Try Ravenswood, Launceston TAS ie http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&s=tas&cc=&c=11720116&tm=1155974182&id=103298292&f=0&p=10&t=res&ty=&snf=rbs&ag=&cu=fn-rea&fmt=&header=

3brd $128K rent $150wk
So what if you successfully got it for say $115K, divide by 2 (58) and multiply by 3 (168) so it will cost $168 per week in mortgage…[Read more]

Why go to a lender when you can get the brokers to do the leg work for you?

development assessment – ticking boxes would be great but I spend most of my time trying adjust the box to be ticked because the applicant is:
a) unable to write
b) unable to read
c) unable to do either
d) weathy and arrogant and does believe in rules unless it is the development next door that want stopped
e) unable to consider the importance of…[Read more]

Always go separate title wherever you can.
Rules are different from state to state and council to council.
I’ll use my area for an example (NSW). First you need to know the minimum allotment size allowable in subdivision ie 450sqm. Corner blocks may need 500sqm because of two street setback requirements. You friend Council Planning officer can…[Read more]

Sarah, I highly recommend avoiding Roseberry and Queesnstown. We rode our bikes through there years ago before the mine re-opened, the place was a ghost town. Queenstown is only marginally better but toooo many properties available. And there is no property manager in the area. We have successfully invested in Launceston, Somerset and Wynyard.…[Read more]

We’ve built our own excel whorksheet so that it can
1. keep track of rent payments,
2. check off against bank statements
3. check off against property managers’ statements
4. set up to easily transfer onto ATO etax

Redesign after each financial year.

So we started with ATO requirements and worked back towards the info coming ie statements,…[Read more]

Council town planner – development assessment. [fez]

One relevant area is Council fees. Get an idea of the cost of the building value and go to your local Council and request in writing a quote of Council fees – Planning/Development Application, Inspections, Plumbing Inspections, State levies, and developer contributions. You will need to give the address of the subject land for this calculation.

As a Council planning officer I can empathise with the long delay. There can be many reasons for the delay. Is the design fully compliant with Council’s Planning rules. My advice to developers and designers is make it comply and we’ll approve. (Usually within 3-4 weeks)
The land may be close to a creek or river or classified road thus requiring…[Read more]

I think all of these types of unit set ups with multiple owners will require registered body corporates under the Vic state legislation. One of our units is involved in establishing a property body corporate entity using a specialist in the game.

Torrens title property subdivision with right of way could be possible but all services will need to…[Read more]

Searcher, I hear caravans are holding their value. But would a bank be able to sell your asset quickly for a fire sale? I think not thus understanding equity growth also equates to equity realisation. Equity realisation in worst case scenario is bank fire sale. So I believe the answer is NO for the caravan & annex.

Watch for those additional charges. How much will it cost for a changeover tenet, advertising fees, % on repairs they organise.
They are in business to make money, it is up to us to ensure we get quality service.
Remember the sqeaky wheel gets the oil.

Cashflow +ve generally requires a property with twist. In our experience it meant a block of units with dodgy tenants and in need of reno. We reno two and kept two tenants on so long as they direct debited to pay rent.
Another was a 3bdrm house with a full self contained one bedder with good access. Add the two rents together outstrips the 100%…[Read more]

Please consult with your Council’s Town Planner and Building Surveyor beofre doing anything. Don’t head down the dev application track without arranging a meeting with these guys first. Then send in a simple letter to the Council’s Town Planner seeking Council support in principle. They will still need to do a full assessment against the…[Read more]

Some Councils may have difficulty with large student accommodation. Student accommodation can have a reputation of decreasing the residential amenity of an area through excessive car parking, parties, loutish behaviour and noise (music, wheelies). There is also a more serious problem of fire safety regulations as required by the Building Code of…[Read more]

There seems to be a quite a few proposed self storage developments being proposed in our regional centre. They are reasonably easy for Councils to approve, particularly in industrial zones. This results in quick changes in supply and demand. If there is local demand all of a sudden there will be five proposals submitted to the local Council…[Read more]

Under $100k would only get a 1 bedroom low end unit in a regional centre for close to positve cash flow. We were successful in Bairnsdale but the prices have already risen in the unit complex, lowering the yield.

I would not consider adding an extra room as minor internal alterations. Some Councils have required number of car spaces based on the number of bedrooms, as well as the anticipated additional load on the municipal infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, roads, community facilities thus the Councils in NSW may have the opportunity to…[Read more]

To minimise council delays ensure that everything, and I mean everything is completed on the application form. Ensure clear, professionally drawn plans of location to scale and no larger than A3 size as well as showing vegetation, driveways, buildings, adjoining properties, contours. A common problem experienced by Council applications is the…[Read more]

The Council planning regulations need to be followed unless there is something unique about the land, not the development. The regulations would have been voted on and approved by Council. The Council represents the local constituents/ratepayers/community. Thus, in simplex form, the planning regulations represent the issues and concerns of the…[Read more]