What does it take to survive multiple property crashes and still build generational wealth?

In this episode, Andrew Wright sits down with veteran developer and private lender John Facer, a man who helped shape the Gold Coast skyline and has lived through five decades of booms, busts and billion-dollar projects.

From constructing iconic high-rises like Crown Towers and Peninsula, to navigating the brutal 1982 market crash where buyers tried to walk away from contracts mid-build, John shares what really happens when property cycles turn.

We unpack:

• Building towers before pre-sales were required
• What the 1982 crash taught him about risk
• Why long-term holding beats short-term flipping
• Turning a $55,000 block into multi-million-dollar waterfront equity
• Buying 10 units pre-1985 (and what that means today)
• Using leverage wisely across cycles
• Creative funding structures that doubled money in 12 months
• Why private lending can be safer than developing

This episode is about resilience.

It’s about patience.

And it’s about understanding that property always moves in cycles but those who hold, win.

If you want to build wealth that survives downturns, this is essential listening.

🔗 Learn more:
https://andrewwrightproperty.com.au/

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Andrew Wright sits down again with long-time investor and developer Gus Vella to unpack the beachfront plays, rezoning wins, and development strategies that built serious wealth.

This episode dives deep into:

• A $195K beachside buy that tripled to $600K in 7 years
• Buying off-the-plan sand dunes in Kingscliff before roads even existed
• A deposit bond deal that doubled in one day
• Building two luxury beach homes for nearly $1M profit
• Amalgamating sites in Southport to increase density from 8 to 11 townhouses
• Turning $240K into $495K in just 9 months without building
• Repeating 50% development margins across multiple townhouse projects

Gus also shares lessons around leverage, zoning knowledge, development risk, timing the market, and how personal circumstances sometimes dictate exit decisions.

This episode is a masterclass in:

✔ Vision before infrastructure
✔ Understanding zoning codes
✔ Using DA uplift as profit
✔ Scaling from 5 townhouses to 10
✔ Why relationships and local knowledge matter

If you want to understand how investors turn raw land into real wealth, this is required listening.

🔗 Learn more:
https://andrewwrightproperty.com.au/

What does it take to turn a $66K starter home into a multimillion-dollar property empire?

In this episode of The Andrew Wright Property Podcast, Andrew sits down with longtime friend and property investor Gus Vella to unpack four incredible deals that show just how powerful smart investing can be over time, from buying right to knowing when to pivot, sell, or hold.

🧱 Deal Highlights:

• A $185K block sold for $5.1M after rezoning and 15 years of holding
• A $650K rural site turned into $1.7M without building a thing
• A full unit-block reno flipped in 12 months for a 50% ROI
• A mortgagee sale snapped up $700K under value, now delivering $250K in rent

Gus shares how he used research, relationships, and repeatable strategies to pull off each deal, including his biggest lessons, mindset shifts after a health scare, and the importance of timing in real estate.

If you're serious about long-term wealth through property, this one is packed with real talk and replicable insights.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to the show at
🔗 andrewwrightproperty.com.au