I still think your agent is not working for his/her commission.   Of course now that you are out of the "exclusive" agreement they will won't to know even less of you I expect.  Of course not everyone works like this but it would appear the majority do.  I can understand you don't want to drive 8 hours to meet someone only to find "they have cha…[Read more]

Hi Adam,We have been through his quandary too over the years and eventually we came to the conclusion that it is better to buy a second-hand car, outright if you can afford it.  Perhaps let your trust purchase it so claims can be made too but I would suggest you speak to your accountant – or get one – here in Australia.  We have leased many cars a…[Read more]

Hi TIA,I hate to hear how badly some realestate salespeople treat their clients – you are the perfect example and I would be giving them the shove if I was you.  However, if your property sells whilst you have a contract to sell with these agencies you will be liable for the  commission.  Have a read through your agreement with them and see if yo…[Read more]

Hi Steve, Shaun and Marc, I like all your answers and I love Marc's list, not that it was me that was asking the question but it is a good list to keep around when approaching "salespeople" – very few of them are actually agents.  Also thank you Shaun for the ebook which I have downloaded and I will be taking a good read of shortly.May we all be…[Read more]

If you are still looking to find owner/vendors try this site: http://www.owner.com.au – make sure you get this correct or you end up on the following –  RESE is a Real Estate Search Engine – which may still be fine for you.  There are also the following:www.smartvendor.com.au/www.anreps.com.au/www.australiarealty.com/However, don't be fooled into t…[Read more]

Hi Furnz,If I was you I would leave your tenants in place and if I was to purchase a property to live in I would suggest you purchase it in the name of a Trust and pay the rent to reside there.  There are all sorts of good reasons why you would do this.  Discuss these reasons with your accountant and if he is unsure of where to move with a T…[Read more]

What a terrible way to think!  Someone actually burnt down a house we owned a little over a year ago and one of the first things the fire brigade asked us was if the house was insured – it wasn't.  We were going to demolish the house anyway but right at that stage we didn't need it to be burnt down either.  Now that the house was dangerous we ha…[Read more]

Hi Daryl,You could consider letting people park their boats, caravans, horse floats on your land but this can get a bit messy particularly if the neighbours don't like it or if one of the boarding vehicles goes on the missing list.  You would (should) also get planning permission from your local council to do this and of course this too cost…[Read more]

Hi John,We don't have any direct dealings with anyone in Victoria but as we are also a part of the Ed Burton "Inner Circle" we were given the following accountant's details a few years ago who at the time was working in the Ringwood area, if that is any nearer for you.  Okay, yes it must be closer than Beenleigh for you but maybe still not near…[Read more]

Grim it gives one good heart to know that not every property investor has no heart when it comes to caring for their tenants – whatever their age and situation.May good karma be coming right back at you.Debbie

Hi Ems.You could give my accountant a try.  We have been with him for over 10 years now and we really make him work for his money.Graham Donnelly Financial Intelligence Specialist Suite 5, 1 Trinity Place 1 James Street PO Box 1134 Beenleigh Qld 4207 (07) 3382 6541 (07) 3382 6542 [email protected]  http://www.hlmsolutions.com…[Read more]

If you have enough money hanging around why not put some of it into gold?  It is just not everyone's cup of tea as it doesn't pay dividends or interest but even though it is quite high now my husband assures me it is going to go up even further.  Otherwise, if that is a little too foreign for you ING has a great savings account on-line with no b…[Read more]

Dear John,Make sure your account does know what he is talking about though.  If you live in the Brisbane area I can recommend Compass Services who really do look after me and my trusts.All the best and do take care of your investments – it is better to be safe than sorry.Debbie

Oh but I just thought Martin,If you buy an acreage property you only get CGT free on the land component that is 5 acres or less.Property investment is full of twisty-turny things so keep a good accountant by your side at all times.I've made great money at this fun game so I am sure the average person can too.Debbie

Dear Martin,  There shouldn't be any CGT to pay on your principal place of residence even if you do sell under 12 months.  This is a great plan and I wish you well in your endeavours.Debbie

Why are you looking at buying a property to hold?  You should be looking at a property that will ultimately bring you in money.  Now if you are looking at holding onto a property because the Local Area Plan (LAP) shows it as being a potential property for subdivision you should still have something that you can either rent out or live in as, I c…[Read more]

Okay, I used to work as a Buyers Agent and I loved my job at the time. I knew my market well and could always get the best deal possible for my purchasers but it did take a lot of work. Often investors don't know the difference between an investment and a liability, get swept up in emotion and don't realise that a lick of paint required can get…[Read more]

I think you should just get married but beside that, why even bother to tempt the stamp duty demon?  Leave things as they are unless there is some tax advantage in the deal.  In the eyes of the law a de facto relationship is as good as any other contract and you are both in on these properties at the end of the day.  However, if you do wish to ti…[Read more]

As everyone else  has said, "this is a tough spot to be in when you are a softy".  Why not do some of the renovations and when it comes time to renew the lease put the rent payable up just a little?  If the oldies love the place so much they will pay the extra and if they can't you will then have the opportunity to completely do your re…[Read more]

Can there be any better recommendation as good as to suggest an accountant you have been using for over 10 years.  Brisbane is a big area to cover but I can strongly suggest  Graham who can be found at the following location:Graham Donnelly Financial Intelligence Specialist HLM Solutions Suite 5, 1 Trinity Place 1 James Street PO Box 1…[Read more]