Property and especially Australian property is an excellent investment. Not only is it much harder to lose money in property than in the stock market, but with property you also benefit both from steady capital growth and from rental income. And as rental income increases over time it protects you from inflation. At the same time you can borrow money to buy property and despite Australia’s high taxation environment, property investment can be very tax efficient.Let’s have a look at these advantages and some more beneficial aspects of residential property investment in a bit more detail.1. An investment market not dominated by investorsFirst of all, you need to realize that some seventy percent of all residential property is “owner occupied” and only thirty percent is owned by investors. That means that residential property is the only investment market not in fact dominated by investors, which means that there is a natural buffer in the market that is not available in the share market. To put it simply, if property values crash by 10%, 20% or even 40% we all still need a home to live in and so most owner occupiers will simply ride out any major crash rather then sell up and rent (compare this to the stock market where a major drop in prices can easily trigger a serious meltdown). Sure, property values can and do go down but they simply do not show the same level of volatility as the share market and property offers a much higher level of security.And if you don’t believe me when I tell you that residential property is a safe investment, then just ask the banks. Banks have always seen residential real estate as an excellent security and that’s why they’ lend up 90% of the value of your property; they know that property values have never fallen over the long term.2. Sustained growthProperty prices in Australia tend to move in cycles and historically they have done well, doubling in cycles of around 7 – 12 years (which equates to about 6% to 10% annual growth). We all know that history is no guarantee for the future but combined with common sense it’s all we have. There is no reason to think that the trends in property of the last 100 years would not continue for the next few decades, but to be successful in property investment you must be prepared and capable to ride out any intermediate storms in the market, but that applies to any investment vehicle you choose.Australia’s median house price between 1986 and 2006 as published by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) shows that back in June 1986 you would have bought an average home for $80,800. That same home would have been worth $160,500 in 1986, which is pretty much double of what you paid 10 years earlier. Another 10 years later in 2006 that average home was worth some $396,400. So between 1986 and 2006 that average home went up by nearly 400% or about 8.3% per annum.Not bad. And quite in line with the longer term history.In fact, as Michael Keating points out in his blog on 24th January 2008 (Why Melbourne’s properties will keep rising), it is actually on the low side compared to the historical average. Australia’s property prices have been tracked for something like the last 120 years and on average they have risen 10.4% per year. Just in case you might believe that had to do with Australia being a newly found colony, and don’t believe this would be sustainable in the long term, consider this. In the UK records of property sales go back till 1088 and analysis of the data shows that in those 920 years UK property on average has gone up by 10.2% per year.3. Buy It With Other Peoples Money (OPM) Now just in case the above has not been enough to convince of the value of residential property investment, let me tell you one of the great secrets of creating wealth, which also applies to investing in property. The secret is OPM. Other Peoples Money.Secret? No – that’s just marketing hype you see on the web, but the power of Other People’s Money or more common referred to as leverage or gearing is absolutely critical to building wealth. And, in the case of property the leverage you can apply is substantial. As I mentioned above, banks love residential property as security and therefore will easily lend you 80% or 90% of the value.It was Archimedes who said, ‘Give me a lever and I’ll move the earth’. Well, as an investor you don’t want to move the Earth, you just want to buy as much of it as we can! When you use leverage you substantially increase your ability to make profit on your property investments and, importantly, it allows you to purchase a significantly larger investment than you would normally be able to.Let’s have a look at how this works. Imagine there are five investors each with $50,000 to invest. Say they all buy an investment that achieves 10% growth per annum and has a rental yield (or return) of 5% per annum. Investor A borrows 90% of the value of his investment property (Loan to Value Ratio or LVR of 90%) and investors B, C and D borrow 80%, 50% and 20% respectively. Investor E doesn’t borrow at all and goes for an all cash transaction.Let’s start with cashflow, which is here simplified to rental income minus interest paid. Investor A, who geared 90%, has a negative cashflow of $15,500 for the year whilst Investor E who borrowed no money at all has a positive cashflow of $2,500. But that’s not the whole picture because each of the properties increased in capital value and once we include that the picture changes significantly, Investor A has a net worth increase of $34,500 whilst Investor E who didn’t gear increased his net worth by only $7,500. In terms of return on investment Investor A achieved a 69% return on his initial $50,000 whilst