Forum Replies Created
I can’t see them having any impact whatsoever and I am a Melburnian.
Cheers
rHi,
As others have said – we weren’t in court, we can’t really 100% know her innocence or guilt, but even on the face of what has been reported, it is awfully difficult for me to believe she didn’t do it, the taking coal to Newcastle argument does not hold weight at all. She was caught red-handed, and if she was a 50 year old overweight male no-one would give a toss. Still, 20 years is way too much. I don’t have much confidence in her new-look legal team however, and their abilities to get her off, let alone have the sentence reduced, perhaps she’ll face the firing squad after all… (I hope not!)
r
couldn’t agree more TMA
good moderation makes a good forum, because I would argue that the majority of people couldn’t be bothered with having to wade through the personal attacks etc that this place is now littered with.
I barely come here any more because it’s the same old names spewing the same old stuff. Some of the people I used to like discussing things with bob up from time to time, but very rarely from what I can see.
I find time spent at somersoft much more worthwhile these days, I used to think it was a bit stuffy, but I prefer that to some of the pointless rubbish that’s here nowadays.
Each to their own.
r
Hey there Marc,
I don’t profess to know it all, but I do try to take in information and then make something of it… do you have first hand information to reveal, so we can perhaps become as enlightened as you so obviously are?
I also don’t rate people’s achievements solely on whether they are wealthy or not, with a helicopter on the back of a yacht or whatever, although I do aspire to become more wealthy myself. Some of the people I look up to and would very much like to emulate are filthy rich, others are not… At times from your posts, it seems money ranks above absolutely everything when you are assessing someone’s achievements, and I think that’s more than a touch questionable. Anyway, as I always say, each to their own, just don’t tell me how I think, you don’t know me, and haven’t walked in my shoes.
r
markpatrick – how about doing some homework before offering an opinion?
frmo the SBS website:
A post-mortem is due to be carried out on the body of Australian former stockbroker and convicted insider trader Rene Rivkin, who was found dead in his mother’s Sydney penthouse apartment.
A family member discovered the multi-millionaire’s body in a bedroom on Sunday, weeks after reportedly separating from his wife of 32 years.
Police say there are no suspicious circumstances about the death of the 61-year-old, who is survived by his wife Gayle and five children.
His family released a brief message that read: “The Rivkin family confirms that Rene Rivkin died today. He will be sadly missed by all. The family wishes to be left in peace to grieve and there will be no further media statements.”
The controversial businessman had suffered depression since his conviction for insider trading two years ago.
His lawyer Greg Walsh said he knew Rivkin, who had bipolar disorder, had been suicidal.
A larger-than-life personality, the flamboyant Rivkin attempted suicide last September by taking an overdose.
“He said to me ‘You just don’t know what it’s like to feel the shame. You don’t know what it’s like feeling shameful all the time. I just want to end it all’,” he told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
His purchase of 50,000 Qantas shares hours after confidentially learning it was about to buy a struggling domestic rival eventually saw him convicted of insider trading in 2003.
After his conviction, Rivkin’s physical and mental health began to worsen.
With his extravagant lifestyle, gold worry-beads, love of fast cars and controversial financial advice, Rivkin was often in the headlines.
Media scrutiny increased when details emerged about his secretive ownership of shares in a small printing company called Offset Alpine.
The printing plant was completely destroyed in a mysterious 1993 Christmas Day fire.
But the blaze proved to be a financial windfall after a A$53m (US$41m) insurance payout for Rivkin and his fellow owners, former cabinet minister Graham Richardson and former Qantas board member Trevor Kennedy.
After denying any involvement in the company to ASIC, Australia’s financial regulator, it later emerged the trio had shares in the company stored in their Swiss bank accounts.
The revelation added to the saga surrounding Offset Alpine.
In 1995 Caroline Byrne, the 24-year-old girlfriend of Rivkin’s then chauffeur, died suspiciously a day after Rivkin and his driver were summoned by ASIC for questioning about a trip to Switzerland.
Police ruled her death a suicide, but a coroner later ruled she jumped, was pushed or was thrown to her death.
