Friday, April 30, 2010

GETTING PSYCHED UP TO BUY


Owning your own home is most people’s idea of security and stability. It means they can put an end to having to move house on the whim of a landlord who has other plans once the lease is up. Financially it’s one of the proven ways to beat inflation, provided the property purchased is well-chosen.
But buying a home requires a level of commitment and sacrifice, an ability to defer gratification that doesn’t always marry well with the desire to spend money on day to day consumer items.

Many young people complain that once they’ve paid rent, car payments, phone bill, credit card and so on there never seems to be much left out of the pay packet for saving for a deposit; is it possible, in fact, that they have chosen lifestyle options over future security and are not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to gain home ownership? Could many of the items they spend on their credit card be done without? There is a lot to be said for not getting used to a spending lifestyle, of learning to save young; once you get used to living up to your income (and often beyond!), it is hard to give up the little extras (new clothes, restaurants, holidays) you have got used to. 






Investment-conscious people recognise the difference between an asset and a liability and minimise expenditure on liabilities. Holidays, credits cards, designer clothes and flash electronic gear may be fun but they don’t put money in the bank for saving home deposits, or leave spare income for paying off a mortgage.

Not everyone has the saving mentality but for those that can psych themselves up to save rather than spend usually find that they are in a better position in ten years time than their non-saving peers; they are more likely to be able to afford the good things of life further down the track as well as owning their own home once their equity increases as the loan has been paid off and the property rises in value.
Interestingly, because incomes don’t keep pace with inflation, those who rent find themselves spending proportionately more of their income on the roof over their head, which means that in ten years time they are less able to afford the good things of life they weren’t prepared to give up when they were younger

Look for our regular weekly installment Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | www.daviddeane.com.au

Friday, April 23, 2010

What is your net rental yield return?


When buying or owning investment property, one of the important figures to look at is the net return on the money you’ve invested, also known as the net rental yield.
Many investors will take the return on their money into consideration when determining where they will invest.
Does one particular property show a better return than another? How does investing in property compare with bank interest returns?
When considering the returns on an investment property you also need to look at the long-term capital growth.  The property may have a lower short-term return (income), however, provide a higher long-term return (capital growth), which can often give you a far greater opportunity for making money.
HOW DO YOU CALCULATE YOUR RENTAL NET YIELD RETURN?
A simple example:
Purchase Price: $623,000
Weekly Rent: $700 X 50 weeks
(Allow for a vacancy factor)
Gross Total Rent: $35,000
Less Expenses: $ 10,000
(E.g. Maintenance, insurance, management fees, cleaning, interest costs, depreciation)
Net Rent: $25,000
$25,000 / $623,000 X 100
Net rental yield return = 4.01%
For a detailed more accurate return on your property that takes all expenses and depreciation into consideration, we recommend that you speak with your accountant or financial advisors. ■

Look for our regular weekly installment Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | www.daviddeane.com.au

Monday, April 19, 2010

Anzac Day

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the RSL,
Telling stories of the past.


Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one. 


And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke. 


But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today. 


He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife..
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.


He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today. 


When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.


Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung. 


Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man? 


Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life? 


The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives. 


While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.


It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know,


It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.


Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand? 


Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.


He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.


For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start. 


If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.. 


Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."


Look for our regular weekly installment
Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | http://www.daviddeane.com.au/

Friday, April 16, 2010

The risk of informal agreements… It must be in writing!


