Building on the amazing success of her earlier books How to Make Your Money Last as Long as You Do and How to Create an Income for Life , best-selling author Margaret Lomas is back to answer all her readers frequently asked questions. In How to Maximise Your Property Portfolio , Margaret explains to new and experienced investors how to manage and profit from a positive cash flow property portfolio. Her approach to investment can provide investors with an income from day one without the usual risks associated with negative gearing. Written in her trademark easy-to-read engaging style, Margaret shares her common-sense financial wisdom, covering topics such as: how the type of property you invest in can affect returns the issues to consider when shopping for property whether cash flow will continue and for how long how to maximise each investment through optimal purchasing structures and tax benefits capital gain and cash flow choosing the best way to manage your property. Margaret Lomas one of Australia foremost property investment authors claims that with a combination of common sense, hard work and patience you can ensure you have an income for life. Her low-risk techniques have allowed her and her husband to build their own extensive, profitable property portfolio. How to Maximise Your Property Portfolio will show you how.

Table of Contents

Preface ix 1 The positives and the negatives 1 Property as an investment 1 Property returns 4 Summary 8 Conclusion 9 2 The great debate-cash flow or capital gain? 11 Growth investors 13 Cash flow investors 16 How does each method pan out over time? 18 Levelling the playing field 25 How the myth began 26 Which one should you choose? 28 Summary 29 Conclusion 30 3 Shopping for property 33 What is the cash flow? 34 Do the cash flows last? 35 What must I know about the property management? 37 Who are the developers? 40 How happy and healthy is the body corporate? 40 What are council's plans for the area? 41 Does this niche market property have a dual purpose? 41 Is there is perpetual demand for rental accommodation? 43 What is the age of the property? 44 What is the demand for property like this? 44 Am I being commercial in my approach? 45 Assessing the cash flows before you buy 46 Summary 48 Conclusion 48 4 Managing your portfolio 51 What is the norm? 52 Your own portfolio 54 Summary 71 Conclusion 71 5 Maximising your cash flow 73 Claiming in a nutshell 74 What can you claim? 76 What if no one knows the original costs? 88 Pro rata claiming 88 Division of claims between joint owners 89 When you no longer hold an asset 91 Prepaying interest and expenses 92 Capital gains tax 92 Capital losses 93 Keeping records 94 Summary 94 Conclusion 95 6 Comprehensive property structures 97 Corporate structures 99 Family trusts 100 Superannuation funds 102 WRAPs 103 Joint names vs single names 104 Joint tenants vs tenants in common 105 Summary 106 Conclusion 107 7 Managing each individual property 109 Property management 111 Landlords' rights and responsibilities 118 Tenants' rights and responsibilities 122 Ending a tenancy 123 What to do in the event of a problem 125 Landlord's insurance 126 Summary 126 Conclusion 127 8 What happens in real life? 129 9 The odds and ends 143 Capitalising loans 143 Mortgage reduction for your investment loan 147 Schemes to be wary of 149 Holidays 153 Land tax 154 Buying away from home 154 Rent or buy? 155 Summary 156 Conclusion 157 10 Onwards and upwards 159 Glossary 165 Index 171