foundation wrote:
Hey Masih, the problem with that HIA spin is that, well, it's not actually true. They have a vested interest in getting a better deal for their members. Scroll 3/4 of the way through the article to find out exactly which (self-serving) barrow they're pushing today. Then do a bit of research. Grab stats from the ABS -…[Read more]

Yes, it pays to know more than your accountant in this caper, or at least be on a par with them to keep them on their toes.Not sure about how far you can go back to claim the deductions (talk to your accountant about this), but if the property was built before Sept 1987 there is no depreciation left on the building. There is on buildings built…[Read more]

cnnbotha wrote:
I am new to property investment and would like to know what the major concerns are for property investors?

The numbers, the numbers, the numbers; can it make me a pos cashlow after tax,decent tenants/property managers, good cap gain in short/medium term,to a lesser degree interest rates as the interest is tax deductible, so the…[Read more]

You're 15 and you want to invest in property? Well done! All I was interested in at that age was golf and girls – not in that order.Keep gathering knowledge and start saving NOW for that first deposit.There is also the Somersoft forum which is excellent , and for a great laugh there is also the "Global House Price Crash" site. And, read these…[Read more]

Franchising can work well, but it is restrictive for you in many ways; you can't use your own creativity to run the business, a chunk of your turnover and profit goes to the Franchiser. The upside is you have good support and ongoing training etc (hopefully).You are simply buying a job in many cases, but they give you great knowledge in running a…[Read more]

 On the 'quoting of jobs' merry-go-round;I once rang a sparky to come and do the electrical work for one of our renos. He was a local bloke, and my usual guy was unavailable for a while (too busy as usual he does great work, on time, no complaints, fair rates and I pay him immediately as we should).The local guy asked what I needed doing, I told…[Read more]

bendbanks wrote:
True,   but by spending sometime on the simple things involved in the management of your property you will find that you are less likely to experience unfortunate incidents. For instance we attended an eviction for one of our clients the other week. Only to find out the tenant we where evicting was moving down the road (it was a…[Read more]

Bend is just having a go at some free ads people. No probs with that, but you need to see it for what it is.I hope he gets some business. Actually; no I don't – if all tenants were good ones, we wouldn't need Bend.Agents are not gunna let themselves be liable for anything regarding management issues. We the Landlords cop it all unfortunately, but…[Read more]

Well done HG.buy a couple more, then tell us – back scratching and all that.Just out of interest; what is the population in the town?

The only way to convince your husband, seeing as he is a business man, is to present the idea to him as a business.This means putting together a business plan, and a presentation of the cashflows, expenses, income, projected profit/loss, cap gain etc.Things like depreciation and tax deductions should also be in this, as well as manangement fees and so on.

Being scared to borrow is normal; especially if they are worried by not being able to make the repayments.If you have some knowledge about the numbers involved, and can explain to them what the bottom line to their hip pocket would be in the event of a vacancy, what the management fees are, etc, then this will alleviate their fears to a degree.…[Read more]

2 things;1. I did the wealth score and came up with +140 I think, but it didn't factor in rent income, so I wouldn't put too much weight on it. I think you are better off than you realise.2. The 1-100 in 3.5 years was written a long time ago (early 90's from memory). The target area was Ballarat, where there were loads of sub-$100k properties with…[Read more]

This came up on the Somersoft forum last week.Basically, no-one has ever heard of him, and he claims to be worth millions, and that you can also make millions from his deals.His name does not appear on any rich lists.If you are making millions, then you can be sure he is as well; so why does he need you?Keep the antenna well up.

Dazzling wrote:
Yep, plenty of examples of +CF props in Perth.We've bought 5 of them in the past 2-1/2 years, but they wouldn't suit you.  They needed lotsa work, were pretty smelly and snarly, and the existing tenants were not nice at all.  Furtherest out was 9km from the CBD.  Mostly big land components, mostly big upfront prices, and mo…[Read more]

jambv wrote:
Hi All,We bought an investment prop in QLD in March this year. The agent we bought it from now manages it. We are from Sydney. They sent us a prop management contract but we never got around to signing it & they never brought it up with us. All of a sudden, they are withholding funds until we sign it. I only discovered this after I…[Read more]

Sorry people; I've done it again.I said Terry when I meant Richard.But they sound the same don't they? If you close one ear, whisper and mumble.

bardon wrote:
Spudsta, I work in engineering and construction and have had a 100% pay rise  since 2003 as has most of my peers, I just gave a guy a 50% pay rise that had been with us 4 months.  I am about to move up to senior executive level and expect another significant pay rise to come with the role.  So dont forget that some segments are ha…[Read more]

There is a thread about this from a month or so ago on this site. You can do a search on "Destiny Financial Services" and they should appear.

There is also the fixture and fittings of the building, such as dishwasher, carpet, kitchen cupboards etc.These all have different depreciation "lives".For example; I think carpet has a "life" of 5 years, so the cost of the carpet is depreciated at 20% per year over the 5 years and so on.Then there is a "pool" where a number of the items which are…[Read more]

It's a tough one; they won't want to get rid of the pet that's for sure, and you normally can't change the lease mid-term.Personally, I think pets are o.k, but charge a premium for them to cover damage such as urine, smell etc. In many cases the doggy smell etc in the carpet means new carpetYou will have to get the PM to tell them they are in…[Read more]