F, what about the fact that the earth's rotation is gradually slowing, by about 0.75 seconds a year? Did you take THAT into account? Tracey

Neither, in particular. Property is a very expensive commodity to trade, because of high entry and exit costs. I'm a long-term investor and I'm just going to ride it out. Though I do think there will be some good bargains around the next couple of years, and I plan to expand my portfolio as opportunities arise.I don't respond to overall market…[Read more]

If you want to talk accuracy, you're absolutely right. But this isn't about accuracy, it's about keeping your eye on the big picture, and realising that setting rents and sale prices is not and never will be such an exacting science. Notice that your rent went from $190 to $200 per week – not from $189.54 to $201.62? That's because we round off a…[Read more]

Don't sweat the small stuff. Really.

I'm with astrawan – I really think a good solicitor could sort this out very quickly by sending one sternly worded letter to the real estate agent telling them that they have no legal right to withhold the deposit. If the vendor feels the purchaser acted in bad faith, let them initiate legal action, but that's not grounds for withholding the…[Read more]

I have really mixed feelings about NLP. My predominant sentiment is that it's just so creepy.Anthony Robbins is a master at manipulating a crowd and creating mass hysteria, and he sure can pump a crowd. He works people up into such a state that they're going to feel great whatever he says, at least for a short while. But these techniques – which…[Read more]

Absolutely, Cat159!My wonderful solicitor cashed my cheque 5 weeks before the contract went unconditional, but still didn't do the searches until after it went unconditional… I just assumed they'd been done when I PAID him

If the contract never went unconditional, surely the real estate agent is obliged to release the deposit back to your friend immediately. (At least I think they would be in QLD.) It would be up to the vendor to take legal action to prevent release, rather than the onus being on your friend to try and get her money back. The default position if an…[Read more]

I think you'll find that most people who are active enough in their investments to be involved with propertyinvesting.com, don't tend to use financial advisers much. For a start, I suspect most hold a lot of their wealth in property, about which financial advisers generally know very little. (Or at least don't recommend as there are no commissions…[Read more]

I've written a blog entitled "Developing the right property investing strategy for your circumstances" which I hope you find helpful as a starting point.

Why do you want to sell so quickly? If it's because you believe you've made a capital gain and want to move on to another investment, then forget the FHOG and just sell it now. I just can't imagine what situation you'd be in that would make this strategy a good one for you. Perhaps you can explain?

Milly, as much as I might feel sorry for Jack, I think you're being very unfair on the landlords. I'm not commenting on their technique, as it sounds like they could be nicer about it and they certainly should abide by the law, but in principle, I don't think it's fair to say that the landlords can't have access to their property because an old…[Read more]

Rohan, I personally wouldn't be interested in a deal like this, but without knowing what your investment objectives are, it's hard to say. Could you afford a negative cashflow? Do you want to be able to add value? How long do you plan to hold?This investment doesn't show that strong a return, but it probably would be pretty "set and forget" and…[Read more]

I would always use a solicitor rather than conveyancer. The title search wouldn't show drainage problems, the "plumbing and drainage search" did. Always do all searches that could affect your decision to purchase – which is potentially all of them. Ask for advice and don't go stupid, but don't just do the absolutely minimal suite…

I've noticed the same thing, but afraid I have no solution to offer 

It may be common practice to put off a lot of work until the contract goes unconditional, but it's a recipe for disaster. I bought a particular property a year ago, where six weeks after settlement we discovered enormous problems with drainage of the property which showed up in searches. My solicitor hadn't done searches until after the contract…[Read more]

wealth4life.com wrote:
his newsletter states he has been an accountant for 25 years when our research shows this is not the case at all ????

I'd be more concerned about this statement, alleging deception. He actually says that he's "a qualified accountant with over 25 years experience". I think that even if what your research shows is that he's…[Read more]

I'm with Jaffasoft insofar as I wouldn't bother trying to retrieve my $1, but I certainly wouldn't use the word "disgusting" to describe those who view things differently.  On principle, I would collect, I just can't be bothered with $1. If it were $10, I'd be more inclined to add $10 to the rent to compensate rather than chase it separately.I thi…[Read more]

Not a recommendation as I haven't used them myself, but many say that Terri Scheer is the specialist in landlords' insurance http://www.terrischeer.com.au and I have heard that they are very good.

Oh, mez67, I am sorry to hear that the house was in such bad condition. Thanks for sharing your situation with others so that hopefully they will learn the lesson cheaper than you did! I do hope that doing the subdivision retrieves the situation for you.