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  • Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Depends on your market Richard.  Hobby farms certainly a hard sell. 

    I woudn't say ANZ is the best choice, for a client, but they are still in the agri space and now that they have bought Landmark book certainly have sizeable market share. The quality of the book might be looking a little sadder though.

    They have agri specialists in most regional centres these days.  I work for a competitor so I am stating facts rather than endorsing them.

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi S,

    ANZ used to go to 65% LVR on freehold property and 60% on leasehold.  ie up until sept 2009 at least, not sure if things have changed.  I work for another lender and we go to 60% at best.  Suncorp I think may go as high as 70% but I'm guessing you are close enough to check that one out yourself.  This is in regards to land.

    Most lenders will also offer you a stock mortgage, but generally only over stock pastured on land they already hold the mortgage on.  Stock mortgages are generally low value, ie the bank assigns a base value per head and then only lends 30-40% on that.  Simple reason being that no bank wants to restrict your ability to buy and sell stock or leave you hanging in the event that there is a temporary crash in the market, or redo the paperwork everytime you sell some steers.  

    So working on your 60% LVR against land value of $2mln you have $1.2mln

    If I assume a land  purchase cost of $3000 per beast area ( which is likely under the market, depending on where the property is) then the property should run about  666 adult cattle, probably less. My employer would extend another $60k of debt being 666 head *$300*30%.  Seems stingy but as mentioned it protects your flexibility.

    Giving you total borrowing capacity of $1.26mln.

    From this you buy the property, the cattle and hold back some reserves for working capital to tide you over until your cattle sales start rolling through and what ever budget you might need to subdivide.

    I have no idea of your start up position but lending is basically a function of Net Asset Value/equity/LVR and cashflow.  If you can show strong equity then you have a better chance of getting finance with a tight cashflow over the first couple of years. 

    If you have a strong cashflow but weak equity it is much harder to obtain finance, because cashflow esp in agri can be quite volatile and weak equity means that the bank is likely to lose money on their investment if things really go pear shaped. A guarantee  supported by property or a cash deposit from another individual with surplus equity is reasonably common and could help get you across the line.
     
    If for example your guarantor placed net assets valued at $2mln behind the guarantee  then you could borrow 100% of the purchase price. (not realistic as your cashflow would likely bring you undone on the 100% lend).  But you would really want to have confidence in your ability and your cashflow to ensure that you never put that guarantor in a postion where they had to bail you out by giving up their cash/asset.

    If you are weak on both fronts, then you are perhaps not quite ready to roll yet.

    As to the subdivision, obviously this can be quite lucrative if you are able to turn rural land to lifestyle land.  How it would be viewed would depend on the cashflow effect both short and long term.  ie can you afford the development and holding costs and for how long can you carry it? once that land is sold can the remaining land support the remaining debt?

    This is a bit of ramble but hope it helps. Make sure you check it out thoroughly with whatever lender you choose and take the time to read the documents thoroughly. 

    Cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi Guys,  Interesting to see some Moura discussion pop up.   I too have an IP down there.  Got it built in 2007 by a local builder and have had it rented directly to Anglo Coal ever since.  Current lease was 460pw over 2 years til Dec 2010.

    Will admit to having stuck my head in the sand on this one, as I have not even seen it since handover and I'm not sure that anyone from Anglo managmenet team has been in there either.  I figured people would soon complain if there was a problem and given that it was a new home there shouldn't be any problem.  Anglo said they would have a look through it by xmas, hopefully the news will be good.

    As to Belvedere I understand that it still has to go through the EIS process yet.  Not that that usually presents any hurdles for monied up corporates. 

    The Dawson View Estate has been trumpeted as iminent since mid 2007, and at the time had some serious water allocation issues.  I haven't been there for while but I understand there are a lot of blocks still available and very little has acutally been built on.  In fact there has been more new housing put in over towards Banana.  But I have never seen it as a serious threat as it does not have the other infrastructure, decent school, grocery store, hardware etc. that may change in time.

    I will admit to not really keeping up with things.

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi,

    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 membership with Spiro (if I do).

    Initially I asked him to provide me with 5 contacts that he had sold QLD property to ( as that is my area of interest).

    It seems the man’s enthusiasm is infectious as 2 of the 5 I spoke to had actually signed on to become part of his business since december 06. A third has become a mortgage broker and now associates his business with cashflow capital. In each case this came about after initially having purchased through cashflow capital in the preceding 12 months.

    A chicken and egg situation. were these people so genuinely happy with their experience that they became part of the business. Or now that they are part of the business, does it seriously compromise their opinion of it??????? Quite frankly the jury is out.

