Past Meetings

26th September 2011 The Great Commercial Vs Residential Debate.

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

Is commercial real estate all it is cracked up to be?  Is it really the pinnacle of property investing?  Are there long-term investors who prefer residential property?  If so, why? 

If you've ever wondered whether the other side of the real estate coin is shinier, join us for the debate between our panel of experienced investors from both sides of the property divide, residential and commercial, and find out why they love the area they do, and what hidden pitfalls they reveal about the opposing sides position.

Robyn Green, Greg Cobb, and Jackie Thomas-Teague will debate this issue.

It will be interesting, entertaining, and revealing, and you will also become more informed of the opportunities and downsides of both sides of the debate.

The gloves are off, the fight is on.  At the end of the night, you will be the one to decide the winner.

22nd August 2011  What you wish your Real Estate Agent had told you - unravelling the secrets to make your next transaction work.  Jim Stuck & others.

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

Learn how to avoid being your own worst enemy when you are dealing with real estate agents.  Learn the reasons for the most common issues and how to avoid them.  What should you tell your agent, and what should you keep secret when buying and selling.  Should you use a 'buyers agent'?  How can you help get the highest price when selling, and the lowest price when buying?  What things should make you ditch your agent and try another?  What is the best methods of marketing properties, and how do you use these for your advantage?  What do real estate agents need to tell the buyer?  What must an agent never do?  What kinds of properties increase in value the fastest?

Find out the answers to all these questions and more with Jim Stuck, Harcourts Real Estate.  This meeting is ideal for those interested in buying property, or those intending to sell property in the future.  The information you gain should turn your next transaction from a potential struggle to a pleasure.

25th July 2011 Get that Finance - how to be the best mortgage applicant you can be.  Speaker from ANZ to be confirmed

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

The ANZ Bank will be sharing their secrets on who gets approved for finance, and who does not.  Do you know what information they need to make a decision, and whether that will be in branch, or needs to go to head office?  How do you keep your credit history squeaky clean so your bank has confidence they will get their money back?  What degree of leveraging should you be comfortable with?  When will you be considered a 'commercial' client, and is that good or bad for you?  What are your options when you hit the wall?  And what should you do if something goes wrong and you can't make your next mortgage payment?

This meeting is a must for any investor wanting to make the next deal work.

27th June 2011 Who should you listen to?  Alan Borthwick, Financial adviser and WNPIA Exec member.
7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

With the changes in the Financial Advisors Act there are a lot of changes in who can give you financial advice.  At this meeting we will be hearing from an expert in the new regulation covering all aspects of financial advice, whether for property or other investment classes.

Our speaker will cover:

•     who can and who cannot give advice
•     different qualifications and limitations
•     what to look for when getting advice
•     the remedies you have recourse to if you get bad advice.

Don’t rely on the neighbour over the back fence to influence your financial plan, know who can really help you plan for a successful financial future.  This meeting is ideal for all investors who do or are considering a diversified portfolio, or wish to seek advice with their property goals.

Alan Borthwick, Financial adviser and WNPIA Exec member will be discussing the changes in how advisers work from an advisers perspective and what this means for clients.

A-May-zing May - 5 Mondays, 5 great speakers, all about reducing your risks.

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

30th May - Credit Checking - what you need to know to get the best from a credit report.  The only thing you can never know from looking from someone is how they are at paying the bills.  Veda Advantage will be work-shopping what you need to do background checks, what to look for and what information it pays to collect on tenants.

23rd May - Avoiding Exemplary Damages - Shayne Landall from Department of Building and Housing gives a run-down on what NOT to do to keep you out of strife and Tenancy Tribunal punishment, and keep your head in a crisis.

16th May - Keeping your insurance - what you need to know to ensure your claims are always paid out and you don't inadvertently blow your cover.  Too many landlords find out too late they did not do the things they had to in order to get their claims paid out.  Forewarned is forearmed - come hear this expert talk on what to do.

9th May - From drugs to dead bodies - what you need to know about dealing with hazardous wastes.  Wayne Offord from Bright Spark Services will discuss dealing with the things you shouldn't touch to those you just don't want to touch, to get your property ready to rent ASAP.