When things go wrong, they can go terribly wrong

It often starts out with all parties having the best of intentions.
A landlord who is on friendly terms with their tenant verbally agrees to a new pet, or consents to a room being painted, or out of compassion says that it is okay for the tenant to catch up on rent – without consulting the property manager.
These types of situations are more common than you may think and are fraught with danger if you don’t ensure that it is in writing.
There was a recent court case between Jemmeson and Fisher where the landlord verbally consented directly to their tenant that they could have access to a closed storeroom so the tenant’s son could play the drums.  They also asked the landlord if they could paint and carpet the room.  Without informing the agent, the landlord paid the tenant in cash for the paint and carpet.
Some months later the landlord visited the property and noticed that the tenants had turned the room into a functional bedroom by undertaking major structural repairs of inserting windows, removing doors and inserting a skylight.
The landlord was distressed and contacted their property manager. The property manager gave two options:
1) The tenant had breached the agreement and a notice of termination could be served, or 2) The issue could be dealt with at the end of the tenancy whereby the tenant would have to leave the property in the same condition (allowing for fair wear and tear) as it was at the commencement.
The landlord could not afford to have the property vacant so he allowed the tenants to stay.
Shortly after, due to health reasons, the landlord had to move back into the property and asked the tenants to restore the property to its former condition.  Why? The alterations the tenants had made did not comply with council regulations, which he believed devalued the property and made it difficult to sell.
The tenant had a completely different mindset and wanted to be further compensated for the substantial renovations.
The matter went to court and lucky for this landlord the court member (drawing on his many years of experience, which included the building division of the tribunal) understood that although the room was technically in better condition it did not comply with council requirements.  Instead of the landlord’s $3,454 rectification claim, the tenant was ordered to pay $1200 in damages.
The moral of the story…
·      Always let your property manager communicate with your tenants
·      Always get all agreements in writing
You may have the best intentions when speaking with your tenant; however, your property manager is experienced in foreseeing the possible consequences on what can go wrong. ■



Look for our regular weekly installment
Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | www.daviddeane.com.au

Thursday, April 15, 2010

SHOOT FOR THE MOON!

Tuesday marked the end of the most inspirational course I have participated in.  We have been lucky enough here at DDA to have the choice to participate once a week in working through Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I must admit I was sceptical the first couple of sessions, but today I feel like I have been given the power to BE WHATEVER I WANT TO BE!

Each week we worked through one of the 7 Habits:
  • Be Proactive
  • Begin with the End in Mind
  • Put first things first
  • Think Win-Win
  • Seek first to understand, then to be understood
  • Synergize
  • Sharpen the Saw
Each of these habits gives us the power to work to the ultimate goal of interdependence.

We each have within us the power to go as far as we want to go, or, to limit ourselves.  The choice is ours!  I look forward to putting into practice everything I have gained from this experience.
 
As Les Brown said; ‘Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss you will land among the stars’.


Nadia Mencarelli
Property Manager


Look for our regular weekly installment
Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | www.daviddeane.com.au

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

GETTING PSYCHED UP TO BUY


Owning your own home is most people’s idea of security and stability. It means they can put an end to having to move house on the whim of a landlord who has other plans once the lease is up. Financially it’s one of the proven ways to beat inflation, provided the property purchased is well-chosen.

But buying a home requires a level of commitment and sacrifice, an ability to defer gratification that doesn’t always marry well with the desire to spend money on day to day consumer items. 

Many young people complain that once they’ve paid rent, car payments, phone bill, credit card and so on there never seems to be much left out of the pay packet for saving for a deposit; is it possible, in fact, that they have chosen lifestyle options over future security and are not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to gain home ownership? Could many of the items they spend on their credit card be done without?

There is a lot to be said for not getting used to a spending lifestyle, of learning to save young; once you get used to living up to your income (and often beyond!), it is hard to give up the little extras (new clothes, restaurants, holidays) you have got used to. 

Investment-conscious people recognise the difference between an asset and a liability and minimise expenditure on liabilities. Holidays, credits cards, designer clothes and flash electronic gear may be fun but they don’t put money in the bank for saving home deposits, or leave spare income for paying off a mortgage. 




Not everyone has the saving mentality but for those that can psych themselves up to save rather than spend usually find that they are in a better position in ten years time than their non-saving peers; they are more likely to be able to afford the good things of life further down the track as well as owning their own home once their equity increases as the loan has been paid off and the property rises in value.


Interestingly, because incomes don’t keep pace with inflation, those who rent find themselves spending proportionately more of their income on the roof over their head, which means that in ten years time they are less able to afford the good things of life they weren’t prepared to give up when they were younger.


Look for our regular weekly installment
Contact us +6 17 3817 6666 | www.daviddeane.com.au