i have been looking at the website a bit… not as much now… but this website is the best for information for investing OS that i have found.
Through this site i have found the following to be very useful.
1. Trulia / Zillows... But i prefer trulia for their notifications and ease of use.
2. http://www.crimereports.com – Be careful how you judge this one though…the sex offender registry also includes indecent exposure. i.e. getting on the turps and peeing in a public place. no details are given to differentiate between paedophiles and rapists vs your good time guy/gal that has passed out with their bits hanging out in public.
3. Wikipedia – good for researching in general.
4. http://www.citydata.com – Lies, damn lies and statistics… very heavy on the stats for this one. You will need to decide on the type of area you want your house to be in and then check out these stats.
5. Also the county/city's own websites and their police department sites
6. google maps for the street view… which is linked in trulia…also good for giving you a feel for the neighbourhoods.I know a lot of people say to fly over to the US and meet the team and the house before you buy, but truly this is not necessary. If you feel that you need more of a hand or reassurance before you buy then by all means do it. But for me I prefer being able to pay the experts to help me get it right.
Sure it costs money, but if you find an agent that you are comfortable with this won't be a problem. After all would you take the advise or trust someone who helped you for free? i would be thinking of all sorts of ulterior motives.
I have done a lot of research via these sites and this forum and am currently in the process of buying in KC, MO. I am happy with my agents and they have answered all of my questions to my satisfaction… one of which was one about ANY other costs or fees that i may incur throughout the property purchase procedure… they got back to me promptly with a list of costs (approximation of course), which i factored into the total amount that i transferred to my o/s account. which is much more simply than fees cropping up here and there and transferring little bits and pieces.
I hope that people have found this info useful. RickiH… i am almost there and i will be in the owner's club with you.
Please keep in mind…. I am a low income earner….my gross estimated earning in around 40-50K Aussie a year (was previously on 35K, but changed jobs in the last4 months). BUT with discipline, Saving madly, selling dud shares, getting tax returns back… i have managed to save enough to start the process of investing…. I encourage everyone to take an active part in their future.
Oh also… trips o/s can be written off in tax if you are seeing an investment property that you own… the initial trip to set it up may not be….
….I used to be an accountant, and help people with their tax….so check it out with the ATO.Rosa Tong wrote:Oh also… trips o/s can be written off in tax if you are seeing an investment property that you own… the initial trip to set it up may not be…. ….I used to be an accountant, and help people with their tax….so check it out with the ATO.Rosa Congratulations on jumping into investing. With most expenses directly related to the business they are tax exemption.
In the USA uncle Sam as we call him ( IRS likes to take alot from us) so we work hard on documenting all expenses ,from little things like food receipts , to travel to gas , to miles on the vehicle.
I am not a tax accountant but owning my own company for 15 years has taught me well. I would encourage all investors to speak to accountants and lawyers to be updated of any tax information . That can save us money while we invest.
Alex
Good for you Rosa
I am from Kansas city and love the opportunities that are available here. I have built up my portfolio from low income urban areas. As a local that truely cares about my community it is shame to see investors that are screwed over. Good luck to your future investments
….I used to be an accountant, and help people with their tax….so check it out with the ATO.
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