From Chapter 7:

Asking the following questions will give answers to the basic guideline I recommend when seeking the right area and property for you:

• Do you want capital growth or rental yield?
• Should you buy in your own area?
• What type of tenants do you want to attract? What are the demographics of the area?
• What is happening with the infrastructure, development, and town planning?
• What types of industry and business support the economy? Is the population growing due to employment?
• Can you increase the value of the property easily?
• Where is the area on the property cycle?
• Where can you find the information you need to evaluate the property?

How I first starting buying investment properties...

From Chapter 3:

After a relationship break-up, I went through a near financial disaster. I was in a situation in which I would literally live on my last five dollars each week. I was emotionally distressed and basically just survived until I became stronger mentally. I lived a very basic life of going to work and coming home. All my bills were paid, but I did not even have enough money to buy a coffee out with a friend.

After living like this for approximately six months, I learned how to budget extremely well. I was living in Melbourne, and I wanted to move to the Gold Coast. I decided to take control of my life, and I set many goals that were focused on improving my situation. One day, I found a job on the Internet for a real estate office in Brisbane. From applying for the job to actually moving to Queensland was only a ten-day period. I literally had $200 in the bank when I drove to Brisbane. I had one friend in Brisbane whom I phoned to ask if I could stay with for a few weeks.

Thankfully, he was happy to help. I ended up staying for three weeks, and then I rented a one-bedroom, furnished unit on the Gold Coast. I started my new job, which paid $20,000 more a year than my previous job, but I had learned to live on much less. I remained on my same budget, and within a matter of months had saved enough money for a small deposit on a property. I found a small unit that was forty-two square metres in size (it was actually a holiday hotel room) for $70,000, and I decided it was cheaper to buy this and pay the loan rather than rent at $250 per week, as I would also gain any capital growth that accumulated on the unit. This unit was the smallest place you could imagine, but it was mine, and it was affordable.

After purchasing the unit, I felt great pride. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. By living in this unit, I was able to buy a number of four-bedroom houses that I rented to tenants. I would often smile to myself that here I was, living in a unit that would fit in one of my tenant’s lounge rooms. I lived in this unit for approximately eighteen months, and although I don’t like to say that I sacrificed my living arrangements to get ahead, I did comprise on living in order to start building my property portfolio, which would make my life easier as I got older.

From chapter 11:

Property is booming in Australia. While other real estate markets around the world have experienced declines, in Australia the outlook remains strong. If you are not an Australian resident and are looking to buy property in Australia, either for investment or to live there, there are several aspects of the real estate buying process that you should understand.

Owner-occupied properties total 70 per cent of the total housing in Australia, which is on par with the United Kingdom. Because Australia operates under a similar common law structure as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, the purchase of property is considered rather straightforward and familiar to individuals from those countries. It is very important to note that any foreigner wishing to buy property in Australia must first have the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).