2nd May - Meth Labs.  The NZ Police National Clandestine Laboratory Response Team will show us how to identify different types of meth labs, know the dangers and hazards,  identifying  labs in buildings and tenant awareness.  Meth cooks ruin properties - don’t be a statistic.

18th April 2011 Cutting through the Red Tape Wellington City Council Senior Planner Helen Webb

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

Helen Webb, Senior Planner with the Wellington City Council walks us through the process of cutting through the red-tape to get your property plans underway.  What do you need to know to develop your site, whether it is a big build or small alteration?

Come along with your questions, leave the plans at home.

28th March 2011 Collect that Tenancy Debt - Strategies for getting your money.  Michael Salanoa, Collections Team Leader.
7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

A common frustration for property investors is having a tenant leave while they owe you money for rent, cleaning, damages or other outgoings.  It is enough to put many off property investing for life.  There are many things you can do to prevent this happening to you, starting from the minute you show the property to a prospective tenant right through to the end of the tenancy.  And when a defaulting tenant has moved on, we'll share tips on what to do when, and how to make the best of a bad situation.  Collections need not be scary, learn how to be prepared, and extend your life expectancy as a property investor.

Don't be part of the $90 million in outstanding rents!  Come along to this meeting and learn just how to keep on top of the money instead of being a sad statistic.

28th February 2011 Learn about the changes to the QC and LAQC's with Michelle Dykes CA(PP), BCA Principal WHK

7pm  Venue Harcourts Building, Cnr Vivian & Cambridge Sts.

Michelle joined the WHK Specialist Tax Team in July 2008 . Michelle brings to her position over 16 years of chartered accounting and commercial experience with the last 10 years spent specialising in taxation. She has extensive experience dealing with corporate clients particularly those in the financial services industries. Over recent years Michelle’s speciality has been in relation to property transactions with a particular interest in the taxation implications of commercial and residential property transactions. Michelle is a fantastic presenter and is a regular tax presenter to many industry groups.  WHK - supporting the Wellington Property Investors’ Association

31st January 2011  Vital Changes to Residential Tenancies Act with Shayne Landall, Department of Building and Housing.
7pm School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

Shayne Landall is the Community Education Coordinator (Central Region) for the Department of Building and Housing, having come from a background of giving tenancy advice for several years at the Department's contact centre.  He has a passion for helping landlords and tenants and ensuring they are aware of where they can go for information and advice, as he believes being well-informed is a key factor in reducing problems and disputes.
 
His talk will focus on some of the key changes to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), and how these may impact you, including:
-  managing fixed-term tenancies in light of the changes to the RTA
-  dealing with abandoned goods
-  new 'unlawful acts'
-  landlord responsibilities
 
There will be plenty of opportunity for you to ask Shayne any questions you may have about any of the changes to the RTA, and he will also be seeking feedback on how you find the Department's resources and dispute resolution service.  So if there's anything you're unhappy about or would like to see changed, this is your chance!

30th January 2011 Members Picnic
Time and location: 5pm Park beside Takapu Rd Station, Boscobel Lane, Tawa.  Park near the 'The Bucket Tree' and follow the path under the trainline.

Come enjoy a picnic with members and share tips and "war stories" over a hot sausage.  A social mixer and time to be with other investors.  Children's playground area for the kids, dogs permitted.

29th November 2010 End of Year Fun Function with Frank Newman, NZ Investment Game.
7pm Harcourts Building, Corner Cambridge and Vivian St, Wellington.

End the year with some great fun, and learn too.  The last two years had investors playing and learning with Millionaire Maker game and Cashflow, hosted by local experts.  This year promises more fun and learning along similar lines with Frant Newman, Author, Investor, and creator of the NZ Investment Game.  Come along and have some fun with play money and get strategies for learning to make more of the real stuff.

27th October 2010 When Disaster Strikes with Martin Evans.
Wednesday 27th October at 6pm to 8pm, Harcourts Auction room, Cnr Vivian and Cambridge St.

What will you do if the 'big one' hits Wellington?  What will happen to your properties, your tenants, and yourself?

