Hi Judith – true what you say about Swansea and Bicheno and Coles Bay. However the boom has well and truly hit these towns and prices are through the roof. Also very much summer towns with limited year round population.

This is a tough one Ghoti. If the property has other potential uses and users then with a strong return the deal may be worthwhile. But if it is purpose fitted to a singular type of business (such as a bank building, and btw banks are notrious for selling branches on a 3×3 and leaving after the first lease period after getting top dollar for the building) it may be difficult to justify unless returns are fantastic.

Do your numbers and remember that traditionally commercial property should pay higher returns than residential.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. Is a tiny place in the middle of nowhere, former mining town gone bad from memory. Nothing attractive about it. Less than 1,000 population. Do a google search and you’ll find everything you wanted to know about it.

Hi Pritts,

I have several in Lton but things have really heated up in the last year. I am starting to see some easing in prices asked however. My opinion is that things will really settle down in the north and probably stagnate for a few years like it did during the 90’s.

Don’t rush in – there’s a bargain around the corner. And avoid the bad suburbs like Ravenswood, Waverley, Rocherlea.

Who stole my name!!!

Hi Nathan,

you may find some valuable info by searching for serviced apartments in the search function. There have been several lively discussions regarding this type of investment with most opposed due to it being a niche market, high mgmt fees, difficult to sell.

57 – oh god It’s worse than I thought. I had repressed all these memories and now they are overwhelming me!

sob, sob.

Hi Jason – hope we are talking about the same Campbelltown (Midlands hwy Tasmania – near Ross). It has a really low and ageing population, the hospital has closed, there are no real industries nearby, one of two service stations has closed down.

It has never been a huge place (my father is from there) but it is too far from the 4 major cities Hobart/Launceston/Devonport/Burnie for a commuter, and there just doesn’t seem to be any good news for it. It isn’t even all that pretty to look at – Ross is a nicer looking town but even smaller and with less industry.

My personal opinion from living near there for the first 25 years of my life.

I’m not a fan of CBA even though (more likely because) I worked there for a number of years. Things like this just give people the irrits.

I sometimes wonder if certain organisations (like CBA) attract certain kinds of staff (little hitlers) or whether the system turns the staff into these kinds of people.

Can anyone say “Self-fulfilling prophecy”?

Is the burst to be caused by people starting to panic rather than interest rates or economic downturns.

Highly leveraged (or not) individuals reading constant doom and gloom articles produces a glut of property for sale – prices forced downwards to effect the sale, a never ending spiral of paranoia fueled by the RBA, IMF and journos.

Voila, you have your bust.