Contemplating a move to Brisbane, some insight appreciated...

still reckon you're being unfair to the nthside...

I live very close to chermside and there is some fabulous food havens not far from here - everything you just pointed to is Asian. There is not a big asian community around here so we get a lot of italian, indian, french, swiss, modern australian etc all over. I am a regular over sunnybank way and know the places you speak of fairly well - trouble is if you want a break from chinese or korean you have a problem!

there are some fabulous little family restaurants locally. you have places like Rangla Punjab and Oriental Bangkok at McDowall/Everton Hills, Zanetti's at Mitchelton...the place on the hill at alderley I can never recall the name of, the italian pizza place at zillmere, Sitar at Albion, Mario's at Hendra, the full moon at Sandgate...there are loads of them!!!!!!!!! and last time I checked the CBD is on the nthside of the river - so regardless of what you call it - it is still the nthside.

don't ever tell someone who lives in New Farm they are in the CBD - they'll rip you apart!:p

Then you have all the funky little places in the outer north like samford, mt glorious, redcliffe etc.


Like every part of this city - if you know where to go - there is a plethora of options available to suit all tastes.


p.s. I have seen the Oriental at Aspley with massive lines out the door...happens regularly.
 
Hi Guys,

For those Brisban-ites interested, I thought I'd post a quick update on my movements and impressions thus far...

We're currently staying in Auchenflower in a serviced apartment. On our first weekend we caught the bus to town and went to the riverside markets then strolled home through Southbank. Loverly!

This weekend just gone we spent all day Saturday looking for a rental and found one we liked and got our application approved so move in on Monday. Its an older house in Bardon, slightly reno'd but a bit run down. Its a let only lease so we met one of the owners, a young girl who bought it 50/50 with her brother at her parents suggestion. Good on them! I was very positive and told her how impressed I was. I might even see if I can get her along to BIG... ;) Rent is $460pw so we're pocketing a tidy weekly margin with our Sydney rental at $750pw (first tennant at $800pw pulled out so re-let at a lower rate). Still, $300pw is a nice little margin.

Yesterday was The Ecca! We decided to dodge the crowds so drove down to Wellington Point and spent the day on the bay playing in the park there and letting Aden frolick on the beach a bit. Another lovely day and +1 for the Southside... :D

This weekend we've decided to head North. Kay is going to pick me up at the office around 4pm and we're driving to Hervey Bay. I've booked us a hotel and a spot on a whale watching cruise on Saturday. Should be great! Sunday we're visiting friends out Ipswich way who we haven't seen in ages. BBQ at their place, I'll bring the wine.

Monday we move into the new house, Tuesday we pick up our dogs out of "dog gaol" and Wednesday Aden starts at Montessori at Fig Tree Pocket.

Its all happening and we're having an absolute ball. Work is great and not too stressful. Give me a week or two and once we're settled I'll refocus on the Mona Vale development. But until then, just loving it up here!!

Cheers,
Michael
 
Great to hear that you are all enjoying life up here, Michael!!

Did you get to walk out to King Island at low tide when you visited Welly Point? If not, do try it some time - Aden will enjoy digging in the mud/sand and finding all sorts of treasures. Also, next time you're over this side of town, try Cleveland Point - they're 'reconstructing' a ship there - a set for the filming of the 'Narnia' movie. Don't know how long it will be there - if you miss it, the whole thing will be reconstructed at the GC in due course. Cleveland Point also has a good restaurant - "The Lighthouse" (specialises in steaks and seafood) - and looks our over the bay.

And, BTW, you're not a fair-dinkum Queenslander yet ..... it's the EKKA (no Cs)! :p

Cheers
Lynn
 
If your wife is a markets aficionado, then try
Powerhouse markets. upmarket......great range of fruit and vege and home made condiments.
West End Markets. more bohemian....fruit and vege and alt trinkets.


Bardon is a good spot. Hilly though. All the good eats are over Paddo, Rosalie way. Try Sprout and Salt mentioned earlier.

You'll have to get bicycles Michael. best way to explore Brissy. hire them from the city botannical gardens. ride across to Southbank and around West End tracking the river. or go downstream to Powerhouse at New Farm. or take off from Toombul Shops to Nudgee beach.
Cycling Wynnum, Manly, Wello Pt is all good fun too.

Eventually, you'll be able to cycle south west from home on Simpsons Road until you hit the T junction with Sir Samuel Griffith Drive.......then turn right and up to Channel Ten and you won't know yourself...hahahahhaha....btw, to be a Brissy-ite, you must spell Mt. Coot-tha correctly). make your way across the mountain to the cafe at the lookout. It is absolutely bliss to have coffee there before 7 am after riding up. Then come down the hill past the quarry......make sure your brakes work. and don't take the little fella in a pillion seat....

There's lots of barbie spots and nature walks on the east and west side of Coot-tha as well. an hour or two there and you feel like you've been out of the city for a weekend.

BTW, you can do whale watching from Redcliffe. no need to go to Hervey Bay.
 
Hey Michael - great to hear you are having fun up there! I have been awol for a bit and can't believe you are there already I am sooooo jealous!
 
Rent is $460pw so we're pocketing a tidy weekly margin with our Sydney rental at $750pw (first tennant at $800pw pulled out so re-let at a lower rate). Still, $300pw is a nice little margin.
Click to expand...

