COVER STORY - PURE GOLD ON THE BEACH
On the equity of a block of land that had once been valued at $6,000, Jean Hamer financed a $1.6 million six-unit apartment building. Off-the-plan sales of four of the units virtually paid for the entire development, leaving Jean with property worth more than a million dollars... a stunning residence on the top floor and a business premises at ground level.

CASE STUDIES
Sucessful property investors share their tips, tricks and strategies.

* RENOVATING THE BOATHOUSE - Originally established as a millionaire’s weekend retreat, this massive structure near Sydney was left unused for years to slowly decay in its idyllic surroundings. Until it was discovered by Tom Boycott and Jessica Bokey, that is. They recognised its potential and soon turned it into a thriving, profitable boutique hotel.

* JOHN WEIR'S INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS - In 1980 John Weir sold his house and ended up with $30,000 to invest. He took the Ôdo it yourself’ route, erecting light industrial sheds on his land to house his motor trimming business. One shed led to another, and now his industrial properties are worth over $1 million... and growing.

SPECIAL FEATURES

WHY YOU SHOULD BUY FIRST, THEN SELL, IN A RISING MARKET
Conventional wisdom is to always your property before you buy another so you can enter the property market with confidence. However, in some market conditions it may be prudent to reverse this strategy, suggests property consultant Monique Wakelin. She offers five tips to help you achieve your objectives from property transactions.

SHARES, PROPERTY INVESTMENT AND LIFESTYLE
Comparisons between the returns offered by shares as compared to property appear frequently in the financial media. Paul Lucas looks at the factors that influence such comparisons... and offers unique insights into the real costs and benefits of property investment.

THE GENERATION MATRIX
A leading architectural firm has combined with a property research company and an advertising agency to identify what types of home the four key generation groups will want to buy in the next 5-10 years. The results may surprise you.

SMART LANDLORDING - DEALING WITH PROBLEM TENANTS
Ownership of rental properties is typically a very rewarding business. However, most experienced landlords have a few horror stories of the 'tenants from hell.’ To avoid legal repercussions, it’s important for landlords to understand how to prevent and, where necessary, resolve tenant problems in an efficient and professional manner.

SUCCESSFUL MARKETING OF GREEN STREET AND SMALL LOT SUBDIVISIONS
The house on a quarter-acre block is almost an Aussie institution. However, as the rows of workers cottages and terrace houses of our inner cities attest, small-lot developments are not a new phenomenon although they do require specialised and carefully planned marketing programs to achieve the best sales results.

REGULAR FEATURES

ACCOUNTANT'S COMMENT
One subject which has received little attention in the financial press, but which will affect many people, is the implications of the new tax system for body corporates, such as strata plans, community title schemes, etc. Peter Dawkins examines the new requirements.

SOLICITOR'S COMMENT
David Atkinson looks at the potential liabilities that can arise from water damage to a neighbour’s property. Water problems can range from a minor nuisance to financial devastation.

BUILDING WEALTH WITH JAN SOMERS
Jan points out that a home loan is like a pair of running shoes - one size doesn’t fit all, and it pays to shop around until you find one that fits perfectly. It will pay off in the long run. In this issue Jan presents a profile of a couple whose home loan application was declined by several banks until they eventually discovered the problem, and another profile of a borrower who wished to exit his fixed-rate home loan early but faced a break penalty in excess of $20,000.

SMART FINANCE WITH TRICIA GREEN
Tricia Green, Senior Loans Manager for mortgage broker Home Loans Now, looks at the difference between line of credit facilities and offset accounts. Both are useful tools for borrowers who wish to actively manage their home loans to pay them off as quickly as possible, but there are some very important differences. She also covers the very topical question of whether it’s a good time to fix interest rates in light of recent increases.

PLUS PROPERTY NEWS AND STATISTICS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY...

* New South Wales Boom! The earthquake effect in Sydney's housing market
* The redefining of Sydney's property markets
Victoria
* Residential options pose a quandary
* The inner Melbourne property market - How it works
* Unit resale performance in St Kilda Rd - capital gains and losses
Queensland
* Dark clouds on the horizon
* Foreign investment in Queensland
* Brisbane's inner city a performer
* Table: Changes in median rents across Brisbane
Western Australia
* Perth's forgotten suburbs
* Property survey shows suburban trends
* Table: Median house prices by suburb - Dec Qtr 99
South Australia
* Property market ends century on a high
* Little change in SA's rental markets
* Table: Median house prices by LGA
Tasmania
* House prices at 4.5 year high
* Hobart's vacancy rate declines
Northern Territory
* High vacancy rate for Top End

This is only a sample of this issue's contents... don't miss it!