API Blog :: Have your say!

One Christmas morning, we had just started opening presents when the phone rang. There was a bushfire and all hands were needed. My father left and our lamb roast quickly became sandwiches for the firefighters. At 3pm, we heard someone had been killed. At 8pm, dad came home. He had been putting out spot fires.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

In a tight-knit farming community, that day was a heavy blow – particularly for the family whose world was changed forever. In addition to the emotional pain and loss, they also lost their only breadwinner.

Read more →

Having a good property manager is like having a board of directors for your property investing business.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

A good rental manager is kind of like your custodian board of directors. You, as chairman, take a sabbatical, heading off to the next thing to take up your time, while leaving them with a book of rules.

Read more →

Many people treat property investment like a fairytale. You know how it goes… pretty girl marries charming prince, they live in a castle and it’s ‘happily ever after’.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

Well, the reality is there’s also a wicked witch (or two) around, who, with a quick wave of her wand, can deliver enough evil to derail the best-laid plans. Interest rate rises, termites, floods, or perhaps even the new neighbours who’ve boarded up the windows and set up a meth lab next door. All of these have the potential to turn the fairytale into a nightmare when you haven’t assessed the risks and put plans in place to minimise them.

Read more →

I confess I’m a child of the 80s and the Pet Shop Boys – despite what we think now – were musical gods. One of their songs stated “You’ve got the brains, I’ve got the looks, let’s make lots of money”.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

I cringe whenever I attend a course where the organiser says: “In this room there are those of you with no time, but a good income and savings, and others who have time on their hands and lots of creative flair – why not get together and start a joint venture?” Read more →

Family get-togethers at my grandparents’ place were always a big deal; lots of food, lots of laughter and lots of people… which meant lots of washing up. At the end of the meal my grandfather would throw into a hat the names of 15 birds and anyone who drew out the black crow had to wash up. The thing is, it seemed it was always me and my youngest cousins who got the black crow.

BY JANE SLACK-SMITH

It took me a while to realise that every name in the hat said ‘black crow’ and those who knew the game would just call out kookaburra, lorikeet, cockatoo etc while those who were inexperienced at the game and didn’t understand ‘the rules’ were at a distinct disadvantage.

Property investing is the same: there are those who seem to know the rules of the game and those who don’t. Those who don’t are often the ones lumbered with ‘the dirty dishes’ or in this case, the underperforming property. If you want to be successful with your investments you require an understanding of the fundamentals. The keys are 1) get to know the rules of the game and 2) start playing! However, without someone to share the rules you might win now and then but you won’t know exactly how or why, so that you can do it again (and again) and be successful each time. I teach hundreds of property investors every year – first we discuss their goals, their strategy and their criteria, and only then do we consider actual properties. Read more →

Whether you’re buying your first home or your first property is an investment, the fundamentals are the same.

By JANE SLACK-SMITH

Twelve years ago I decided it was time to start taking control of my financial future and I put together a savings plan and a set of long-term goals. Ten years ago I bought my first home; now I have many investment properties. The property portfolio I have today will be worth double what it’s worth now in another seven to 10 years because I’ve bought all my properties with the same fundamentals.

I speak to hundreds of people each year through seminars, workshops and as clients who are looking at buying property and creating a portfolio that allows them to essentially make money while they sleep. Let’s face it, who can even think far enough ahead to imagine retirement? But the reality is that with a few fundamental rules applied to your first property purchase you won’t have to be hanging out until you’re 70 to put your feet up.

Read more →