I agree with the others.
1. Start looking for another job.
2. Talk to your lender. Perhaps they may be able to offer you a "repayment holiday" if you have enough equity in the investment properties?
3. Use savings to cover holding costs until you replace your income.

Yes. Better in my opinion to do IO from day 1 if you plan to make it into an IP in the future. Park any excess cash into an offset account that you can use later for your PPOR purchase or another IP.

  NO, not in my opinion. Limited capital growth for the first few years and if the market tanks at any stage you can have real difficulty selling your place when the builder is selling cheaper new than your second-hand one. Better to be in established suburb.

I doubt these figures. You might get 5% – maybe.

Buying first blocks in a new estate you won't get a discount as this will set a benchmark for valuers valuing other blocks. The last few blocks left though are often sold cheaper.

  Reputation and build quality. Ask previous clients. Also make sure there is a liquidated damages clause in the contract for over-runs on construction time.

Look there are many different set ups you can have with Buyers Agents. Some charge a joining fee and an annual subscription fee to be informed of properties they find. Some like us just charge a flat fee.

Positive cash flow properties can be found in major metro areas like Sydney or regionals like Newcastle….but they are hard to find. If they were easy, everyone would be doing it as they say.

We've been buying several cf+ properties within 5-10kms of Parramatta's CBD and also bought one the other day in Newcastle with a gross  yield over 10%….so they're out there

Which state are you in CazzieP?
If in NSW there is good news for you: http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plansforaction/pdf/Affordable%20Housing_Fact_Granny%20Flats.pdf

FordGT18 wrote:

Call me chicken, but there is NO way I'm going up to knock on the front door.

And just one more way Matthew, would be to hire a local buyers agent to do some investigating for you (he/she will have access to same info the real estate selling agents have), advise you of market worth and do the negotiations for you as well.

Scott No Mates wrote:

No hills?

No hills – been levelled by the resources boom.

Yes, because although the property market moves in an economic cycle, the various capitals run on a cycle too.
When Melbourne & Brisbane were rising in 2007, Sydney was flat-lining.
Now Sydney & Melbourne are booming and Perth & Brisbane are flat.
Just cycles….

The "average" REA earns $57Kpa. Good agents earn over $100K and top agents earn $250+K

No, but changing jobs, changing address (UK>AU) etc does. You'll have to get 12 – 24 momths job history again to do full doc loans

As a selling agent in AU and NSW you will need to buy property at "market" value and declare that you are an agent. There are strict rules about buying your own listings. You may be better off becoming a buyers agent (no listings of your own to buy – but still in the RE game) or keeping your present job.

The answer according to rp data is that 49% of households in Dandenong are renting – does that set your mind at ease?

Again, according to sqm research the vacancy rate in Dandenong is only 1.9%. 3% vacancy is considered "balanced".

You'd generally be trying for a min of 25% and more likely 30% profit margin on the whole deal.