Waz,

Yes you can do it. I do it.

There’s some good discussions both here and at Somersoft on the topic if you do a search.

It’s like any other IP….you can even furnish it

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

Squash,

What do you mean by due diligence?

Just put in what you mean, ie: building inspection, pest inspection, subject to finanace – whatever.

Price – you can offer whatever you like. They can ask for whatever they like. The first no isn’t the end of a deal, it’s the start of negotiations.

Remember – If you let the REA set the rules of the game, as a buyer you’ll always lose. Change the game.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

Good one Dave,

Something that no-one has mentioned is actually INCREASING the price.

That’s often a way to differentiate…people will rationale their own value.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

tsk, tsk Kaye – you need to watch those snide asides, someone could take them personally & it would just not be right for a moderator to tarnish the reputation of this forum by starting flame wars [biggrin]

Dunno where you got professional vs amateur from anyway…remember, the Titanic was built by professionals [blink] – most property investors are amateurs, such as yourself Kay, so you shouldn’t be putting them down.

Leigh,

Freebies on apartments aren’t free. They represent a cost to you. If you’re buying a $7,000 plasma screen & throwing it in, make sure you buy it for half that price or less – otherwise you’d do better by dropping the price by $5K.

Making your apartment stand out in my experience (having done this a fair few times over the years) can be done by making it different.

There are many ways this can be done.

Get in a (professional) colour consultant & work out a colour scheme that makes yours more upmarket. Change the handles & benchtops. Put in some snazzy furniture on rental for the open days.

Giving away free stuff isn’t original or different, it’s the same boring idea that’s done by retailers like Harvey Norman.

Get attention by making the apartment attentionworthy!

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

Leigh,

We alway throw in plenty of extras when selling a place.

All the properties we sell feature taps, towel racks & glass in the windows. We also provide door handles as appropriate and all our rooms come with four walls.

If the purchaser wants something special, like a Plasma TV, we give them the address of the local Good Guys.

And if they want a holiday, we make them aware that they’re buying a new property, it’s just like going on holidays for the first few weeks.

If you can’t sell a place by reducing the price, you clearly haven’t reduced it far enough

Something you can think about is renting furnishings & plants to improve the appeal – however balance this against the cost of doing so.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

Oil may be at $43, but in real terms is only around 50% of the level during oil price shock times.

Lots of blue sky there still.

Stay a bear Wayne, we need people like you to buy from.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut

Elika,

Trusts can be used for negative gearing purposes. That’s what hybrid unit trusts are for.

I would NEVER distribute from a trust to a company.

You have to be earning a relatively high level of income before income tax goes over 30% of your total income.

Companies get taxed 30% on every dollar. So unless your income is very high & you’re not using various paper losses to reduce the distribution amounts from the trust, you’re better off in most cases not distributing to a company from a trust. You’re better off distributing to humans.

Trusts let you divide the income between beneficiaries – your partner, kids, parents, etc….reducing tax & making them a useful estate planning tool.

Trusts aren’t only for tax purposes – in fact it’s one of their minor uses. They are also very useful for risk mitigation.

Using a Trust you can silo assets in vehicles that are very hard to sue (best to use a corporate trustee).

This preserves your assets should you get personally sued for any reason.

It also helps in bankrupcy matters.

Read Dale’s book and you’ll get a far better understanding of the types & uses of trusts. Then ask any questions that remain.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

---

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.

– Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut