Pleasure.  Tip… it works on all websites.  Not just pi.com

Right click on link, select Open in New Tab (or Open in New Window)

I agree with thecrest.  Don't punish the tenants for the crap service of the PM.  It's been going on long enough.  Get some window coverings up pronto.

ps in my opinion, if the curtains have instructions on how to clean them, they are the wrong curtains.  Get stuff you can wash any way you like, or get plastic blinds.  Pretty hard for people to…[Read more]

ps Perhaps don't put expensive curtains into a rental again.  Cheap and tidy so it is not a catastrophe if you have to replace them. 

The cheapest rollerblind you can get from Spotlight is awesome.  You can clean it with Spray n Wipe and a sponge!  Woo hoo!  Gotta love plastic products.  I put them into a unit a year ago and they look brand spanking new still.

Also any profits you make get taxed differently if you are not living in Australia. 

Nigel Kibel wrote:
The problem for most Australians is that they do not understand what a $20,000 house is like. In most cases they are in slums where you would not want to get out of the car let alone buy.

Yep you've got to draw the line somewhere.  You can buy a gun far too easily over there..

SteveMcKnight wrote:
Hi James,

It's not a seminar, but getting a copy of Chris Lang's "How Investing In Commercial Property Really Works" is a good start.

Chris runs seminars from time to time too. His website is:
http://property-edge.com.au/

Regards,

– Steve

I heard Chris speak at a seminar a few months back, and I was very impressed…[Read more]

Wow.  I wonder if the tenants were aware of the issue with the rotten wood when they moved in…

Hi Chris

What are the pros and cons you've identified for the area?  A couple of important questions to ask are; what is the demand like for rentals?  What is the employment available to residents?  I see it is near Gladstone… is mining the only industry?

Wow Dubs, this is a clear case of identity theft.  Something has to be done!

I'm wary of the areas around Mernda for instance

I am very wary of the far northern suburbs of Melbourne… those new estates… due to the lack of public transport.

I'm a big fan of long settlements on property purchases.  The capital growth you enjoy before you've even stumped up the cash is a bit like earning interest on a bank account you have not yet deposited money into. 

If you are doing a reno that isn't exactly next door but is commutable such that you'll be doing a lot of the work yourself while also holding down a fulltime job, keep in mind you'll get tired and this will impact other parts of your life.  Be really careful not to speed when commuting to and from your reno.  You could quite easily lose enough…[Read more]

Do this:

1. Speak to the director both on the phone and in writing explaining the situation.  Be clear about when the curtains were purchased.  Be clear about what the instructions say re washing.  Be clear in explaining you expect reimbursement for the curtains.  Explain the amount of money and by when you expect to be paid (2 weeks).  Be clear…[Read more]

Hi again

This topic was debated in a separate thread recently.  There are merits in each. 

With older property, the block size is generally bigger, and presuming you pay an appropriate price for the property, you can FORCE equity growth through renovation. 

Quite often new estates go up in value, but not always.  If you buy into one that does,…[Read more]

Needless to say, you do not want to pay more than a similar property would sell for, in case you have to offload the property.  You don't want to do so at a loss.  But equally you don't buy a seemingly "cheap" property only to find the rent comes nowhere close to supporting the mortgage.

Hi there

If the streetscape is monitored, it is done so at your cost.  Some of the new estates these days…. the entire estate is declared a body corporate and there is an annual body corporate fee.  Yay for you, you get to pay for the maintenance of the footpaths, streetlights, etc… which I thought was covered by your council rates so I guess…[Read more]

I don't really care that much about the pricetag.  I care more about the rental yield.  In other words, will the property pay for itself, and if not, how much will I be out of pocket, and for how long, before it does.