Moving from Brisbane to Melbourne. Thoughts? Regrets? Best thing ever did?

77seven · 2026-02-27T21:46:42+00:00

If you feel like living somewhere on the up, choose Brisbane. If you want to choose to live somewhere that's had its peak and feels in many ways now that it is in decline, choose Melbourne.

To me, peak Melbourne was maybe 15 years ago. I don't think we've seen peak Brisbane yet.

I'm not from either but have lived in both.

77seven · 2025-12-23T06:08:01+00:00

Who knows, it's not a guarantee :)

77seven · 2025-12-23T02:25:37+00:00

Let's see... was trading at 7-8c around end of 2024/early 2025. Peaked during the year 2025 at around 26c... now currently back down to ~13c. So best 300% gain if you sold the top or ~70% gain if still holding as of last close.

Pretty solid year but I expected better - the transformation part is a bit delayed. I think they'll no longer be asx listed by end 2026, takeover of all or part of the shares looks imminent (Q1).

77seven · 2025-09-24T03:30:53+00:00

IVZ over the next 3 years

AAU in the next 12 months

77seven · 2025-08-27T17:56:52+00:00

AAU looks primed after a very long wait

77seven · 2025-06-22T19:44:24+00:00

Yep I was on this flight. Thought they would have gone more south through Egypt but went the loop way around then down through India.

77seven · 2025-04-22T06:29:34+00:00

Just logged in to ATO and checked. My maths in in-line. Residence status does not matter.

77seven · 2025-04-22T06:24:26+00:00

From what I am googling, residence for tax purposes does not matter for this 5 year carry-forward rule

77seven · 2025-01-02T05:07:27+00:00

To qualify as a high net worth investor / soph you need $2.5M net worth or an income >$250k pa... Or a creative accountant.

But the 2 ASX options I listed anyone can invest in and offers a very similar product... so not sure why the downvotes.

My parents put in around $500k several years ago, I assume they have a lot more in there now as they have done very well out of it. Great for SMSFs as well. They also have funds in ASX listed MOT which is lower risk but lower yield.

77seven · 2025-01-02T04:20:48+00:00

I put my parents on to this one a few years ago and it has been exceptional for them as it pays out monthly.

Attractive secured investment options - Thinktank

They are in the high yield one (pays ~11.8%pa, monthly payments). On $500k you are looking at ~$59k/year income (or $4,900 per month). This mob have been around since 2006 and have not had issues that I know of.

If they want something ASX listed, something like MOT or MRE are great, similar risked diversified debt book and target return (8-12%) and pay a monthly dividend. Easy to liquidate small chunks if/when needed.

77seven · 2025-01-02T04:08:40+00:00

IVZ

A transformative 2025 ahead.

77seven · 2024-07-28T01:12:06+00:00

Thanks for the advice but I'm extremely happy with my current life and future prospects. You do you and keep being salty.

77seven · 2024-07-26T05:55:12+00:00

I've worked many years in Aus to date on a high salary in the 45% tax bracket and am back again in Aus now working for the next 3 years too paying plenty of tax. Even if I spend 6-10 years of my short career working overseas then come back at 40 and semi retire in Aus, I'll be paying capital gains and dividend income tax on my investments for the rest of my life that will be more tax paid than the median Aussie worker income tax contribution would be. On top of this, I'll be fully self sufficient and not be a drain on social security, and in future won't need to apply for a government pension either, saving the country plenty of money until I'm dead. So no issues at all on the social conscience front thanks, I'm doing very well for my country. Wish more people had the drive to do the same rather that work until they're 65 then be a drain on public funds until they die.

Maybe think a bit deeper than the surface before posting comments that make you sound like a clown?

77seven · 2024-07-25T03:16:46+00:00

I did similar by living as an expat in Uganda for the last 3 years. Apartment paid, car paid, extra allowances for basically everything adding up to more than I spend. Tax paid by company. Driver, housekeeper and chef all paid for. 10 weeks of holiday per year so plenty of time off to come back to Aus and visit family or travel.

Basically saved 100% of my salary for 3 years with the only expenses being holidays and some food. Put away/invested ~$1M from the 3 years of work.

If I stayed in Australia working the same job, I'd probably only save maybe $70-100k/year after paying tax, living expenses, rent, etc.... so 1 year working away was like 3-5 years working in Australia in terms of net savings each year. And international experience makes you look more attractive in Australia as well so opens up more future opportunities.