investor E achieved a return of 15%.That’s pretty impressive for one year. And if the investors let their properties grow one or two full cycles we’re talking about serious wealth creation. And once the investors have enough equity in their investment property they can use that to fund a second purchase which after a few years growth will allow the purchase of a third and we’re on our way to wealth! That is, those investors who geared as Investor E is not going anywhere fast.However, it is not all that easy. As you saw Investor A incurred a negative cashflow in his first year and would continue to do so for a few years until the rental income had grown sufficiently to pay his interest. He has to fund this annual shortfall from his salary. And this is called negative gearing – you borrow money to generate capital growth in your property but incur an annual shortfall in the near term. For most investors this means there will come a limit on how many properties they can buy with negative gearing, as they don’t have too much spare income. If you look in our strategy sections you can read more about negative gearing and techniques to avoid paying the shortfall out of your own pocket. We also address cashflow positive properties.But let’s get back on topic and have a look at some more compelling reasons to invest in Australian residential property.4. Income That Grows We’ve discussed that Australian residential property vestment is safe, with long term growth prospects and combined with the right level of leverage can create significant wealth. We also briefly touched on the fact that it generates a rental income. The good thing is, that over the years the rental income received from property investments has increased and this increase has outpaced inflation. In fact the last few years have shown tremendous increases rents – I know because the rent on my investment properties has been booming. Still is actually.Ok, but are rents likely to keep growing? Well, statistics show that the level of home ownership is slowly decreasing in Australia. There are a number of reasons for this like demographic trends but, in particular, as property prices keep rising, fewer people are able to afford their dream homes. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures confirm that more and more Australians are renting and many industry commentators are suggesting that the percentage of Australian who will be tenants in the near future will go up to 40%. So demand is growing. We also know that supply of good quality rental properties is limited (very low vacancy rates across all of Australia) and the government is having difficulty providing public housing. So all in all, it is very likely that rents will continue to grow at a pace faster than inflation – good news if you intend to become a property investor!5. Tax EfficientWhen it comes to investing in property, your best friend is the bank as they provide the leverage you need to accelerate your wealth creation. Your second best friend is your tenant, as without a tenant your investment property would stand empty and your third best friend is the taxman.The taxman? Absolutely. How can that be when Australia is not know for attractive tax rates, in fact the opposite?Well, first of all the interest you pay on the loan to buy an investment property is fully tax deductible and if you own the property longer than a year you only pay capital gains tax over 50% of the gain. Add to that various depreciating allowances and you have the makings of a very tax efficient investment. If you do your homework, the bank will happily give 80% or 90% of the money you need to buy your investment property and once you own it, your tenant and the taxman will pay your interest and your rental expenses. Guess who gets to keep the capital gains, you! Talk about OPM.6. Millions of Millionaires And if the above doesn’t get you going, consider this: most of the world’s richest people got rich by investing in property. Those that didn’t get rich from property typically invested their newfound wealth in property.So, if the majority of wealthy people have used investment property to increase their wealth than why not use that knowledge to you advantage and do the same! There’s nothing wrong with seeing what successful people do and applying those principles to your own life.Even McDonalds make more money through its real estate than through selling burgers and fries as it owns most of the land and buildings in which it’s franchises are located!7. You Can Do It Too Before you say, it’s OK for the rich, but how the heck am I going to get into property investing, let me tell you this. You do not need to be very wealthy to get into property investment; it really doesn’t take large sums of money to get involved. And that’s because many of the banks will lend 80%, 90%, 95% and sometimes even 100% or more of the value of a residential property. As long as you have a steady job and a little starting capital (spare equity in your home) you can afford to buy investment properties.It has been shown over and over again that careful and intelligent use of real estate can enable ordinary people, like you and me, to become property millionaires in about 10 years. If you truly intend to become one of the wealthy people in the future, you should probably take a serious look at using property to your advantage.8. Too Much Hard Work? There are many ways to make money and some say that property investment isn’t that easy and takes a lot of time and effort. It takes time to get an understanding of the property market and how to go about investing in property. It can take weeks if not months to research areas and find the right