Can I claim tax deduction for the expenses happened before the property was rented out?

Question: I recently bought my first investment property in April 2010. Unfortunately it wasn’t rented out until early July. I wonder if I can still negative gear anything (claim tax deductions) for the period that the property was vacant though I received no rental income? Answer: Although you didn’t get any rental income for the …

Can we claim tax deductions when renting out primary residence?

Question: We are moving interstate and own a property with a $300,000 mortgage that we would like to keep as an investment property.  I would like to know: (1) Is it true that if we keep this as our primary residence we won’t pay capital gains tax if we sell within six years. (2) Can we claim tax deductions connected with …

“Get rich quick” or just real estate property hoaxes & scams

Property is a long term investment and proven performer in any economy, but “get rich quick” courses and seminars offered by wealth creation ‘gurus’ are giving a bad name to the entire property investment industry. The problem is that these courses, which is normally free, are essentially capturing people who aren’t ready to invest and …

Property investment strategies – How to pick a good investment unit or apartment

Are units or apartments good or bad for property investment? What factors should you consider when buying investment units or apartments? Many people invest in apartments because they often have a cheaper buy-in price than houses and are also thought to be a lot easier to maintain without gardens to worry about, and with the costs of …

Property investment strategies – How to pick a good investment property

Should I pick an investment property by capital growth or rental return? Should I invest in houses or units? Property investing has become a popular Australian past time with one in ten taxpayers owning a negatively geared property. But just what makes a good bricks-and-mortar investment? It’s not about buying any old house or unit, …

An introduction to property investment strategies – Diverse portfolio is key

By diversifying their assets, investors can ensure that interim performance across their portfolio is balanced to an acceptable average. Stronger assets can support those experiencing weaker conditions. Directly owned real estate assets involve a long-term commitment and a disciplined investment strategy and so are not as vulnerable to daily fluctuating sentiment. It is commonsense to …

Beach property will make strong gains throughout 2010

Beach property with coastal areas along the nation’s Eastern Seaboard experienced strong price recoveries in 2009 and will see further strong gains throughout 2010. According to an analysis of REX data, house prices gains in major coastal areas such as the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Tweed and Port Macquarie are accelerating. “There are more buyers than stock …

What rental expenses that I can claim for an immediate deduction?

Expenses for which you may be entitled to an immediate deduction in the income year you incur the expense include: *advertising for tenants * bank charges * body corporate fees and charges * cleaning * council rates * electricity and gas * gardening and lawn mowing * in-house audio/video service charges * insurance – building – …

Google shows in 2009 more and more Australians are interested in buying investment property

A research done using Google Insights shows that in 2009 the “investment property” search volume trended up for the first time since 2004. Here is the chart since 2004 and the prejection for 2010 (click on the chart to see the full size image). As you can see that since 2004 the search volume of …

2010 will be a good year for rental property investors

With residential property prices around the country on the rise, some real-estate investors are wondering if they have missed the boat. “I have been considering investing in a unit for about 12 months,” writes Kate, “but I thought prices would fall significantly due to the global economic crisis, and they didn’t. Then I expected prices …