I can see the  arguments on both sides of the fence for this one. The vendor (ie farmer or speculator who has owned the land for a couple or more years) reaps a windfall because the land is now zoned urban. Generally speaking a farmer is exempt from land tax, but not capital gains tax, other offsets apply as it is also a business. So charging…[Read more]

You should weigh up how much you land tax is costing you compared to how much your exit costs/cgt/legals etc will cost you before moving too quickly. However, diversifying into other states is a good strategy – just watch that some states do not have a land tax threshold.

PropertyPaul wrote:
Thanks RichardMight try for an increase to my CC limit instead…

Only if you have a low interest rate (don't do it if you will be charged 16% etc – find a cheaper card or roll the debt over onto a cheaper card

There are a few companies which spray an epoxy over the tiles – this is much cheaper than retiling if the base tiles are sound. They can also respray your bath and floor tiles (with a grittier paint) so you don't slip.

Tugs, with regards to managing the property, as it is in the backyard, your coz will be seeing them regularly – it is not worth having an agent manage the property. I would recommend that she get a lease (standard copies available from the newsagent), lodge the bond and issue the reciepts. You might get an agent to give you an idea of the market…[Read more]

House price recovery is very subjective at the moment from my dealings/discussions in various areas. The crunch which was felt 12 months ago in West/South-western Sydney is now filtering through to the more affluent suburbs (have been feeling the pinch for the last 4-6 months but have managed to withhold properties from the market), inner west is…[Read more]

Short and simple, yes, in NSW you will require a licence. Refer to the dept of fair trading website for the requirements.

Karen, if you are interested in the block next door, don't make the approach yourself. It is better to get a third party eg an agent to make enquiries with the occupant/owner because by showing your hand you are likely to be hit for a higher price (as you have more to gain from the purchase than a newcomer).It would be best to visit the councils…[Read more]

I look forward to the outcome. Good luck.

Any offer that I'd make would be gst inclusive, especially if you aren't registered for gst. This is a negotiable point, the vendor may wish to adjust (but I wouldn't agree to an adustment for gst). You will not be able to recoup the gst when you come to sell the property so it will inflate your costbase by 10%.The valuation will take gst into…[Read more]

To ask a blatantly stupid question who 'benefits' from the easement? When was it created? For what purpose? By Whom?

Pumpout systems are pretty standard (it is much harder to get one or more of the neighbours to agree to an easement on their land, excavation/reinstatement etc).Fail safe just means that there are 2 pumps located in a pit at the lowest point of the development. Most plumbers are cluey enough to work out and provide the details (or use an hydraulic…[Read more]

kattan wrote:
btw whose responsibility is it to register easements? if unregistered how is the prospective buyer going to be aware of the condition? Kattan

For an easement to exist, it needs the consent of the land's owner (ie the property which is burdened) as well as the documentation submitted by the property benefitting from the easement.…[Read more]

The only people who win at the casino/TAB are the shareholders not the punters (there are very few exceptional punters which is why the Casinos tend to look after them nicely).The tote works by taking out a fixed percentage of the bet to cover its running costs and profits, the rest is shared between the winners/place getters and is funded by the…[Read more]

Casper, all products must meet the standard for your area eg R3.5 so that they are all as effective as each other. If you need to get an installer contact the Master Builders Association in your state – I think that in order to qualify for the rebate you need to use a registered installer ie not DIY.

Generally councils will accept drawings prepared by anyone provided that they meet the guidelines required by council for assessment ie must be a scaled drawing, show the entire lot/block, be fully dimensioned, show relative setbacks from boundaries, have a north point, show the height, reduced levels etc. You will also need to provide information…[Read more]

Minimum fee structure (or a % of final price) then a % of the saving off the asking price or a fixed price are better however it is always an unknown as to how many properties that a buyer wants to look at before committing (if at all).

I noticed today's email from RP Data shows the price drop in median house prices over $1m with several suburbs dropping out of the category but some new one coming in.I don't believe the stats when they can give a median price increase of 30-50% based on a small number of sales (I like large samples with more information for analysis ie a…[Read more]

Generally speaking it is a house/unit that has never previously been occupied eg new construction or refurbishment if major works have been carried out on an older block of units (completely refurbished block and all units sold off with new strata plan). You can even get away with it (sometimes) with the redevelopment/refurbishment of old motels…[Read more]

It still equates to over $800/m2 (the house is only 24 m2).  If you were investing in it, a bank might choke as it is smaller than most studio apartments.(I'm a little cynical tonight).