Hi David,I have heard that there are extremely good depreciation advantages buying property in say NZ or Australia from Japan and as an expat. If you would like to get the details of this I can pass you onto a person living in Tokyo who knows about this strategy, which he is currently teaching others. He is also an expat.email me at…[Read more]

Hi Reen,Gee you're brave! Buying a property to develop on and not knowing whether the council will allow it. What's plan B?Suggest you have a look at whats on offer for new property developers at http://www.rookiedeveloper.com or you can access them at http://theblockblog.com.Plenty of great information there.Ring your council, ask for town planning and…[Read more]

Hi U36,Yes there is some truth in this. You always have to take into consideration the fact that the bank/financier will take the most conservative valuation of the newly renovated property.However, there can be a considerable difference in value if you add the right things to the property for the target market. One example is converting a 1…[Read more]

Hello Jules76Are you out there????Seems your post has been attacked by para legal terrorists.Out of all this, I hope you got what you needed.Contact SRO and tell them to blow it out their ass!Tell them to prove it or stop harassing you.Get everything in writing and carry on with your life.Ianhttp://theblockblog.comFree Property Investment…[Read more]

Hi Ryallsy,It's a common dilemma investors face. The more they look, the more they find. In that is created the burden of choice which is what you are facing. Better than no choice at all, but a problem.You might get come clarity in this post on my blog.http://www.theblockblog.com/propertyinvestment/4-reasons-why-you-should-kiss/In summary, you…[Read more]

Hi FT,There are a number of things to be aware of before you jump into mining areas, the least of which is to be one step ahead of the economy, which is a very hard task in itself. An interesting article is here from Mr…[Read more]

Hi BeefzGood advice from Jamie above, also by renovating you are adding value straight away so a revalue of the property once you decide to move on from the PPoR situation can release more funds, if required, for your next purchase. The original loan would also go up to the new value, so take that into account with regard to your returns and…[Read more]

Hi RickYou really need to speak with an accountant in the area / state you are investing in. I don't think many Aust accountants will be able to help you with the specifics. I spent 30 mins with an acc. in the town I was looking at investing in, in Michigan, a couple of years ago and learned more in that short time than you will find in a year…[Read more]

Basically you get what you pay for. If you spent time setting up an excel spreadsheet with all the correct configurations, you would have spent more time vs $ value then it would have cost for a good mortgage tracking software system.Two systems I have used and do use are Mortgage Watchdog, which is an Australian based system and Home Loan…[Read more]

Yes – Dean and Elise Parker have a few copies.  I've been using their renovation software for 6 years now. It's worth the money.Ian http://theblockblog.com Free Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Investors with a Sense of Humour.

For that money you might be best to look at an "add value" property. The ugly duckling that you can restore, renovate, subdivide, build another dwelling, add rooms etc to increase your equity stake and rental return as fast as possible.Your borrowing capacity will tell you the suburbs you can concentrate on. I don't know Sydney as well as I know…[Read more]

If you are in Melbourne or Victoria then these guys most likely can give you costings.Simon MensforthDirectorHome Delivery Pty LtdDelivering your Home, Tailored to your NeedsP.O. Box 1339t:  0403 530 609Camberwell Vic 3124f:  (03) 9404 3040 e:  simon@home-delivery.net.au w:  http://www.home-delivery.net.auHope they can help.…[Read more]

You may want to look at established businesses in Detroit that have been buying and selling property during this downturn and know everything there is to know about the city with regard to property returns.An  investing strategy in Detroit i have been involved with is Rent To Buy as we call it. There I think it's called land contracts. You…[Read more]

Conveyancer may not have, but buyer may have breached your contract of sale. Speak to your lawyer and check the details of your contract.Ianhttp://theblockblog.comFree Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Investors with a Sense of Humour

When renovating and revaluing your property its a good idea to talk to a valuer about what additions would add the most value as well as the real estate agent who will tell you what the market is looking for. Remember the market is very different if you are going to rent out the property as opposed to selling, but because you want to revalue from…[Read more]

Hi FredI've used the reno (add value), revalue and rent strategy and it works well. Choose your areas well and go for it. Start small and get one project under your belt. If you do your numbers correctly and keep within time frame and budget you will achieve the outcome you already know. On the up side, if you take the conservative side with your…[Read more]

Hi BenWelcome aboard.You could google Mark Unwin Accountant – Kew Vic. Steve McKnight uses him I hear for good reason ( and so do I)Just wrote a little post in my property blog on investor beginnings that may help. Also Darren's Property Investing Tips site is a good one. Other than that keep researching and define the area you want to invest in.…[Read more]

Hi.My name is Ian. My partner and I have been investing since 2003 and have bought and sold a few res. properties. Own 7 currently, 4 in Aus, 3 in the US and just sold our NZ prop last year. We currently live as expats in New York and I use my spare time adding to my property investment blog which I hope has helped a few people on this site.To all…[Read more]

Agree with HighIncomeProperty with regard to company set up. It's also important you have a well set out operating agreement especially if your LLC has multiple members.In answer to transferring property, not sure you would need to do this unless you purchased in the wrong entity or the county wrote the deed in the wrong name, which they do by the…[Read more]

Hi Jessica,A lot of Aussies invested in Buffalo between 2004 – 2007. Anyone who wasn't out by then got burned with the downturn. Like any northern post industrial city it has its fair share of problems, but the main ones for landlords are extra costs and maintenance in heating, extra taxes being in New York state and being sure you have bought on…[Read more]