To answer a question with a question:
What is your investment strategy? Capital Gains/neg. gear or positive cashflow?

This is what i’d do:

If it’s +ve cashflow,….then to maximise and speed money you can put into investing,you choose whichever is cheapest for your living expenses.
If renting is cheaper than owning a home (include all expenses)…[Read more]

Balliez,
Well done, for thinking ahead man. I had the goal of getting free of money restraints early too, I stuck my head down and worked my ass off for a few years to build up deposits for houses.

No loans for cars (lots of time fixing ’em though), no fancy toys on credit, and established a very strict budget where I put a bit out of the money…[Read more]

Pisces, elves,
Good Luck fighting for change. You are jumping into the cycle of revolution that range from times of hardship to times of comfort .
This country is in comfort mode where inaction and apathy rule.And gov’t regs evoke only mild responses.

Have you considered making your properties a separate country. I have heard of a guy doing this…[Read more]

Thanks for input Lucifer

lifexperience

Not quite CD,
I’ll try again

Does anyone wonder if they are taking advantage of someones desperate circumstances?

In this particular case i am charging a higher amount than market, it will only be short term and i am helping them build a rental reference. So i have just decided that i am ok with the deal.

I do know that a grossly overpriced 30…[Read more]

Acey,
I find your input to usually be very valuable, so don’t take offence,,, however on this matter:

I see the PM s as the ones getting their hands dirty. I have a lot of respect for any time spent at the nitty gritty end of the line.

I would consider leaving my current job(which is great pay but unrelated to property ) and even taking a pay…[Read more]

Rugby,
Good answer.

Is this a career path anyone can comment on. Good, bad, overworked, under paid..?

lifexperience

Any one know how to get great returns from investment properties without buying any?

Anyone guarantee what they think the market might do?

Anyone?[buz2]

lifexperience

Yay.. Buyers market!

I’ll have one of those and two of these ones and a mixed bag of those ones,

oh.. and i’d like it cheap

and i’d like free wine and please call me “knight of investing”

oh.. and you two agents that shrugged me off last year you can get on your knees and………..
only joking.

I might pay extra for properties, go against…[Read more]

I pay $40 once a month to good ole’ “Jims Mowing” . Renters usually can’t be bothered, builds resentment

I actually have a confession…. um….
um..
um…. when i was young and partying my hormones away I..I..
mowed the front strip of roses into the ground, “damn gardening..” i concluded at the time ” Why do I have to mow AND give money to Real…[Read more]

I am always amazed at the way people manage to justify what they do, with reasons that appear unrelated and looks on the surface to be greed.

Can’t say i know that persons history or experiences, i definately cant judge.

I am still amazed.

If everybody gave a little more, and held on a little less, what is the worst that could…[Read more]

Bairnsdale is stuck in the 70’s (the boring part.) The town supports the local dairy area

and the community is very close knit. Ie; holiday makers would not get the same warm welcome as in lakes. more of a farmers town.

Easy to pick a fight in the pub, some country agro….

But… the highway gets backed up for miles every long weekend as…[Read more]

[baaa]….p.s. see my shiny stars

lifexperience

Nathan, Can R.E. agents work outside of your regular job?
If so you could advertise for yourself.
“neon lights[oneeyed]” NATHANS BACKYARD HOUSE DEALS,[oneeyed] you could sign contract of sales over a bbq and a bit of backyard cricket.

lifexperience

Ok, I’ll decide for everyone what the best choices are:
1. NO gearing
2. No properties for anyone, (yes, sell now bad choice guys)
3. buy 100 pairs lime green happy pants
2. buy 1 tartan top hat and a gold cane
3. limp on every third step
4. Join my cult as a sub-leader (FREE BADGE!)

All your path should be changed to the correct one which is the…[Read more]

peach, Good on you for deciding to chanel money and effort into investing. Action is good.
My personal opinion (and i have been wrong before), money spent on increasing your knowledge can possibly increase your earning potential by unlimited millions. And could save you losing the lot.
I’m preaching again, it’s this damn soap box i stand on…[Read more]

Nathan, Congrats man, if you got city property with a cheap house. Two bonus points
1. Houses only lose value anyway
2. If you got the house cheap, take a punt on higher risk tenants. Bit more cash for you and you help out an ostricised group. (Not head in the sand birds…. poke poke)

I used to rent a dump as a tenant when younger, we always…[Read more]

elves, i had 45k sitting in the bank at xmas. I bought three country props at 85%, and then used credit cards to whack in some extras for tenants. furnishings etc. And have managed to crank yield from 4% up to 30% on first two(yes this allows for extra costs of furnishings etc).(although i am taking on higher risk tenants as well).
If your credit…[Read more]

I know of a house where an elderly lady lived til she died. Having come from the depression era she was prone to stashing expensive antique jewellry away.
Anyways, the house was sold soon after and the new owner arrived to find piles and piles of newspapers in every room. He quickly ordered a skip and dumped it all.
weeks later, the new owner was…[Read more]

If anyone has the market selection buttons in front of them please press the butten stamped “Buyers market brings reality to home owners”

[biggrin]

lifexperience