Political & social debates about HECS is one thing. Ultimately it is the best ie cheapest loan at the best terms you will get anywhere.

If you can, go to uni, have the experience, live the life. You’ll never have a job where you finish in November, have summer holidays and come back in March!! Get it while you are young (Women are good value…[Read more]

ss2306,

There are a range of expenses which can be claimed by a trust that cannot be by individuals.

Negative gearing tax benefits still can exist in a hybrid trust, with the individual borrowing money from the bank in own name. The individual uses funds to buy units in hybrid trust (asset of individual). Hybrid uses cash paid by individual to…[Read more]

Someone who works professionally would have the income to rent their own premises. And if they wanted to share, they would rent with a colleague or friend of their own choosing.

Based on experience of renting my properties and renting myself, I think the concept is not reading the needs of your prospective tenants. However, I am happy to proved…[Read more]

retrieved it from the bin

Put it back there….

On the more broader issues of pyramid selling, this might be a useful link..

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/8137

please tell me more about share funds (overseas)

I am no expert, but any of the major managed funds groups like BT, Commonwealth and there are heaps others. All have different share funds with different risk/return profiles.

Try google (share funds) it will point you to hours of more reading!

The search function here and in SS gives you all the free information you could want.

(I don’t have Hans J’s materials)

so looks like i need to read more, – boring!

Sorry, the grunt work is not exciting….Maybe as a first active step…share funds (possible overseas?) might be a good first step.. Start off with a few thousand and an a small amount from your pay to start the ball rolling….

It will start your investing now, get you in the habit to saving and…[Read more]

need to work out witch one And here I was expecting a story about the Salem witches….[biggrin]

Lister_79, more information is required to be able to provide a meaningful response…

Can’t see why you cannot do both. Study should be priority though (sorry to sound like your parents!)

You will have plenty of time between lectures, days off & weekends to undertake research without affecting your study or social life. In addition, univeristy experience is invaluable in dealing with different people and developing a critical…[Read more]

O-Sienna,

It might not effect the more seasoned or astutue investors, but it may have a real effect on the highly leveraged borrowers and generally has a psychological effect (if not financial )on Mr & Mrs Jo Average.

Increasing interest rates does change the environment somewhat, so it does provide a discussion point.

In this current cycle,…[Read more]

Historically Australia has always run a CA deficit, admittedly not as large (as a % of GDP) that we have now.

Last time, this was deemed at a critical state, in the mid to late 80′, the increase in rates had little effect on the CAD. In fact at least initially, it increased it. The recession did though.

Interest lag effects IMO make this…[Read more]

Tims,

Did you pay a deposit?

The difficult issue will be proving that your tradesman did accept the price, when it is one word against another as Monopoly says.

You might find some more motivated vendors as a result, but on the flip side there will be motivated investors like yourself….

I am not sure the great bargains will materialise as much as some might epect, if we are talking 0.25 or even 0.5% increases. Might be different if it is 1%+, although from all the commentary around this seems very…[Read more]

I believe they are concentrating on re-financing of investment loans…Settlements are now expected from late this month & others in early March…

Even the news of an impending interest rate hike is enough sometimes to spook the market…..

had an approximate $34 increase per month per $100k. This precipitated a fall in the market depending on what figures you read of between 5-20%…

Are you refering to a specific property type, geographical location? This will have some impact on how…[Read more]

First look at the local council’s website in planning & development sections. I have seen most metro councils wanting at least 300sqm per dwelling.

Actually working backwards, baby boomer investment fuelled investment surge caused by realisation that pensions will be insufficient to sustain lifestyles in retirement. Governments paying less in real terms for pensions because of ageing population, which is caused by fall in fertility rate….So the ultimate blame to rest on people not having…[Read more]

Yack,

Isn’t inflation a false economy for house prices or for any asset price increase??

A 10% increase in your property value with a 10% inflation rate means the ‘real’ increase in value of your property is 0%…

Interest rates are directly influenced by inflation. When inflation falls, the RBA ‘lowers interest rates’.

I’d suggest inflationary expectations….as evidenced by Ian McFarlane’s comments today. Increase in rates will come in line with RBA’s expectation that inflation will increase..

In testimony to the parliament’s economics committee , Mr…[Read more]

Value in this context is now subjective…Hiw are we going to measure value as opposed to prices.

Five people can bid on one property or even an allotment of shares and based on what they perceive that asset to be valued to them make bids accordingly. Ultimately, an efficientmarket provides a price and by definition a valuation….

Of course,…[Read more]