Forum Replies Created
- Originally posted by Jerzy Balowski:
Try to think back if you can, when Johnny Dubya Howard was still in nappies under Fraser – Inflation at 15%, unemployment 12%…
Oh and I forgot to say – John Howard is claiming reduced unemployment levels.. Well, let’s tell the truth about this one.
1. First of all, if the PERCENTAGE of unemployed people went DOWN – but the Australian population went UP during the same time – are there less people unemployed? (Hint: Nope, there are more than ever before.)
2. Governments are always shortening the yardstick on what constitutes being unemployed. Someone who works part time one day a week is not classified as unemployed. Anyone in TAFE or Uni is not unemployed. Neither are single mothers, those who have had any kind of full time job in the last twelve months… That kind of thing.
So if the percentage of people unemployed went down, it’s more likely they’ve shifted the criteria AGAIN for who is classed as unemployed. The level didn’t change – the way they measure it did.
I’ve heard them crowing about the increased number of jobs available. They especially like to do this when a supermarket or industry opens up. But have a closer look and you’ll see the “200 more jobs in the area” are really “200 part-time jobs”. Sure there are a lot more part time jobs – but there are many more less full time jobs to make those slots available.
The result is less people in full time work, and more part-time people draining the welfare system to make the difference in their pay packets.
Read between the lines folks.
Allan.
Originally posted by Jerzy Balowski:Latham does say a lot of warm and fuzzy things. But I dont hear anyone calling them lies.
Oh, give ’em time… As we know, they ALL lie. : )
As for ‘where is the money coming from’ (add winey voice), how about we start with scrapping the FHOG (I never needed it when I bought my first house when interest rates were 15% – I survived), the $600 payment to anyone with an offspring (I’ve got 2 – I can survive without it), and the $1300 baby bonus (do people really need a bribe to GET IT ON). Who said the Labor party was champion of the handouts ?Both your paragraphs above illustrate two issues that REALLY annoy me.
People have far too short memories. Howard is making this election about “who’s telling the truth”. Well, for a start, who was it that said “A GST will never be a part of our policy.” Then it was nearly the first thing they introduced once back in power. Then when they did introduce it, Howard said we’d be paying the same or less for food.
Well, I was saying to someone just the other night, I’d just realised my family hasn’t bought a BBQ chicken since the GST came in. (I joke you not.) Before GST they were about $8. I saw one the other night at Woolies for $12! So the truth was, things now cost “the same or MORE” – not less.
Anyway…
My second point of irritation – is all the gullible fools who will vote Liberal just because they recently received his bribe in their bank accounts. This WAS a bribe and there’s no other word for it – because they overpaid many people (I know several) for kids who were mature age, working, or not even at living at home any longer… Then they didn’t reclaim that money back – and acted like it wasn’t important – while they’re still chasing widows for backpayments (that were their mistake not the widows’) and rambling on about chasing those wicked dole cheats!?!?
LOL. Sounds like what Hitler did to me. Blame the country’s problems on the Jew… er… unemployed.
Anyway, what I’m getting at is – yes, Howard just gave most of us a bribe. But do people have such short memories that they forget all the money he’s stolen from us over the years? That’s where that money came from in the first place – the ailing hospital system, medicare, bulk billing, the pharmecutical scheme reduced to the point where it’s nearly useless, pensions not kept with CPI, public school funding reduced while private increased. (Funny how most politicians come from private schools, eh?)
Latham could not be any worse.You got it in one. They’re all the same, but I’m tired of seeing his eight ball head on the news – time for a change – PLEASE!
Allan.
Originally posted by kay henry:Of course, some parties preference noone. Always good to check who the minor parties are preferencing (if they are) before making your vote, I reckon.
I didn’t realise they could do this. Pity one of the larger small parties don’t do this – and advertise the fact they won’t be giving their votes to either major party. Give it a couple of elections and they’d get in.
Really, I think WE should decide if they get to preference our vote – not them.
Oh – I was going to mention too – since Howard thinks this election is about honesty, there’s a website. JohnHowardLies.com.au or something like that, I think – that folks might want to read.
