Clutching at straws again Bardon. The graph while very dramatic is an illusion. A tiny movement of 551.02 low to a high of 565.08. It's a nationally aggregated index so I'm not sure it's actually telling us anything

Their annualised capital city index tells a somewhat different story

The good news is the bust hasn't happened… yet!   …

Generally no costs can be awarded in small claims courts. Here in WA either party must get the permission of the other just have legal reps present at a hearing. 

My costs (which were added to the claim)

filing fee $78.70
serving fee $46.90
Travelling fee $18.00
Sherrif fee $40.00 (approx)

So in the end it cost me nothing. If the dispute is…[Read more]

You basically have a dispute of payment for damaged property.

Here's what I would do.

replace the curtains so your tenants at least are not inconvenienced,

send an invoice for the cost to your PM and a payment date

PM will then dispute the account

provide a legal reason(s) why they are liable. You need to refer specifically to…[Read more]

JP you're basically doing a debt for equity swap.

You'll need to do numbers on this to see how it spins out but if you pay down debt (tax deductible cost) and you get a concomitant rise in profit that will raise your tax liability.

You will also have to split any profit by the ratio of ownership with a new partner/shareholder.

I'm not seeing a…[Read more]

What do you call a good return?

JP if I remember correctly you have struggled with this biz for something like the last 1-2 years. You say you have now managed to turn this around.

Couple of thoughts. Businesses do not initiate a capital raising, joint venture/partnership or share sale without good reason. 

The reasons a business might do this;

pay down debt (to reduce…[Read more]

You also need to come with your buy-in costs as well.

An agreement is a contract and therefore falls under tort law. Contract law is not written in stone instead disputes are about what is fair and reasonable. Consequently one can include almost anything in a legally binding agreement subject to the fairness proviso. Agreements cannot contravene or side step legislative law. For example certain…[Read more]

Bardon you would make the consummate politician. Whenever we have our little chats I'm reminded of interviews in the past with John Howard and many an interviewer. He was the master at obfuscation and talking around the subject without ever addressing the points raised. 

John would be proud of you.

I also doubt the opportunity cost of owning is factored in either. 

bardon wrote:

There is a saying that "hydrocarbons beget more hydrocarbons" (unless your a Peak Oiler god bless them) cheaper and more available energy is the very thing that will power the economy along and also produce even more cheaper and abundant energy.  We are seeing the natural progression of energy sources from wood to coal to oil to…[Read more]

bardon wrote:
As time goes by there is a lesser chance of a property bust.

How do you figure that? The economies in every major market are in a worse state now than they were before. Underlying fundamentals haven't improved they've gotten worse. 

Quote:
Now we have affordability back the same level as ten years ago.  

Affordability has…[Read more]

http://mileslewis.net/australian-building/pdf/07-cement-concrete/7.09-additives.pdf

p 7.09.12

By 1910, however, the idea of applying a cement stucco to chicken wire on a timber
frame had been adopted by the local architect Harry Marks at Toowoomba,
Queensland, and this, while not important in  its own right, was a harbinger of
'Gunite' and other…[Read more]

Some of you guys need to back the horse up, take a deep breath and go for a walk around the block. The kinds of comments here do not jive with intelligent investing. 

If you had invested in the States 5 years ago you would have done your doe. FX movements would have wiped out your gains and you may even be looking at an over all loss. It has come…[Read more]

When you make a claim on an insurance policy the policy may terminate at the completion of the claim. You then start afresh under new conditions. My guess is this or something like this will happen and your premium will be higher.

Ask for a post claim quote.

Failing that if your tenant has vehicle insurance she should have 3rd party/public…[Read more]

Pictures would help. As an ex builder expansion joints in a house sound a but weird.

NZ doesn't have a CGT. You pay tax on property bought for resale at your marginal tax rate in the country you reside. If you buy an investment property rent it and then sell it some years later there is NO tax on the CG.

There's a great new tool called google and NZ have had the internet for a few years now. Their tax agency is even on the…[Read more]