One Parent Families and PI Opportunities

[letiha]

I think once I get myself more fully set up I would really like to help others who are in the situation I was is a few years ago. I was pregnant at 17. Its not hard, its just a few simple steps. My advice would be:

1. Budget Budget Budget, know what money you get down to the dollar and what your bills are...and pay them - don't get yourself bad credits it takes a long time to get out off.

2. Realise every choice has a consequence, accept responsibility for very decision you make and the consequence.

3. Have dream and goals, make the big, if you fall short your still going to land much higher than if you didn't dream big at all.

4. Get and education, experience or a skill. You don't have to be the smartest cookie in the jar. Find something that interests you and that you really like doing - work towards it.

5. Why you are working towards getting that education, skill or experience don't be too proud to do other work, money is money. I have done childcare and done general office work...even helped lay tiles in a community centre toilet renovation.

6. look at what you spend your money one, work our what is important to you and spend your money on that. Don't deny yourself things that are important when you work hard for them. That means incuding in your budget "spending money".

7. Don't let people stereotype you, know who you are, be proud for your accomplishments and be greatful for the good things in your life. Endeavour to prove every single person who ever doubted you or failed to support you wrong.

8. Realise that you deserve the best that you can have - this goes for friends and relationships - don't let toxic relationships and friendships drag you down. Don't let people who are jealous change your resolve, be committed to your goals.

9. Adopt these principles to all other parts of your life -eg. losing weight etc.

10. Most importantly make sure that you treat the people in your life as well as strangers with respect, help others when you can and in any way you can. Share the knowledge you have -it would be selfish to not share the good that it can bring

 

[Xenia]

I dont believe that anything can stand in the way of an individual that truly want's to succeed.

Investor's dont come from one demographic, they are not all educated DINKS that have had a huge inheritance from their parents. There are people from rich families that are successful and there are those that just end up in the gutters, similarly, there are single parents that will become successful because they have the will to and there are those that will just never make it.

Personally, my parents were worse off than single parents they were refugees from another country who found themselves in Australia where they did not know the language, did not have any financial support or money and had 2 kids to support (at least single parents get government support)! But they still made it as successful property investors just by being switched on and having a focus. Dad retired at 55 and now (10 years later) spends his time travelling first class around the world just to avoid winter! Some of his Australian friends that he met here with all these priveliges given to them are still working in a job!

This is my reason why I think that anyone can succeed if they wanted to. Anyone can start by getting educated first irrespective of their background!

 

[lizzie]

great post leitha - should be sent to every person on welfare! (and many that aren't) - kudos coming ...

... and great on your for working your way up. much harder to do than stay put, but much more rewarding for both you and your kids.

 

[LynnH]

leitha

I agree with lizzie - a great post!! Don't forget to keep us updated with all the milestones along your journey.

Cheers
LynnH

 

[Miss V]

I was pregnant at 17. Its not hard, its just a few simple steps.

Seriously though.....You're an inspiration Letiha. Congratulations on having the strength of personality and character to not let anything get in your way. Lots of people fall into the "woe is me" line of thinking and never want to take advantage of what is on offer to everone.

Everyone has a choice. There are enough examples of people overcoming diversity to accomplish their dreams - migrants, single parents, orphans, refugees, indiginous people. If one person can do it, why can't everyone?

Your children should be very proud of you

cheers

v

 

[alexlee]

How do you organise this? Specify direct payment from Centrelink and have a contract directly with centrelink? I thought that the tenant can revoke this at any time. Especially in a default / damages situation cant the tenant just tell Centrelink to stop rental payments?

The agent set things up so that Centrelink pays me first. I don't think the contract is with Centrelink, but I guess the tenant signed a disbursement form or something asking Centrelink to deposit $x into the agent's trust account? I have another IP that is rented to a govt association helping out recent immigrants, and my contract IS with the association. Month's rent in advance.

I'm not sure what happens in the case of a default, but when you think about it, even if rent comes from my bank account I can stop it at any time. At least now I'm guaranteed to get it IF they don't stop the payment: that is, Centrelink will always have money in its account. In that sense, in the case of default it's no riskier than a normal tenant.

What I have found is that, like it or not, single parents or (in the case of my IP) a grandparent taking care of young children are probably discriminated against. They know it's harder to find accomodation, so they take care of the place more.
Alex

 

[natmarie73]

PS If only more people had this sort of attitude and determination.

We'd have no one to rent our properties

Good on you Leitha, you are definately an inspiration and proof that it is always possible to change your life for the better if you truly want to. This is the sort of stuff they should teach in socio-economic disadvantaged schools - perhaps you should look at being a motivational speaker for young pregnant teens who have dropped out of school to sit on welfare because they think that is all they can ever do.

 

[momo]

I dont believe that anything can stand in the way of an individual that truly want's to succeed.

Investor's dont come from one demographic, they are not all educated DINKS that have had a huge inheritance from their parents. There are people from rich families that are successful and there are those that just end up in the gutters, similarly, there are single parents that will become successful because they have the will to and there are those that will just never make it.

Personally, my parents were worse off than single parents they were refugees from another country who found themselves in Australia where they did not know the language, did not have any financial support or money and had 2 kids to support (at least single parents get government support)! But they still made it as successful property investors just by being switched on and having a focus. Dad retired at 55 and now (10 years later) spends his time travelling first class around the world just to avoid winter! Some of his Australian friends that he met here with all these priveliges given to them are still working in a job!

This is my reason why I think that anyone can succeed if they wanted to. Anyone can start by getting educated first irrespective of their background!

xenia
Care to share how your dad did it? i am always keen to learn from those that have done it?

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

aha - but that is the secret - and that is why it is still such a secret because so few people "get it".

the secret is about opening yourself up to opportunities that may have not registered on your radar of opportunities when you had a closed mind.

and once you have opened up and aligned yourself - opportunities are boundless. that is the problem with most people on welfare - they are totally closed to any opportunities around them because their world revolves around the "oh, woe is me." therefore they get more of "woe is me".

but we promise not to hijack this as a "secret" thread ... just that it is possible. saw a great quote today going along the lines of "the world is moving so fast that by the time someone has said it can't be done, they are interupted by someone doing it".

it's not a case of "can't" but the mindset needs to be changed to "how can i?"

I must admit that what I have seen and heard of the 'secret' is nothing more than training your mind to recognise opportunity. It's like any skill, it takes time and effort, and some people will always be inherently better at it than others. It also bears more than a passing resembling to what pyschologists call 'self image modification', which basically says that if you can visualise and understand what you want to become, it will happen - not because of any mystical power, but purely because you will behave in the way that person would (which for a successful property investor means learning about money and investing). Simple, really!

 

[steveadl]

I must admit that what I have seen and heard of the 'secret' is nothing more than training your mind to recognise opportunity. It's like any skill, it takes time and effort, and some people will always be inherently better at it than others. It also bears more than a passing resembling to what pyschologists call 'self image modification', which basically says that if you can visualise and understand what you want to become, it will happen - not because of any mystical power, but purely because you will behave in the way that person would (which for a successful property investor means learning about money and investing). Simple, really!

Gotta be honest, I stopped reading The Secret soon after I came across the quote from a person that went something like this "I kept invisioning cheques appearing in the mail, and sure enough a couple weeks later, cheques started coming in the mail." ????!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I defintiely believe in the law of attraction and remaining positive and keeping positive influences around you (the reason I hang out in a place like SS as opposed to GHPC), but c'mon! Positive thoughts don't make things happen. Positive thoughts that spur you into action and actually do something is what get's you somewhere! Not just sitting in a chair at home "being positive."