Journal
Strategy, legal, finance, and suburb research from the Plotline pilot. No sponsored posts, no affiliate links.
№ 001 · Featured
28 Jun 2026 · 7 min read
Strategy
Deceased estate, divorce, motivated seller — each phrase carries a very different risk profile. A field guide for first-time distressed buyers in Johannesburg.
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02
Strategy
Yield vs capital growth: the Johannesburg trade-off nobody talks aboutThe suburbs with the best rental yields in JHB are almost never the suburbs with the best capital growth. Why the two-portfolio approach beats trying to have both.
14 Jun 2026 · 6 min read
03
Legal
Sectional title levies: the four line items that predict a special levyA body corporate's monthly levy tells you almost nothing. Its reserve fund, arrears schedule, and last three sets of minutes tell you everything.
30 May 2026 · 8 min read
04
Finance
Bond structuring when you're buying 20% below marketThe banks look at the purchase price, not the valuation. Three ways to unlock the equity you're paying for on day one.
18 May 2026 · 5 min read
05
Suburb spotlight
Suburb note: Kensington, and the return of the pre-war bungalowTwo years ago, Kensington's average price per square metre was below Bez Valley. It isn't anymore. Where the rerating still has room to run.
02 May 2026 · 6 min read
06
Pilot notes
What our AI summary is — and what it isn'tThe AI context we attach to every listing is designed to slow you down, not speed you up. An honest explanation of what the model does and where it's wrong.
20 Apr 2026 · 5 min read
07
Legal
Why every serious agent should FICA their investors before the first callThe FIC Act obligations do not wait for the offer. A short primer for agents onboarding to Plotline.
08 Apr 2026 · 4 min read
08
Strategy
The two-hour viewing checklist for a distressed propertyA structured walk-through that catches the R200,000 problems most first-time buyers miss.
27 Mar 2026 · 6 min read
09
Pilot notes
"Off-market" doesn't mean secret. It means human-reviewed.Every so often we hear from a prospective agent who thinks off-market means hiding a listing from the buyer pool. It's the opposite.
10 Mar 2026 · 4 min read
10
Market
Interest rate cycles and the myth of entry timingEvery South African property investor claims to be waiting for the next rate cut. The data suggests they shouldn't be.
22 Feb 2026 · 7 min read
11
Strategy
Does BRRRR actually work in Johannesburg?The American investment strategy that dominates YouTube — buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat — runs into three specific South African walls.
05 Feb 2026 · 8 min read