Monday, February 28, 2011

Investment Returns To Retail Market

Investment has returned to the retail market throughout Australia and investment levels continue to increase as the market stabilises.

Into the future, this trend is expected to continue to improve as economic confidence and employment grows, retail spending returns and interest rates remain on hold.

There have been a number of signs of increasing confidence over the past few months and the retail sector has generated surprisingly positive trading results.

The recapitalisation of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) has seen many local buyers return to the market and a number of offshore investors have remained in the market because of Australia's strong economic growth prospects.

While retail assets remain highly sought after, investors have become more selective in their acquisitions. Larger retail assets are becoming more popular in 2010 as investors re-visit their overall investment strategies and attempt to position themselves for the next cycle.

The value of neighbourhood shopping centres is likely to remain stagnant, and construction and development activity is expected to continue to rise over the next five years.

Continued expansion plans by retailers is supportive of investors' increased focus on the redevelopment pipeline, with investors finding it hard to access new investment stock.

A stabilisation of yields in 2010 has given owners the confidence they need to test the market for larger assets.

Australian commercial retail sales transactions totalled close to $3.183 billion at the end of the September quarter, exceeding the $2.539 billion total annual sales figure recorded for the full year of 2009.



By: Tara Downey
Tara Downey is Communications Officer for McGees Property, Brisbane. She has a media background spanning more than 10 years with working experience in business reporting, travel writing and newspaper journalism. McGees Property specialises in commercial real estate with our successful and highly skilled sales, leasing, valuations and professional services, and asset management teams. http://www.bne.mcgees.com.au

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Greatest Investment

So, let's get right to it. It's real easy to be cheery and upbeat when good times are upon us, isn't it? But what about facing difficult problems, or pain, or failure or when you've lost something or someone dear to you? These are the stumbling blocks that must first be overcome before really smart investing can ever really even begin.

Do you remember who asked the question, "What does it profiteth a man to gain the whole world, but to lose his soul?" Well, it's true. I am here with you with over 40 years of professional and investing experience to witness to the simple fact that you are the core to your wealth.

I've helped, guided, enabled countless fortunes and those with fortunes to manage their funds and their growing stockpiles of goods, monies and riches; and I can here report that less than 5% of them have ever really had lasting wealth until they have real self-mastery.

The first and greatest investment is in you. This is the core of where your future fortunes reside. Your profits abide first on all in you. In your motivation, your real drive, your deepest self is your wealth. This is really not easy. And it even sounds a little "cheesy", right? Well, hold on. It's not fake.

So many self-help, motivational programs shout out in one form or the other, "Be brave. Be firm. Press onward. Hold on! Make a 5 year plan, a daily plan, a 50 year plan and a moment by moment plan and think about it night and day, over and over again." Yes, you must must indeed put forth the highest effort of which you are capable and then even go beyond that.

You must face your fears and doubts and go forward in spite of pain, focusing all of your might - mental, physical and spiritual, on the fulfillment of your goals.

But the right investing, the right investing of yourself, requires that you understand that you must not think that it is wholly your acts of will that achieves. No one ever became the master of his life, his fortunes, by merely willing it.

Trying to master life by your will is like trying to climb the mountain peaks by your finger tips. The essential thing is to assert your mastery in your heart. You must learn when to let go, and when to take hold.

Here is the core of great investing, investing rightly from deep within yourself. Make every thought you think be positive, constructive and loving. Work to surrender all thoughts of self-pity or self-condemnation.

Do not allow yourself to think of yourself as weak or inadequate, poor and unloved. You must not give power to old habits of thought by dwelling upon "poor old me" as though it were true.

Remember that true investing begins with those thoughts that are found deeply within you. Those thoughts that are right now Positive, Constructive and Loving. Settle for nothing less and you will have it all.




By: Patrick_Berryhill