Allan.
Originally posted by geo:My question to you all is who will be the one that will be in our favour – that will look after property investors, Latham or Howard.
Howard predicts that Latham will raise interest rates whereas Latham denies this.
Well, funny thing there… I remember quite a while ago, John Howard saying the government has no control over interest rates. Now there’s an election coming, and he’s claiming FULL CREDIT for interest rates falling. And let’s not forget – they’ve been on the rise now for what? Two or more years!? LOL!
So he’s patting himself on the back – claiming the credit for something he has no control over – which is really rising anyway – and he’s saying don’t vote Labour, or interest rates will rise.
!?!? Yeah, right. [blink]
Your opinions please?1. John Howard looks like Mr Magoo or Mr Sheen.
2. Alexander Downer reminds me of a painfully shy schoolgirl – you know – the ones that always get murdered first in the horror movies.
3. Costello – the grinning chesire cat out of Alice In Wonderland.
4. Latham – a flat-foreheaded frankenstein.
5. Amanda Vandstone – Starring in a new Disney remake this summer, as the female absent minded professor, in: “Blubber.”
Well, you *did* ask for… “opinions”.
Allan.
Originally posted by ANUBIS:Allan,
Think you may be confusing things a bit. It’s a long bow to suggest the FHOG caused the property boom – more like speculative investors and the FHOG was introduced as compensation for GST increasing housing prices.
Well, I didn’t exactly say that… What I said was, “kicked off” the property boom. (I’ve heard several people wiser than me say this, early on in the boom.)
It was the NSW govt who introduced the investors tax no the federal govt.Yep – both under the same banner in my book. : )
I think the rules were tightened rather than re-written to stop investors taking advantage of the FHOG. You know have to live in it for a period of time, where the previous wording left living there open to interpretation.Yep, I know that was their intent – but in our case, our income is so low we can’t afford to purchase in major areas. So we planned to buy in a regional area, move in, renovate, move out, rent it out, pay it off and rent ourselves elsewhere… Then continue this strategy until we could buy our own home in our preferred area – and get off welfare.
Their changes to the FHOG has ruined this for us.
Subsidised rent at 25% isn’t something I know about but it sounds pretty decent to me.Yes, it doesn’t sound that bad – until you see the slums you have to live in. : p
If your subsidised rent is the same as private rent maybe you earn too much to qualify for govt housing and it should go to someone who really does.Well, not all market rents throughout Australia are at the same level as say, Sydney or Melbourne. If we were in Sydney, our rent would be far below other rents in that area. But we’re not in Sydney. You still pay 25% of your income, no matter where you live in Australia… So someone can get a new brick property in Sydney, with roller door garage with internal access, cable TV & Internet – yet be paying the exact same rent as someone else with the same income living in a 1950’s slum that still has a flywire “meat safe” installed in the kitchen.
Anyway, enough of that – I need to focus on how to get out of the situation, rather than what’s wrong with it… : )
Allan.
I hated the idea of floorboards – then we rented a house with carpet that was rancid from previous tenants having fluffy white dogs living inside the house with them. DIGUSTING. Landlord (NSW government) wouldn’t replace it, so we ripped it out and threw it away before their inspection took place – so that plus some staff changes, means they think it was floorboards all along. People get used to them too – and – they get to buy their own rugs/runners that THEY like.
I know a married couple – a doctor and nurse. Their landlord thought he was on a winner with these two. But they are two of the most unclean people I’ve known and very disrespectful of other people’s property – they’re not even aware of their low standards I don’t think. The NEW carpet was stained and stuck to your feet in two months.
Appliances – find out which shows damage more readily I guess. I’ve known landlords that thought they had great tenants – but while living in that same block I’ve seen the way they treat the place when the landlord’s not around. I’d install whatever’s the cheapest myself. It’s new and they’ll still appreciate it – but if/when it gets damaged – it’s not such a heartache to go out and buy another. Personally, I think white shows less scratches.
Allan.
Thanks… I just wish they’d LEAVE THINGS ALONE long enough for people to actually get a foothold – and stop drilling holes in the boat, while telling us they’ve improved the drying time of silastic.
