I would not take the risk. You have a valuable investment that could get eaten. You know they are in the area, you know they eat houses, you know that your house is at risk. You know what you need to do………
Removing the tree only removed a food source. A building inspector told me that termites can travel upto 50m from their nest to food source. The nest might be on your neighbors property. If this is the case there is nothing you can do about removing the nest.
What you can do is reduce the risk of your house being the next food source.
We discovered termites had been eating skirting boards in house – they had not caused any structural damage. I spent $3000 eradicating existing termites and on a termite barrier around my house 2 years ago in PPOR. I now have annual inspections to ensure the critters have not come back. Small price to pay for peace of mind IMO.
As your property is an IP – there are deductions to reduce the hurt to your wallet.
We put vinyl planks throughout an IP. Used in all areas except bedrooms (carpet) and bathroom (tiles).
It is fantastic. I know it will not last as long as tiles, but the benefits are worth it IMO……..
Cheaper purchase price
Cheaper to install – was able to DIY
Quicker to install (time is money with an empty IP)
Greater depreciation benefit
Is water resistant, unlike floating timber floors. This was put to the test with a poorly installed dishwasher that pumped water throughout the kitchen the first time it was turned on. .
Looks fantastic.
I guess time will be the real test to see if I would do it again.
No- don't deduct the deposit again. The $35,000 formed part of the original $700,000 purchase price, which was taken into consideration in JacM's calculations above.
I decided that there is no way I am selling IP. I have 2 choices…………..
1 – downgrade expectations on new PPOR
2 – wait till I can afford it later.
I have chosen option 2. The way I can achieve the goal is by manufacturing some equity. To do this I am going to buy 2 more IP's that are undervalued, renovate them, rent them. Then when the time is right I can sell PPOR and 1 or 2 IPs to fund new PPOR. I still have 1 IP left. Then I will start the accumulation phase again.
Well this is my strategy – time will tell if it works. It means 3-5 years delay in getting my ride on mower (I am buying acreage).
Perhaps it is my lack of forum experience, but I got confused after I typed up my first post.
I saw the "SAVE" button, but did not think it was the "POST" button. So I hit the big orange button above that says "POST REPLY", then found I had lost all my typing and had to start again.
I am not a solicitor and dont work for insurance company, so this is my opinion only – not specific advise – but I would not take the above advise about insurance. In my opinion, you need to have insurance in place from date contracts are exchanged.
What would you do if house burnt down the day before settlement, and the seller had no insurance? Delay settlement? till when? Till they built a new house for you? Could get very messy. and stressful. Easier and safer to take out policy at contract exchange date.
Steve's Cert IV course also appears very comprehensive. The only downside being that it is online with no apparent interaction with other investors/trainers to confirm if what I am learning and implementing is correct. I assume you can start this course at any time?
Many thanks for your comments and for a very informative forum!
Chris
Chris
I am doing the Cert IV and so far I am very satisfied. The reading material is very comprehensive, but clear and easy to digest. There is also a weekly webinar where Steve discusses 1 topic per week. He will do this for all 66 units. There is also this website http://www.propertyinvestortraining.com.au/ . It has forums that anyone can read, but only those participating in the Cert IV can post to. It is a tool for us all to discuss our learning and interact with others with similar goals.
If you want to know more I am happy to answer questions.