Hi Mini,

Although I’m in no way Steve….[blush2], I’d like to respond to your post…

I am SOOOOOO glad that you got the real meaning out of the book. It is hard to explain to people the blood, sweat & tears that the 12 months took. It was definitely not an easy ride for any ot the mappers, by any means, but it was an amazing journey into self discovery… The property was secondary to our wealth obtained.

As you have gathered, the book was written from the heart of all the Mappers.

I went to the Melb book launch last night, and I was humbled that people actually gather around us to learn about “our story”…[blush2] I hope that we can help others a little, that would be great.

Steve McKnight & David Bradley are an amazing team who never say never….. I take my hat off to both of them. We will remain indebted to them forever, for the knowledge of “LIFE” that they have BOTH passed on to us.

Thanks,

Del

Passionate about property! especially NZ cashflow +ve property!! Join our database to receive great NZ property deals!!

Hi Ken,

I’m glad that you liked the book.
I agree with you and feel that it is way better than the first book, but I am a bit biased….
Hope you enjoyed our chapter (he he..)

All the MAPPERS were totally different individuals. We all started off with different jobs, different amounts of money, different cultures, (Graeme was from NZ originally) some were even from Sydney, and have you heard, that there are no cashflow positive properties in Sydney.

Basically we all had our own demons to battle, in different forms. Some of us were mere farmers and worked huge hours. Others quit their day jobs to invest and some even shifted to New Zealand to invest, only to find out that they wern’t classed as a resident, as so couldn’t get finance!!??

All I am really saying is:

If you think that you can, YOU WILL…….

If you want it bad enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m sure you can overcome any hurdles if you believe in yourself.
I THINK I CAN,
I THINK I CAN,
I THINK I CAN,
I KNOW I CAN,
I KNOW I CAN,
I KNEW I COULD,
I KNEW I COULD………[biggrin][biggrin]

GOOD LUCK,

Del

Hi,

Although I have never actually been there, I feel that this area will one day be very expensive. Perhaps for retirees moving to a seachange.

Just my opinion,

Del

Hi Rose,

We would only every buy a house rather than a single unit. We like buying blocks of units, becuase there is no body corporate. I have always thought (right or wrong) that when the market is going flat, that single units go down in price quicker than houses. I’m sure there are differences in opinion here..

In this flat market, I wouldn’t buy a single unit, unless it were WAY BELOW market price. I don’t like the idea of body corporate fees. I like to be totally in control of what gets done.

I also found that when investing in regional areas, that houses get rented much quicker than units.

Just my opinion, [blush2]

Del

Hi Jaffasoft,

The idea has some merit, however I’d have somebody good managing it! I’d be concerned about druggo’s burning the place down, or drunks often getting into a fight causing damage.

I don’t want to put a dampner on your idea, but we use many seasonal casual workers on our asparagus farm, and lots of them are backpackers on holidays. Most are great people, however, they are often broke the day after they are paid. They either “score” on payday (if you know what I mean), or live at the pub after work hours….

A good idea would be to provide a shuttle service to working farms, (go to centrelink and enquire about the “Harvest Trail of Australia)”, to provide work for the backpackers. i.e. citrus in Mildura, Asparagus in Kooweerup, etc.. This leads to a win/win deal. The backpackers pay you for the delivery service, and they earn money and pay you first instead of last!

Farmers and the Gov’t will go along with it, (you may be able to even get some sort of Gov’t grant if you are smart about it, because there is a cronic shortage of seasonal casual workers in Australia. The Gov’t only charges 13% tax to harvest workers, however it is still difficult to find good reliable workers.

Good luck,

Del

Hi Calvin,

It is the Gov’t valuation. Australia does similar things, and it is found on our rates notice. I believe NZ updates theirs more often than Australia does.

These days since the boom in NZ, you cannot use the CV as a price guide very often (in most towns). It’s always worth a try though!

Regards,

Del

Hi Bonnie,

Muppet is correct when he says that prices have gone up in the last 12 mths in Tokoroa. He is very knowledgable about this area.

When I was last there in May, I managed to still find property $20,000 under valuation. There will always be good deals for the serious investor. Determination is a powerful thing…

I have found that there are good streets and bad streets in every town of NZ. We have been lucky with our investing in Tokoroa, as we have some great long term tenants who look after our properties as good as their own. There are good and bad people everywhere. The trick with investing in NZ I think, is to find a great Property Manager who you really click with, as you are trusting them to find you suitable tenants.

Always use caution and due diligence, but don’t let other people’s opinion deter you from finding a good deal. I would strongly advise you to take a quick trip to NZ and actually visit Tokoroa if you intend investing there. That way you make up your own mind about it, and are not clouded by other people’s prejudices.

Try this website for houses in Tokoroa. I have found Jenny extremely good to deal with. http://www.lambertons.co.nz

Happy hunting,

Del [biggrin]

Hi,

Before I say anything – I AM NOT AN ACCOUNTANT, SO DON’T TAKE WHAT I SAY AS LAW….

I beliece your accountant is correct in what he says. He is referring to a NZ RESIDENT TRUST, the only catch is that the person CONTROLLING THE TRUST, must be a resident in New Zealand.

If you are controlling the Trust from Australia, the ATO & IRD deem it to be an Australian Trust.

We have been through this with our Aust & NZ Accountant, and we now have a proper NZ Resident Trust.

This is a complex structure, so make sure you get some good advice from both ends of the Pacific.

Regards,

Del

Kiaora Muppett & Westan,

Thanks for that info….
It is really great news for Wairoa…

I think it’s a great town. It is really a picturesque town, and as Westan said, you wonder why more New Zealanders haven’t moved there with the mild weather and nice coastline. The jobs created will definitely have a great effect on the town. We have 2 IP’s there, and we intend holding on to them for the longterm (at this stage). I see the town as a bit of a Turangi, (near Taupo).. It has gone silly there. I feel the same will happen (eventually) to Wairoa.

Westan, are prices in Wairoa the same as they were a few months ago when I bought (in May)?
Have they gone up?

Muppett, do you have any there?

Have a nice day all,

Del

Hi,

Two weeks ago, a tenant of ours (in NZ) decided to empty out the woodheater and placed the remains in a plastic bin in the garage. She supposedly hosed the bin down…

That night (2am), the garage (with their car & belongings in it) burnt down.

The insurance company has since assessed it, and is now arranging for removal of debris and arranging to build the new garage for me.

It could have just as easy burnt the whole house down, with tenants in it.

Try to convince him otherwise… it is just not worth being involved in property investment unless you are well covered with insurance.

Del