investment property for you. And then it only gets worse, you have to organize finance, get a solicitor to deal with all the legal work. Just the finance and legal work can take 30 to 60 days. And once you own the property the work isn’t over, as you need to look after it and do your tax!Nobody said it would be easy. Nobody said you didn’t have to get your hands dirty.It will take time and you will have to work at it and educate yourself. But hey, if you are serious about creating wealth and retiring early then property is a great way to achieve that. And once you’ve started and get some experience under your belt, you’ll see that I gets easier, and actually the process of building a investment property portfolio can be very rewarding and a lot of fun too.So, to come back to the original question, my choice for property investment is based on the low level of risk and robust long-term performance property compared to the alternatives. Investing in property, if done well, is Simple, Safe and Reliable.Please note that this article does not include the charts and tables of the original article.

A major theme throughout this text is that you can control many factors that influence your health. An outgrowth of this attitude is the self-care movement, which is the trend toward individuals taking increased responsibility for prevention or management of certain health conditions. Armed with correct information, you can manage many aspects of your health care that were once thought possible only with the help of a physician.Answers to the following questions provide clues to the use of health-care services, providers, and products and facilitate the self-care approach to wellness:When should you seek health care?What can you expect from a stay in the hospital?How can you select a health-care professional?When To Seek Health CareMany people tend to fall into two extreme groups regarding health care: those who seek health care for every ache and pain and those who avoid health care unless experiencing extreme pain. Both groups unwisely use the health-care establishment. Those in the first group fail to understand that too much health care can be ineffective or even harmful. They also fail to recognize the powerful recuperative powers of the body. An estimated 80% of patients who seek medical care are unaffected by treatment, 10% get better, and 9% experience an nitrogen condition in which they get worse because of the medical treatment. Those in the latter group fail to recognize the value of early diagnosis and detection of disease. This is especially true for men; 30% of men have not been to a doctor in a year or more, one-third have never had their cholesterol checked, and three fourths have not been checked for prostate cancer during the previous year.Perhaps the best way to find a balance between too much and too little health care is to establish a physician-patient relationship with a general practitioner. The general practitioner may be a family practice physician or an internist who specializes in internal medicine.It is important to visit your doctor while in good health. This permits your doctor to serve as a facilitator of wellness and provides a benchmark for interpreting symptoms when they occur.A second important way to balance health care is to trust your instincts. Nobody knows when some thing is wrong with your body better than you do. Health and illness are subject to a wide variation in interpretation. If you are attuned to your body, you are your own best expert for recognizing signs and symptoms of illness.Several signs and symptoms warrant medical attention without question. Internal bleeding, such as blood in urine, bowel movement, sputum, or vomit, or blood from any of the body’s openings requires immediate attention. Abdominal pain, especially when it is associated with nausea, may indicate a wide range of problems from appendicitis to pelvic inflammatory disease and requires the diagnostic expertise of a physician. A stiff neck when accompanied by a fever may suggest meningitis and justifies immediate medical intervention. Injuries, many first aid emergencies, and severe disabling symptoms require prompt medical care.There is debate as to when medical care is needed in the case of fever. An elevated temperature may be a sign that the body’s immune system is responding to an infection and working to destroy pathogens, or disease-producing organisms. On the other hand, if left untreated for an extended time, a fever may cause harm to sensitive tissues in the body, such as connective tissue found in joints and tissues in the valves of the heart.The normal body temperature of 98.6° F was studied at the University of Maryland. Findings involving 700 temperature readings of 148 adults over a 3-day period suggest that the normal body temperature is 98.9° F. The study attributed the difference to less accurate techniques when the earlier standard of 98.6° F was established. Body temperature varies with exercise, rest, climate, and gender. Fever means a reading over 99° F. It is not usually necessary for an adult to seek medical care for a fever. Home treatment in the form of aspirin, acetaminophen, and sponge baths usually lowers fever. You should consult your physician if fever remains above 102 0 F despite your actions or, in the case of a low-grade fever (99 0 to 100 0 F), if there is no improvement in 72 hours. You should consult a physician if fever lasts more than 5 days, regardless of improvement. Symptoms, such as sore throat, ear pain, diarrhea, urinary problems, and skin rash, may be the cause of the fever and should be treated as such. Fever in young children should be discussed with a physician.

