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147 | Q&A – What’s Your Exit Strategy? Are You Retiring or Have You Bought a “Dud”?

It’s Q & A day BUT first things first … thank you!!

We have officially nailed our Movember target of $5,000!!!

And we’ve been busy parcelling The Armchair Guide to Property Investing for those of you who donated $25 or more (yep, for those who haven’t donated yet, you can still get a free book if you do this)!

PLUS, as Ben promised, he will be doing a Free Webinar on Working Out Your Retirement Gap … so stay tuned!!

In the first few minutes of today’s show, we also make an announcement on what happens if we hit our next target. (It has to do with Stiggy!!!)

 

But back to today’s Q & A on EXIT STRATEGIES, here’s what you’re in for:

 

The Q’s are as follows, folks:

 

Question from Lou:

Hi guys … long time listener (you take the edge off Sydney commuting, so thank you)!

My husband and I currently have six properties in NSW (nothing in Sydney metro … yet) valued at $2.3 million and LVR at 64% and gross yield of 8.2%.

We are both 40(ish) with two kids under 5. Our aim is to retire early with a $100K income. Reading your book and watching the videos and listening to the podcasts, I am wondering if retirement income is always based on rental income alone, or do you ever recommend borrowing off the equity as part of an early retirement strategy (with major buffers of course!). We’ve been very wrapped up in the acquisition phase that it’s hard to see where the end is especially when rents seem to creep up so slowly … I would love your thoughts on ‘living off the equity’ as part of a strategy.

 

Question from Chris:

Hi, I just started listening to your podcast. Can I get some advice from you guys regarding this case?

Mid of 2016, I paid 40k down payment (10%) for an off-the-plan 1 bed room apartment in Melbourne CBD (close to Melbourne Central.) The settlement is in 2018.

After getting some education from several property investment resources including your podcast (which I should have done first), I realised that I had probably made a rookie mistake. The purpose of this investment was tax deduction (another rookie mistake, I know).

Now, I still have some cash (around $200K) in my home loan offset account (saving and equity from a remortgage). If I want to start building a long-term portfolio (I’m 37, 2 young kids), what shall be my next step? Do you suggest I sell off-the-plan apartment before settlement? I have a very bad feeling about that off-the-plan apartment before settlement? I have a very bad feeling about that investment …

Look forward to your advice!

 

Question from Sonya

I’ve started listening to you guys (and yes, I tune out to the football banter) and yes, I have bought your book. My question is: What determines whether or not an investment property is a ‘dud’, and should you get out of it as soon as these signs start to appear? We bought an investment property in Thornbury, Melbourne. The area has had great growth in the last five years, average above 8%. Our property is a 2 bedroom townhouse, circa 1970s. It has grown about 4% pa and rent has not increased in the 5 years we’ve had it. Rental yield is about 4%. I believe the location is the problem as it is not a walk to the main hipster drag. We have cash flow to purchase another property, but could have more if we sell this ‘dud’. And we have a capital gains loss from a piece of land we sold a while ago, which we can use to offset any capital gain we may make if we sell the ‘dud’. Does this have signs of a property ‘dud’? Do we hold out and wait, or do we exit now, use the capital loss to our benefit and buy another property?

 

Question from Christian:

  1. I would love to listen to an episode dedicated to exit strategy and retirement.

These types of strategies, how to exit, how much income to expect in retirement etc.

  1. Are the days of large property portfolios over?? Given the current APRA restrictions and banks extremely conservative assessment rates, many investors with 3 – 4 properties are finding it difficult to borrow more for further purchases. Banks are assessing existing borrowings and P&I loans with rates at 7.5%. Rental income at 80% and negative gearing not taken into account. For an investor with 2 ­­– 3 properties or more, that kills your servicing to borrow more. Yes, it’s a first world problem, but we need to build a decent asset base to get the passive income stream down the track!

Thoughts??

Love your work!!

146 | 10 Reasons Why You’re NOT Rich Yet

Happy Podcast Day folks! Aside from growing our moustaches for Movember, this week we’ve also been growing a ripper episode for you **drum roll please** …

Today, we’re giving you the 10 Reasons Why You’re Not Rich Yet!!!

(Now, we’ll be honest, we’re not huge fans of the word “rich” — we prefer the term ‘financially free’, but you get the gist.)

So why haven’t you got the money you thought you’d have by now? When is the suitcase of cash finally going to land at your feet? Is it something you might be doing/not doing?

Yep, this one just might make you have a long, hard look at yourself (in a nurturing way, of course).  Because there are TEN reasons — a few of which you might be doing now — that are blocking your shot at financial freedom.

 

Speaking of finances, if you help us donate to Movember with a $25 donation or more we will give you a FREE SIGNED COPY OF OUR BEST SELLER BOOK! Yep, we’ll cover the cost of the postage and, guess what … The book’s worth more than $25. AND donations above $2 are tax deductible! 3 wins. You, a good cause and us MoBros!!

