There is limited things you can do without actually using the money or using it as security.

You could use 100% lends

You could buy cheap property, pay cash and then mortgage after settlement based with the loan based on valuation. This could release all of your funds so it is 100% plus financed.

I don't like the new format either and think not many are posting because of this.
But I ahve never had a problem logging in like Jaffasoft – why not just get firefox or explorer to save your password.

Why not get a 100% offset against one of your properties?

What about a compromise – do a little of the improvements and put the rent up slightly.

The best person to see is a good accountant. Do some preliminary research on the net and be aware that not many accountants understand trusts so if your's says you don't need one ask for the reasons why.

Yes that is true. It is because legally you must continue paying for the loan if the other person doesn't – you are jointly and severably liable. And for tax reasons you only get half the rent.

There may not be a way around it other than not buying jointly where possible. This is especially so when husband and wife are buying property together using No Doc loans – having both on the loan halves the borrowing capacity – and doubles the risk.

Taxation issues must also be considered in conjunction.

What are you trying to acheive?

Unit trusts provide no, or little, flexibility or asset protection.

With a unit trust the percentage of holdings is fixed in proportion to the number of units held. So if you own 50% of the units, you must get 50% of the profits.

Also there is little asset protection as if you went bankrupt your units are property which can be seized by creditors.

Comparre this to a discretionary trust where there is maximum flexibility and asset protection. The trustee has discretion on where to distribute income each year, so usually distributes to the lowist income earner among the beneficairies. This will change each year as each beneificiaries circumstances change. Unlike unit trusts, there is a huge range of potetenital beneficiaries with discretionary trusts – even those yet to be born or coming into the family through marriage, adoption or divorce (eg future wife's ex husband!),

WIth discretionary trusts the interest held by a beneificary is not classed as property. So if a beneficiary were to go bankrupt, they couldn't lose any asset held by the trust. The trustee would simply stop distributing to them (otherwise it woudl go to creditors).

The only reason to use a unit trust would generally be when two unrelated parties wish to do something jointly. And then the units should be owned by a discretionary trust – one trust for each party.

Just because Neil Jenman comments on a company doesn't mean it is dodgy.

I have heard of Mcorp, they run property investment courses and education – a bit pricy, but last year they were offering free places in their 2 day course. Didn't know they were buyers agents though.

I don't think there is a way around it other than exchanging contracts quicker.