Thanks for the info. This is good news for homeowners. However it remains to be seen if lenders will pass on this rate cut in full to their customers.

rusty05 wrote:
This one got me thinking…. Small business owners regularly run their cars (amongst other things) through their business. They're paid for using business funds from their business account, as opposed to simply claiming for a percentage of use. Yet as an investor I'm told that we can only claim a percentage of expenses (ie.…[Read more]

rusty05 wrote:
I've previously packaged a car with a novated lease over a 3 year period. Loved the feeling of getting 'free fuel'  – obviously you pay for it but not having to worry about how much a weekend cost was fantastic!Pretty sure you can do between 1 and 5 years and I think the weekly cost doesn't change regardless of how long the lease…[Read more]

bjsaust wrote:
The lease has nothing to do with the use of the car. Its just a salary perk. The only tax-effect I'm aware of is that you can't claim travel with a lease car when you could with your own. Because technically the car is owned by your company, not you.Yes, a novated lease should cost you nothing. Petrol, insurance, servicing,…[Read more]

bjsaust wrote:
Its not really that complicated. Most people will go with a Novated lease, which includes maintenance costs as well as the lease costs. The payments are deducted from your salary pre-tax, so you save money. On the other hand, its a loan, you're paying interest. That costs money. So say your lease costs you $10k per annum. At 30%…[Read more]

bjsaust wrote:
A lease is essentially a loan, it will count towards serviceability.

Thanks. Seems logical that this would be so. How long are 'lease hires' usually? I'm guessing they might last from 3-5 years depending on the loan?

Dan42 wrote:
In relation to the tax benefits, travel to and from work is generally classified as private, and therefore not deductible. Do you have a home office, or do you have to transport tools / work equipment etc from home to work?If you are in the 30% bracket, it probably wouldn't be worth it, uinless you are doing a large percentage of…[Read more]

Depends on how big the land this, IMO. What condition is the fibro house in? Does the land have subdivision potential if you buy the bigger block with the fibro house on it? I've read of some people buying a fibro house on a sizable plot of land, shifting the position of the house and then subdividing.

QM wrote:
Thanks again all for your valuable comments! BTW, already have done suggestions made concerning expressing interets etc with RE agents but through several experiences we've had, the dealings have been negative and almost arrogant where they think they're doing you a favour.. They're not selling as much as they's like. That's a fact.…[Read more]

QM wrote:
One thing I have learned along this windy path is that I absolutely loathe real estate agents. They're must think that we as purchasers, are fools.

Woh…wait up there. Not saying you should treat RE agents as your friends, because they are after all, working for the vendor and looking after their own hip pocket. However you'd do well…[Read more]

Well, the concerns you have are all fair. Times are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Today's knowledge could be tomorrow's foolishness. I think there's a lot of people out there who are willing to tell you, with a degree of certainty, what THEY believe is going to happen in the future. However, some will be wrong, and some will actually be…[Read more]

Catalyst wrote:
I'll stick to the risks of property investment. At worst I'll end up on the pension, At best I'll be travelling the world (doing that now but still working some).

Never thought of it that way, but it's a very good point. Besides, nobody in their right mind should believe that the government is going to look after them in their…[Read more]

At first glance the property looks to be in a good location: close to transport (tram and trains), parks, restaurants. However that goes for the hundreds of other apartments in that area. I'd be very cautious about buying brand new apartments in Melbourne if I were you. Granted, new properties offer superior depreciation benefits in the first…[Read more]

That is a big price tag. What are the attractive features of the apartment? What's the expected rent? Avoid buying something with a 'rental guarantee'! Beware also a possible glut of apartments coming onto the scene over the next couple of years…your apartment could very well be worth less than $646K at completion.

ummester wrote:

fWord wrote:
That's right, or perhaps the forum is quiet because the property market is quiet.

I agree with you again – wonder of wonders:)

Actually, my answer was a 'duh' statement. Just wanted to see if anybody could pick that up.

grantos_champos wrote:
In everyone's experience, how many properties is too many for a PM to properly manage and keep both sides happy? Any numbers someone can throw out there?

This is a tricky question as I guess there's no exact number where everything falls apart for a PM. It's like clients in my business asking me how much to feed their…[Read more]

lifesjourney wrote:
Maybe some of the 400 guests are user's like me – they have a look around and if they feel like responding or have a question then they sign in. ??

That's right, or perhaps the forum is quiet because the property market is quiet.

That's interesting…do you have any information on Melbourne? My brother wants to get into the market. If I had the money and the guts, I'd be looking to Brisbane also, but for now I'd prefer not to go interstate.

Ossi89 wrote:
Thanks for the great infomation eveyone. I am very new to all of this so my questions are quite basic. The loan is relatively small as I am buying in a large country town, and my dad has agreed to cover any repayments (if the property is vacant) while I am finishing my last year of university. I currently have a pre-approval so…[Read more]

Definitely in agreement here with what's recommended above: do not buy until you have found another job, preferably one with no probationary period (your boss might waive it if it's obvious you're a capable worker within the first month or so) or a short probationary period. And if at that stage you are really in a hurry to buy, ask your boss…[Read more]