Before organs are donated you have to be brain dead! Not just likely to die, not severely comprimised, not just on life support, but literally brain dead. No brain function. Please dont quote something that belongs in Jerry Springer. People even believe the Raaelian cult (earth was inhabited and created by aliens, etc), and this is how those stupid urban myths get sent to my wifes email address by her naiivebut well meaning friends. Only difference is that the end result of less organ donors is more people on transplant waiting lists winding up on the morgue slab a decade or two early.

In australia, we have an ‘opt in’ system of organ donation. Therefore, all people are assumed non donors, unless they have signed their drivers licences. Even after that, for some stupid reason, their next of kin have the right to refuse the donation. So, how’s this for massive stupidity. I (as a willing and signed organ donor), could die in a crash, and my next of kin (in great shock and distress), can (and often do), refuse the donation. Hence, my wishes can be denied.

End result- massive amounts of people dying needlessly each year

Cultural factors also come into play. Eg, a lot of the asian countries such as japan have an avoidance to donating blood, let alone organs. End result- massive importations of blood, (difficult, expensive, certain parts of it have a very short shelf life) and when their little kiddies get leukaemia, where does the transplant come from? If the immediate family are not a match, it is very hard to ’tissue type’, or find a suitable match across different races. End result- more dead kiddies. Got you thinking?

Some countries have an ‘opt out’ system. Ie, everyone is assumed to be a donor, unless they have signed their licences to be non-donors. Sounds pretty good to me, if you dont want to donate, you dont.

End result- much shorter waiting lists, and a massive savings of life.

What goes around does indeed come around, and I reckon that getting sliced and diced and spread around would be a bloody brilliant thing for all involved (‘cept for me being brain dead and all that[^])

Now heres an opinionated thought. If I and another 32 year old (who was never, and has no intention of being a donor) are both at deaths door and in need of a kidney, and there is only one available, whom do you think it should go to?

Another thing is this- gotta tell your next of kin what YOU want done. Both mum and I have talked about it, and feel that we both want donations to take place if possible, regardless of the circumstances.

See bec, I gotta heart after all[]

Most other commentators believe the greenback will be in free fall soon, as it was so overvalued previously.

In regards to foreign currency loans, how does one arrange a $US loan in australia for residential property? Is it possible? Obviously, I am aware of the huge forex risk, but is something I am interested in looking into.

If a REA asked me for another 5000, two scenarios come to mind.

i) sure, Ill give you 5000 where the sun dont shine,

or, ii) say absolutely, then write out a cheque for 5000 yen

Ahh shucks, this Mr Whittaker sounds sooooo nice, I guess we should all marry him.

But wait, could there be any underlying currents. A fundamental shift of thought due to the dollar signs. Some, dare I say it, alterior motive.

Of course there is.

But lets quote from god, oops, Noel himself

Making money made simple, 1988. Chapter 24 “investment real estate” ninety percent of all millionaires became so through owning real estate (Andrew Carnegie).

Quote “My experience has been that WELL LOCATED, ACTIVELY MANAGED real estate will, IN THE LONG TERM, out perform every other investment. (the words previously capitalised were in italics in the book). He then goes on to further describe its points- scarcity value “they aint making any more land”, income producing, can be borrowed against, guaranteed inflation hedge, stability, etc.

Wait a minute, this guy is sounding more like steve Mcknight, Henry Kaye, and rick otton rolled together with Neil Jenman and all estate “its never been a better time to buy than now” agents.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and read his newspaper articles. Almost every single one had one of three pieces of advice. Buy managed funds, buy managed funds, or (the usual reply), gear into managed funds.

Now why would one want to do this. Well, three percent entry fee, rebated to the advisor (who would be, ummmm, ummmmmmm, ummmmmmm, noel), a trailing commisison of 1% a year (again to noel), and if you talk the client to gear into the fund, you get double the commission, while they take all of the financial risk!. Sounds like a great deal for the advisor, while the investor takes all the risk.

Asked my boss about this (had a financial ‘plan’ done by an FPA member- same thing, gear up, borrow, and invest in shares, but not directly- must go through their managed funds). His response was quite sobering. Said that if you get into bed with someone they are probably going to try to screw you, and especially with managed funds and two tiered property scams, there are so many people lining their pockets by dipping their hands into yours.

Obviously noel could not keep saying to buy residential property if there were no fees in it, now could he.

Incidentally, he shows how the average house price in sydney was predicted to be $290k by the year 2000! (wouldn’ mind picking up a dozen or so tommorow!)Imagine, thinking real estate was the best way to make money, putting it in a book, and making a prediction on house prices in 1988, and being only half the actual price. Makes his real estate advice (prior to him selling managed funds) look even more spectacular, and his sharemarket even poorer.

