I always prefer to go with the big franchises when it comes to managing rentals. Because they are bigger they have better systems in place to manage rentals and I have found this makes them better rental agents (but not always).

I like LJ Hooker and Ray White.

Ryan McLean
http://CashFlowInvestor.com.au
Positive Cash Flow Properties Are Just a Click Away

I agree with Richard. Let the council know of your situation and see if you can get it approved. The cost will be more than worth the sleepless nights you will save worrying about it.

ps. There are so many houses that have bodgy extensions out there.

Ryan McLean
http://CashFlowInvestor.com.au
Positive Cash Flow Properties Are Just a Click Away

Agents put ads in the paper, not because it gets them results…but because it raises the profile of their agency. People search for houses on the internet now, not in the paper. So maximise your internet profile. Put your listings on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au (by far the two biggest property search engines). Put in some great pictures…[Read more]

Sounds too good to be true. Maybe have your accountant check over things and see if they can find any discrepancies.

You might be better off seeing a mortgage broker and looking at refinancing your loan. They might not look for discrepancies in payments, but they could save you thousands a year by getting you a lower interest rate. Or have a look…[Read more]

What you are doing to help your parents is noble. But would it be easier and better for them and you if they simply sold their place and downsized and bought a place off someone else.

As a new investor doing a development could be a difficult first step. Putting your parents in the mix could make it even harder for everyone. It might be an idea…[Read more]

I am all for positively geared property. The question is a little silly. What is better, to put $100/week into your pocket, or to take $100/week out of your pocket?

Either positive or negatively geared it is still the same house and will get the same growth. So it is better for it to be putting money into your pocket than taking money out of your…[Read more]

I would be different from everyone else and say it depends on what your goals are.

What is the purpose of having your property valued at $650k? It is only worthwhile spending money on the roof if you want to borrow your equity and you think you will get more money from borrowing equity (due to a higher valuation) than you would spend on the…[Read more]

@ Daniel – You say it is $5k positively geared and you ask if that is good. See the problem is what is good for one person might not be good for another person. For someone earning $40k/year in their job, an extra $5k from their investment would be awesome. But someone earning $200k per year, then $5k would be pocket change.

It all depends on…[Read more]

I am looking into subdividing also. I would like to know how much it costs to subdivide a property into two blocks.

Looking forward to seeing the responses in this thread

Ryan McLean
http://CashFlowInvestor.com.au
Positive Cash Flow Properties Are Just a Click Away

I WOULD NEVER BUY A PROPERTY IN MY OWN NAME. Not even when you are starting out.

A trust effectively costs around $300 to set up with Cleardocs. If you use an accountant to set up your company and your trust for you it will likely cost ONLY $1,300-$1,500. A tiny amount considering the asset protection you get. On going costs are around $250/year…[Read more]

Sack your mortgage broker he is feeding you lies!

At the end of the day a mortgage broker is a typical salesman, if the sale appears to difficult they will back out.

I am sure there will be banks that will lend you money for your investment if you take into account both you and your wife’s income. If they don’t like that then try accessing as…[Read more]

I would love to find one in Sydney. Where are they?

Ryan McLean
http://CashFlowCapital.com.au
Positive Cash Flow Properties Are Just a Click Away

Well it seems you have already had your question answered. I would have said the same about NOT going with one lender because you are increasing your risk.

You may want to look at purchasing all future properties in trusts. You said you want to be aggressive. If you are buying properties if your own name then you are opening yourself up to all…[Read more]

I am currently looking for insurance for a property at the moment. Anyone know a good insurance broker?

Ryan McLean
http://CashFlowCapital.com.au
Positive Cash Flow Properties Are Just a Click Away

Seriously,

If you are going to do it DIY then do it yourself. If you are going to get someone to help you then go the full flog and get a real estate agent.

People always try to skimp out of paying real estate agent’s their sales fee. But chances are they will get you a higher sales price that will cancel out their fee if not make you more money…[Read more]

@ John – I wouldn’t stress about those links. They all add to this post so no one is going to prosecute you for putting helpful tips up on the site. As long as you are adding to the forum and not be a spammer then links are always helpful.

Thanks for this post. To tell you the truth I just skimmed though it as it is pretty damn long…but some of…[Read more]

I would either go the split. Timber living areas and carpet bedrooms, or I would go fully timber. I would never go fully carpet. Especially not if your floor boards are good.

Carpet is cheap to replace, but needs to be cleaned whenever a tenant moves out (usually done by the tenant but not always). Floorboards cost nothing once they are reading…[Read more]

We can’t answer whether or not it is a good investment. What might be a good investment for me might not be a good investment for you. I have seen good investments go bad because of bad investors and seen what looked like a horrible investment make a ton of money because it was run by a great investor.

To determine whether something is a good…[Read more]

I have never personally worked with a buyer’s agent. But from what I have seen they are good for two things:

1. For the home owner who wants something very specific for their home. This might be a relocation or it might be finding the home of their dreams
2. For the lazy investor. Someone with money, but no time to invest it. They send a buyers…[Read more]

@ DWolfe – I do agree with you. People coming onto a forum like this and asking “How can I get rich quick?” deserve one work answers. The interesting thing is that even if you told them an EXACT method for getting rich quick in property they probably won’t do it. It still requires study and hard work, which most people wanting to get rich quick…[Read more]