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Principles for Real Estate Investment Success in Australia
Everyone wants to give you advice on when, and how, to invest in property. But often that advice is misguided when you take the market and economic factors into account. Here are some timeless pieces of advice for both beginner and experienced property investors
Real estate is a proven wealth-building vehicle. Investing in rental properties can generate positive income and significant tax benefits, as well as build equity from appreciation over the years.
Although many people can succeed in investing in real estate, rental property investing isn't for everyone. Take account of your investment preferences and personality before buying property. Real estate is a hands-on investment and can be time consuming. Do you have time to devote to your investment? Are you comfortable troubleshooting problems or hiring a property manager?
Make sure you're financially fit before investing in rental properties. Particularly with highly geared property, you will need excess monthly savings to cover initial negative income, often for several years. Having a monthly budget is important. Most successful property investors build their investment portfolio through having saved money first and then gradually buying properties over the years.
Don't underestimate the importance of establishing good credit. The best returns on real estate rely upon the use of credit to obtain the leverage of using OPM (other people's money).
Your home is not an investment property. Your home is an investment (of sorts), but Australian tax law makes it considerably different from 'investment property'. But, if you're the DIY type, or a good project manager, you can make plenty of money in real estate from renovating your own home and selling it free of capital gains tax.
Focus on residential properties in the beginning. Residential property is an attractive investment and is easier to understand, purchase and manage than most other types of property. If you're a homeowner, you already have experience locating, purchasing and maintaining residential property. But don't forget this important point: You're not buying the property to live in yourself.
Among residential property options, top recommendations are stand-alone houses. The maxim that 'land appreciates, buildings depreciate' means that the properties with the highest land content are most likely to appreciate the most over the longer term.
Have your real estate team in place before you begin your serious property searching. You'll need a solicitor, mortgage broker, accountant, depreciation specialist and a financial adviser. They're your team. You'll rely on them for help.
Be wary of property spruikers promising real estate riches in no time. Too many people have been too greedy over the years trying to 'get rich quickly' with property. Property investment requires a 'get-rich-right' mentality.
Nail down the best financing terms and keep your banker on his toes. The bigger the deposit you can offer (say, more than 20 per cent), the more access you'll get to the best financing deal for your first property. But if you've got plenty of equity in your own home, you've also got the asset that banks prefer in order to lend you money on reasonable terms. Leverage can boost your rates of return. But too much leverage can be dangerous if the rental market turns and your debt expenses are high. Regularly search the market to make sure your financing is at competitive rates.
Use the powers of leveraging and compounding to build your property portfolio. Property portfolios are built through a snowballing effect. Buying your first home or your first investment property can be difficult. But the powers of compounding and leverage will make subsequent purchases easier. It may take five years to acquire your first two or three properties but, in the second five years, you can probably double the number of properties you buy.
'Location, location, value'. This adage clearly emphasises location, but also the importance of finding good value. Owning real estate in up-and-coming areas with new development or renovated properties enhances your chances of finding and keeping good tenants and leads to greater returns. Another great opportunity comes from properties in great locations that haven't been well maintained. Look for aesthetic issues that can be cheaply addressed.
Don't make real estate investments too close to home. Buying property in the same, or next, suburb as your home is a dangerous philosophy. Diversification is important within any investment portfolio and having both your home and an investment property (unless it's one of many investment properties) in the same suburb or town leaves you doubly vulnerable to a downturn in that area.
Any decision about where to invest starts with an evaluation of the region's economic trends. If the area isn't economically sound, then the likelihood of making successful real estate investments is diminished.
You're purchasing a future income stream when you buy a property. The key is identifying which properties sellers have underpriced.
The buy-and-flip real estate investment strategy can work, but it also has a downside. Buying and flipping (or buying and quickly reselling property) can be a way to make quick money in real estate if you time your investments correctly in a rapidly rising real estate market. However, flipping can cause your profits to be fully taxed — that is, without the advantage of the 50 per cent capital gains discount. The costs of buying (stamp duty) and selling (agent and advertising fees) also makes profiting here difficult.
Give yourself some ownership options. If you're building a portfolio and buying with your partner, consider how you structure the ownership of the property to leave yourself some options to minimise tax when it comes time to sell.
Think about gearing in terms of what you want out of your investment. Everyone's heard of negative gearing, but negative gearing means 'losing' money on an annual basis, which can make sense for some investors, especially those on high incomes. If you're not on a high income, neutrally geared or positively geared property may better provide you with what you want from property.
The best laid plans can be destroyed by one catastrophic event. Don't believe you can get away without proper insurance. And insurance isn't just home and contents and landlord's insurance. A proper property plan includes personal risk insurance, so you can keep your property investment plans afloat even if disaster strikes.


