I have spoken to Spiro a number of times this year, trying to work out whether his service would add value to my portfolio.

At all times he has been reasonably quick to respond, quite helpful and easy to talk to. I am 90% of the way to becoming a member, just need to bed down another couple of other projects first before I finalise…[Read more]

I live in a remote regional town. Having watched and dabbled here for a year or two now, I would say that there is a definite buyers advantage Dec to end of Feb each year.

The logic here is that people coming into town in the new year are unlikely to know the area and will…[Read more]

Turned out others wanted the property more than me, or more to the point they had deeper pockets. Thank you for the reply though

Rav

Rav

I saw an add recently for taxi licences. The way I understood it, you buy the licence and lease it to someone else. Price was something like $380 000 returning $1000 per week total for 3 licences (from memory, roughly)

Can’t imagine there would be much management/time committment involved in that.

cheers

Rav

The logic being that this particular conveyor/water current has a huge effect on the climate of the UK and neighbours. The increasing amount of freshwater coming in from the ice melts is slowing down the movement of the conveyor. scientists are worried that we will reach a critical point where the…[Read more]

thanks very much for the info.

Terry those links were very helpful. Now I just have to determine the difference between being “An australian resident for tax purposes” and a “permanent resident”.

I guessing that one has to actually apply for residency. Will do a little more chasing up

Thanks

Rav

I will follow that linlk up and see where I stand

cheers

Rav

I have a couple of suggestions but their suitability would very much depend on the type/class of tennant and whether they were new to the area or not.

1. Meal Credit at a local eatery. Somewhere popular with locals and a private business rather than mainstream Franchise. Maybe a coffeshop or somewhere that does breakfast/brunch.…[Read more]

Am enjoying your Soup discussion very much.

Looking forward to hearing more on the progress.

cheers

Rav

I do wish forumites would stop making such personal judgements on others in forum.

The question initially was a generic one on the why’s and wherefore’s of establishing yet another delineated group.

My two cents is this.

Firstly everyone has been jumping to conclusions about it being a way in which to exclude male investors and the…[Read more]

For those of you offering per sq metre cost estimates.

Is this labour only ?
Or does it include materials such as grout and sealing products?

cheers

Rav

The two most likely are on the cloncurry edge of town, but you would not think them central enough unless someone is planning a heap more subdivision out breakaway estate way.

If anything I thought they would have set up at the bottom of the Healy subdivision and let the town keep expanding towards…[Read more]

Details on how to access the document below. Hope I have not broken any forum protocol in doing this.

Cheers

Rav

abare’s list of major minerals and energy development projects
the full list…[Read more]

I live in Mount Isa and totally agree with your optimism for the town. at least for the next 5 years.

It is perhaps time that vanessa updated her information sources ,as Xstrata the major employer here has a strict residental policy. you want to work for them you live here. A policy which has really turned things around in…[Read more]

I live in Mount Isa and work at the mine.

Just thought I would share a bit of talk going around here. could be nothing in it.

First is that a contractor is housing his workers in cloncurry 116km away, and using a light plane to fly them to work each day.?!!!

Second is that there is a joke down here that if we don’t pull up soon on…[Read more]

Good luck finding some advice on that one.

Judging from the figures you gave and the fact that it is Native Title Leasehold. I would say that you are dealing with a situation that has not really been tested yet.

Unfortunately your “lease landlord” may not really have a vested interest in the long term growth of the town. So…[Read more]

I have already spoken to ANZ on this as they are my current financier and the valuer there said his hands are tied as it is against bank policy.

I am only a little fish, so as yet they are not falling over themselves to help out.

Perhaps I have found a better deal now anyway.

regards

rav

Might be a little off the wall and depends on how much spare time you have.

But have you thought of approaching some local handyman/builders and offering some of your time in return for learning skills from them?

I have spoken to a couple in my area on this idea and they were happy enough to consider it. Though you need to be mindful of the…[Read more]

V interesting to read people’s views, when they are not actually “Johnny on the spot”.

I moved to Mount Isa in Feb this year and even in that short time the market has lifted substantially. In the last 2 months or so, the market has slowed in that they are taking longer to sell and prices have leveled out.

Rents are high and getting…[Read more]

Just had a look at the page for investment detective. Unfortunately I could not get the video to run. Would be very keen to know more about the product.

By the way thanks for going to the effort of writing your books. They have provided me with some of the most applicable information on property investing I have found to date.…[Read more]

Can I have a little more info on the options idea please. This is something I have never heard of. How exactly does it work?

Cheers

Rav

Congrats on finding something many people believe no longer exists. Double check your rental estimates though, ask some other PMs and maybe ask for a rental history on the property.

And do a proper figures run including insurance, vacancies, rates, onging repairs, property management fees etc.

As to the First Home owner Grant, if you…[Read more]

Always nice to hear that someone else thinks an idea might have some merit. Unforunately, I can’t act on that one myself.

cheers

H

just read this post with interest. Personally I’m all for the laundromat, hands off approach.

But the thread bought to mind an idea I had when I first went to Maggie Island off Townsville.

Essentially, back packers are not all the get drunk fall down type, many just aren’t full on party people and then there are those that just want…[Read more]

I could probably borrow for a $200 000 home here in Townsville without too much trouble.

But $36 000 is just too much risk. [blink] Go figure!!!

I’m sitting here smiling for you all. Never mind the marriage bit. You’ve found love and you know it. That’s the biggie!!!

Congrats!!!

I am aware that my current employment history is borderline for most lenders. Am aiming to go permanent in the next two months.

Don’t want to wait though.

cheers

4742 is postcode.

Should probably also say it will be a 20% deposit + closing. Although I would love to be able to get away with a smaller deposit.

Heather

I just had a quick peek at your profile and you live in one of the few places of QLD that doesn’t suffer badly from those peculiarities.

I’m in Townsville and those one liners are pretty spot on!!!

I’m going to move to the Atherton area in the next 5 years. It’s all part of the plan.[cheesy]

Have a bit more of a look around these forum boards.

There was a recent topic on the first home owner grant. The crux of which is that you can own property as an investor and so long as you don’t live in it, you are still eligible for the FHOG at a later date (assuming you meet all the other criteria). The links to the relevant…[Read more]

I would say go for it. Essentially you are getting into property at pre boom prices.

But be business like about it. Just because you get along well with your brother doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set the deal up properly.

You say the house should bring in $120/week. Have you really looked into this? Consider what sort of tennant will…[Read more]

I would say “proceed with CAUTION”. Do your research very carefully and have some serious worst case scenarios to work off.

I moved there from Queensland in July 2002. Things were just starting to warm up property wise, then I got to see the train leave the station without me too. (quite painful, as I was not in the position to buy…[Read more]

I am another newbie and this talk of interest only loans has me curious, as I alway thought that they were difficult to access.

Generally speaking who is eligible for an interest only loan?

Do you have to have equity in an existing property to leverage off?

Is an offset account a regular feature of an interest only loan these…[Read more]