To No.1)

Yes, absolutely there're all kinds of investments.  All depends of one's own personal experience, initial capital & courage.  If somebody has a initial capital of less than $500,000 to invest & he's not buying an apartment for self-use, I don't see any point investing in the properties.  Timing is also not so well indeed.

However, if you can afford to make the downpayment of reasonable properties of renting value, that's another story, in the long run your tenants pay for your mortgage(in our cases we do not have to pay any rates, the rent covers all mortgage & rates already.  Yes, maybe just lucky)  Long-term investment, it's most likely going to bring you another upward value appreciation.

Of course, all investment carries risk & depends on what kind of properties you have purchased & how you buy it, just like the funds.  It's just that the mechanisms of mutual funds maybe easier(your buy-sale price has to be perfect)  Market also has a major crush on your return.  And people can even choose to put only 1-2K per month on funds, why not?

To No. 1,

I think property market and financial market are 2 different investment markets.  If one has enough money, they should divide their money to invest in both markets to diversify their risk.  However, if he/she has only got one shot to invest, if timing is right, property market should be more preferred.  Reasons being 1. mortgaging a property has margin up effect, 2. property can give you both the rental return and later the price appreciation, 3. you tend to hold a property longer to reap a higher gain (whereas, holding stocks or fund, one will be tempted to sell faster with the profit). Of course, you may argue that all those benefits come with related risk.

For investing in funds, in my opinion, is the worst choice.  Reasons being 1. historical figure shows that fund managers seldom beat the market, 2. the associated management fee eats up your return, and the return can only compare to the rental return of property market and doesn't have exceptional return to compare with the price appreciation of a property.

So, if we choose to invest in financial market, why not directly buy into those ETFs.  Correct me if you think I am wrong. 

To No. 7,

I am a bit doubted if you are really a property agent.  If you are, you are not a professional property agent. 

It is the tenant's responsibility to pay rent to occupy the unit.  If the tenant is still living in the unit, it is his/her duty to pay the rent.  If there are troubles in the unit, it's reponsibility of landlord to fix it.  If the landlord refuse to fix it, the tenant can fix it her/himself and later claim back the money from small claims.  Stop paying rent is really a breach of leasing contract no matter of the reason.  And the landlord has the right to claim back the unit lawfully and bring the tenant to court. And surely, the court will order the tenant pay back all the rents and related legally cost. 

So, don't be naive.  HK has law to protect both tenants and landlords.  If you think you have strong legal reasoning for not paying rent, you can try...

TO:

1. 好多老人都有樓收租，不是投機。

2. 業主真係提供物業給租客住，何來免費午餐？

3. 業主有風險是事實，但不是應該。正如單身性感女仕半夜在街上，有風險，但不是應該或底死比人強姦！

TO  : 1. 平心而論

1. 好多老人都有樓收租，不是投機。

2. 業主真係提供物業給租客住，何來免費午餐？

3. 業主有風險是事實，但不是應該。正如單身性感女仕半夜在街上，有風險，但不是應該或底死比人強姦！

我既方法係要個租客預繳半年租, 我又吾使個個月催交租, 佢又吾想我個個月催佢, 大家吾使煩!!

之前仲有個國內人士預繳咗1年租金俾我, 大家DEAL姐!!

TO: 1樓

咪玩啦, 用PRINTER印出黎嗰D所謂投資工具咩仲有人信?

3%投資回報?

雷曼嗰時吾至TIM....

SORRY.... 您可能係從事基金行業, 無心冒犯....

湯先生預防租霸的方法大致上都是阿媽係女人的理論，但他說收支票不收現金則無提到待支票過數後才交鎖匙這一點，因為如果支票過唔到數但又交了鎖匙肯定死多幾錢。

我自己對付未來租霸的方法是：

1 按金收現金，無二三千蚊現金學乜人做租霸。

2 無咭片都要講係邊度辦事，然後借頭借路打電話找佢睇下係唔係堅料，依依哦哦都唔肯講，唔係租霸就有鬼。

3 未收齊一個月上期，兩個月按金，老虎蟹都唔好俾鎖匙。起碼有乜依郁都有三個月租係手，亦加重租霸的成本。

4 律師費唔好慳，千零蚊，起碼有張身份證副本存係律師樓度多點渣拿。我試過話去律師樓簽租約個疑似租霸即撻定一千元後無影無蹤。

5 唔簽律師樓租約都唔緊要，記得打厘印，無厘印租約法庭係唔受理的。

6 打完厘印後記得一個月內填返張差餉估價署的 CR109表格，一個月內是免費的。

7 大吉利是講句，萬一做晒咁多預防措施都賴野，欠租十五日後追極都係依依哦哦，唔好猷疑，即刻去土地審裁處入稟，因為起碼要排個幾兩個月，早的入，早點排期。

唔好信地產代理，自己去和未來租客見面，我伯爺話齋，買賣兼睇相，起碼自己揀過死得心息。地產代理為求作你份佣，邊得閒同你揀租客，阿貓阿狗佢都話揀過，你唔好唔信，因為我做代理個陣時都係咁做，如果揀過先至介紹俾個客，施公唔斬你，陳永傑都斬你。

打厘印，填 CR109要親力親為，唔好貪方便俾代理做，代理淨係識收佣，你淨係俾部計數機佢，叫佢計印花和厘印你就知代理有幾多料喇。

我唔係詆毀d代理，做野點都係親力親為好。

自求多福

To No. 15 Fook Bak,

Thanks for the info.  That's really useful and practical.

老眼昏花，落筆打三更，訂金寫了按金。

無二三千蚊現金落訂學乜人做租霸

To 21 二馬九日

咁喬我又係89年64後買左個沙田一城410呎單位，49萬幾，係鍾保羅跳樓隔離個座，當時4500租左兩年，因有租務管制，約滿後祇加至5000，每兩年續一次，交租非常準時，過得人過得自己，有幾次續租都無加到，沙示那年重減租添。04年撤銷租務管制，07年連約賣鬼左佢，叫做賬面賺左球幾，但係這幾年繼續升都幾吹脹，但都無辦法，鬼叫自己叻唔切，以為佢會跌，跌定再買番。

你提到的物業稅其實可以用個人入息稅裡面的個人免稅額抵銷的。以我兩老計，每人有十萬幾免稅額，兩個人就有廿幾萬免稅額，再加埋供銀行的利息可報銷，大大話話計，我收廿幾萬租一年都唔使點俾稅。當然，如果你有份年薪二三十萬ge工，咁樣就無乜計了。但係納稅是市民的責任，越納得多表示你賺得多姐，不過最勞氣係納稅用來養 d 懶人就有少少唔順氣。

不過，施比受更為有福。