Based on recent news, it seems that the GFC2 will be coming – that's my gut feeling too (but I can't predict it with a guarantee). If the GFC2 does come, then yeah I reckon prices will go down, and that'll affect your decision too

''This has potential to be significantly worse than the Lehman Brothers collapse and the subprime crisis because now we are talking about nation states,'' Mr Norris told BusinessDay.That's quite concerning. I guess I may have to brace myself for the oncoming GFC2 – What are you all doing to protect yourself (or at least be…[Read more]

Hmm. sounds like an interesting place. I can speak some french so that interests me. I should visit Mauritius sometime, and perhaps for getting into investments.What about the safety, crime rate? Is it low?

Hey I had a look at the spreadsheet, and it is very detailed!I could use one of those myself for my own properties. Thanks for the share

Hi,I haven't visited Mauritius before, but I've seen pics and it seesm like a beautiful place. What's the real estate market like over there?In regards to finance for you, have you tried talking to the banks yet or any other kind of financial institutions? That could be a good start

Hi,Seems like you have a pretty interesting business model there.Have you tried contacting any of these potential JVs up to see if they'd be interested?That would be a good first step. Try and have a meeting with them and give them a knockout presentation.Then create a contract and sign it with them, and that should be it.I think those would be…[Read more]

Hey Catalyst,Yeah, I'd be wary of people claiming to be "mentors" when they're really not. That's why if any of you are keen to get a mentor, make sure that you actually ack them what kind of experience they have, and maybe even SHOW you proof of that experience.

Hey John,Great advice for home security!Since this thread is in the Overseas Deals thread, I'd just like to highlight the importance of securing your IPs especially if they are overseas where you may not easily visit it on a regular basis.Alarm systems are of course the best course of action. There's different kinds, including security cameras,…[Read more]

Ian's distinctions between coaches, mentors and gurus is really helpful.Out of the 3, I think that the best is a mentor. They actually know what it takes to get the result you want, and they have a proven track record of doing it themself. Therefore, their advice would be very valuable.

According to the latest news, it's a good time to get a home loan for new home buyers due to the recent rate cut.See: http://www.bigpondmoney.com.au/get-the-best-from-your-mortgage-and-the-banksThe article above also has some good tips for people looking for a home loan, and talks about the different characteristics of different people such as the…[Read more]

Be clear with what you want.If you don't write down exactly what you want, then any old property will be good for you.In order to determine the criteria for what you want, that's where the reading and learning comes in. Learn form other successful investors and use their criteria for your own success.

The ABS website may be hard to navigate for that info. You could try calling them up or you could try and work with a market research company (but you may have to pay for that info)

I'd agree with Ashley that when it comes to subdividing, it may be better to get help with it rather than doing it all yourself. You may save money doing it all yourself, but there's the time and energy you'll waste and the learning curve you have to overcome.If you want to do subdividing on a regular basis and make money from it ongoingly, then…[Read more]

Early this year I set out to get my own accountant for my businesses and portfolio. For me, number 1 and number 21 were major factors for me. I didn't want the hassle of dealing with the accounting (which bored me and I was not good at), and I wanted to minimise tax as much as possible

Hey Daniko,Student accomodation has it's benefits – as seen with Hamish's example of immediate positive cash flow.Although your idea of subletting may be challenging, as many landlords don't allow it in my experience. However, if you do enough research and ask around, you may be able to find one.Good luck!

emptyvessel wrote:

ummester wrote:
….more being sunk into invention and productivity will be beter for Australia overall.

We are in complete agreement on this point. This may be the biggest challenge our nation is facing right now. I reckon we all start talking about this more with our contacts, friends, family and colleagues. The media and…[Read more]

Sounds great. Having useful tips for people via a real estate blog is a great way to drive more people to the site

Hey Lesia,I haven't bought/invested in self storage units myself, but I was seriously considering getting into it recently after reading some books about the benefits of it.I think one of the benefits that stood out for me was the potential passive income stream from it, as well as the lower cost to invest as compared to other forms of property…[Read more]

Joe,Funny comments mate.I think it just goes to show that we need to be smart when dealing in with the real estate industry.Know what your criteria is in advance, and don't get carried away by the fluff!

Hey Dennis,I'd agree that you could take a look at suburbs your familiar with. However, as a caveat to that, I would suggest to check up and make sure that those suburbs you know are actually investable.If you do your research, you may find that some suburbs you know are BAD places to invest in.All the best!