Hi Liz

Yes it is ( or was) – check how it stacks up to the neighbouring suburbs. Only 3 years ago Ashwood was the forgotton suburb in that area, while others such as Glen Waverly went "gang busters" and shot ahead in values almost to a ridiculous point.
Ashwood has some old, commission type areas which werent looked at kindly so investors avoided…[Read more]

Trust & Company – get to a property accountant and get the best advise. Not just an accountant. If it were me, I would probably have a trust set up to protect assets more than anything else. Have a company of which you are director, but it is operated by the trust of which you are a beneficiary. As I said, get advise as to what suits your personal…[Read more]

Hi Rob,

Derek has given you some sound advise and the thread overall is a good one. To iterate – start small but start with a focus, a strategy from the beginning. Often your financial position, available leverage and risk tolerance will determine your strategy. Then with what you can borrow and strategy in mind will to a degree determine the…[Read more]

Hi SmartcubeSimilar goal to most I think. Use property and the leveraging aspect on borrowings to increase net worth and then be able to relax with residual income.An idea may be to look at the various strategy options first, to get where you want to be. Find what is the best suited strategy to your needs over the time you are giving yourself.A…[Read more]

Check out titles "USA Property Investing" ( 2 vids same title) at my channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/theblockblog?feature=mhee and there is a great little resource there for crimes in your street, let alone the suburb. Fun to use as well.Ianhttp://theblockblog.com.auFree Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Investors With A Sense…[Read more]

Been said that if they increase production by 1% then a billion barrels will be extracted. That's big, but yes shale oil is not environmentally friendly to mine.Workers are living in cars in Walmart carparks I here. Well in summer anyway, I'm not sure if they could survive a North Dakota winter in an 86 Dodge station wagon.Hotels are being…[Read more]

No 3. – If you don't know the true value then it's hard to make an 'informed' offer. Get a valuer in asap.No 4 – Contact the management company and ask for the documents you need or try asking people living there for the minutes if the body corporate aren't forthcoming.No 2. See comparative rates to identify who is lending at what rate and ask…[Read more]

Interior but it comes out a little whiter in the photos – I went 2 tone walls to skirting.Best maybe to check it out at the paint shop for a little more accuracy and there are different strengths to the basic Hog.That house could come up really nice. The suggestions above are great from Catalyst and Solomon.IanBlock Head @ http://www.theblockblog.comFree…[Read more]

Hey Mattsta,I don't know anyone investing in Penn State, except me. I chose it because it was close to New York City where I was based. It has a huge range of entry prices from $1200 upward depending on the town or city and depending where in that town or city and I could drive there and back in a day.I was buying properties from the county…[Read more]

Tell the buyer to p… off. Take over the sale from your Dad and relieve him of the stress, then contact Christian at Design & Build or someone like him that can represent you to councilIanBlock Head @  http://www.theblockblog.comFree Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Switched On Investors

Hey Alfresco,Go the Hog's Bristle – terrible name – great colour. I used this as well although mainly on interiors.If you want to know all about renovating read this articleThe Best Reno System Ever MadeTo see the 'Hog" colour in a reno go here : THE HOG and click on Renovation Case Study 2Hope it helpsIanwww.theblockblog.comFree Property…[Read more]

Mark Unwin – Kew Melbournewww.mjua.com.auIan http://www.theblockblog.com Free Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Investors With A Sense of Humour

Hi Emma,There are a couple of great books that highlight how real estate agents operate – good and bad ones. Once you know these things you can evaluate your experience.Have a read of these articles (the books are listed after the first article) How To Lose Money Selling Your HomeAuctions – Why They're Bad News10 Questions To Ask A Real Estate…[Read more]

Hi Prospector,Some good meeting places to network are on http://www.meetup.comTalk to as many people as you can who are active investors. The wealth of 'street' knowledge they have is invaluable.There is also an investor group in Perth linked to the one in Melbourne – Active Property Investors (google it)Ianwww.theblockblog.comFree Property Investment…[Read more]

How do you feel about paying for a gym, swimming pool and virtual golf for your tenants AND giving them a view to die for. Your my sort of landlord!Seriously though, all the advice above is great. With highrise apts you have one that looks and feels like 100 others right next door. If you need to sell in a hurry, it's likely that other owners do…[Read more]

If you are in Vic – go to http://www.land.vic.gov.au/Ianwww.theblockblog.comFree Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources For Switched On Investors

If we can bring this thread back to just Australia for a moment, even though the information Freckle has passed to us all is enlightening and scarey, I think a quick assessment of what the figures here in Australia tell us today and then a basic projection for only 12 months will tell you what position you are in with your IPs.You can then assess…[Read more]

I'd be scrubbing the floorboards as well, with the magic baking soda, vinegar water mix. Cleans everything and if you want a nice smell, add a cup full of fragrance to the water.Ianwww.theblockblog.comFree Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources For Investors With A Sense of Tumour.