To both scott and gips,If you are sound in your business but need outlets to offset your taxable income, there still isnt a reason why you cant be doing things like positively geared properties or potential cash cows. My basic feeling is if you have a sound business format and the money is rolling in from the operations, stake up for a couple of…[Read more]

I had a friend who built at the start of the downturn in property in 1989. He rode the rollercoaster down because he was out there seeking his pre crash dollar. Eventually the banks foreclosed and sold it out from under him.Moral of the story is, if you are going to want to build on the land, get your plans and permits when we are heading for an…[Read more]

Wynyard, I appreciate that you are viewing this all from a certain perspective. I think you should be aware that the system we have now is creating better quality living conditions for a lot of people. Sure its coming in at a price, but i'm sure that poor living conditions are the feeding grounds for bad thoughts, anger, resentment and envy. We…[Read more]

Catalyst .. the due dilligence has well and truly been done on this property. And its in a depreciated area, but its in a compact block of 4 right behind the local Centro shopping centre.To validate your point, there are sites in the vicinity (i'm thinking about certain sites on Kaitlers or Prune St) where you have the large blocks (up to 24) of…[Read more]

Catalyst .. the only student units that i've seen move in a substantial fashion was the ones in North Carlton where they removed the students only clause from the living requirements. When that happened the properties shot up from 125k – 135k to around the 200k mark.Its a sector that I not only have been watching but I was actually selling at one…[Read more]

annacm_88 wrote:
Thankyou so much for your reply! I thought that would be the case. Just another question, I have found a studio apartment in sydney for $145,000 with rent of $298 p/w if i could come up with the the money to buy this for example, could owning property help me at all when it comes to borrowing money?Thanks <br /=)” title=”>=)”…[Read more]

Jamie M wrote:
Personally I'd aim for no less than 10,000 – I'd also suss out ABS/council stats to determine whether the population is growing. I'd also want to see more than one main industry within the town.

I go one further on that .. i require that my country properties be localed in towns without singular dependancies. And must have at…[Read more]

I would suggest that if you have 5 Million and wanted to retire in Australia, then you make your house only less than 20% of your total amount. Plus, get your capital working for you ! Dont be afraid of taking on a loan for your house, just dont make it unaffordable.How is your actual accounting ledger? I mean its one thing to have an internet…[Read more]

Lets play a better scenario for you, long term.Try this one out for size.http://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nsw-lavington-104851762Its a set of two units in a four unit block. Price is 245k (that would mean you would need at least a 40k income to support it or a joint 50k). Out of that you will have two incomes (currently $140 per unit but…[Read more]

Wynyard, the best foot forward onto the property ladder is the first one taken.Did you know it is STILL possible to purchase property under 100k ?Did you realise that getting in on something .. is always a start?Did you realise that you can offset any capital gains as income for the year?Did you realise that despite difficult finance circumstances…[Read more]

Wynyard wrote:
I still think negative gearing and tax breaks for property investors, and even just the idea that property has become a source (or aspiration for) of massive profits, has changed the dynamic between rich and poor in Australia. I still think these factors, along with population growith has caused increased rents, and reduced the…[Read more]

I dont know whether any Melbourne readers realise this but I see this already here. We had a wonderful working Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and they cut off a large chunk as VIP parking for the Flemington Racecourse. We had great areas close to the MCG where people could kick a football, now relegated to practise courts for the tennis arena. We had…[Read more]

investhut, the fact that your family member is moving down to bathurst is an excellent reason to purchase this property. However the reason you are putting money into a property is you are expecting more money out the other side. If you are going to be doing that with an inert (not going anywhere) city like Bathurst, then treat it like you wont…[Read more]

Blank Frank wrote:
Cheers, xdrew. It is a low soc-ec area, but there is money going in…a Big Box mall is now there, very nearby: Coles, Woolies and sundry stores ++ , but nothing flash in the fit out. Business looks quiet in there.

I had a choice of investing in an area with an immigrant issue. The area was Lakemba. At that time the 2br…[Read more]

British Buyer wrote:
And if you're thinking of going to Detroit or Atlanta, you really need to see the most recent Case Shiller graphs for those cities.  They seem to be in free-fall….

I'm familiar with both cities. On paper they look like bargains, but the housing stock thats left is worn out, the tenants are the worst possible types,…[Read more]

GameTime wrote:
Firstly he goes onto state that your home is not an asset, because it takes money out of your pocket. The thing is although it’s not an investment property, here in Australia housing prices continue to rise, so the large growth factor I feel is an asset. Secondly he seems to be very biased towards investing for positive cash f…[Read more]

I agree with DHCP. At the moment you are running a little short, so persist with your saving plan for the moment. I have the feeling you've got the buying bug. The big mistake, especially after a boom is the scenario to sort of rush in .. grab any block that isnt already hammered down and think its a way to make money. It happens and it burns…[Read more]

There is a wonderful little disclaimer that most developers and investment houses stick on their advertisements. It reads like this.Past performance is not an indicator of future growth. Consult your investment advisor for more details.Reason why? The future is gloriously unpredictable. And the best you will ever get to go on .. is the overlying…[Read more]

I'm a skeptic with off the plans. I get a wonderful showroom, a Da Vinci on the wall showing how wonderful its going to be, and finally a developer who can now afford to escape to Rio De Janiero on my deposit. I know that most builders work on a trust basis with these schemes, but i guess i'm just more of a visible bricks and mortar man. I like to…[Read more]

I'd be prepared to even pay a premium if its the right sort of property. Brand new .. good size bedrooms .. quality carpets .. low community charges. If its a good deal in a great position with great potential, its a key investment. And 10 yrs down the track the pittance you paid on top to get a good asset proves worthwhile.Of course, that doesnt…[Read more]