How do you do it?

  1. Go to our Mo’s Team Page here and donate $25 or more.
  2. Once you’ve done it, let us know by commenting on this Facebook Post here.
  3. We’ll send you the book. Easy!

AND if we hit our target of raising $5,000 for Movember, Ben has promised to create a FREE WEBINAR on Working Out Your Retirement Gap! But we need to hit the $5,000 mark to make him prioritise this. Remember, it’s for a great cause (and you get to see the guys look ridiculous for another 2 weeks)!

 

Alright, where’s the money at? (What you can expect in today’s show.)

 

Remember: Money’s not everything. And you can experience huge wealth in helping others! Donate to Movember here.

145 | 8 Reasons Why Vendors Sell Before Auction

Now… it’s Framework Time!! The last framework that we’ve unpacked was Episode 137 on Tips for Buying in Spring so we think we are a little overdue for another one.

The topic that we’ll be chatting about today doesn’t happen all the time, of course, but it does happen: Vendors sell BEFORE they go to auction.

Have you ever wondered why??

Today, we’re exploring some of the main reasons explaining an early sell in this situation. Because if you’re selling (side note: hopefully you’ve received professional advice about this), it pays to know which tactics could be lurking around the corner for you. Of course, if you’re interested in buying property, it saves to know how to negotiate a win before the bidding has had a chance to begin!

 

So, is selling before auction as clear-cut as we might think?

Yep, today we’re digging into the heart of it:

 

P.S. Folks, we’re doing Movember this month! If you would like to support the cause that helps tackle the serious issues affecting men’s health, feel free to donate here. (Bucket loads of good karma awaits you.)

P.S.S. Want more info on PICA? Head to www.pica.asn.au

 

 

142 | Q&A – Can you achieve a passive income in 3 years? Are you too old?

Alright folks, let’s get down to the “nitty gritty” … how long will it take you to achieve a passive income?

What about the limits of your age? Are you too old? Are you too young? Do you have an outstanding HECS debt to pay off?

In today’s Q&A, we will be discussing all of these and plenty of other tricky questions too.

Oh, AND we have two GUEST LISTENERS featuring on our podcast — don’t forget: you can feature on The Couch too if you leave us a voicemail message!

A handful of dot points for you:

  • Is an apartment in the CBD a bad idea?
  • When will it be too old to begin investing in property?
  • Should you pay off your HECS debt before you buy your first property?
  • If you start right now, can you achieve a $1,000 passive income in 3 years?
  • Which is better in the long term: a free standing house or a unit in a better location?

 

See you this Saturday at the Sydney Property Buyer Expo! Haven’t got your tickets yet, click here to purchase your tickets and save $50 by using this discount code: PROPERTYCOUCH

 

And here are the questions from today’s show:

SpeakPipe Question from Michelle:

First of all, first of all thank you for the podcast. I love every single episode of it — so keep up the good work!
My question today is: I have a property in Melbourne CBD, which is an apartment in a high rise building. After listening to your podcast, I understand that this is a really bad purchase … should I sell it to fund the next purchase? And my second question is: should I buy in blue-chip areas in Melbourne where the average price is $750,000 or should I start looking further down — Regional Victoria or interstate, where the price is down to $400,000 – $500,000 and aim for better growth?

Thank you!

(You might also like: Episode 007 | Studio or One Bedroom Apartment as an Investment Property)

 

Question from Anonymous:

Hi Ivise & team,
The boys take their work far too seriously and they need to pay a bit more for their advertising campaign — see attached, (the photo is next the Batman Avenue flyover near Punt Rd).
Team: I’m a 55-year-old, married with 2 independent dependents in the house, our house is worth $1.1 mill, we owe $420K, we have some super, less than $100K each, good income of $160K between us, no other real debts; is it toooo late for us to start property investing?
My thought is: if we did start, it’s better than not starting at all — it may not give us great passive income by the time I retire (65), but it’ll be better than our current plan, which is … as soon as I work out what it is, I’ll tell you.

Thanks, Anonymous.

 

SpeakPipe Question from Mathew:

Hi Ben and Bryce,

Hey guys, I hope you’re well. I’m a long time listener and I have a bit of a dilemma with asset selection.

I’m in a situation where I’m preapproved to buy an asset — and I have two areas I’m looking at. In one area, I can only afford a 1 bedroom unit, and in the second area I can basically afford a 3 bedroom, detached house on land.

My question would be: Weighing up all the pros and cons of each, I’m not sure which would be the better investment for the long term. Any help you can give me would be awesome.

Thanks guys!

 

Question from Cate:

Hi Bryce and Ben,

Just love listening to your podcasts. My friend put me onto your podcasts 3 months ago and I’m already up to Episode 70!