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jacobwh needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 46 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
Yoobly CRM
This is a marketing suite that creates customizable websites, captures emails, sends out autoresponder sequences, has an outbound calling suite, and a built in email client.
This is mainly created for those running networking marketing business...
We need it to look and feel AS CLEAN and SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
Take a look at our website Yoobly.com to get an idea of our style.
Video breakdown of what we are looking for.. http://screencast.com/t/VISf32oLH
People log in... and initially create a website and email series. They can also log in and search contacts, email lists, respond to emails, and make their follow up calls.
We would like you to take the attached mockups and make the design feel as clean, balanced and modern as possible. With updated colors and shading throughout.
These should be the reference images..
Trying to make the design feel as simple, guided, and modern / clean as possible. There is almost always a sidebar that shows the current contact being worked with...
We went ahead and internally designed the layout we want. Obviously we are not designers, which is why we are here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home Protection Against Radiation
NASA is launching twin satellites on August 24 from Cape Canaveral, Florida that will conduct the most intimate study to date of the Van Allen Radiation Belts that envelop Earth. The two-year Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission will study the extremes of space weather and should help scientists improve space weather forecasting.
Space weather doesn't seem like a big deal to most people on Earth, but, according to one researcher from University of Iowa , everybody is affected by it. Pick up your cell phone to make a call; take a flight on your next vacation; step outside to catch a glimpse of the northern lights; these are all instances where you become affected by space weather. And changes in space weather can wreak havoc on satellites, power grids, and GPS systems.
The Van Allen Radiation Belts, named after UI astrophysicist James A. Van Allen who discovered the phenomena in 1958 during the flight of the Explorer 1 satellite, are two donut-shaped regions of high-energy particles trapped by the Earth's magnetic field. When first discovered, the belts were thought to remain fairly stable. However, future observations revealed that these structures are not nearly as stable as believed. And even now, the reasons why are a mystery.
The twin satellites are scheduled for a 4:07 a.m. (EST) lift-off on August 24 aboard a United Launch Vehicle Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. A host of highly-sensitive instruments equipped to the satellites will aid in the study of the radiation belts.
Harlan Spence, director of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, is leading the studies involving the Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) instrument. Roy Torbert, director of UNH's Space Science Center (SSC), is a co-leader on the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) experiment. The principal investigator for the EMFISIS instrument is Craig Kletzing, F. Wendell Miller Professor of physics and astronomy in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Teams from the University of Minnesota , the New Jersey Institute of Technology , and the National Reconnaissance Office will operate three other instruments aboard the twin satellites, each of which weighs 1,455 pounds and were built for NASA at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
Collectively, the five instrument suites will give scientists the most precise measurements to date of the high-energy particles and magnetic and electric fields and waves in this near-Earth region of space where space weather occurs.
Space weather is largely affected by activity from the Sun, including solar storms (coronal mass ejections) which can be massive and pose serious threats to electrical systems in our orbit and here on the surface of the planet. The RSBP mission will enable a better understanding of space weather conditions and allow scientists to better predict the severity of such events, events that can not only disrupt electrical systems, but also pose a danger to human health.
"There can be a solar storm and the radiation belts will get pumped up, or nothing happens, or they'll nearly disappear entirely. That's puzzling, and right now we don't understand enough to say why it's the case," said Spence at a pre-launch press conference held on August 20.
To gain a better understanding of the radiation belts and how it affects space weather, the dual satellites will chase each other in common, highly-elliptical orbits to achieve simultaneous spatial and temporal measurements of the particles and the magnetic and electrical fields and waves.
"We know we can't study the particles in the absence of the electromagnetic fields that are causing them to change," noted Spence. "Until RBSP there has never been a comprehensive, coordinated investigation with two spacecraft simultaneously."
Spence's ECT suite is comprised of three main instruments including the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer, which has four versions on each satellite. Other instruments in the ECT suite include the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron spectrometer and the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope. The ECT suite was developed with the aid of several organizations including the Los Alamos National Laboratory , Southwest Research Institute (SWRI ), The Aerospace Corporation , and the University of Colorado .
Besides developing partners, the ECT suite also has a host of partners, including teams from Dartmouth College, UCLA , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, as well as international partners at the University of Alberta, the British Antarctic Survey, and the Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA) in Toulouse, France.
"The EMFISIS suite will measure the electric and magnetic fields and waves that both result from radiation belt particle interactions and have a significant effect on both the energization and loss of these particles. Having two satellites in the same orbit gives us new insights into these processes and how they change in time and space," said Torbert at a pre-launch press conference.
The RSBP mission is the first such mission to be launched by NASA in more than two decades. Like other NASA projects, this mission has two main reasons for existing: it will gather practical information and it is a part of mankind's continuing exploration of space.
"The practical reason is: that's a part of space that we utilize. The outer radiation belts are where all our communication satellites exist, the various things that make sure that GPS works, as well as telephone communications," Kletzing said. "They can be affected by these particles, and, in fact, it has happened that those satellites have actually been knocked out by radiation."
"So, understanding these effects and how they happen and, hopefully, get beyond to where we can do some level of prediction is a very important practical reason," he added.
"Additionally, the various manned missions that NASA has planned to go beyond the Space Station to places like the moon or Mars also require transiting through this region," noted Kletzing. "So, understanding the right time to go—when the particles are fewest so that you don't impact human health is a very important thing to understand."
The most exciting part of this project is that this is the first time NASA is launching twin satellites; two identical satellites, each carrying the same sets of instrumentation, that will offer scientists for the first time to get comparable evidence from two sources instead of relying on just one, according to Kletzing.
The UI's EMFISIS instruments will measure the various kinds of waves the spacecraft will encounter. UI's Kletzing and co-investigator Bill Kurth, also of UI, built the Waves and search coil magnetometer sections for the EMFISIS suite. The UI also worked with the Goddard Space Flight Center, which built a magnetometer as a part of the UI instrument suite. UNH provided the computer that controls all of the EMFISIS measurements.
Kenya, Nairobi,
Morocco, Rabat,
Chile, Santiago,
Dominica, Roseau,
Caloundra, Queensland,
Mexico, Mexico City City,
Anchorage Alaska USA
Port Augusta, South Australia
United States, Washington, D.C.,
St. Kitts and Nevis, Basseterre,
EMF Electromagnetic Field Meters
Click on any of the pictures below
to learn more