Martin Evans, a Christchurch landlord and survivor of the quake is also owner of A1 Property Management in Christchurch and President of NZ Property Investors Federation, is coming to Wellington to speak about what to do "when disaster strikes".  They have learnt a lot of lessons from the Christchurch quake, such as dealing with tenants who are worried about their safety, dealing with damaged property, and also coping yourself.

This talk is suitable for all landlords and property managers.  

30th October 2010 Investors Bus Trip with Jim Stuck of Harcourts.
12 Noon outside Harcourts, 6 Dekka Street, Khandallah, ready to depart at 12.15 pm sharp (lunch not provided). Returning by 4.00 pm. If you have not come on a bus trip before, you will find it is a good way of meeting other investors and getting their perspective on the market as well as benefit from Jim Stuck's long experience in the Wellington investment market.
Register now as seats are in hot demand, with only 29 seats available.

18th October 2010 Everything you Wanted to Know about Finance but were Afraid to Ask.
7pm School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

Get the opportunity to hear from a panel of experts in the financial planning field and accountants, Baubre Murray Chartered Accountant, John Makowem from Maxim Financial, and Alan Bothwick Dux Financial.  Find out who are their heros, what they are reading, whether Kiwisaver is for you, and diversification of portfolios and of course, property investment and how that fits.

27th September 2010 Members meeting with Rosemary Hazelwood of Building Networks.
7pm School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

Rosemary will be reveling how to avoid buying lemons and turn those that can into lemonade.  There will be hints and tips on what checks you should do before you buy, how to deal with Councils, and what you can find out for free and more quickly.  If you are going to buy another property in your life, you need to hear what Rosemary has to say.

23rd August 2010 Getting through Tough Times with Steve Goodey of Venture Property Group.
7pm School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

So how has the downturn affected a seasoned and successful Property Investor? What does the future hold with the new tax and structure rules?

Steven Goodey has been professionally investing in property for over 10 years and has seen all aspects of the market cycle. Steven will be openly sharing his personal successes and failures of the last two years of adversity.

26th July 2010 AGM.  Market Update with Jim Stuck of Harcourts
7pm School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

Jim has a wealth of experience in the Wellington Real Estate Market, and he will be giving investors a brief run-down of what to look for in current markets as a good buy, and getting the best when selling.

Cold Weather, Hot Demand - Maximising Rents in Winter with Rental Results Property Management.

It is harder to get great tenants in winter, and to get them paying top dollar for your property means you need to think a bit more about the product you are presenting and how you promote it.  Get these tips and more on keeping tenants paying you all year round with the highly knowledgable and successful team at Rental Results Property Management.

28th June 2010  Survive and Thrive after the Budget - Martin Hawes
7pm at School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

Martin Hawes shares the financial strategies that keep investors safe and getting good yields, and reveals some opportunities for investors in the current climate.  As always, there is the sensible advice for investors.  A must attend evening.

24th May 2010 Its a Business, Treat it Like One  Baubre Murray & Steve Hockley
7pm at School of Architecture and Design, 139 Vivian St, Wellington.

What will changes in The Budget mean to you as a property investor?  The prospect of radical changes to property taxes is worrying many.  Prominent Wellington accountant Baubre Murray explains how changes will affect your portfolio, and to make the most of them.

Is your property investments a business or an expensive hobby?  Business coach Steve Hockley tells how to turn it into a profitable business and plan for success.
 

26th April 2010 Investor Panel Discussion
7pm at The Tug Boat, Oriental Parade.

A panel of experienced investors, Geoff Boxall, Paul Wright, John Andrews, and John Canty, answer critical questions of how they began and progressed and lessons learned along the way.  A must-attend event for those wanting inspiration and a no-holds-barred access to serious investors who are living the dream.


29th March 2010 Khoon Goh, ANZ Senior economist, and Simpson Grierson

What are the changes to the Real Estate Agents act that affect us?

What are the predictions for the economy, and how will that affect property investment decisions?

Tonights speakers will reveal all there is to know.


22nd February 2010.  Architects & Valuers.

Jon Nanson gives a candid overview of the market and how it is tracking.

Architect discuss how great design can lift the investors bottom line.


Meetings prior to 2010 are not available on this website.