Do owner occupiers really see capital gains… ever ?

In Australia, at Todays interest rates a $250,000 home loan over 30 years would accumulate $275,000 in interest. So your Home today would need to have doubled in Price in 30 years to break even… and that’s about all you’ll do – break even.

Despite being told as kids that purchasing our own home is the “best investment you can make”, the reality is from a financial perspective its not really a good investment. An owner occupied home is a liability, not an asset.

On a 30 year home loan and after the fullness of that 30 years, you would potentially have spent another $100,000 or more in upgrades, repairs, repainting, new carpet and all the other expenses associated with the upkeep of a house.

But its not all doom and gloom. The “investment” of owning your own home is not for financial return. Owning your own home is a part of your overall living expenses which we incur as a necessary part of the system we currently live in.

Home ownership is a piece of mind investment – not a financial one.

From a financial perspective all owning your own home gives you is the freedom to make changes to suit and a relationship with your bank manager.

Buying a new home or selling your current home can be a hassle. Especially with the high cost of real estate agents. One way to reduce your costs and sell with out agents is to hire the services of a “For sale by owner” expert. In Australia we highly recommend the services of Phone Owner Real Estate where you choose the level of Marketing you require. Its 0% Commission Real Estate!

www.know-the-number.com

Our Climate is Changing!

The Carbon Counter is an accurate measure of the amount of metric tonnes of Carbon in the Atmosphere.

If we keep giving people things, they will expect more of the same on an ongoing basis. There is no option to learn to support themselves. To succeed at anything people must first learn to stand on their own 2 feet. A baby must crawl before it can walk.

But one line of things the socially minded people DO need to be given in order to have the motivation to WANT to begin to support themselves, is respect, dignity and equality.

Capitalists (i.e. Money spinners, Corporation Directors, CEO’s) usually think of themselves as the top of the supply chain. “People” to a corporation are the tools that expand the corporations wealth. These “People” are typically paid at the industry minimum rate and if they complain, a loophole is found to retire them to a new money spinner (AKA… You’re Fired).

Instead, we now find a Government prepared to negotiate with peoples lives by way of the consequences of addiction to instead favour the gambling industry and the massive profits it produces at the detriment of lifestyles and often eventually the lives of those affected by gambling addiction.

At least in Tasmania we have members of parliament, like Kim Booth, prepared to stand up for social problems caused by gambling even if that means Tasmania going it alone. I will personally get behind any push that sees the eventual banning of poker machines in this Country.

The devil facial tumour disease has drastically reduced devil numbers in Tasmania, with only a few small pockets of unaffected devils remaining. Healthy devils have been relocated to sanctuaries around Australia to help ensure their survival.

Could aerial spraying of tree plantations and other broad acre agricultural spraying in Tasmania be associated with the tumours effecting these unique creatures?

Some of the chemicals used in Tasmania include:

Picloram
Glyphosate
Triclopyr
Metsulfuron-methyl
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4 D)
2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA)
Atrazine

Most Chemicals used for the control of weeds and other “pests” are either a mutagen, teratogen or a carcinogen.

A Mutagen is a substance that causes a genetic mutation.

A Teratogen can effect the developing foetus and induce birth defects.

A Carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.

A mutation caused by a mutagen can also result in cancerous growths as is also the case with a teratogen.

Unfortunately, due to the reliance we have on these chemicals, if it were determined that one or a combination of these substances resulted in the tumours effecting the Tasmanian Devil, science would look to develop something for the devil to counteract the effect of the chemical. Alternatively we would simply look at the extinction of the devil as a necessary evil for the sake of maintaining the use of the chemical.

A recent letter to the editor in “The Advocate” mentioned how thrilled the authors were with the great reception they received on arrival in Burnie on their recent cruise ship voyage though they do mention that pre-arranged plans saw them spend the day in Devonport & Stanley.

There are many attractions in Burnie that could easily hold a tourists interests for more than a day. However despite these many attractions, the Authors of this particular letter still decided to venture away from the town for their short stay.

Burnie does have a lot of great places, but it does lack that “one thing” that transforms the town from a gateway to other areas into a destination in and of itself.

That is not to discredit the benefit the cruise ships have on the rest of the state, but with the investment Council is making in getting the ships here, one would think they would do more to keep more of the passengers entertained locally while off deck.

The Liberal plan will see Millions of Trees planted to sequester carbon which on its own is not a bad idea but given the number of trees cut down each year around the world its not going to achieve much by way of carbon reduction.

Part of the Liberal plan is to create several clean energy plants to compete with coal driven facilities but several questions are raised about this.

Competing with coal is not the answer, reducing coal use to complete eradication is required within the next 15 to 30 years to have any impact on carbon dioxide reduction. Building clean energy facilities is only going to create another pathway to wealth for a handful of industry heavies.

Funding the Liberal coalitions plan is also questionable. It has been suggested the Liberal policy will cost Tax payers an average of $750 per year with these funds coming from the general coffers. Raising the question about what services are going to miss out on funding as a result. This $750 year could add a lot a child’s Education, could fund additional nurses in hospitals or repair or rebuild failing transport channels, roads and other infrastructure around the country.

The Green/Labor Carbon price is the only logical alternative to reducing carbon emissions through Market based incentives driven by the additional cost of fossil fuel energy with the addition of the carbon price.

The carbon price also allows for additional funding in addition to the federal budget to construct the required clean energy plants as well as compensate consumers at a retail level for any increases in prices after the carbon price is added.