Getting Started

Do you ever feel like you're just not getting ahead of where you were last year, or the year before that?

I feel like I've been financially stuck in the same place for at least the last 3 years. My salary has gone up a bit at least once a year. But, I guess the rising cost of living is wiping that out.

We bought our current home in Panmure, Auckland in June 2007. It was boom time, just before the peak in the property market. So, we paid just under top dollar. Now, 3 years later, we've completed fixing up what needed fixing and we're trying to sell. But, we're on the downward side of the peak and sliding.

We listed our house for sale beginning of February. We've had over 2400 views on Trade Me and several couples look through. But, the National Party are threatening to hurt property investors in the upcoming budget causing buyers to back off and wait; and, it's triggered some property investors to throw properties on the market. Some Real Estate Agents are saying it'll take nine months to clear the backlog of properties now on the market - and our house happens to be one of them.

This blog is about the ups and downs of trying to get ahead financially. Follow us as we tack back and forth between the different investment opportunities. Whose advice will reign supreme? Robert Kiyosaki's invest for cashflow or Norm's (our mortgage broker) advice to leverage against our home, borrow, borrow, borrow and negative gear?