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Reddit user pdugaw was on a US Airways flight set to depart from Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. on Friday when the ground below the plane became so heated the plane sank into the tarmac and couldn't be towed out.
The Charleston, S.C.-bound plane was about to depart when the tow vehicle that was supposed to pull it out suddenly found itself battling with a plane stuck four inches below the surface of the tarmac.
Heat's been blamed for the incident, which makes sense given that the airport was still experiencing 100-degree weather at 7:00 pm. The actual heat on the ground must have been much higher.
Eventually, they deplaned and another tug was able to help unstick the regional aircraft.
Here's how pdugaw describes the experience:
They spent over an hour trying to get it out with the tug-truck, before they deplaned us. Still didn't work. Then they off-loaded luggage to try to make it even lighter and blasted the engines to try to get it out. After two hours, they gave up and cancelled the flight.
This is actually more common than you think.
(Hat tip to @NYTjim!)


text: After seeing Pixel Dan's video review of the Scarabus figures I want some energy bursts for my MOTUC figures. The energy flame that fits over Scarabus' hand looks awesome and I would love transparent energy burst attachments for my MOTUC figures. Toyguru stated in one of the SDCC videos that Thunder Punch He-Man will probably come with an energy burst that would attach to his punching arm, which is great, but I want more. For instance, they could be attached to: Figures hands, any of the Power Swords, any of the staffs, the cosmic key, Trap Jaw and Roboto's gun attachments, etc. How do the rest of you feel?


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Outdoor Exercise Routine for Arms
Click here to make an appointment with an exercise physiologist
Show more saftey tips for exercise
People with diabetes who perform resistance training strengthen their muscles. This results in a higher metabolism and more calories burnt, improving insulin sensitivity (glycemic control), helping with weight loss, and may reduce the amount of diabetes medications you take, according to Jacqueline Shahar, M.Ed., RCEP, CDE, a certified diabetes educator and manager of exercise physiology in the Joslin Clinic.
In this video, Jackie takes you through an outdoor exercise routine using resistance bands. You can place the resistance band around a tree, a bench, on any heavy exercise equipment, or you can use a door anchor and do these exercises in any room in your house.
Start with 2 sets of 15 reps two to three times per week, and increase as you get stronger.
Chest Press
Chest, shoulders, triceps
1. Face away from anchor with palms facing down and knees slightly bent
2. Press arms forward in a ciricle motion
3. Slowly return back
Upper back, biceps, shoulder
1. Make sure band is even
2. Grab ends of band with palms facing down
3. Squeeze shoulders and draw elbows back, keeping arms parallel to the ground
4. To vary this exercise, you can do it with your thumbs facing up, so your fists are perpendicular to the floor
Lat Pull Down
Core msucles, back
1. Place band a little higher
2. Palms facing down knees slightly bent
3. Pull band down to either side of your body, keeping arms straight
4. Slowly bring arms back to front
5. Engage your core muscles throughout for added benefits
Triceps Extension
Triceps, core
1. Thumbs facing up and elbows close to waist, knees slightly bent
2. Turn palms down and extend arms down on either side of body
3. Slowly return to front
4. Make sure elbows don't move forward during exercise
5. Engage core muscles for added benefit
Page last updated: November 07, 2019


