanding so you can evaluate whether what you’re being told is sound, logical, and sophisticated.
Even if you plan to use a buyer’s agent or property advisor, you should still know enough to hold them accountable — and just as importantly, to hold yourself accountable.
Location is NOT the most important factor in property investing.
Learning how to assess a suburb is a valuable skill, not just to pick a good suburb, but to avoid one that doesn’t suit your investing goals.
Location is only one piece of the puzzle. Good suburb, bad suburb, indifferent suburb – is always context-dependent.
If “location, location, location” was truly the secret to wealth, then every investor who bought in a popular suburb would be rich – and they’re not.