Nurses are at the forefront of an evolutionary wave in health care. Whether we take leadership or not will determine nursing’s future.These ten trends can revitalize nursing if nurses break free from the confines of the medical model and use their education and skills to become wave riders.1. Aging Boomers
Boomers are living longer. Quantity of life is driving a desire for better quality of life. This generation wants to learn how to stay vital, mobile, healthy and productive. They are looking for guidance in health promotion and wellness, not only disease prevention and treatment.2. A 2nd Boom
Boomers Grandchildren are driving a huge demand for family health information and support for new and working moms. From birthing to family health education and sick child care, family systems need and want professional advice and innovative strategies to raise a brighter, stronger next generation.3. Information explosion
Internet access provides health consumers with tons of information, but not the knowledge or wisdom to know how to use it without getting confused. They need knowledgeable health professionals as gatekeepers, trusted advisors, or health system navigators.4. Holism
People are increasingly spending out of pocket dollars for alternative and complementary health care. Nursing education focuses on systems, whole person, life cycle perspectives that can guide in selecting appropriate options along a continuum of care.5. Consumer driven health care
As consumers rely less on employer health coverage and more on personal health spending, they are seeking innovative and home based solutions for care including advanced home monitoring, telephone consultation, personalized care, and individualized treatment.6. High Tech – High Touch
The need for personal connection, listening, and caring has never been higher. Nurses consistently rank first in every consumer poll for most trusted professional.7. Shortages and Cost Containment
Professional shortages and a drive to contain costs, creates a push to use mid-level and low-level providers for technical care. Nurses will continue to be driven away from the institutional bed side. With decreasing numbers of people in institutional care, face to face professional health care will be delivered in the home and community.8. Accessibility
Health information and care will be delivered on a global, mobile, remote, phone and internet basis. Nursing phone advice lines are increasingly popular with consumers.9. Back to Basics
With increased interest in information and coaching on proper food and nutrition, supplements, stretching, meditation, simplicity, life balance, joy in work, and relationships wellness and health coaching is a growing field.10. Self-Care/Self-Responsibility
People are realizing that doctors, medication and illness care are not going to keep them well. Employers, third party payers and common sense are driving consumers to take health care into their own hands. This trend will continue to drive an increase in self care information and reduction in in-patient and long term care.Tomorrow’s nurses are not working under a doctor’s direction, or in an institution. To remain viable, nursing will have to think beyond the institutional medical care box.Consumers are desperate for professional nurses to fill the need for proactive community
and home based health care.Tomorrow’s nurses will be innovative community health leaders, who develop and deliver services directly meeting the changing needs of health consumers.Progressive, professional nurses will form cooperatives, and creative health delivery systems that support families throughout the life span. They will provide continuity of health information and care while supporting people to navigate an ever more specialized and complex techno-medical system.Grab A Board – Surfs Up!© Aila Accad, RN