Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1: Understanding Real Estate as an Investment 5

Chapter 1: Comparing Real Estate to Other Investments 7

Chapter 2: Covering the Landscape of Common Real Estate Investments 21

Chapter 3: Opportunities in Real Estate 35

Chapter 4: Building Your Team 49

Part 2: Financing: Raising Capital and Sourcing Loans 67

Chapter 5: Sources of Finance 69

Chapter 6: Financing Your Property Purchases 83

Chapter 7: Shopping for and Securing the Best Mortgage Terms 99

Chapter 8: Property in Self-Managed Super Funds 115

Chapter 9: The Ongoing Costs of Real Estate 135

Part 3: Finding and Evaluating Properties 149

Chapter 10: Location, Location, Value 151

Chapter 11: Preparing to Bid or Make an Offer 183

Chapter 12: Signing the Contract, Inspecting the Property and Settling 213

Part 4: Operating the Property 231

Chapter 13: Property Management 101 233

Chapter 14: Protecting Your Investment: Insurance and Risk Management 253

Chapter 15: Tax Considerations and Exit Strategies 267

Chapter 16: Building a Portfolio 291

Part 5: The Part of Tens 307

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Increase a Property’s Return 309

Chapter 18: Ten Steps to a Real Estate Fortune (Or a Great Second Income) 317

Index 329

About the Author

Nicola McDougall is an experienced Australian property and finance journalist, blog writer, and property investor. She is co-author of The Female Investor and is the current chair of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA).

Bruce Brammall is a licensed financial advisor and mortgage broker, finance columnist, bestselling author and successful property investor.