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Postcard ~ Seasons
7 comments:
Oh how lovely.... I can't believe there are some of you who are still picking up roses from your garden.... I'm so depressed with so much snow here, I'm so missing my roses and my garden.... Ahhhhh! Thank YOU for sharing some sunshine....ReplyDelete
so beautiful... are you longing for summer already? i just want a few cool months to read before back to my hot hill...ReplyDelete
Ahhhhh, flowers. I think I rememeber them. ClariceReplyDelete
What a lovely site on a cold, dreary, day .... I think where I am that we're in for a long winter.ReplyDelete
"Memory is the power to gather roses in winter.."ReplyDelete
How beautiful Mary..Mine are above their heads buried in snow and more on the way.
It's far off now..
This bouquet just lit up the screen.
Your roses are beautiful! Something to look forward to in the summer!ReplyDelete
Mari, that is one gorgeous arrangement and quite a welcome sight since I can't see anything but that white stuff outside my window!ReplyDelete


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Challenges Grow for Nominees
Opponents Strategize to Block Confirmation of Picks for Top Pentagon, CIA Posts
Challenges mounted Tuesday to President Barack Obama's nominees to lead the Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, though it remained unclear whether opposition would grow strong enough to block their confirmation.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said John Brennan shouldn't be confirmed to lead the CIA until the administration provides details of how it came to supply conflicting information about the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, last year that killed four Americans. "I do not believe we should...


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Prophecy or insanity?
Let's start with language.
The underlying motivation(s) for the emergence of human language can be seen in the symbolism of the Jewish ritual known as Passover ... the exodus from Egypt ... slavery ... to the promised land of Israel ... freedom.
Apparently there is no archaeological evidence supporting this particular Biblical narrative ... a narrative that is 3,000 years old and counting.
Perhaps Jordan Petersen's recent ... and decently popular ... method of psycholgical examination of selective Biblical narratives is useful.
What archetypal symbolism might be nested in the Passover story?
The human brain's exodus ... from being enslaved within the damp dark cavity of our skull ... to the freedom of the promised land ... ergo ... consciousness.
Language and ritual facilitated the journey from slavery to freedom. Language as agency is self evident. Ritual as agency has recently graduated into the realm of science.
Gib recently nudged my thinking in this direction ... he wrote ...
"Roger Bacon, a medieval monk, dreamed of getting to know God better through science."
A summary of the recent scientific discovery ... only a decade or so ago is:
"Humans are born with most of the same neurons that they will keep throughout their entire life. If neurons die, they are generally not replaced. With few exceptions, once you lose neurons, they are gone!
Synaptic connections, however, can and do change. As you grow, mature, learn, and experience the world your brain is continually forming new connections (and possibly breaking old ones). It is this plasticity that allows you to learn new skills, adapt to new conditions, and change old habits. During this process, the axons and dendrites of neurons can grow and branch, or retract and reform elsewhere. In addition to forming new synapses, existing synapses can be strengthened or weakened. When you learn, your brain changes. You do not usually grow more neurons, but the ones you have rearrange themselves."
Gib also asked me a question to which I spontaneously replied:
"New neuron pathways and circuitry take time to reconfigure."
Where am I going with this?
Re-enacting rituals maintains neural pathways and circuitry across time and space ... for ions. Without rituals and language the human family would still be enveloped within the laws of the jungle.
While the ancients were not aware of the "science" embedded in ritual ... empirical evidence certainly confirms that at some point they became keenly aware of the utility of rituals. The Biblical Passover narrative being one example ... Confucius was also obviously intimately familiar with the utility of rituals and his familiarity is rooted in the study of his forefathers who lived millenniums before himself.
Language creates the story ... ritual re-enactment keeps the story alive ... scientific discovery destroys both.
Let's look at language:
1) Martial arts experts have long known the human capacity to transcend human sensors.
2) Legitimate prophets, seers, shamans, psychics, sorcerers and so on have long demonstrated an ability to travel beyond human sensors.
3) The animal kingdom has long been considered an emissary serving the human family beyond the boundaries of human language in countless cultures across time and space.
4) Emerging technologies are preparing us and pushing us in this direction ... technology is diminishing the utility of language.
As ESP ... extra sensory perception ... moves into mainstream human culture the utility of language and ritual diminish.