But what about tax? Wouldn't the $300 margin be a little smaller due to tax on the $750 rental income?
 
SYD said:
But what about tax? Wouldn't the $300 margin be a little smaller due to tax on the $750 rental income?
Click to expand...
I'm presuming Michael would have sufficient deductions against the rental income to pay no tax on the rental income. :)
 
The rental income is added to his normal wages (and all income) and then taxed. If say Michael was on a marginal 40% tax rate, he would pay 40% of his rent in tax.

ozperp said:
I'm presuming Michael would have sufficient deductions against the rental income to pay no tax on the rental income. :)
Click to expand...
 
evand said:
The rental income is added to his normal wages (and all income) and then taxed. If say Michael was on a marginal 40% tax rate, he would pay 40% of his rent in tax.
Click to expand...
Yes, but the holding costs of the property simultaneously became deductible, as he converted his PPOR to an IP.
 
Yes, but he's still in front by the differential. Let's say his PPOR costs $750 pw to hold, which was previously non-TD. Now it earns $750 pw rent, but Michael can now also claim that $750 pw in expenses, having nil tax effect. And Michael pays $450 pw rent here, so he is ahead by $300 pw in after-tax dollars, which was his point. :)

If, in fact, his deductible expenses are more than $750 pw, he's ahead by more than $300 pw post-tax. :cool:
 
I can imagine, Michael being a smart fella, and having had no plans to leave Sydney prior, paid his non ded PPR debt out completely or got it as low as possible.....so his deds mightn't have changed that much from what they were prior to moving.
 
WinstonWolfe said:
I can imagine, Michael being a smart fella, and having had no plans to leave Sydney prior, paid his non ded PPR debt out completely or got it as low as possible.....so his deds mightn't have changed that much from what they were prior to moving.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's close enough to the truth. Not much non-deductible loans left on the old PPOR. But it is in joint names and Kay doesn't work, so half that rental income can be apportioned to her and be tax free. If I could apportion it all to her I would, but I don't think that's possible so the other half will have to go against my salaried income and be taxed but I do have some nice big deductions against my salaried income so the marginal rate isn't 40%. My trust structure helps in this regard.

But I'm a simple man and was talking gross only. Of course the tax situation would change the numbers a tad...

Didn't know there was good whale watching out of Redcliffe or I might have settled for that option and saved some driving. But for me, 3.5hrs each way is not a big drive. We'll drive there straight after work today and be in by around 7pm. Have dinner and go to bed. Do the cruise on Saturday then have dinner in Hervey Bay before driving home afterwards so Aden can sleep whilst we're driving. Shouldn't be a hassle.

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. We're having a ball!

Once I've settled into the new rental, I'll post an invite for a Somersoft House Warming party. I won't post the address on the public forum, but I will PM it to identified members who express a desire to come over and welcome me and the family to sunny Brisbane. I'll even throw in some snags and sauce! ;)

Cheers,
Michael
 
Michael, good to hear you're enjoying Brisbane! Sounds like you're pretty busy, but if you have a spare half a day, a cruise on the city cat is pretty nice.. there is a stop near you in Auchenflower.

you can stop at southbank to check out the artificial beach and get ice creams (better in summer)
...downstream to new farm to walk around the park.. perhaps coffee at the powerhouse.
further downstream to bulimba and check out trendy oxford st.

gotta love the city cat :)
 
MichaelW said:
But I'm a simple man and was talking gross only. Of course the tax situation would change the numbers a tad...

no flurries....simple is as simple does here too....I wasn't meaning to be a pretentious pompous puerile pedant :)

Didn't know there was good whale watching out of Redcliffe or I might have settled for that option and saved some driving.

But for me, 3.5hrs each way is not a big drive. We'll drive there straight after work today and be in by around 7pm.

Cheers,
Michael
Click to expand...


Your GPS will probably guide you out along Kingsford Smith Drive and onto the Gateway Arterial :( ......in which case, the trip will be more >4.5 hours.....if leaving from Bardon, consider going out along Wardell St and Beckett Road to Beams Rd, then onto the Bruce Hwy at Carseldine.

Many people break the trip at the big Matilda Roadhouse about 10k south of Gympie.

Edit: watch the speed limit carefully.....there's regular radars from North Lakes to the Caloundra turnoff, Eumundi Cooroy area, Tiaro, and Mbo to HB stretch
 
yes that's a better way. gateway after work on a friday :eek: my worst nightmare.

took us 4 hrs to drive to hervey bay and that was with no traffic.

there's like a kids zoo at queens park in Ipswich that's free. also daisy hill koala park in sprindwood, 2 resident koalas and the famel si pregnant and you can feed wallabies and kangaroos.

we should organise a SS BBQ at Daisy Hill.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

911GT3
Intro - new member from Brisbane
Replies
11
Views
2K
Jamie M
Jamie M
M
Brisbane advice please - subdividable areas?
Replies
2
Views
1K
RPI
RPI
G
Opinion on investing in Woolloongabba - Brisbane
Replies
14
Views
3K
Grogounet
G
ej89
Best estate for CG and Cashflow in Brisbane and surrounds.
2 3 4
Replies
71
Views
12K
GreyGhost
GreyGhost
E
advice needed on first investment property
2
Replies
22
Views
8K
JohnHenry
JohnHenry
Back
Top