Hi Michael,

I am not a financial advisor so this is not to be considered specific financial advice to your circumstances.

But from an investors perspective this is what I do and has worked well for me.
IO loans to buy more ppty, I avoid cross securitising with lenders and spread my loans across lots of banks to avoid them controling my portfolio.
I do not pay down loans that will become IP's as that removes tax deductions instead I pay down bad debt i.e credit cards, car loans.
For your specific circumstances however it may be best to see your accountant

Hi CrazyPaulie,

Buyers agents can charge either a % or a fixed fee or both. I am a  Buyer's agent in Queensland and charge a fixed fee.
Remember cheaper is not always better.
Good questions to ask a buyer's agent: Do you invest in property?  Are you a good negotiator? A good way to check is ask them to lower their fee or commision, if they do they are probably not going to be good at getting you a great deal.
Also ask if they get kickbacks from property they show you, if so there is a conflict of interest. They should be working for you and you alone.