Hi Tiffany,There are a lot of variables to consider with your question.The actual cost will be determined by how much the house costs to buy; how much you use for a deposit to the bank on settlement; and in which state the property is located. There are also a few 'extras' you need to consider, such as building and pest inspections, and which c…[Read more]

Oooh, that's a neat trick…. will have to check it out.Nah the thingamagig replaces the wingwong, which is no longer in production… But what I really want to know, is why do gooses need bridges anyway???

gronk007 wrote:
Am I over-reacting? Am I nit-picking?

I don't think so… It's a fairly simple matter figuring out who has paid and who has not. Particularly given the fact that many property managers are no longer responsible for rent collection. They have outsourced that function to specialist collection agencies who simply 'direct debit' te…[Read more]

Hmm… $10,000 + bunnings…. that's dangerous talk!!For some reason, every time I walk in there for a $2 thingamagig I walk out with $1000 worth of doobywhatsits… and on most occasions I have completely forgotten about the thingamagig and have to go back! Now picture 'store credit'…

That's awesome guys, thanks for all your help!

I should add, we do have a PPOR, but there is not enough equity in it to use.

Hi Nicole,If you could, I would like those details please : )My place in Booval needs raising and restumping too, before we renovate…. Though I still need plans and approval before any of that happens. Which reminds me, if anyone knows a good  and reasonably priced building designer and structural engineer (I presume I need one of them for putt…[Read more]

The only concern I can think of when restumping and levelling, is that you mention it has been renovated…I.e. If they have gone to all the trouble of straightening all the doors and windows in a crooked house so that they open and shut properly, then when you straighten the house all the doors and windows will become crooked… Get an opinion…[Read more]

dtrump wrote:
they sell that sort of stuff at IKEA…but im sure you'd get a better price elsewhere.Can any one comment on the pros vs cons of carpert versus floorboards for an IP??

There are numerous threads on this topic actually…. from what I can tell: General preference for a rental property is builders carpet. It's cheap; it's easy to…[Read more]

Ooh yeah, the mortgage is definately a sting you would prefer to do without in the early years… But do the same calculation on rent increasing at a rate of 3% per year. You will find yourself paying about the same amount over the same time… difference is, how much will the house you own be worth at the end of it? And how much do you save in…[Read more]

Investor 888, very blunt… but accurate.As a 20 something myself, I know how hard it is starting out…. Not having 'equity' to play with in an existing house really prices you out of much of the market…. But not as much as you might think.You do have a lot of options available, but it's what you're willing to trade off to do it. As the s…[Read more]

Hi dreamteam,Apologies for the brief response before, was just on my way out from work ; )What I took from your first post is that you are seeking a solution that increases your cashflow, gets you into some place bigger but still close to work, and allows you to keep both of your existing properties.So maybe if you could refinance the unit over 25…[Read more]

Unit should be almost paying for itself… could you refinance it, use the difference to offset the amount you're paying on the other house, and rent somewhere closer?I know that would mean a number of sacrifices to lifestyle (moving) and your investment (paying off the unit over a longer period, and therefore more interest)…. but what are you…[Read more]

You could always sweeten it for them with a longer settlement date, so they can arrange for their next place in their own time…. Not a problem for you either… You get the place for the price nominated, save yourself a few weeks mortgage, and score a few weeks extra time to line up a tenant.

Andy, What makes them so good?I have heard some of the bad points about student accommodation before.. poor capitol growth, and that they are only rented for so much of the year, for example.But what are the up sides, from your experience?Lisa,Also have a look around for properties that may be worth more than that, but which you may be able to neg…[Read more]

Hi sammmeee,This is an 'offers over' situation which, when done properly, can be a very good way to sell a house for maximum profit… Which is why the Scots love it!!Of course, the reverse of that means that the buyer tends to pay top dollar or above for the same house… which is not so great!It's similar to a car salesman asking "What price…[Read more]

I looked at a corner block recently in Ipswich. My dad and I were looking at it for what appeared to be a fairly simple sub-division… (as simple as they come for rookies anyway) As you would expect, the price was slightly higher than other neighbouring houses (with comparable characteristics, condition, and configuration).But when I checked…[Read more]