mrd

	Hi Nick, what is your opinion of superannuation and do you make contributions into super as well as continue to build a property portfolio?
	The first thing I must say here is that I can only tell you what I do and my opinions why. I cannot offer (and am not offering) advice on what any individual should do in their own situation. Suffice to say that I am not a believer in Superannuation and I do not make personal contributions. My reasons include, but are not limited to:

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How long has it been since you received one of those annoying real estate letters soliciting you to sell your investment properties through their agency? For me it was two days ago; but this time I decided to do something about it!

The reason I find those letters so ‘annoying’ is not because they are sent to me, rather because they are sent to you! Let me explain…

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Market Square in the Varsity Lakes precinct of the Gold Coast has increasingly become the business focal point for for the Robina / Varsity area. The following news clippings show development activity has not waned in light of this years economic uncertainty.

Click on the thumbs to read each news clipping:

Are we heading into a recession? Michael has 10 reasons why we won’t suffer this financial slump.

If you blinked you would have missed it - the speed with which the clamouring herd changed its mind about inflation concerns and possible interest rate rises.
It only took a couple of sets of figures last week to suddenly have the tabloid media beating up stories feature the dirty “R” word. The Prime Minister has done a cautiously weak job of downplaying such speculation, but Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner was better on TV on Sunday morning when he said such talk is “premature”.
Let me take that line a bit further. Before anyone starts panicking about the extent to which our economy is slowing, here are my 10 reasons for why we won’t suffer a national recession any time soon:

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When investing, we look at things from a different perspective to a home owner and what may be fear and trepidation to one is a potentially burgeoning opportunity to another.

“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful”
- Warren Buffett

So how do you interpret the headlines and the media commentary on our property markets as an investor?

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The mrd “set ‘n’ forget” for busy people ™ system exactly reflects my investment strategy. Let me explain why I only invest in (median priced and permanently tenanted) residential property.

As you would expect, from time to time I am asked why my investment focus is so narrow; i.e. only property, only residential and only median priced. The answer is very simple…

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A person’s looks, race and marital status are being used by real-estate agents to weed out “risky” tenants in an increasingly tight rental market, new research has revealed. Rental candidates are required to prove their ability to cover the cost of rent, but the success of their application could also depend on their age, ethnicity or family size, according to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
While a tenant’s ability to pay rent and care for a property were identified as important considerations, the report also found personal characteristics and circumstances were key indicators of risk.
Ethnicity, family size, employment and even the personal appearance of a rental candidate could determine the success of their application.
LJ Hooker New Farm principal Brett Greensill admitted the findings were a sad reality of the current climate, with historically low rental vacancy rates and high demand. “In our office, anything that is vacant is taken up almost immediately and there are always multiple applicants,” Mr Greensill said.
The process for choosing a tenant depended on the agent making the decision, but could include a range of “risk measures”, he said. With a high number of applicants likely to be in the running for a single property, it is up to the agent to employ their best judgement on the most suitable tenant, he said.
The best tenant was often seen as the one who would cause the fewest problems, Mr Greensill said. “From a business perspective, a good tenant means higher profitability for the landlord and the agent - if there are no problems, all parties are happy.

Trams could run from Helensvale to Coolangatta on the Gold Coast under a plan announced by the State Government today. Transport Minister John Mickel said light rail was the most likely option to bust crippling congestion on the glitter strip, where 20 per cent of all residents will live within 800 metres of the proposed line. It will stretch from Helensvale, Harbour town, the “knowledge precinct” of Griffith University and new Gold Coast Hospital site, Southport, Surfers paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads and on to Coolangatta.
Mr Mickel said the proposal provided the best option to combat congestion on the Gold Coast, where traffic was increasing by 4.3 per cent each year.
“Currently only 4 per cent, or 65,000 trips, are made by the Coast community on public transport, and with rapid transit it is projected to grow to 10 per cent by 2026.
“By making public transport faster, more efficient and more reliable, this project is estimated to take up to 40,000 car trips off the roads - that will have a significant effect. He said early indications were that private companies were keen to “get on board”.
“This is truly an international solution for an international city that enhances the Gold Coast’s reputation as a tourism and lifestyle destination”.
The first stage of construction is expected to begin by 2010.

RESIDENTS and businesses in the outer suburbs of Australian cities will leave in droves if oil prices stay high, a new report predicts.
Analysis undertaken by the federal government’s transport department predicts households and businesses will move to the inner city if petrol prices continue to bite.
This is because people will abandon their cars and take public transport instead.
Those who do keep driving will switch to diesel or hybrid cars, while 4WDs will fall by the wayside, the analysis predicts.
International holidays will also become a rarity.
But the great Australian tradition of living in the suburbs and driving to work might survive for some time - the analysis found the shift to the inner city would only happen “in the very long term”.

Brisbane Unit values have increased at a faster rate than houses over the last year, with the median value of Brisbane units increasing by 18.1 per cent over the last year to reach $346,184.