Even at the height of the tech boom, same response to readers, gear up, buy, buy , buy shares. Its ‘time in the market, not timing the market’ that counts. Certainly is, for the advisor, ten years of your money at 1% will nett them 10% of your net worth, won’t it?

And as for becs reply, “Well, how wonderful to see a wonderful person mentioned on this forum instead of the usual gang of get-rich shysters. Noel’s books are some of the best in the world. Anyone who has not read them is being deprived of some vital investing information.

The best thing about Noel Whittaker is his honesty. The worst thing is that he’s modest. Why is it always the way that the duds, such as those goons at Richmastery, make all the noise and the gems like Noel are so quiet?

Perhaps that’s how we can recognise the best advisors – they are modest.”

Come on bec, there are no virgins in the brothels and the biggest media whores (in any field) are usually the worst offenders.

Sorry to hear that you got screwed over.

‘few random thoughts.

Keep at it, but just change your process slightly. You may be 90% already there, but not realise it.

I would be thinking about some sort of birddogging fee upfront, all legal.

For ex. you tell me that you have 5 prop, give me the addresses, and I just outbid you, you lose.

you give me no addresses, I am not interested, and walk, you still lose.

HOw about I have to slap my grand or two on the table, and THEN you give me all the details, and, if I walk, then you keep your fee. ?Maybe half now, half at settlement.

I think that unfortunately, in my dealings with all professions, real estate has the worst people, with the worst conflicts of interest, blinded by the dollar, be they vendor, listing agent, purchaser, mortgage brokers, the whole lot stinks. It is just that a very, very small percentage acts fairly, but I see that rarely.

Sorry ’bout the whinging, but I too got mucked around today. Was all set to sign contract, and get a house, but the rental dept (of the same agency), resigned the white trash deadshit tenant, whom I wanted out. Oh well, at least 2 agents lost 4grand between them. But I lost a lot a shoe leather in the meantime.

As I said, just keep it up, head high, you will make it

Couple of random thoughts

Avoid any expensive courses, esp bridgepoint AKA henry “I should be in jail but I’ll do a skasie before i am charged”. In any event, if you can ever buy a 30 or 100 dollar book or go to an event by the same speaker for 2 or three grand, BUY THE *(&#$(*&%(*& BOOK! It is a fraction of the price, and will contain much much more information, particularly as there is always some dopey dickhead at courses asking questions of no relevance

Couple of books I would recommend- jump onto the reno kings site- they have a couple of beauties that are pretty cheap, by far the best value for money, talks Re buying, looking, lifestyle, choices which others are lacking. Rich dad poor dad is good. I bought ricks pack, which i would highly recommend if you are considering wrapping, but it sounds like you probably shouldnt be doing it now!

Problem is this, if you want to wrap a 200k property, you will need to have well over 40k (probably closer to 60) in cash in order to wrap it properly. Got that sort of money laying around? If not, then you are in the situation I was in a few years ago. You may have the ability, drive, but you also have to pay the doorman to get in. Lets face it, how many 200k properties are out there?

I am not trying to be rude, but better to find out now that you cant currently jump on the investment wagon than after being screwed for 12k (and then more- bridgepoint and henry kay are the classy veneer to the two tiered marketing scam to sell shitty (or overpriced units) that developers couldnt sell to locals- by the way, notice all of those to lease signs everywhere- stick to house and land!)

If you have not got the cash, a few ideas.

i) find a money partner- someone who will put up the cash, you do the hard yards, then split the profits. Of course, how do you get someone to throw the ante on the table and buy a house, on the hope of onselling in this heated market, when your experience is zero?

ii) give up- no shame in that at all, not a good idea, but always a possibility

iii) find a way to get some cash to buy your own home. Have you got some oldies? They probably owe close to nothing on their home loan. Even if they are asset rich, cash poor, they may still feel comfortable loaning you some money for a deposit for your house. Redraw facilities, etc. If you can get under the 80% rule you will automatically save a couple of grand.

iv) living at home with the oldies? then you probably can afford an investment home loan

I would seriously advise-
Seriously save for 6 months, market is soooo hot, and may be coming off the boil. we have just had two rate rises, henry kay will be all over the news, and soon buyers of units will find them to be untenanted and untenantable, and our market up here seems to be seriously slowing. If there is a downturn, and you can afford a property, wait, wait wait. Wait for the downturn to conplete ( months to years, not weeks!) and just start to recover.

If you know where you want to live, then buy and concentrate on that loan. Wait for a couple of years, and if the trend continues, you will easily have cash on tap in the form of equity. Unfortunatly, it is very difficult to own your first home, but very easy in a rising market to own two or three. Concentrate on the first.

Gotta leave you with that cause I think my keboard may stop worki