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  • Buying in Small Towns.

    Hi Guys

    Came across an interesting posting on another forum. It is aimed at those who buy IPs in small towns.

    ............. your thoughts are interesting, but in the smaller towns, as Im sure you are familiar with, the peole come from the lower socioeconomic bracket. They live in the town as unskilled workers, i.e shearers, shopkeepers, mechanics, truckdrivers,the odd couple of teachers even full time welfare recipients etc.

    These people do not have enough money to live a different lifestyle anywhere else, and they don't have the mindset to save and afford their own homes, so they rent for the equivalent of 4 packs of cigarettes a week, generalising of course. (50 dollars) or if your lucky, one hundred dollars if you want to deprive people of thier alcohol and gambling.

    This is not a criticism of these people, just the way it is. These people are content with their lives and they gain pleasure from the things a very small town can give. They don't mind staying in crappy accomodation, (again a different mindset) and they are not going anywhere, you often have the tenants for life and yes it may be vacant for a period. The max I have come across is six months, because there are always unskilled, unmotivated young parents wishing to move out of home to get away from mum and/or dad.

    These populations are static and thus there is no capital gain on the property, and vice versa, no loss, apart from the renovations you may need to do, and really, rennovations are as QLD007 put it, rewiring etc, not adding rooms or spas. These people don't expect or really wish for that.I guess the challenge is to find the property in these places that will need renovation in 15 years time, use the positive flow from the last ten years (first five paid for the property) and then sell the property.

    The number of these types of places you could own is infinite. I.E. property buys itself in 5-10 years, you use the flow from the next 5 years to finance refurbishment, then you sell the property and all the others you own. your goals are set by the financial sum you wish to receive at the end.

    Noting that many people in the very small town are willing to undertake their own maintainence, i.e again its the mindset of rural, hard working people. Any more thoughts people, this is an interesting topic, very stimulating.

    NOTE: the only person who you could wrap with in these places is another property investor, I feel. Not may are interested in buying houses. People struggle to raise even half the funds needed for a 20G house and banks don't want to know these people (unfortunately?) I guess, overall, we are considering the option of maintaining people in a state of hopelessness, but this is not an ethics string, it is a business and investment string. More thoughts on dirt cheap property in these types of places??? this is good.

    NOTE most of these places are sold privately, thus no realestate costs.
    Regards
    "There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says 'yes,' you know he is a crook." Groucho Marx

  • #2
    This is another one of those arguments that is great in theory! Hell, it wasn't posted by Phil Jones or David Hows was it? Sounds like something right out of their seminars! hehe...

    While the theory is great, small towns represent an inherent increased risk. Since there is "no capital gain", cashflow is all important. But what happens when the major industry supporting this small town downsizes or disappears? Unskilled labour is easy to find anywhere. If the small town has nothing to offer but labour, that's an added risk... people move away, houses lie empty. The drift to the city is a well documented phenomenon.

    I think there's way too many people that sit with a calculator and go "ooh look at those numbers, it can't fail!".
    You can find me at: Energise Web Design

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    • #3
      Hi Dave

      No it is not from Phil or Dave.

      Check out the Richmastery property site. They have a real dousy in Tokoroa.

      Regards
      "There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says 'yes,' you know he is a crook." Groucho Marx

      Comment


      • #4
        It's weird isn't it? People who go along with this way of thinking are either smarter than the rest of us or they're completely ignoring the laws of supply and demand that set the property prices in the first place!
        You can find me at: Energise Web Design

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        • #5
          It never ceases to amaze me how so many gurus suggest purchasing in small towns. Most of these small towns have had their meduim price increased by more than 30%. I will use an example in Australia where in Morwell the prices have increased by 32% in 18 months. That has lifted the 10 year average from one to 2 percent. That means that prices have been over inflated, hence there is a danger of lower yields.

          There is no real capital growth in small towns. When I raised this with one of the greater guru groups, I was told they do not build new houses, explain that piece of genius if you can.

          In NZ, places like Invercargill, have increased by over 30% and still they come.

          It is important to achieve positive cashflow if possible and in NZ you can, however capital growth is how you achieve long term wealth.

          regards

          the property advisory

          Comment


          • #6
            It is important to achieve positive cashflow if possible and in NZ you can, however capital growth is how you achieve long term wealth.
            Hmmm... I don't entirely disgree but think cashflow is important.

            I am looking for financial *freedom*, rather than long term wealth. For that reason having income properties so I don't have to have a job is important to me.

            Capital growth involves much bigger numbers, definitely, but in a sense the point of capital growth for me is to have more capital to buy more income-producing properties.

            My 2 cents,
            Leanne

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            • #7
              I have no arguement with the pros of owning +C.F properties. However, in my mind, resorting to having to buy in some of the small towns that have gained recent poularity is playing with fire.

              In saying that, if you are able to sleep at night comfortable with the thought that your property manager has your best interests at heart (rather than the other 200 investors IP's they are minding), good on ya!

              Regards,
              Marcus.

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi,

                We have invested in a rural town named Hawera. We have 2 IP's and we did think long and hard about it before buying here. Hawera is one of those rare towns that is actually getting economically stronger each year, and has a solid population base. These were the main reasons for buying here (and the good returns of course).

                There are other other towns like this in NZ which would be great money earners. Sure the value of your property may not increase by much (if any), but smart buying should still provide you with some cash in the hand.

                Wada

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                • #9
                  "They live in the town as unskilled workers, i.e shearers, shopkeepers, mechanics, truckdrivers,the odd couple of teachers even full time welfare recipients etc."

                  I resent the fact that I am lumped in with unskilled workers, even though many mechanics (and some welfare recipients) earn more than I do![/quote]

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    It is important to achieve positive cashflow .... however capital growth is how you achieve long term wealth.
                    Hi Power Broker, I don't agree with you on that one at all.
                    You can become wealthy with no capital gains whatsoever. If you are relying on that to make you wealthy, much of the time I imagine would be very frustrating - hoping that prices keep going up, and also outpacing inflation.

                    Regards
                    Graeme Fowler
                    Facebook Property Chat Group NZ
                    https://www.facebook.com/groups/340682962758216/

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