First thing to do is speak to council to find out what the minimum lot size per dwelling is.  You might find splitting into two separate titles is not an option, and thus the decision would be made for you.You could also build two dwellings but not subdivide…

Really informative post duckster – I think many people will benefit from it

I don't understand your question.  Could you provide more information?

I think your main question is about Capital Gains Tax, which is commonly referred to on forums as CGT.  Here is the link to the ATO intro to CGT: http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/00208572.htm&pc=001/001/038/001Capital Gains Tax is a tax on the profit you make when selling property.  Your main residence is exempt from this t…[Read more]

Brilliant night Adam – thanks for organising!!  It was awesome to meet everyone!!!  Looking forward to future catchups

jsoohoo wrote:
Thank you all for your valuable advice. So LMI isn't so bad after all…  As a first timer I was told to avoid it at all costs.

Perhaps you were told this by people that don't invest in property

Hi !Sounds like in your household, you pay a decent chunk of tax and it would be nice to claw some of it back.  There are a number of ways to do this – making extra contributions to your super fund is one, buying investment property is another.Expenses (such as mortgage interest, insurance, council rates etc) associated with your own home (P…[Read more]

trakka wrote:
The most common reason: asset protection. For those in particularly litigous professions – eg company directors, doctors, business owners etc – the loss of the CGT discount is seen as a reasonable cost of having their home protected from litigation.

I'm currently trying to get my head around whether to buy investment properties i…[Read more]

They lie on the growth corridor.I own property in Hoppers Crossing which I bought in late 1999, when there was a lot of expansion going on in the area.  It is now the year 2010, so that's 11 years I guess.  The property has almost trippled in value.  The buy-in price in these areas is affordable, and it's also affordable for tenants to reside th…[Read more]

Not knowing where you will be travelling, 6 months is still a decent block of time – and I assume you don't have a job to come back to.  So I'd set $30k or so aside for travelling expenses and getting set back up in Oz when you return.One option is to buy two properties on Interest Only loans, throwing $125k at each (some of which will be eaten b…[Read more]

If your line of work is the kind that takes a while to find another position, consider taking a different job in the interim, so that you can hang on to your property and buy time to find a better job  

Here are a few areas to consider:MeltonWyndham ValeTarneitGeelongLaverton

Two books that I've read recently that taught me loads of titbits I didn't know are:Think and Grow Rich In Property, by Stuart Zadel (http://www.businessmall.com.au/featured-items/think-and-grow-rich-in-property.html)and Property is a Girl's Best Friend (http://www.businessmall.com.au/featured-items/property-is-a-girls-best-friend.html)

Where are you located?

Those were my thoughts also, DWolfe!

Martil wrote:
YOU HELP ME TO FIND A VENDOR FINANCE HOME IN THE PENINSULA, VIC. JOINT VENTURE. BUYER READY TO MOVE IN NOW, IS FULLY COMMITTED AND HAS PAID HIS DEPOSIT.I LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST AND HAVE A FULLY QUALIFIED BUYER WHO LIVES IN MELBOURNE.  YOURE REWARD WILL BE PAID WHEN YOU HELP ME FIND THE HOME, NEGOTIATE THE DEAL, SHOW THE HOME TO T…[Read more]

Hi Todd,Awesome you are getting your head around your situation There is a free weekend seminar on in sydney in a couple of weekends time.  You can book your place here; https://www.tgrcashflow.com.au/bookIf you attend a bunch of free seminars and learn one or two things at each, then that's got to be a good thing.  They are also great places to…[Read more]

How long do you think you'll be unemployed for?  It is not yet March – have you started looking for another job?  Surely the savings you have access to will last you a good few months – long enough to get another job?

In my opinion:1. Yes.2. Mate you've got to live somewhere that you feel happy about.  You've paid a little extra for that.  No worries.3. Yes, but be sure it has an offset account, and put all your spare cash in it to save on how much interest you have to pay.

HiWhat is the location of the property?  If you furnished it could you get more for rent?  eg aparently Sydney apartments rent for up to $150pw more if furnished…