Sorry – no.Marg

The ATO looks closely at these claims. Brisbane is an hour's drive north of the Gold Coast.  Hard to see you claiming much if you travel from Sydney to the Gold Coast for 3 days when your IP is in Brisbane.  Probably you could claim the cost of a hire car for a day to travel to see your IP.Our accountant told us that the ATO looks at interstate t…[Read more]

This is quite common in Brisbane and would not be much of a bargaining point.  Rooms without legal head height cannot be legally described as bedrooms, but are often used for that purpose.  A friend had a high house without legal head height on the lower level.  He built in a study, a sewing room and a storage room.Marg

I would be strongly against it.Even though you take out your own loans, as joint owners you are all responsible for all loans.  So if one defaults, then the others have to pay up or risk the house being repossessed, with the resulting damage to credit ratings.You will not get the FHOG – boyfriend's mum already owns property.  And if you live t…[Read more]

The figures don't add up.  If your husband bought the house for $350K and his uncle loaned him $150K interest free, then the initial loan should have been $200K (or maybe a little more to pay for purchasing costs).  He owes the bank $288K, and still has $20K outstanding debts.  This means that he had approximately $100K in debts before he bo…[Read more]

This block of land has many problems, and unless you can get road access and services connected then you will be unable to build on it and it will be virtually worthless.  I would have thought that without access then the land could not be subdivided and sold.I suggest you look for land that has all services already available.Marg

We own an IP with a pool on the Sunshine Coast Qld.We have had no issues with it so far.  It is written into the lease that the tenant must supply a certificate from a pool shop before leaving to say that the chemical balance is correct.  So far our tenants have been happy to maintain it.  Naturally we pay for any repairs to the pump, filter, sa…[Read more]

Today I was at the Commonwealth Bank renewing term deposits for my mother.Interest rate?7.75% for 3 months8.1% for 6 monthsThis means that the CBA is allowing for another .25% rise in the next few months.Marg

Go to the rental section of http://www.realestate.comSee how many properties are available for rent and at what price.Marg

What is generally overlooked is that any article predicting the future is simply someone's opinion.  For every point of view there is an opposing point of view that is equally valid.This is the third real estate downturn I have seen (and being in Brisbane it really can't be called a downturn yet, more a slightly slowing down).  Auction results a…[Read more]

You can try offering no deposit, but it will depend on the vendor whether it is accepted.There is no way I would sign a contract to sell a property without a substantial deposit.  Why?  Because once I sign a contract the property is off the market.  Then the buyer can walk away if there is no deposit.  To me a deposit is a sign of good faith and…[Read more]

My suggestion would be to untangle your finances from your brother – there are two properties that you both own.  Have you thought of putting one in your name and one in your brother's?  It would probably need a cash payment from one or the other.  Yes, there would be fees and possibly CGT, but I would think that the sooner you are acting in…[Read more]

Hi TingataYou would be truly surprised at the amount of bark and branches that gum trees shed, particularly large ones.Another option would be for the rubbish to be removed.Perhaps your manager could obtain another quote to rake up and remove the rubbish.Your neighbour will be concerned because of the bushfire danger.Marg

It could be simply that once owners saw the prices the other units were receiving they decided to sell too.It is the same with different streets.  The street behind ours had seven houses sold within 3 months, after several years of inactivity.Marg

Hi PaulDon't sell.Your comment "there is not much money left at the end of the week" means that you are able to meet your payments.Tighten your belts just a little and you will be OK.  You don't have to have ANYTHING left at the end of the week, so long as you are paying your way then you will be fine.Can your partnet get even part time work to…[Read more]

I am concerned that you signed contracts without reading them carefully – what if the error had been in the vendor's favou?.Having said that, by law a contract is an agreement which is legally binding on both parties.You are under no obligation to do any more than is in the contract.We sold a unit last year.  I assumed that the dryer would be…[Read more]

Check with your body corporate to ensure that floor boards are allowed.Some buildings won't allow them because of noise issues, particularly if you are on a higher floor with another apartment directly below.Marg

Hi JamesOne thing to check is the amount of notice needed to terminate the agreement.  Most agents try for 90 days, which is 3 months too long if there are problems.  I would suggest no more than 30 days, that should give them time to sort any issues out.I would suggest going with someone local, but the main avenue these days is the internet.  Ch…[Read more]

I remember reading some time ago that one problem with Queenstown was that there were no PMs in town, so when it came to renting owners were very much on their own.Things may have changed.Marg

Why not simply buy one unit each?Marg