I thought of combining 3 ideas: The assistance you are offering, (assist or aid) the financial solution you’re offering, (mazuma is more fun to play with than ‘money’) and the greatest possible quality/quantity you are offering (maximum/maxima).
They can be weaved together a bit to form one word:

MaxiMazumAssist

Or if you find this too much of a wizard’s word, you could just choose a simpler combination of two ideas:
MaximAssist
MazumAid etc

Have fun deciding on the name of your new business!

Celivia

OH Njivs, thanks for bringing up this topic now- before it gets too close to the 1st of July! [blush2]
It’s a good reminder to do something about my ever-growing piles of papers around the house (and the few that have fallen behind the desk) that are waiting to be *neatly* filed [buz2]
Derek makes it sound so easy- just a matter of getting organised!
I was so good at the beginning- hehe where did I go wrong?[rolleyesanim]
So thanks, I’ll be all organised well in time this year [biggrin]

Celivia

Yes I also think that adding a drive way is a positive thing. It gives a better street appearance, and will also make it more attractive to tenants.
It can be a real bummer to be stuck in the mud on rainy days.

Celivia

click here

Now I’ve discovered the search function, here’s the thread I had in mind, Joe.

Celivia

Hi Joe, if you can work out how the search works on this site, (I haven’t been able to work out how to seach for posts since the outlay change[blush2]) do a search on Nancy Wescombe because I am sure she was discussed some time ago.

Celivia

Merry Christmas from me, too, everyone! [xmas]

Celivia

Nothing on the news in the US that we saw. I wonder if they have even heard of us sometimes.

I have been reading the online newspapers from Holland, but apparently they are very much informed and aware of what is going on in Australia. I figure in many European countries this issue has been discussed.
On one of the Dutch forums, there was a thread like this one and it had 274 replies.

It’s interesting to read the headlines the left and right winged newspapers use (from “Australia is shocked by white violence”…and “Govt responsible for racist violence”…and “White, drunk Australians hunt everyone who looks middle eastern”… to “Lebanese are taking over beaches.”)One paper said the violence was “not so bad” because no shots were fired!

The Cronulla incidents were also compared to the racial violence that happended in France not so long ago.

Howard gets a real bashing with his own flag in some of the articles, while the opposition is being called weak and suggestions that Australia is in big need for a new, stronger opposition.

Perhaps the US news does not spend a lot of time informing its residents about the violence in Australia, but I do think that people in some parts of Europe are being made very aware.

Some European countries are having to cope with problems regarding the “Lonsdale Youth” themselves (especially Germany and France, but spreading to other countries as well)-

I am beginning to worry that this is catching on in Australia now too.

Celivia

WHen we built an extension we had a few different quotes for vinyl cladding- vaying between $3000 and $8000 for the exact same material. You always need to get a few different quotes. For the exact same materials there was a big difference in the quotes.
We chose the cheapest and were very happy with the material (fully isolated), the company and the service. It’s about 9 years ago since we had it done and have had no problems with the cladding whatsoever.
Once every couple of years we give it a rinse and it looks as good as new!

Celivia

How much is the net return?

I have been doing some research lately on low-care retirement units, because I saw benefits of these investments (before I did adequate research).

While the purchase prices are reasonable and there are high occupancy rates (close to 100% in most villages with a waiting list), and these units are fully managed so no worries for the investor, the outgoings can be enormous.
What kind of net return will be left? 6.3% At the most?

I think these units will only just make it to be positively geared if you’re in a high tax bracket and if you rely on depreciation.

Be careful that the marketers/agents do not give you the return figures based on the original purchase price if you are buying a unit that’s up for secondary sale!

One other thing that I found out about is that although there is high demand right now, because elderly on a full aged pension are being adequately subsidised with the pensioner paying no more than 30% of their aged pension in rent, and the subsidies are automatically being paid to the management of these units…

…
the state government have the right to reduce the number of subsidised tenants by 10% per year (effective from 2004). Although the govt have advised they will not take the subsidy from any existing residents, new residents will not be offered a subsidy upon entering the villages.

This, I figure, will mean that the villages, to remain fully occupied, will have to market and advertise much more to encourage residents with the financial capacity to stay in the village without requiring the support of the state govt subsidy. If they reduce subsidy by 10% every year, in 2014 there will be no subsidies left.

I have at least two issues with that:
good, safe, affordable housing should be available to ALL elderly people, not just the well-off ones.
Secondly, how many well-off/rich aged pensioners are there? Even if there is a good percentage of well-off elderly, these people have more options of different lifestyles apart from living in a retirement village.

As for marketers advertising these units as being in *High Demand*- yes true- they are right now… but what about in the near future, when the elderly on a full aged pension cannot afford to live in these villages anymore? I wonder if there still will be such high occupancy?

I do not want to sound like a (re)TYRE(ment unit) kicker, hehe but we need to balance the good and bad about an investment, taking into account not just the investor and tenant of today, but also of tomorrow before making a decision we are happy with. [buz2]and[inlove]

Celivia

[laughing]

Celivia