craigsed wrote:
I think the question is, how do you physically pay a deposit on hammer fall when you do not know how much the winning bid is going to be? You can't get a blank bank cheque….. Do they take a personal cheque? Didn't think so….Craig.

In the corporate world, buyers come to the auction with a cheque in hand ie they know their…[Read more]

This is more symptomatic of having used gloss paint unfortunately – it highlights any defects in the substrate. Gloss is not suitable for cement render – it is specifically for flat surfaces such as timber (wall boards, architraves, skirtings, furniture or metal) however it can be used successfuly over set plaster. The use of a semi-gloss (for…[Read more]

sathyan wrote:
Holiday accommodation rate is too much because the owners will try to make the most out of the vacation and hence more will be charged.

There are higher vacancy periods and greater maintenance costs which are also reflected in the cost of holiday accommodation.

I am not aware of any freeware style of property management software. There are issues with using public domain software of the nature that you want eg: all of you financial transactions are not stored on your computer and might be accessed by others (this should be considered as part of your risk management strategy).What objections do you have…[Read more]

Be warned that council may crack down on this as you will need to get plumbing installed for a 2nd kitchen/bathroom (mods approved/stamped by the water board). There are also fire safety issues to be aware of – if you do not have proper fire separation between the two dwellings as well as wired smoke detectors then you will have to face the…[Read more]

There was a short commentry on Townsville in this month's Smart Investor – it basically just highlighted the main advantages of Townsville in general (no specific areas mentioned). It noted that there is an airbase (as well as an international airport), a university and has tourism as its three major attractions. Unlike many country towns which…[Read more]

You don't mention whether you have any other assets which can be mortgaged – if you do, you may consider either drawing down some of the capital against the other property (via a line of credit) or (heaven forbid) cross-collateralising the loan (ie tying the two properties on the one loan).

As each state has different requirements regarding licensing of contractors & disposal – provide a general guide (with links back to Workcover websites).How much ac sheeting can a non-licensed person remove and dispose.What is the appropriate PPE which should be worn.Should I do an asbestos removal course to learn about the hazards of handling AC?

The median house prices in Australian capital cities when compared to other cities is a furphy. Why? Our expectations for housing has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. We now expect to buy a 4-5 bedroom new house in the outer suburbs at or around the median price whereas 20 years ago we expected 3-4 bedrooms and prior to that 2-3…[Read more]

Zollo wrote:
Just a beginner.  Can anyone recommend a good property accountant and good property lawyer in SA……….?

I would consider using Mel Ciampa at Home & Housed (based in Adelaide) (08) 8178-0097.

I won't claim to be an expert on trusts (far from it) however if the property was not in a trust then you can only offset capital losses against capital losses and costs against income. Capital losses can be carried forward indefinitely. You are unable to distribute losses from a trust to the beneficiaries, so your cap losses must be offset within…[Read more]

All states will require that you enter into a standard form lease (available from newsagents or dept of fair trading) and to lodge the security bond with the rental bond board.see: http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au (then go to landlord section)

Pitto, there is usually a dispute resolution mechanism in the agreement eg a third independent valuer appointed to adjudicate or the two valuers come to some agreement as to which are the most appropriate/comparable premises, does such a clause exist in your management agreement?Are the rents nominated by yourself the advertised rents or the…[Read more]

Being a wall heater (instantaneous) there's probably not even enough in it for the recycler to cover the courier fees. Had it have been an older storage unit with a copper tank it would be worth a few dollars to you but you'd have to do all of the work to get the copper out of the unit.

That does sound a bit light on stumpy. BTW, does Qld have a concession on stamp duty for first home buyers (like NSW's exemption up to a set limit)? If not, this would be even more inaccurate.Having checked your calculations, this seems to be right – also checked with a 20% deposit and the normal repayment would be about $454 per week.Is this…[Read more]

Just on the point of maintenance, a % is still a useful tool as you can compare & monitor if costs are increasing disproportionally (costs may well be higher if the property is managed short-term/holiday lettings, but so will depreciation).

Review the sales data in the area – Western Sydney has taken a major knock over the past 12 months however will be slow to bounce back (ie when it comes to selling the development). Make sure that you know what the end market value is and don't pay too much for the site or over capitalise.People in this area aren't looking for high end property so…[Read more]

Stall

I'd suggest using a water-based epoxy floor coating (hydro-poxy). Very long lasting. hard wearing and much better than a standard paint finish.

2 ways of determining how much she has put in (if she has contributed to the deposit) either have a stipluated amount ie $xx,000 or a % of the value of the property (including all purchase costs – legals, sd, building & termite inspections etc) to be reimbursed to her upon dissolution of your relationship, the latter will need a valuer to…[Read more]