Simon,
You’ve raised a pretty good point about the impact such installations would have on our coastline.

If they are offshore, I feel their impact could be no greater on the environment than the many oil rigs currently installed around our continent (North-West Shelf etc.)

As for onshore installations, I am sure the impact will be nowhere near…[Read more]

Well said Bryce,

I have done a bit of my own research on the viability of wind as an alternate source of energy, however, I feel that hydro-power generated by turbines installed across narrow coastal channels could provide a much more regular supply – the tide will flow as long as the Earth spins and the moon remains in orbit around us.

A broad…[Read more]

Gamay,
You have obviously not checked out the wind-hydrogen website before making the comment that “Wind farms only generate 30-40% of the time and the wind tends to stop blowing when you need it most”…

They have developed and patented technology to assist in balancing energy supply despite peaks and troughs in wind. i.e. excess electricity…[Read more]

Noddies, I’m glad there’s someone out there who feels the same way as I do – and more to the point, has the evidence and knowledge to back it up. You’ve summarised my thoughts to a tee!

Mathew, your point about temperature rises in the days after 9/11 are interesting – was it a worldwide trend? Does anybody know what the long-term effects might…[Read more]

Here is a thought that could support the concept of global warming:

“There is no such thing as cold, it is merely a lack of heat”

Someone once told me this and I dismissed it as stupid, probably because I didn’t understand what they were saying, but it makes sense to me now.

Heat can very easily be created as we go about our daily business -…[Read more]

Ah Ha!!!

This is just what I wanted – a few people with different views on the topic!

Frank – I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know everything about global warming, my first point was (and still is) merely a gut feeling I suppose. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it is now a widely known fact that carbon emissions deplete ozone particles in…[Read more]

Thanks so much!

Wasn’t sure if it was possible at all – will speak with my solicitor and REA about it.

I personally will be moving out of the block to lease out the unit I currently own, hopefully in the next 6 months or so, so the change of address issue will occur naturally and the rent I earn will further assist in obtaining finance.

Thanks…[Read more]

Hmmm…
The more I think about it, the more I like the offer idea too – especially if I can get it at the price it is worth in its current state.

If I could use its current state as an excuse to put in a very low offer, I could spend about $20k on it to increase its value by about $60k and then lease it (TO GOOD TENANTS) for a rate that would…[Read more]

Ah ha!
Thanks for that, just wasn’t sure whether it was worth holding off, or if it wouldn’t matter if I fixed up the few odds and ends now.

As for another idea of mine, what are the tax implications for significant cosmetic improvements? Currently, all the walls are exposed brick and I think a significant amount of value could be added if this…[Read more]

Finally got time to actually call a rep from my super fund today! This is how I understand it at the moment:

The account itself is only a couple of years old, so the opening balance at the beginning of the last financial year was just over $2,000. My contributions for the last financial year were a little over $4,500. I’ve been taxed 15% on the…[Read more]

Thanks heaps guys – you’ve clarified a hell of a lot for me – exactly what I was looking for.

That link was great Terry – austlii is a great website if you know what you’re looking for.

Cheers

Age doesn’t negate effort – you can never be too young or too old.

If you’re going to read a book that will give you a very simple, yet effective explanation of the basics of wealth creation, you can’t go past “The Richest Man In Babylon” by George S. Clason.

The Rich Dad, Poor Dad series is excellent, but I would personally recommend The Richest Man In Babylon as a starting point. It will give you the initial…[Read more]

Hey there,
The questions you are asking are the $64,000 questions asked by all start-out investors.

In regards to them, I personally recommend:

1) Reign in your spending – for someone your age, you are earning fairly good money, so don’t let it “burn a hole in your pocket”. If you are going to buy your first property, you are going to have to…[Read more]

In NSW, you will get a $7,000 grant and stamp duty concessions – stamp duty is normally zero for a FPPR, however I think you may still have to pay some SD if the property is over a certain value. Probably not something you will have to worry about if you are looking at buying a dump.

To get the FHOG you must move into the property within the…[Read more]

Originally posted by Michael Whyte:

Regardless of the total market picture there is always individual properties that represent good buying.

Michael, I think you have hit the nail on the head!!!

Age doesn’t negate effort – you can never be too young or too old.

Another thing that enforces my point, especially on a more personal level to me, is the number of people I speak to who say “I wish I did what you are doing when I was 19”. Now, these people vary greatly in age so even though they wish they did it at 19, there must be some of them who were 19 when the market was not an ideal place for buyers,…[Read more]

As I understand, ANZ already does this. I’m not sure about any of the other major banks, however.

Age doesn’t negate effort – you can never be too young or too old.

Let me give you some more information on myself:

-I live in a relatively large regional city.
-Yes, I am young
-No I am not gambling – I was just using a “general” scenario, as that seems to be what everyone likes and can understand. Just like those generalisations I have been critical of.
-No, MasterREL, I do not want to buy your house for a…[Read more]

If you are mates with a builder or two (very handy) they will probably do it for nothing more than a slab of their favourite ale.[thumbsupanim]

Age doesn’t negate effort – you can never be too young or too old.

Foundation – I see exactly where you are coming from, I am just trying to look at things from another perspective.

In regards to your question:
I am not necessarily looking for massive capital growth or even cashflow returns, to my way of thinking, we as investors aim to generate wealth using Other People’s Money (OPM). Let’s say an investor buys…[Read more]