    The other 2 contacts had differing investment goals, differing exposure to property investment and one lived in WA.

    All were quite happy with the service they had recieved and all 5 said that their first contact with Spiro had arisen due to their desire to buy a property and their contacting him through his website.

    The appeal for me is three fold
    Firstly Spiro apparently provides reams of up to date information, websites, RP data reports etc on the particular area you are interested in. It gets me a long way in front with my DD, if someone has already compiled a host of relevant info. Particular points of interest I naturally cross reference.

    Secondly, if his network is as good as he says it is, there is a time advantage in that you could well find out about the property before the broader community is aware it is available.

    Thirdly, there is the time and money component, I live in remote queensland. To fly out of this place at the drop of a hat, will cost me no less than $800 more likely over $1000 and once I get there I need accommodation, food, and transport. Then if what I see is not what wanted or my offer fails then that is all just dead money. the tax man isn’t going to give me a discount either. Using Cashflow Capital or someone similar reduces the liklihood of this happening.

    Is his service, all he says it will be? I have no idea. If I do go ahead with this I will be sure to put an update on the forum

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Just a thought on this one from regional investment perspective.

    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 therefore rent for 3-6 months before buying a house. So there are less buyers in the market.

    THose leaving town, are often going back to a large coastal city or their home town area and therefore know where they want to buy and would prefer to do it straight away.

    Throw in the complexity of starting kids in a new school and the possibility of managing the rental of your unsold home from a large distance.

    To me it all adds up to seller committment and a good chance of getting significant discounts off asking price if you help the vendor with their time constraints.

    I guess it depends very much on the characteristics of the area you are targeting.

    cheers
    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Thanks trajik,

    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

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    Wow, Would never have expected a taxi licence to have such good capital gain. food for thought. I guess the LVR is pretty stiff for such things though

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi Dom,

    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

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    I think I saw the same doco Ashmason did.

    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 freshwater seawater balance will be so far out of whack as to stop the conveyor or water current completely. Therefore no more warming of the water around UK etc, enter the endless colder than ever winter.

    Worse still, if it does stop, no one seems to have any suggestion as to how to get it going again.

    That was my understanding anyway.

    They never suggested that the ocean around UK would freeze, not going to get that cold. So I can’t see why we can’t have that and the rising sea levels. They are both predicted to arise from the same environmental event, ie the melting of the ice fields.

    I freely admit that watching one doco does not make me a sound source of info.

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi Guys,

    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

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Thanks Cameron,

    I will follow that linlk up and see where I stand

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    Hi Dr X,

    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. Help new people get to know the area a little.

    2. Membership to the local PCYC if there is one. I paid $30 pa where I am and it might be good for young families as there is a wide range of activities.

    3. Gift Voucher – similar to the bunnings idea but target stores such as Spotlight, Adairs, Pillow Talk etc which all do soft furnishings. Just thought it might limit the temptation to make hard changes you may not support. Polka dots in the living room for eg. LOL

    cheers

    Rav

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    Hi Gross,

    Am enjoying your Soup discussion very much.

    Looking forward to hearing more on the progress.

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi People,

    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 knowledge they have to share. Not so.

    I’m sure that people of all walks and talks will be invited to share their knowledge and experience as guest presenters and such. Wendy would simply have been trying to draw together a group of people with similar interests and needs. It is highly likely that a group of women investors would have some very similar information and support needs, thus making the direction and activities of the group much easier to define.

    Secondly,as I see it, Investor groups are usually formed as a source of motivation and inspiration for it’s members. With respect to the experienced and successful investors on this site, much as I enjoy reading their posts and discussions. There is extremely little that I can take away and apply in my own situation.

    For myself it would be much easier to be motivated/inspired by those who had a similar starting bloc to myself. It proves to me that what I want to do is possible and in many cases offers information that is directly relevant to my situation. I see this as the catalyst for the womens group.

    There is no doubt that there are issues that only women will face in the investing world. A case in point is that many male investors have a building experience, a trade or just a practical hands on background. So doing their own building inspections, negotiating with tradesman and effecting their own repairs on their IPs is something well within their capability. Even their social circle often allows them to obtain handy tips and info without effort. Invite some friends round for a BBQ and you probably have at least one mate you can grill about tiling the bathroom. My immediate social cirlce includes a few teachers, a nurse, and about 4 young mums. Tiling the bathroom is not their thing.

    Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of the womens group will be the word of mouth network about tradespeople and professionals who have provided value for money, efficiency and most importantly the basic respect that any client deserves. I wish the ladies well.

    That said, Simon I definitely understand why you raised the question. Sometimes the human race does seem bent on delineating and segregating itself to the enth degree and often with no obvious purpose in mind.