You mean – OUR – Australian government!?
LOL… [blink] [confused2]
Let’s not forget these are the same people who introduced the First Home Owner Grant – that kicked off the property boom, effectively driving up prices beyond the reach of most first home buyers…
The same people who recently introduced the new investor tax to “help” first home buyers (which is resulting in NSW investors passing on that expense to tenants in the form of increased rent)…
And the same government that then changed the First Home Owner Grant rules, so that folks must now live in their home for an entire year to qualify for the grant… And did this right smack in the middle of a property boom, so while the market is now cooling and properties now reducing in value – first home buyers are missing out a market they could have benefited from in just months by onselling and upgrading and now cannot – and – may even end up loosing equity value from their property…
Also the same government that has increased subsidised rent to 25% of your taxable income, to live in cesspool, slum area, government housing – making it no cheaper now to live in housing commission areas, than it is to rent privately.
Somehow, I doubt it. [angry2]
Allan.
Thanks Simon…
I’m just wondering what kinds of things they check. We can’t afford to buy in the Newcastle area as you know, we don’t qualify for enough to purchase here. So was thinking of buying elsewhere, renting that out to tenants and remain renting here ourselves.
The government claims to be helping first home buyers by making changes like this (12 months living in property to qualify and new investor tax), but it’s only made things more difficult for us (first home buyers) and a minor irritation for investors.
I wish they’d stop “helping” first home buyers – so we can have a chance to help ourselves. [angry2]
Allan.
Just bringing this thread to the top… I found this site:
Now I’m not 100% certain, but it seems genuine. It’s 50 cents (US?) to send any amount. I’ll have to look into it some more, but I thought there might be some people here also interested.
People we know in the USA were told by their bank it would cost $75 if a cheque was not written in US dollars. I pay people directly with my visa card in the USA all the time and that costs nothing. So even $20 as mentioned earlier in the thread is criminal as far as I’m concerned.
If anyone has experience with yowcow – good or bad – please let us all know!
Allan.
You will need to check with Centrelink, however, I believe the asset limit is 125,000 for those seeking unemployment, but for aged pensioners it may be a bit higher….give them a call.Definitely check with them, as I vaguely remember one of their so called “financial advisors” (yeah right – but that’s another story) mentioning to me, a figure closer to $360,000.
Allan.
Originally posted by SteveMcKnight:What about Western Union?
Most newsagents are agents…???…
Cheers,
Steve McKnight
I just phoned Australia Post – they said:
Sending from $301-$450 = $43 charge
Sending from $451-$600 = $50 chargeI don’t think I want to know much more above that. [eh]
Hm… Other suggestions anyone?
Thank you Steve, I’ll check that out now. Anyone else have any suggestions? I owe someone in the USA several hundred $. The last time, I used Paypal – who took a huge chunk of it.
Allan.
Ok, thanks Simon!
Originally posted by Greg F:You’re right about her savings ethic. She has $18,000 – $20,000 cash saved up (some in term deposits, and about $5,000 literally “in a sock”)
I missed this before… For the next few months get her to save as much as she can – AND – instead of drawing her weekely groceries/bills out of her bank account, draw only part of it – and the rest take out of that $5,000 each week instead. I was thinking of doing this myself. Why? Well, when the lender looks at her bank account for the last few months, she can say: “I used to save quite well before…” (point at the two months before she did what I suggested above) and THEN point at the next few months bank records and say, “But this is when I made a more serious effort.”
First of all, they’re going to be wowed by her first two month’s savings ability – but then when they see the second… !!! [inlove]
Just make sure she draws say $100 out each week (or something) – so it’s not completely obvious she has an external source of income (the $5,000). (Just divide $5,000 by 4 months for example and draw that amount LESS each week than usual.)
Also – at least transfer her money into an online banking account – she’ll get close to 6% interest instead of getting nothing but smelly in that sock.