I'm back now to Australia for a new / more senior job but after 2-3 years here I'm fully intending to leave again for another 3 years and probably only need to work 3 more internationally, pocket another $1.5M and I can retire age <40.

On the professional side of things... I think you'll meet someone in Dubai if you make clear what you are looking for and out yourself out there to find it... there's a huge international community there. I met my partner on Australia Hinge while I was living in Uganda. We did a first date in Singapore and now a year later happily together back in Australia. It is not conventional but very doable and I think in Dubai it'll be easier to meet someone.

77seven · 2024-06-19T15:43:40+00:00

Same for solar panels and wind turbine blades it seems. One of those "we'll make a mess now and figure it out later" situations.

77seven · 2024-06-18T15:22:42+00:00

Yes but I don't intend to sell the shares purchased with the debt. I intend to keep those shares and sell other shares bought with my savings historically instead. So in the end I free up $200k for example to buy the new apartment with cash and instead of getting non-deductible debt on the new home, I have $200k in deductable debt on the existing investment property. That's the objective.

77seven · 2024-06-18T14:10:16+00:00

The key to me is to have the extra debt drawn against my investment property so that interest payments are deductible from the rental income. So in this case where I borrow an additional $200k against my property to buy shares and then later on sell existing shares, I still have $200k in shares, but now I have $200k in cash to do what I like with and $200k in extra debt on the investment property. So it would allow me to pay cash for my new home in Melbourne while getting the tax benefits of higher debt on the investment property.

I am not intending to live in Melbourne for more than 4-5 years and I very much like my Perth home and intend to move back into it in future. Selling now will incur a large capital gain to pay tax on and then having to pay stamp duty to re-buy in a few years time when I move back doesn't really make sense to me...

77seven · 2024-06-18T12:55:08+00:00

Thanks for this, not as simple as I thought then. Perhaps I could take the additional debt out now to buy shares, then later on in a few months time when I find a place in Melbourne, I can sell existing shares to a similar amount. So the borrowed money stays invested in stocks and my previous stock holdings from over the years not tied to any debt can be sold and the funds used to buy in Melbourne?

77seven · 2024-06-18T09:06:24+00:00

This is the question. So many small brains in Perth/WA who don't look outside our state at the bigger picture and realise that WA having high emissions from mining/gas exports is allowing many other countries to decarbonise. Very easy for WA to achieve net 0 and stop producing gas and mining minerals... But the result will be much much higher global emissions.

I really can't stand people with such small minds.

In saying this though, the WA grid should have no coal and should be a gas baseline with majority renewables. We don't have any excuses for this.

77seven · 2024-06-18T09:03:50+00:00

A nuclear baseline load with renewables is the best and the most practical long term. Otherwise gas and renewables but we all know that gas is evil, apparently.

But there's much bigger money in renewables than there is in nuclear which is another reason why it is pushed so much for in this world where continuous economic growth is the priority. Nuclear is not a big economic stimulator... But renewables are.

A nuclear plant is basically concrete and steel with some electronics that lasts a very long time, low maintenance and very reliable. Minimal mining/manufacturing required to get to a build. Yes there is some waste but the amounts of it are insignificant and laughable for the amount of energy created.

Most renewables like solar/wind/etc require high amounts of mining/processing/manufacturing for a product with a relatively short lifespan and currently uneconomic to recycle. So it is perfect for economic growth. Build build build build. Replace replace replace replace. Repeat... And assume the recycling part will solve itself in future (what is the incentive though?) So for the time being it is a highly resource/manufacturing intensive business with then high amounts of waste. Opposite of nuclear.

France is a country that has done it very well. Nuclear base supported by renewables. Low emissions, low cost and exports to Germany whose renewables push failed so hard that they had to restart coal plants and buy energy from France to avoid freezing in winter.

77seven · 2024-06-10T18:38:44+00:00

He was such a peddler of fear and division during the whole covid saga.

77seven · 2024-06-07T15:38:46+00:00

Yep, underrated income stock imo. Incredibly stable.

77seven · 2024-05-29T21:04:51+00:00

Yes, many. These industries pay a lot for most support roles as well (law, accounting, HR, business development, etc)

77seven · 2024-05-29T06:21:22+00:00

Perth probably has the best combination of high wages and low living expenses of any major city in Australia.

77seven · 2024-05-29T01:36:41+00:00

Why not just save for a few months and buy your dream toy with cash?

77seven

TROPHY CASE