Don't  panic, I'm not actually that sensitive.  I did try to put in a positive comment – see how I said it was a lovely area?

I'm happy to be a negative so and so.  The OP seemed to be being fed some pretty inaccurate information about the local economy, that really warranted putting right, I felt. 

Tony BCarpe makes some great points.  And, the best course of action has something to do with what sort of lifestyle you want too.  Would you like to live in your own home?  Are you simply trying to make the smatest money move you can at the moment?  If the first is correct, go buy one.  I'd agree wholeheartedley with Carpe's criteria on prop…[Read more]

I'd like to think that they wouldn't be spending billions in cash hand outs.  What a crock.  What about all the massive infrastructure improvements this country needs to go forward, and remain globally competitive.  Our road networks and health systems are a mess, I'm guessing that more light rail would be needed in the cities, we need more da…[Read more]

OK, I was just about to go and do the dishes – happy distraction!Port Douglas is really just a holiday town.  It is lovely.  A very nice place to have a holiday.  There is ALOT of holiday accomodation there.  There is a large high end international tourist trade there, too.  The very large tourist sector has given rise to all sorts of empl…[Read more]

Boshy888 wrote:
I think some council personnel may make silly decisions because they are terrified of having their butt kicked and through lack of knowledge. 

Boshy, you have this the wrong way round.  They make silly decisions because their brain is located in their ar*e and their IQ has been depleted by all the but kicking they have r…[Read more]

Tony B,I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your posts.  From the beginning I found it pretty hard to reconcile the spelling, with the fact that you didn't sound foreign, and the fact that you did sound educated.  I guess that one's solved.  At the airport this morning I picked up a copy of Australian Property Investor mag, which is not us…[Read more]

Thanks all for your comments.  It seems that perhaps there isn't anyone on this forum at the moment who is actively involved in the Townsville market.  I flew to Townsville on Monday, stayed for Tuesday and flew out again today.  It is very wet there at the moment, as you may have seen on the news.  Glad I had a plane booked, as all the roads are…[Read more]

I found that my solicitors and accountant's opinions on this matter varied.  Which was a bit of a pain.  In the end, I listened to my accountant's opinions on tax matters and the solicitors on legal risk, and went with the solicitors advise because legal risk was of more concern to me (and that was really his area of expertise), and his r…[Read more]

Check with the council concerned about how this might affect your future ability to develop, improve or onsell the property.  Councils are a law unto themselves and sometimes can be very unreasonable, and totally lacking in IQ.  It would be good if you can get some sort of written statement from the council, but the mere request might just scare t…[Read more]

startxing,This is where I holiday, every year, and, as property investors, looking at the local real estate is always an interesting part of our holiday.  I'd be interested to know exactly where this place you speak of is.  Your original post seems to say that it is in the Cairns – Port Douglas area.  Where exactly?  The question is because the…[Read more]

From your research, it certainly seems that the property is quite lettable.  Certain legal requirements apply in certain states.  Smoke alarms, small stuff like that.  Talk to a local property manager.  You have ticked alot of the right boxes, but I don't know your market.  Look into rental occupancy rates in the area.  Be aware that the downt…[Read more]

Sounds to me like your whole plan makes alot of sense.  If you have truly done the maths, and can truly afford the property, then great.  Perhaps someone here can give you some advice on how to claim the FHOG.  I'd like to talk to you about something else.  You need to be very clear about the motivation behind your purchase.  It sounds like you…[Read more]

I really doubt that you'll regret it.  I opted out of a deal at the last moment a bit more than a year ago, at some cost.  I'm really glad that I did, now, and the few grand I lost just made sure that I learned my lesson.  But, really, I was much better off to wear a loss of a few grand on the nose, than to risk everything that I had built so fa…[Read more]

D,I would certainly be interested.  When we leave our current situation I would love to earn a living from RE.  I think I could be a good RE agent.  I was a very successful media salesperson 10 years ago.  But, I'd rather be a mum, and not have to work 7 days a week (or even 6), and I'd rather work for myself, which makes working as an agent a bit…[Read more]

gmh454 wrote:
 just wish someone else would try and hold back nature and its relentless pursuit to take our property back..wish your parents good luck..

Yeah, nature can be a bi+ch (from flooded NW QLD).  thanks for the luck. 

gmh454 wrote:
[Live in the area and we breed rabbits, lots of and lots of Peters with bright blue coats and shiny brass buttons. (you would thinks the snakes would get down the burrows and finish them off…..damm lazy snakes)

Thanks gmh454.  Rabbits, huh?  For eating?  Like a business?  Mum's having trouble with foxes with her chooks.  They…[Read more]

Scamp wrote:
How does a 22-year old get their hands on 400.000 dollars of debt ?Sorry but there's something really wrong about that picture. Whoever gave you that amount of money should be sued for child cruelty.And YOU should know better than to get a 400.000 dollar mortgage !!

How very condescending.  A 22 year old with the brains to be…[Read more]

hbbehrendorff wrote:
The bubble is looking for a pin and sooner or later it's going to find one.

Except for old kruddy desperately running around with a pincushion!  I believe we should see the release of just such a pincushion tomorrow designed to prop up the lower end of the commercial property sector.   Be interesting to see what he tries ne…[Read more]

Thanks for your ideas, Phillip.  I hear your idea of selling and buying closer on the North Shore, to take advantage of growth there over the next few years.  However, it will be difficult to convince Mum and Dad that selling at what I expect at the moment to be a considerable loss is the best thing to do.  Purchasing the property in the first pl…[Read more]