As my wife and I’ve never done a wrap before, but have 16 “buy and hold” properties (12 positively geared), frankly we’d prefer to go into a mini-business with her in 2 or 3 small +CF properties which would not affect her Centrelink income, but give her a much more attractive ROI. Her cash plus our lending ability plus an added equity percentage as a gift from us over and above the percentage of actual cash she puts up. If we saved and reinvested the +CF profits from these properties each week, we’d soon have enough cash saved up to put down deposits on other properties which she would also get further benefits from, all without jeopardising her Centrelink.Gee, can I be your friend too? : ) I’m on Disability Support Pension and my wife cares for me on a Carer’s Pension. Both my parents are remarried, and own their own homes outright. One of my wife’s parents is the same – and the other has a lot of equity in a valuable home in the tourist area of Narooma.
None of them will help us. In the meantime, I’ve proven to them we already save more each week NOW while PAYING RENT – than our loan repayments on our own home would be. (So we could repay a loan AND continue to rent. Yet they’re worried we couldn’t afford repayments, once we DIDN’T rent!?)
Some families have no idea what “family” means. I hope can teach something different to *our* kids.
Anyway, I digress…
I’m still hanging out for some comments about the type of legal structure we follow (as per my previous posting) if we continue to set up a “partnership” (probably the incorrect legal term) and start by investing in a modest IPI don’t know the answer – but I was going to suggest rewording it and posting again.
Allan.
I don’t understand why so many people have trouble with these leaking. Are they that bad? Do they have walls *that* thin, that they crack?? I mean, they’re made of fibreglass right – and so are boats – but you don’t see half the boats taken out fishing on the weekend, sinking…
Do they still want the pool?
You probably know this, but you can buy fibreglass repair kits at boat/marine supply stores. You paint a primer on, smooth the fibreglass mesh over it, paint resin over the top. Then some (blue?) paint. Pool shops probably have them too, come to think of it. It may not look the best, but once water is in there – barely noticeable.
If you can’t be bothered doing it anymore, and they like the pool – tell me it’s either they can fix it, or it’s going. They’re probably paying for the chlorine already right? So probably wouldn’t mind to patch the pool to keep it a little longer. Tell them they can patch it if they’d like to keep it, else it is going to be removed.
Turn it into a pond. Ok, a large pond. Then you can direct a little water from a shed etc. roof through a bit of poly pipe to “top it up”.
It might be the same price to build a deck right over it, than to pay to fill it in? Less lawn to mow that way too.
Make a wine cellar?
A sunken car repair pit? (Two welded horizontal ramps.) : )
A skateboard half-pipe? (A little dirt at each end, and some marine ply bent into a curve and feathered with a plane at the lower end.) This could be a good one if you think about it. If they like the pool, they probably have kids. If you don’t want to bothered removing it right now, but don’t want an ugly hole or half-full green algie pool either… Suggest again they do it themselves, since it would only get pulled out anyway. Most kids hang around a skateboard area at some time – this way there’s no foul-mouthed scum they have to listen to, or pervies sliming around selling drugs to their kids.
Yeah, I know – maybe not the greatest ideas – but still ideas. Just thinking that as tenants, they may not it to go – and if they do – may not want workmen trudging around for three weeks ripping it out and filling in. It might be better to suggest something like this, or ask if they have some ideas. Then if give their notice some time in the future – start pulling it out then, as they’re going anyway.
Allan.
Oh – and I was going to say…
Different lenders are selected by the government to provide the scheme. One way to find out who provides it in your area is to phone the government housing department in your state and ask who provides the Government Guaranteed Loan Scheme in your area and ask for a contact number.
Allan.
In NSW, the loan for low-income/Centrlink earners is called the “Perfect Start Home Loan” and the actual scheme is called the “Government Guaranteed Loan Scheme”.
The government makes available funds for people such as those on Centrelink benefits, that would normally not qualify with traditional lenders. The loans are provided through the Commonwealth Bank.
Here’s some info about it:
Indicative Interest Rate: 7.07% variable (plus additional fees and charges). Applicants qualified at 9.07% {whatever THAT means}.
Deposit Required: Minimum 5%
NO lenders mortgage insurance is required.
Loan Size: $35,000 to $225,000
Purpose: To purchase an existing dwelling, strata title property, or construct a home on vacant land.