Hi Phil,
I agree with your comments.
rMA
I think if you look at analysis of the events that led up to his death, the fact he was convicted of insider trading is believed to have played quite a big part… I was listening to an interview with his lawyer who said as much, that Rivkin couldn’t deal with the disgrace he’d brought upon himself, that in turn made his already clouded state of mind even worse. Therefore, the expression “disgraced stockbroker”, while not sensitive, is probably understandable.
Also, TV news is there to provide commentary for the masses, not the Rivkin family. Harsh, but it’s the way it is.
cheers
rResi,
With all due respect to Mr Rivkin, because suicide is always tragic, I don’t think he did himself any favours when he was living. It’s not like Mother Teresa’s passed on. But then, he was that sort of bloke, wasn’t he? Very polarising…
The media, of course, won’t give them plenty of space, just as they don’t for other victims of tragedy. The Rivkin family will be treated like everyone else, I would have thought, not that it makes it right.
Pretty good example of how money can’t buy happiness though, isn’t it?
cheers
rRockhampton still has them if you look closely, and there are a few mining areas as well… they come up every now and then in places like Ingham, Ayr etc
cheers
rI’ll second Paul Markwell, he’s excellent..
Cheers
rno worries foundation
what’s your point foundation? VI = Vested Interest?
This is a property investment forum, if I’m sharing info on a place I’ve bought, that’s fine isn’t it?
cheers
rhowdy kay, long time no write…
Since the ones I’ve got there are all old-ish, I reckon I might sell a couple or maybe all of them and realise quite a bit of CG to put into something that’s going to have better returns, but not just yet… there’s a little way to go I reckon before I cash out…
As for your first question, at the moment I have no idea, I’m looking around, but the deals don’t make much sense… there are better investments elsewhere… I’m keeping my eye on prices in inner Melbourne however, perhaps I’ll use my CG from Rocky and elsewhere to buy some good stuff there… to be honest I’m a bit preoccupied getting the house ready for the impending bub.
cheers
rhmm, well, to the young people (I’m 30) don’t be too averse to getting out and about on the weekend and having a few frothies, or whatever else you’re into, you’re young, have fun… the key is moderation, moderation, moderation. A lot of people say save save save, I say save, but don’t forget to live a bit too.
cheers
rHi Ducky
do a search on hybrid discretionary trusts they’ve been discussed ad nauseum, then go to http://www.gatherumgoss.com buy his book “trust magic” read it over and over…
get quacking
r
I think articles like that have a negligble effect on confidence. serious property investors don’t pay them much heed at all, while PPOR buyers are purchasing for entirely different reasons, and will often buy what they like when they can, not necessarily tracking peaks and troughs in the market.
cheers
rhowdy
The overall figures are skewed by large jumps in Toorak, South Yarra and other highly priced suburbs. Turn to page 20 and you’ll see how the figures are meaningless… ie Essendon North suffering a 33% drop from Sept 2004 qtr median of $565k to $382k in December 2004 qtr… it just means that it’s more likely more houses in a lower price bracket were sold than in the previous qtr… I wouldn’t put too much faith in the stats… having a look at them over a 12 month or 2 yr period might be a bit more worthwhile…
You’ll note that in the article there’s no mention of the price falls.
Also, the table shows Kooyong as having a 277% rise in 3 months… hmmm, now who really thinks its possible that all houses in Kooyong have risen by 277% which is the impression the article tries to give when claiming across the board rises have occurred?
cheers
rSlaves has only made 1 post on this site… methinks if he was fair dinkum he’d have come back by now.
cheers
rps site/sight doesn’t really matter… either means buying without having a look…
property investing is horses for courses… some are comfortable buying in places like mt isa or mt morgan, or queenstown tas… I’m not. I wouldn’t buy somewhere just because it’s cheap.
I’ve been to mount morgan when I was buying in rockhampton… it’s a dump…
on figures, mt isa looks like it has good deals, but I’d be bloody careful buying there. just my opinion.
it’s easy to find a place that has cheap houses and good yields, and to then convince yourself that it’s a great place to invest… I’d be wondering why, on the back of a boom like the one the whole nation has just experienced, houses in these areas are still cheap… if the demand is driven mainly by investors chasing yields, I’d be careful…
rob says there’s nothing wrong with buying sight unseen, but I think in the examples of those two towns, I’d want to know exactly what I was getting myself in to. good luck to you if you proceed.
cheers
r
