Results1 wrote:
I am just interested in people views on what their strategies are now, if any, or are you sitting on your hands for the time being. Is it because the newspapers are telling everyone it's recession time, you are going to lose your job or some other horrible occurance is certain to befall you.

Hi Tony,I don't know if any of us…[Read more]

I prefer a spreadsheet, because you can, in advance, do things like change the interest rate and see if you are still going to make money, or drop the sell value, etc etc.  In the planning stage, I'm thinking of all the things that could go wrong, how likely they are, and I have several different columns for different scenarios, eg, what I expect…[Read more]

Interesting post Linar.  I agree, there are good and bad in every profession.  People shouldn't condemn all Property advisors just because of a bad experience with one.  Playa,In your opinion, how would you compare the advantages and disadvantages of property advisory with bird dogging from both the perspective of the buyer and the advisor / bi…[Read more]

Yeah, well it is a given that capital gains will be taxed.  However, I think it is important to consider the reduction in income tax offered by negative gearing, if you choose to negative gear.  Depending upon your total taxable income and the amount of your tax loss, it could be a significant saving in tax and it is appropriate to consider that w…[Read more]

Yeah, well it is a given that capital gains will be taxed.  However, I think it is important to consider the reduction in income tax offered by negative gearing, if you choose to negative gear.  Depending upon your total taxable income and the amount of your tax loss, it could be a significant saving in tax and it is appropriate to consider that w…[Read more]

I should say that the application of tax is another whole calculation, really.You would need to work out the annual taxable income.Negative gearing which results in an income tax deduction you may choose to add to your total income for the profit. (ie negative gearing which results in say $1000 a year less income tax really means $1000 more…[Read more]

I was just wondering because I was considering it for myself.  I'd need to learn from someone, though, I think.  I love RE, love the game.  I'm a strong and shameless negotiator, but I don't take things personally – everyone is just doing their little part of the dance.  Don't get to play as much as I'd like cause I don't have the money (wo…[Read more]

The whole thing reminds me very much of a deal I terminated, despite desperately wanting it all to work, and despite alot of work and a few thousand $ I had poured into it.  When I terminated the contract, I felt immense relief.  Turns out it WAS the right thing to do.  Continuing with that deal could have cost us alot.  I terminated the con…[Read more]

Vicky,How does a person become a Buyers Agent?  Is there a qualification?S

OK:Income:= Rent + Proceeds from saleExpenditure = Purchase price, holding costs (rates, insurance, maintenance, management), improvement costs, finance costs(interest, fees, application fees), legal costs (stamp duty, legal transfers and searches), acquisition costs (building and pest inspection etc), disposal costs (RE agent commission,…[Read more]

Karen.Good call,  well done.  They may come back to you.  Let them contact you though.  Go off the boil.Very unlikely that the house will be worth 300K in a few years time.  Possible, unlikely.  All you can ever do is make the best decision TODAY.  You don't have a crystal ball.  If the investment is outside your comfort zone, then it's not for…[Read more]

Are you talking about buying and then selling a property within a short amount of time?  You don't intend to hold the property for x years?

Miike,You could do a degree in accounting, then some post grad study on this subject, and still  not have an answer.  There are a great deal of ways to measure profit, and the more long term and complex the investment gets, the harder it is to measure profit.  What you can achieve, is comparable measures of profit.  If you measure it the same way…[Read more]

Hi Karen,It's not in your interests to think up all the reasons why the seller won't renegotiate the deal.  Don't be sympathetic to them.  As Richard said, every other buyer who gets the building inspection report is likely to react in this way.  It is an excellent basis to get a better deal.  Now's the time to put on your big girl panties and nai…[Read more]

I thought it might have been different.  Whatever you call it, we were lucky to get a good agent, who listened carefully to what we wanted and delivered.  I don't know if they were mates.  I remember the original asking price was well above what we paid for it, and our agent scoffed at the little local agency that was always overpricing stuff an…[Read more]

Your contract should be subject to your satisfaction with the building and pest inspection reports.  If so, you should be able to get out of the contract validly due to this clause. (at least that's how it works where i live)So, if you can get out of the contract, I would definetely terminate the contract and make a second offer, even offering a…[Read more]

I'm not sure if it is the same thing, but I asked a RE agent to find a property for me once.It worked a treat and didn't cost me a cent.  He split commission with the selling agent.I was travelleing to where IP1 was and only had about 2 days there, during which we had to do the obligatory family visit too.  We wanted to purchase another IP, so g…[Read more]

Yeah, $1000 a quarter.  Can be a bit less in winter.  We live in NW QLD, and it gets pretty hot.  We have a fully airconditioned house, elect HWS, elec oven and stove etc, a couple of freezers.I don't pay any electricity charges at all for my rentals.  I do pay the water rates.  there is no gas.  Maybe the deal varies depending upon where you are.

Maybe, but it's correct, they didn't ask for our opinion, just advice on the mathematics.That did occur to me before I posted my last, and I thought before I posted.I decided that sometimes I lose sight of the whole picture getting so focussed on details like interest and legal liability, and sometimes it is helpful if someone else reminds me of a…[Read more]

not_so_lucky wrote:
A is doing B a favour by giving her ANY money as it is in A's name afterall.

 I don't know, it sounds like the boat was a gift from their father to both of them.  If this is the case, then A should be giving B money, it is not a favour, the boat is partly owned by B.    So what if the boat is in A's name only, that is merel…[Read more]