01-03-2009

March '09 Issue

1. News
2. 2009
3. March

It’s GAME ON and the stakes are high.

The property management rule book is getting another rewrite and might very well see game time, as opposed to the warm-up runs seen previously.  Investors, tenants, landlords and property managers should all be conditioning themselves for changes on how the game is played.

The government has decided to get the ball rolling by making changes to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill that was introduced last year. 

There are also changes happening in the property management space, which is currently unregulated. But hopefully not for long – the government is also writing legislation around managing the managers, which should see investors and their portfolios further protected.

Keep up-to-date with the changes so you can be ready for game-time.

Fortunes can be made in times of change and what better time than now to be building your portfolio? Michael Yardney suggests ways to thrive in a difficult market.

We also have a tax feature on the updates to associated persons legislation. Make sure you're not caught out by the controversial new policy currently making its way through Parliament.

Our beginner series, Investing 101, looks at how to spot a scam. The old adage – if it’s too good to be true, it usually is – needs to be heeded when looking for investment opportunities.

We spend a day in the life of a property referee. Debra Smallholme is a neutral player between landlords and tenants when things go pear-shaped with a tenancy.

We also profile David and Cindy Thompson, whose investing strategy is all about thinking outside the square and developing multiple income streams, such as rent-by-the-room.

Also in the March 2009 issue:

• Opinion: Find out what The Landlord has to say
• News: Reassurance for property investors on ring-fencing; Section prices predicted to fall; Not much action in apartment market.
• Diary: What's on for property investors this month? Find out where the hottest events are happening around the country
• Housing commentary: Now is a time to tread with caution in the market
• Ask a TAX expert: This month our tax expert Kenina Court answers your burning tax question
• Renovation: The secret to a successful renovation is knowing exactly which part of the property to add value to.
• Columns:
  • Accounting: What happens when a relationship breaks up and assets have to be split down the middle?
  • Mortgage: If you're under mortgagee stress, there are options for structuring repayments  
  • Economics: Land prices may have to fall around 40% before building becomes a viable option again
  • Property management: Why you can't let tenants get away with things  
  • Tax: Ways to help with cash flow in a recession
• NZPIF: News and events from around the regions, plus do you want to be this year's Landlord of the year?
• Tenancy Tribunal: This month we look at an appeal by a landlord in relationship to a premises being uninhabitable at the beginning of a tenancy
• Regional review: Hutt City has huge pockets of potential for investors, if you know where to look
• Mortgage commentary: although rates are dropping, there are still funding problems in the market at present
• Toolbox: Get a birds' eye view on potential investments through Google's newest gadget, Street View
• Property books: Cash in on the end of the financial year book sale and grab yourself some bargains!