Thanks for the valuable input. No it doesnt have to be the GC, but we wouldnt move just yet and uproot ourselves. The only reason we were looking locally is so we could utitlise the FHOG because we'd have to live in it first. Further afield is definitley an option though, and we have found many duplex's but not cheap enough to pass the 11 second solution.
Another silly question, but if we did buy say in Cairns first as an investment and we didn't live in it, could we then utilize the FHOG for the second house if it was to be 'ours' and we lived in it?
I am in a very similar situation to Sw2772, i 've just finished Steve's book and prior to this been to a few seminars run by different people (Roy McDonald if anyone has heard of him?) and am very excited, keen and wanting to get the ball rolling as soon as possible but dont know if my dreams are too big just yet. My financial situation is the same as the first post, but I only have a deposit of $20K but no loans that need paying off etc.
I live on the gold coast, and 'bargain' property is either non exisitant up here or im a small fish in a big pond! Im wondering if shares might be a better road to take to start off with, or if I need to look outside the GC or maybe wait til I have a bit more of a deposit first?
I like what Ryan has said above, i would like to still have a life too and earn a positive net cashflow – where on earth did you manage to find an investment for $18,000? any info from some of you that have done this successfully in the past would be of great assistance.