I think what he's asking is if he contracts a builder to price according to a set of plans and specs and then alters the plans or requests add-ons how do you go about pricing it.

Chan when you contract a builder for a fixed price quote based on a set of plans and specifications he will be obliged to honor that agreement. Builders generally have standard rates for work carried out outside of the terms of the contract. So if you want to make a change to something you would request a price for the variation in the contract. Add-ons are the same. he would generally price these at a fixed hourly rate plus expenses.

You would generally describe these things in a contract. That may simply include the wording; Changes to designs and/or specification including add-ons to be negotiated separately as required.

There are 2 book keeping methods with regard to the ATO. At time of invoice or at time of payment. I've always worked on time of payment. Send your invoice out at the end of Jun for Jul payment. 

When a developer offers a 25k discount to market that screams red flags to me. That indicates a soft market and/or a developer on the ropes. If you're getting discounts in what was once a buoyant market you have to ask your self if you're simply buying into a falling market.

You realise I don't do this for just anybody.

Maca's

“Our pricing policy is demand-based and not cost-based, so it’s not because of increasing material price,” he said.

Yeah right. 

Property demand in Japan heats up

Written by CRE investment firm!!! An article based on wishful thinking and hopium.

Weak Yen Helps Push High-End Real Estate Sales

So demand is being driven by a price crash in foreign currency terms. Quote; “For outside investors, these properties have essentially become 30% cheaper,” said Mr. Mochizuki, referring to the 27% drop of the yen versus the dollar since November last year.

Locally it's seeing a 10% increase but in comparative currency terms it's crashed. The stupidity I see here is the foreign investors must think the yen depreciation has bottomed. When in fact there are predictions that the yen will continue on to US1.45 at least and if things get away from the BOJ we could see US1.90

Canada Pension Plan teams up with GE Capital on Japan real estate

Same as above. More muppets playing with OPM but collecting huge fees regardless of how this works out.

Nippon Prologis Jumps in Debut After $1 Billion IPO: Tokyo Mover

A REIT play based on an assumption BOJ QE will stimulate the economy. Didn't work for the US, hasn't worked for Europe. But of course it will work in Japan. Not.

A reality check.

ToT continues to deteriorate even with massive QE and currency manipulation. Export volumes are up but so are import volumes. Next 2 graphs.

Japan posted a trade deficit of 364 billion yen in March, falling into the red for the eighth consecutive month

Production is still contracting even with a weakening yen.

GDP still remains below trend and is only marginally positive.

Inventories continue to contract. Where is all this demand for logistics warehouses going to come from??

Deflation still remains entrenched and has actually worsened.

Capacity utilisation is improving albeit still struggling to surpass 2002 levels. Pre GFC!!!

Global demand continues to contract. 

BoT remains negative along with ToT. 

A current account surplus is just managing to keep Japan's head above water.

Interesting. My Apologies to Ziv.

That however concerns me even more. One of the primary assets (wealth classes) of a nation is its property. What you're saying is that property is virtually worthless apart from its utility value. Given that property has been deflating for decades and the true savings rate is negative I tend to see a nation with its back to wall financially. 

I watched a doco the other night on Madagascar's poor. There was a single mother with 5 kids living on an outer city street corner. She'd been there for a few years and it was her bit of security. Beside it was a skip bin which was her sole source of income. Scavenging from the bin produced enough 'stuff' to sell at the semi clandestine night markets. She got 0.01 for 8 plastic bottles and 0.01 for 5 cans. She had an odd assortment of just about everything which she sold for whatever pennies she could get. Interestingly she was very upbeat and optimistic about her future prospects for herself and children.

FED's talking up it's wind back of QE but the realists out there don't believe it. The markets of course do the opposite even though all news is effectively bad and globally PM mints can't keep with demand.

I'm just watching and waiting.

Japan holds the largest pool of USD foreign currency reserves. That enables it to exert some control over it own currency relative to others.

Russia making public its intention to see the USD reserve status dismantled was a clear indication of their frustration with US control and influence in international markets. It's not new but a public announcement signals to all the other countries suffering under US financial dominance that their tolerance level has been exceeded.

Chavez tried to organise the Sth Americans into a monetary bloc, Gaddafi did the same with Africa, Saddam Hussien tried to beat UN sanctions and and trade oil outside the petro dollar,  China has quietly been moving to direct currency transactions that circumvent the expensive and bureaucratic cost of USD based transactions and so it goes. 40% of international transactions that were completed in USD's are now done outside the USD. That's a growing trend.

When (not if) the USD looses its reserve status then Japan will have to rejig its foreign currency holdings. That's likely to affect its ability to control its own currency to a certain extent. Given the parlous state of the Japanese economy the degree of control they could exert in a crises may or may not be a good thing.

Jeez you guys go on about this stuff like it just saved the world. This stuff is an every day occurrence. 

Hertz is a service company that bought out another service company and will consolidate the two for business synergies. That means the total jobs will decrease across the board as efficiencies are implemented between the two. It's not a gain for the US. Florida has what, a population of 20+ mil. A few hundred jobs means didly in the scheme of things. A big deal for one tiny little county among hundreds. Hardly gets me dancing in the street.

This link provides a list of bankruptcy filings by state up to 3Q 2012. Florida is only beaten by California (who are in a world of hurt)

http://www.abiworld.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=66160

That follows on from a trend evident in this graphic for 2009 where Florida sits 15th on that list (per capita basis)

Bankruptcies in the main are dropping off of their 2009 highs howvever Chap 11 bankruptcies

still have some way to go before we're back at pre GFC levels. (Click graphic for more)

Will Bankruptcy Filings Increase in 2013?

The report also listed the 12 largest counties in the U.S. with the most bankruptcy filings in January. The national average is 322 filings per million adults. The top two counties were Chicago-Cook (Illinois) with 691 filings per million adults and Miami-Dade (Florida) with 626 filings per million adults.

I've never had a problem with Florida's growth/recovery story. While large brand name international businesses may settle in Florida there is still a long road to hoe before FL is back on an even keel. Things look rosey at the moment because FL was literally flattened economically. That vulnerability to economic downturn still remains. Nothing in the US or global economy suggests a sustainable recovery. Quite the contrary. Economic indicators are flat or declining again. Florida is one of several economic islands companies are migrating to looking for safety and growth. Florida is highly dependent on external drivers for its long term sustainability and they don't look promising at all.

The US will continue to shuffle the deck chairs. When that's finished there'd better be something more tangible or we're all back to square one again.

Hertz Announces Corporate Headquarters Relocation

Dollar Thrifty is currently headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Consolidating the corporate offices to one location will allow for increased efficiencies and cost synergies across the company.

Starting this year, up to 700 jobs will be relocated to Florida over a two-year period. More than 2,000 Hertz and Dollar Thrifty personnel will remain in New Jersey, including approximately 150 employees who currently work in Park Ridge. All other Park Ridge employees will be able to retain their current positions at the new headquarters, scheduled to be completed in early 2015

Hertz to Move Headquarters to Florida After Acquisition