Term: Maximum 30 years.
Income: Maximum $75,000 total of all applicants and must be of a continuing nature. All sources can be considered, but family tax payments and child support can only be considered for children up to 12 years old.
Loan Repayments: To represent no more than 30% of gross income with total commitments including loan repayment not to exceed 36%.
FEES & CHARGES
* Share capital: $1 (to buy one share of Commonwealth Bank stock to become a shareholder)
* Application fee: $600
* Valuation fee: $220
* Inspection fee: $88 (construction loans only)
* Loan legal costs: Approx. $550 + disbursementsIn NSW, there’s also “First Home Plus Scheme”, which “provides exemptions or concessions on transfer stamp duty and mortgage duty for first home buyers and builders in NSW.”
I posted the link to this in the last couple of days… Um… See here: http://www.osr.nsw.gov.au/portal/page?_pageid=33,63384&_dad=portal&_schema=OSRPTLT
The location of the property she can buy, is set within the state she lives. Different states most likely would call these schemes different names – and – each state offers different benefits…
For instance, all the above info relates to NSW and the deal is pretty poor, after considering interest of 7.07% variable – and through the Commonwealth who charge all sorts of extra fees and who knows what kind of other penalties, such as early exit fees for paying the loan off early… Who knows what else THAT bank will charge.
In QLD however, they get a GREAT deal. I was just looking at this yesterday. They get a five year CAPPED interest rate. If the normal variable interest rate falls in that five years, ***so does theirs***. But if it rises ABOVE that capped rate that they signed up on, it won’t rise above the capped level (for the first five years) – then it reverts to the standard variable rate.
Also in QLD, if you are on a disability pension of some kind, you can also claim a special disability grant up to $10,000 to improve the kitchen/bathroom/entrance ramps – paid by the government.
I don’t know if the other states offer this, but I doubt it. The NSW version is a real rip off when compared to the QLD version. So much so, that I’ve considered moving to QLD myself.
(And don’t forget the $7,000 First Home Owners Grant.)
To find this information, just go to your state’s website – eg: http://www.nsw.gov.au and look for links that refer to buying a home. I did this yesterday too, and all the sites work pretty much the same.
As you can probably tell, I’m looking into all this myself. I’m not certain yet, as I’ll have to do up a spreadsheet on all the costs/benefits/drawbacks of the government scheme, compared to just applying for the loan through a mortgage broker… But I’ll bet the mortgage broker will be the better option. In other words – save a larger deposit and find a loan with a lower interest rate.
Hope this helped some…
Allan.
It’s been my experience, that “money back guarantees” are rarely given – in anything – not only RE courses.
First, they rely on the assumption you’ll not actually bother to return it even if you are not satisfied. Second, you usually have to keep the product for some set time period – and then when you return it, they either say you returned it early – or late – or ask you many detailed questions about if you made the effort to use the product – or they claim it’s been damaged by you in some way and so not resaleable, and on that basis refuse your refund AND may even charge you again a second time to mail it back to you (“if you would like us to return your product to you”).
The only exception I have found to this (so far) is those (pathetic) upright GMC electric lawn edgers selling for about $90-$100 at BigW. (It says on the box, “1 month satisfaction refund” (or similar). I took it back after two weeks – used – and they actually gave my money back!)
So please come back and let us all know if the refund actually comes through… If you return it. [rolleyesanim]
Those reading… Please understand… I’m not saying to purchase it with the purpose of returning it. What I *am* saying is, if such an offer is made – it should be honored without all the hoopla mentioned above. That’s all.
Allan.
Originally posted by Julia:delboy.
My basic rule of thumb is it takes a population of 250,000 to be self sustaining. Any smaller and you are at the mercy of the main industries in the area.Let’s see… [grad] Australia has a population of about 20 million. Divide that by 250,000 = only about 80 towns. Since we have what is it – 8? states and territories, that’s approx. only 10 towns per state/territory in the entire country able to survive without large industry.
Well, I guess that leaves plenty for everyone else anyway! [blink]
Allan.
