Hi Warren, 

I think you are severely compromising your strategy based on lifestyle considerations. You could pickup a solid investment property with far lower overheads, positive cash flow and great capital growth potential, then just rent a short stay property exactly where you want to be each time your are here.
This would provide you with a…[Read more]

Well done Jamie M,
They are the best gift in life, I pinch myself, my two (22 & 6) just make me happier and happier, I love watching them as go out into the big wide world and do well.  

It's all in the due diligence. With a market place full of rubbish your job is find the winners. There are around 250,000 properties listed for sale today, of those 1000 would make a great portfolio investment.

We research the market looking for the 1 in 250 property using the rating system we have developed. The system rates each suburb using…[Read more]

It's all in the due diligence. With a market place full of rubbish your job is find the winners. There are around 250,000 properties listed for sale today, of those 1000 would make a great portfolio investment.

We research the market looking for the 1 in 250 property using the rating system we have developed. The system rates each suburb using…[Read more]

I use a Surveyor for this; you will need an Architect and some engineering plans too. All very easy, start with all of those three BEFORE you talk to the Strata Committee or you will create a bunch of extra work as everyone runs around talking a lot of hearsay and creating you a whole lot opposition.   

Go to each of the Strata Committee members…[Read more]

Your personal circumstances are key here. What percentage of your NET worth is your Super?
How many years to retirement?
How much exposure to property do you have outside the SMSF?
If none, why inside SMSF and not outside?
What likely mix are you looking at within SMSF, Shares, Bonds, CFD's, FX, etc..
How much cash you hold outside Super?

You…[Read more]

+ 1 Freckle

Familiarity Breeds Contempt is the old saying: Learning to always respect the client and not get sucked into worshiping the dollar is a lesson that takes an incident like this to learn.

We have all made the mistake of taking someone for granted, in this case it was their clients and publicly, it has worked out to be expensive for Nathan & B…[Read more]

Hi Jeff, 

There are approximately 250,000 properties for sale across 15,000 suburbs in Australia. Of those properties you could say 100,000 are possible investment options. In reality only around 1000 properties on the market today would make a great investment property for you to hold in your portfolio. So the trick is not to buy one of the…[Read more]

Hi Jeff, 

There are approximately 250,000 properties for sale across 15,000 suburbs in Australia. Of those properties you could say 100,000 are possible investment options. In reality only around 1000 properties on the market today would make a great investment property for you to hold in your portfolio. So the trick is not to buy one of the…[Read more]

Hi Jeff, 

There are approximately 250,000 properties for sale across 15,000 suburbs in Australia. Of those properties you could say 100,000 are possible investment options. In reality only around 1000 properties on the market today would make a great investment property for you to hold in your portfolio. So the trick is not to buy one of the…[Read more]

When you buy an Investment Property, your ability to keep saving for your next property is not reduced, however when you buy a PPoR your costs go up and your savings go down for a quite a few years.

To grow a portfolio you need to continue with your savings while your investment property's equity is growing. If you have bought well, your…[Read more]

Good on you for making a start.

You are on your way, now is the time to set a few 1 year, 3 year & 5 year goals. Keep them simple and write them on a piece of card to keep in your wallet.

Goal setting is so, so important, That's my best advice

My suggestion would be to look at focusing on one strategy for growing your portfolio and become an expert at managing that. 

I like a simple balanced strategy, by getting the benefits from a combination of a strong rental market, property growth and tax credits.

Look at sourcing property in areas that tick the following boxes: 

High rental…[Read more]

Most new property investors don't realise this very import point: Your portfolio is at it's highest risk when you have less than four properties and your LVR is over 75-80%.

According to the ABS, 85% of property investors don't buy a second property, 93% of property investors don't buy a third property.

Take your time when selecting your next…[Read more]

Carpet Beetles wont eat Solution Dyed Nylon.
With over 140 properties under our belts Dave & I have found through trial and error the best carpet is "Solution Dyed Nylon". It stays cleaner, It stands up straighter for years longer then Poly-prop and other fibers. Wool is the best for your own home, but only if you look after it, but Solution Dyed…[Read more]

Property investment plan = No
Helping family out = Yes 

My advice is to pay their mortgage for them with your rent and keep saving to invest elsewhere. They will be in a better long term position (by not having to pay you rent in the future) and you will be in a better position by not confusing your property investing with buying a PPoR for your…[Read more]

It might be time to think about sorting out your portfolio's financing. In your position you should have all your properties setup so you are able to access maximum equity with a minimum of admin and time delay.
I would also advise you to consider working on a strategic portfolio plan as part of your over all wealth strategy. A good property…[Read more]

On a new investment property build, I recommend to my clients to install 300/300 (mm) ceramic tiles to the Kitchen, Dinning and Hall. Then Solution Dyed Nylon carpet to the Media, Lounge and Bedrooms. The upside of this layout method is the carpeted rooms are not connected to one another. This lets you change the carpet in one room with out having…[Read more]

Xdrew,  Great analysis of the area fundaments. Reading your review, an investor can see how off the mark Cairns is as an investment hot spot. However, I was in on a conversation with some developers, they were talking about a Chinese owned casino development proposal with a rail link to the Cairns Airport. The land has been bought for the casino…[Read more]