A great website to help you with your first property investment is  Investing in Property . It has been designed to provide you with the information you need to build a property portfolio.

The  biggest barrier to success in property investing (apart from the deposit) for those starting out is the steep learning curve.

The Investing in Property website covers the following topics in more detail to help you understand what is involved:

1. Types of Property
• What type of property will I buy?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying house and land packages?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing flats or apartments?
• What other property types are there in the market place?

2. Cash Flow versus Capital Gain
• What is positive cash flow property?
• Where do I find positive cash flow property?
• Why is purchasing property for capital gain so powerful?

3. Location Location Location!
• How do I find a good location to buy an investment property?
• How far from a major city or town should I buy?
• Where in relation to main roads or schools should I buy?

4. Condition & Rarity
• How important is the condition of my investment property?
• Do properties that have rare qualities increase in value more quickly than others?

5. Renovating your Property
• How to add equity to your property through property renovation?
• Learn more than 80 factors to consider when deciding if a selected property is suitable for renovation.

6. Market Research
• What to include in your checklist when inspecting a property.
• How to find and evaluate the right property for you.

7. Method of Purchase
• The pros and cons of buying property at private sale or at auction
• Timing your offer to get the best outcome for you
• How to make an offer?

8. Building Inspections
• What to look out for when inspecting a property?
• Organising a building inspection

9. Tax Deductions
• How to organise yourself in the month prior to the end of the financial year?
• Taking advantage of tax deductible expenses on your investment property.

10. Insurance
• Why you must have Building insurance for your investment property?
• Why Contents insurance and Landlords insurance are important for every investment property holder?

11. Sourcing Finance
• Important guide on how to choose an mortgage broker
• Two of the best mortgage brokers for investing in property

12. Types of Loans
• Comparing fixed rate and variable rate loans
• Consider an investor loan or line of credit for your investment loan
• The pros and cons of No Doc, Low Doc and Equity Release loans

13. Property Management
• The advantages of using a professional property manager
• What does a property manager do?
• What questions to ask prospective property managers?
Take some time to work through the website Investing in Property. You will need to consider your available time, establish a relationship with a mortgage broker or lender, learn about the real estate and rental market, understand contracts, know which insurance to buy, understand your legal rights and requirements, and fully comprehend the tax consequences when you enter a property investment.