Catalyst wrote:
Most councils charge extra if you want extra bins.
Our council wants $300 a year. No thanks. We'll make do with the bins we have.

Wow! A whole $0.82 cents per day.  I wouldn't pay that either.

You will need two different valuers – one in each state as it is a state based registration system.

Real estate agents don't value, they put forward an opinion (unless they are qualified valuers & provide a paid valuation for you).

12 weeks is 40 weeks short of what is required if you are to rebuild a house.

Hi Michael,

it is not always an option to have a vacant house/unit for a photoshoot – especially for a rental. Waiting out the last few weeks, then getting the photos done and uploaded to the web and then doing the opens costs the owner/investor weeks of lost rent.

It is also rare for an owner to fork out $ for photos & a floor plan for a rental…[Read more]

Rail projects – south west rail link is under construction.

I don't need life insurance, it doesn't go to me anyway.

I have dealt with several of the agents in Muswellbrook. The best that I have found was Floods, the most useless was LJH.

that is a serious problem for you and your family. Have you looked at refinancing his loan? Why is the property so heavily negative? Is it possible that the rent is so far below market? Can your father use the negative gearing losses?

Selling may be one solution but not necessarily the best one.

It will depend upon the purpose of the valuation that you seek.

If you are looking to refinance an existing loan, then your bank is probably the best option (as above).

If you are looking to buy and want to know how much to pay, you can use RPData etc or engage a private valuer.

If you are looking for replacement value for insurance purposes,…[Read more]

why settle for one or the other?

The flat suits your lifestyle today, the land for the future.

Between them they’re $500k, you can use the fhog to most effect on the flat which will have the least interest and be non-deductible until you move out.

The house will generate an income and can be used to support the loan.

If you buy both, you’ve…[Read more]

More feebies (sic), more pressure.

With 50km out of Sydney, you may be hard pushed to see any capital gains. You'd be looking at Campbelltown, the other side of Penrith or Wyong. Much of the areas closer to Sydney (western suburbs) have bolted but it would largely depend upon your budget and the type of property that you are considering.

You might look at engaging a tenant representative who works in these areas. Not a mainstream role but they they do specialise in this line of work. (Usually find them doing commercial/industrial or retail lease negotiations).

Just one (maybe two) words of warning.

The AUD is at a 3 year low. If you buy now, you are paying more than you otherwise would if the AUD appreciates again (likewise you will lose money unless your new assets appreciate at a greater rate than the AUD devalues against the USD. (Ignore this if you brought your money to the US when it was sitting…[Read more]

Johhny, why wait?

You have been in your ppor for 6 months, go out and rent a pad where ever you like (at least the interest on your current loan will be deductible and with $250k pa you would be able to afford something and take a long term lease). Your current place will carry a cgt exemption for 6 years provided you don't get another PPOR.

Use…[Read more]

If you advise the agent that you want to buy the unit, there may be some provision in the managing agency agreement which makes them entitled to a commission as they have introduced the buyer to the owner (yes, there are such clauses).

Do you want to buy the unit because it is a good investment, 'it seemed like a good idea at the time', or just…[Read more]

Matt_Arnold wrote:
Merry Christmas All Is there any theories around what is the best day / time of the month to make the monthly interest payment on a I/O loan linked to an offset account ?

If the money is sitting in your 100% offset account it makes absolutely no difference whether it sits on the mortgage or separate account providing that…[Read more]

…because your rent is too low?

This is not the UK this is OZ, our tenancy laws are different.

All the information you require is on the consumer affairs/fair trading website, if unsure, use a property manager until you understand the tenancy laws. BTW, there is a new tenancy act in WA.

Get back to the applilcability of GST, if it is a residential property (not new residential as defined), then there is no GST. (or are you confusing this with CGT)???