Question: I’m a first home buyer looking to buy in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, older style flat, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom (not more than 20 units in the apartment block!). Average price from my research is $550K. I have a mortgage broker friend who has advised if I pay off my HECS debt roughly $10K, it means my borrowing power would be $480K with a $110K deposit or $430K borrowing power without paying off my HECS. Would you recommend paying off HECS and sacrifice some of my deposit to free up additional cash flow from my income and enable greater borrowing for this property and other investment properties down the track? (Note: I’ll be moving into the property and renting out the second room).

Look forward to your response.

Cate.

 

Question from Carina:

Hi all,

I’ve been following your blogs for quite some time now and have also read your book. I am a 29 Year old German living in Brisbane and I’m working in the corporate world that doesn’t give me any freedom. My goal is to create $2000 passive income a week and to be able to see my family in Germany more often and follow my real passions. I’ve been going to open houses and looking at every sold property online in and around Brisbane to educate myself and to understand the property market.

I don’t have a property yet, but am looking at buying from November/December onwards. I have $50,000 deposit at the moment. Can I please have your honest opinion if you think that I can achieve $1000 passive income through rent within the next 3 years? I obviously have to invest in more than just 1 property, but I also don’t want to waste my time.

 

 

 

136 | Four Corners and Q&A – The Property Bubble, Being Burnt and Afraid to Invest: What Not to Do

Well folks, after Awe-Guest, it seems like a long time since our last Q&A!

So a lot of you have been writing in to us wanting to know our view on Four Corners’ recent episode on property investment in Australia, Betting on the House.

Now, there was a bit of doom-and-gloom in this episode and we want to talk about it.

To do this, we’re going to answer YOUR hard questions about property investment — the difficulties, the consequences of poor asset selection, bad property investment advice, the fear of debt and the “1 – 2 property block”.

 

Note: Ben’s reference to PIPA’s Framework on regulating Property Investment (very, very important stuff) can be found if you click here.

 

Today’s Questions!

Hot Markets & The Overall Economy from David:

Hi Team,

Wanted your thought on this “bubble” topic and the actions we see from ASIC and APRA with the banks.
The way I see it (I am an Australian working in Malaysia, with 1 property investment in WA and 1 being built in NSW Blue mountains) the rate increases are short-sighted and will hurt more than they help.
With increasing rates it means more money is pumped into paying debt. This means there is less for discretionary spending (going out, movies, dinners, gifts, holidays). With less mining and less manufacturing, Australia needs these service based industries to grow. With less spending on them, due to rates, they will shrink — this in turn hurts our overall economic situation … almost starts to lead us down the “R” word path and a certain “bubble” correction.

Would it not be better to strict things in Sydney and Melbourne markets as a standalone action by:

  1. Restricting bank refinancing and equity accessing for those hot markets – ensure LVR at 70% minimum for a refinance
    2. Ensuring all investment purchases in those hot markets have 20 – 25% deposit minimum
    3. Assessing loans for investment on 10% interest rate for P&I
    4. Limiting foreign investor purchasing in the hot markets?

This will mean the wider economy can continue, other markets needing a boost can see a rate cut maybe, and first home buyers in ‘hot markets’ do not get squeezed out.
Is it that easy?

 

Asset Selection (Numbers versus Emotions?) from Anne:

Thanks for your fascinating podcast! Just had a quick question regarding looking for investment property. I often hear that the property should have owner/occupier appeal, and yet I also hear that you need to take your emotions out of the equation and just look at the numbers! How do you balance these seemingly conflicting ideals? I am trying to just look at the numbers on an area, which I personally would not live in, and am finding it difficult.

 

Why Most Investors Stop At One from Andrew:

Hi Ben, Bryce and Ivise,

My question is about moving onto the 2nd property. I have often heard statistics such as the overwhelming proportion of property investors stop at 1 investment property. I understand that cash flow is king. I really want to know why or how investors get “stuck” after 1 or 2 properties. Is it their fear of debt or high LVRs? Obviously, the serviceability assessment by banks and recent government changes and APRA regulations has put a slow down on the investor space but these statistics were around long before the changes.
I am of the belief that you purchase what you can afford, manufacture some equity, wait for your property to grow in equity to move on again, and again, and again …
I don’t mind sharing my details as there would probably be many listeners out there in similar situation:

I am 33, single income family on $110,000 a year — currently renting in regional QLD due to work. I used a buyer’s agent to purchase my first investment property, a 3 bed, 1 bath and 1 garage in Birkdale QLD on a corner block in March 2017 for $455k. The property manager had it rented in under 2 weeks of being on the market. It currently has a 4.9% gross yield. There is $65k in the redraw, which means the property is neutral, which is good as it is in a trust. Further to this, I am adding an additional $1400 a month to the redraw. I will be ready to go again in a few months. (Yay?) I plan on adding a bathroom and bedroom to the property after the tenants finish their 12 month lease. My strategy is to buy, renovate, hold.
I really hope to receive some information about the “1 – 2 property block”. If this question makes it to a podcast, I’ll be very satisfied as I know many investors would have this question.

PS – Bring back the sign off in different languages!
PPS – awesome book — read it twice already

 

 

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