I suspect we are never happy with our land tax bill. I try to sooth myself and keep a positive spin on paying tax by saying it means we have assets so be thankful. If we didn't have any income or assets then we wouldn't pay tax. That may work some of the time but when the tax has increased by an
Are you like the thief stealing the paintings?
A thief was caught after stealing some paintings from the Louvre in Paris, when his getaway van ran out of fuel. Given bail at his first hearing, a reporter asked him on the steps of the courthouse how he forgot such a vital part of his plan. "Simple," said the thief, "I had no Monet for Degas to
How our team works – and gets the best results for landlords
Can you imagine an airline where the pilots help clean the plane? Back in 1972 The Southwest Airlines staff knew they were fighting for their jobs as other airlines were trying to put them out of business. Being the underdogs spurred them on to work as an efficient team. There was no demarkation
Better Design for Melbourne Apartments
Recently there has been a lot of coverage in the press about the enormous number of apartments currently being built in the city. Perhaps the most troubling news is that there may be an over supply but I think worse than the over supply aspect is that many are of very poor quality. This has been
Housing affordability – and a backyard option
The prices of housing in the larger Australian cities and the cost of renting are constantly in the news. Yet one thing we don't hear much of in Victoria is the 'Granny Flat'. It came to mind for me over the holiday period when I was visiting my daughter and her family in Singapore. They are
So what’s in store this year?
Outlook for Investors: Last year we saw experts begin to question the future of negative gearing and stamp duty as first -home buyers were pushed further out of the market. Home loan costs increased, construction numbers for apartments exploded and foreign investors were hit with big
What was our worst nightmares ?
Finding a drug house Lots of people were interested in the drug house blog so we have republished it on this new site. Police Warnings There are warnings all over the media. Look out for drug houses. The police send information to managing agents like us. At Planinsek Property we have discussed
What Property Managers Are Saying …
Around the office: Lately I have had a couple of very distressed property managers on behalf of their landlords. It seems a tenant can continue to live in a property without paying rent for up to three months just by knowing the system and using it to their advantage. My advice to property
