Property Investment Tool

If you are interested, genuinely interested in buying or investing in property in Australia, I want to urge you to read on because I have come across the most useful and easy to follow tool to help you make those big decisions and I will share it as we get further in.

It is an invaluable tool that will enable you to find the right property within all the criteria that you want to ensure the investment is sound. There is a lot of money tied up in real estate so it is important to make the right decisions and to do that you need the right advice and some good sound investment strategies. So read on and I will let you in on a secret that you will be well rewarded with. I have to say this is only for people investing in Australia or New Zealand.

We have always been interested in property investment. For us it was mainly rural property which has proved to be an excellent investment as we were able to subdivide off small blocks for city people wanting a lifestyle block with a view of the ocean. Along the way the property earns an income and it gains in capital value. So it is our business, our home and our investment. The most important factor when buying any property is position, position. position Whether you are buying a house, a business establishment or a rural property, position has to be a major consideration.

• Other things you need to consider are the values and physical presentation of other properties in the neighboring area. It is no good buying a lovely home if it is surrounded by derelict homes or other unsightly industries or waste water treatment plants and so on. You need to look at what is around the property, don't buy it just because it seems like a bargain. You may have to sell it again yourself one day. .
• The physical state of the house itself, particularly foundations and plumbing as these can be expensive to repair and need to be factored into your buying price. A coat of paint will make a huge difference but is not so costly, bathrooms and kitchens can be a huge expense.
• The general trend in property values for an area, is it trending up or down? As with the share market you need to let the trend be your friend
• Work opportunities for whoever might occupy the house.
• Distance from schools, hospitals and shops, this is still part of the position, position, position formula.
• The state of the roads in the area.
• The council rates and other add on and recurring costs, you can check these with the local council
• Rental availability in the area if you are planning to rent the property for a time. You need to know there is some demand for rental properties in an area and that the market is one which will be considerate of your property. Know what the rental values are for similar houses.
• Proposed development plans for an area. These should be available from the local council. Ensure there are no plans to negatively impact on your proposed purchase such as the positioning of industrial works or roads etc.
• Do your budgets before you buy anything

For our first property we went to the bank with a budget proving we could make it pay and shared our enthusiasm and determination but we had no money to put into it. We did have a vision for future potential. However the bank manager was impressed with our budgets and our attitudes and so we were able to borrow 100% of the money . The property was a working dairy farm only 4 kilometers from town and backing on to the towns golf course.. We were young and willing to work. Within 6 years we had paid it all back in full and tripled the value of our investment. We took that money and bought another property 3 times the size of the first.

This one was further from the town but had fabulous views overlooking the beach. Lifestyle blocks for city dwellers wanting an escape or retirement investment were increasing in demand. We were able to sell 6 small blocks before the rules for the sizing on lifestyle blocks in rural areas was changed. So without interrupting the working of the farm we were able to sell these small blocks, pay for this property in full and buy another similarly sized one a few kilometers away with even better views while still keeping the first property. We are now running both properties as a farming business, loving the rural life and enjoying the friendship of some wonderful neighbors who have moved from the city to join us.

But where to now? We are asking ourselves as we are getting older and we do not want to buy more farm land to increase the work load. It is time to enjoy life, fulfill our bucket lists and allow our money to work for us.

In pursuing different ways to invest and different property options I came across this absolutely fantastic tool to sift through properties that might be a worthwhile investment.

We have a self managed super fund so I am planning to use some of the money in it to build a property portfolio for our children down the track. I will use the realestate investar to help me find the properties which will fit within my budget and ones which should be a good investment for the future.

I am including the link here for anyone who might be interested in property as an investment option in New Zealand or Australia. I do not know if there are similar programs for other countries but it does not mean people from other countries cannot use this tool.

Happy and safe investing!.

http://www.realestateinvestar.com.au/odau/?a=JudyE

There are some great books available to guide you in your investment decisions and so I have chosen a few to list below. I hope you find them helpful