    Anyone wanting to start a group for young female investors, living in remote queensland with little equity and less cash and no partner to lean on should PM me as soon as possible. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    cheers

    Rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    Hi Guys,

    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

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    @ravtown
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    I wonder which caravan park they bought…

    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 Duchess. Perhaps not…

    It always great to see the big players tipping more money into the place though. They definitely would have done their DD.

    As to the prices I cannot believe how much they have gone up in the last 4 months. And as you say the latest listing prices just seem astronomical.

    there seem to be quite a few new listings coming through right now. I am wondering if these are people planning to relocate at the end of the year and are testing the market with pie in the sky prices knowing they have time up their sleeve. If someone bites, they sell and rent back until their ready to move.

    If so it’s clever. I know a few people who sold late last year for lower than market value as October to Jan saw the market hit a real flat spot. If they had been able to hold out to march there would have been at least another $20 000 in it for them.

    Rav

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    Found a handy little document today and I stand corrected on my call about travel distances from Cloncurry to upcoming mine developments.

    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
    ABARE’s listings of major minerals and energy projects expected to be developed over the medium
    term are compiled every six months. Information contained in the lists spans the mineral resources
    sector and includes energy and minerals commodities projects and minerals processing projects.
    The information comes predominantly from publicly available sources but, in some cases, is supplemented
    by information direct from companies. The lists are fully updated to refl ect developments in
    the previous six months.
    what’s in the list
    The latest projects list contains information on 256 projects, providing the following details:
    > project name > proponent company or joint venture
    > location > project status
    > expected startup date > additional output capacity
    > capital cost of the project > additional employment, where available.
    With one industry exception, ABARE’s listing provides details of announced projects for which
    total capital expenditure is expected to exceed $40 million. The exception is the gold industry, which
    typically has a relatively large number of smaller projects. For gold, the expenditure threshold for
    inclusion in the table is $15 million.
    In general, projects identifi ed are at relatively advanced stages of planning. That is, for new
    projects, stage of planning categories range from ‘feasibility study underway’ through to ‘under
    construction’.
    Projects are listed by the principal mineral commodity to be produced, under the broad headings:
    ‘Mining projects – energy’, ‘Mining projects – minerals’ and ‘Minerals processing facilities’. The table
    includes new greenfi elds projects as well as expansions of existing projects.
    where to get the list
    This projects listing is released around May and November each year. The lists are available only
    as electronic products.
    The list can be downloaded from ‘Publications’ at http://www.abareconomics.com
    enquiries: [email protected]
    or phone +61 2 6272 2010

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    Hello Salacious,

    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 terms of the feel of the place.

    Supporting contractors however can fly their workers in from whereever they like.

    Most people I come into contact with are genuinely enjoying living here, albeit usually for a short time, anywhere from 2-4 years especially among the professional staff. As a community there is plenty going on if you keep your ear to the ground. A daily (perhaps twice daily ) Qantas service to Brisbane is handy and is usually keeps any homesick cityslickers sane.

    Lack of shopping facilities is the main complaint, lack of coast line the next one and thirdly concern for schooling and social direction for teenagers.

    Cloncurry, I am not really up to date on, except to suggest that there is a hell of a lot of speculation in the real estate market due to suggestions of immenent action on the mining front. The projects closest to becoming a reality are over 80km from cloncurry and most workers won’t want to be travelling over 160km a day to work even if it is by bus. 12 hr day plus travel, I don’t think so.

    cheers

    rav

    Profile photo of RavtownRavtown
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    Hi Guys,

    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 one of our exploration drives we are going to end up in the middle of the uranium hotspot that xstrata holds about 15km away.

    From the inside looking out it’s all good here and getting better each day.

    I thought I bought in late but will still do well out of it. For the last few months there have only been 0-4, four bedroom homes for sale at any one time. Pretty amazing stats for a town of 20 000+ people.

    Take whatever the local paper reports with a grain of salt. They are notorious for getting it not quite right.

    Case in point is that our EBA’s have just been re -negotiated for a four year term. Headline, front page of paper said that a 3 year agreement has just been accepted! I’m embarrassed for them sometimes.

    Congrats on the land purchases Kevin, I’m very green eyed about that, would have loved to be in a position have a go too.

    cheers

    Rav

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    @ravtown
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    Hello Mark,

    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 perhaps there is little to guide you on their potential behaviour. At least if it was crown lease or mining lease you would know that the owner of the land was committed to the economic growth of the area.

    I would be trying to source a solicitor who has dealt with residential native title issues previously. Sorry I can’t help there.

    cheers

    RAV

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