It is always super exciting for my clients when they see their slab of their house has been poured...and we experienced that excitement this week!!
We are building a two storey home...so the footprint isn't as long as the standard single storey home...but it is so exciting to see where the garage will be,the downstairs rooms and the alfresco!! We can also see where the pipes for the kitchen,laundry and powder room will be..as well as the drains for the guttering and downpipes.
We have had great weather for the pouring of concrete(not great for our farmers I know)...the concrete will cure in no time and the builder will hopefully start on the frames later this week.
With most homes we are having a termite mesh ,this is normally a green or blue material, placed around the edges of the slab as protection against termites...the termite protection has a lifetime warranty but this is based on our home being checked every year by a pest inspector to make sure no termites are munching away! 
Next stage Frame...this is where it starts to look like a house!!

Have you been asking yourself the question... "Where do I start in selecting the right location for my investment property?"

You may already have a few suburbs in mind, so how do you pick the right one? Here are 5 tips that are sure to help.

1 - What are the current rents in the area? Check online through domain.com.au or realestate.com.au and see what a typical 3 or 4 bedroom home rents for. When you factor in the cost to buy or build will you receive a good rental return on your investment. Also keep an eye on the supply, if there are pages of rentals available in one particular area it may be a case that there is too much supply for the demand.

2 - Infrastructure. What is available in the area - schools, shopping centres, transport, entertainment - either established or soon to be developed. All of these features attract tenants.

3 - Link Roads, Expressways. Are the suburbs you are looking at close to major roads that potential tenants could use to drive to work. In the Hunter and Newcastle area, popular roads such as the Link Road and soon to be completed Hunter Expressway, are great roads to access for employment. 

4 - Take a closer look at the suburb, what are the houses like? Are they well maintained? Do you see majority houses or units? If you can, take some time to walk through the local shops and see who is living in the area. Google street view could also assist in viewing the area. Residents who take pride in their homes and community create a positive environment which will attract quality tenants. 

5 - Remember, you do not have to invest in your own suburb. Great investments are available state and countrywide. 

Do you have other selection criteria when you are deciding on an investment location?

Never has information been more accessible than it is right now.  

If you want to know everything about a particular topic turn the TV on, buy the newspaper, click on the latest feed in your Twitter or Facebook account, read the latest enews or even have a chat to your local barista next time you order your coffee. No matter where you look information is available on all areas of life. This is especially true on the topic of investing in property.

For good or bad, information is available on all aspects of buying, selling and investing in property. It is who and where you choose to get your information from that can potentially make or break your first foray into the investment world.

As recently discussed by Terry Ryder in his article in the Property Observer, Three things property investors must do to separate the wheat from the chaff: One of the first to do's is stop reading the newspaper. Be selective about where you receive your information from and don't back down on questioning advisors. 

If we only listen to the top stories on breakfast tv/radio or only read the headlines during the morning commute, our minds would be filled with negative thoughts about the market both locally and globally.

Like many things in life, information and education is the key to investing in property. Let's be happy that we live at a time when information is available at our fingertips however, be selective, do your research and question the information and its source. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the amount of information available, shut out the noise and focus.

Keep it simple and don't shy away from investing in property because of the current headlines or the conversation at your local coffee shop. 

Sticking to your own path and setting your own goals can lead to fantastic rewards! The secret to getting there...focus and keep it simple.

We would love to hear if you have any tips that you follow when investing in property.