Hi travelbug,
The shopping trip went well. It was good to acually drive through and inspect some of these places in person. I must admit (and I haven't visited the place at night, lived in it or even spent much time out of the car for that matter) but Ashmont seems OK.
There were some really nice streets with well maintained homes, kids playing outside and in general, a nice community feel about them. Then there were other streets that looked less desirable.
The area that I'm keen on looks like it has improved. There are new retirement units, some newish looking units and a couple of vacant blocks - there doesn't seem to be too many DOH houses.
I've spoken to a few PMs about the particular street and surrounding area where I'm looking to purchase. All have said that it should be rented out quickly - and all seem interested in managing it.
So far, all the REA's I've spoken to have said that anything in the sub $300 p.w market doesn't stay vacant for long. I'm still a little uncertain - especially when taking into account the number of rentals available on
www.realestate.com.au - but then again, maybe that many rentals is about right for a population of 65,000
I spoke with a lady from Ray White today - she seemed pretty switched on, honest and knowledgable about Ashmont. She's currently renting a house on the street where I'm looking to purchase. The tenants are an elderly couple and the rent is the same as what the REA selling the house I'm interested in suggested it would rent for.
I've asked about the types of tenants the place will attract and the advice has been different each time - a couple, a single mum with kids, an eldery couple, ect. Either way, its the type of tenant that will make all the difference with purchasing in this part of the world.
I'll definately question the PM about their method of "showing" people their properties. I agree, having a PM tell you to drive past and call if you're still interested sounds less than desirable.
Cheers
Jamie