It was wonderful to receive such great feedback from those who found value in using the special members only Invest Kit pack.

In fact one reader used the Home Buying Checklist so successfully they were able to track the features of the 15 properties they saw in just 3 weeks, and settled on the best property for them.

One of the features of the Invest Kit is a goal and budget tracker - you may consider this as the starting point for your New Year's resolutions.

Remember as a Newsletter Member you also have access to the InvestKit containing easy to use spreadsheets for researching and locating the right property.

The housing boom is back. Lending to owner-occupiers buying existing homes has soared to new record levels, shooting up 12 per cent in just five months - and by a massive 22 per cent in the past year.

The Bureau of Statistics reports that lending to investors to buy existing real estate has also shot up 10 per cent in the past two months.

Coming just days after the bureau reported that housing prices in all cities but Sydney had reached new peaks this year, the figures suggest that the real estate boom is flaring up again.

Increasingly savvy consumers are also switching their home loans at record pace to get better deals on interest rates.
Refinancing loans are now running at more than $3.5 billion a month, compared with just over $3 billion in the 2003 boom.

Eventhough there was no interest rate rise this month, a Reuters survey found almost half believe the Reserve is likely to increase rates again in the first half of next year to head off inflationary pressures.

The latest Westpac-ACCI survey yesterday warned that business was reporting rising cost pressures, although Westpac's economics chief, Bill Evans, said ...

"This survey gives no support to the commonly held view that rates are likely to be on the rise in 2006," he said.

The good news this month was that the trade deficit eased to $1.3 billion in October, from $1.6 billion in September.

The boom in coal and mineral prices has lifted export earnings 16.5 per cent so far this financial year, whereas import values have grown just 7 per cent. Minerals and energy exports have provided nearly all the rise, soaring 43 per cent to more than $5 billion a month.

For over 100 pages of resources for investors go to www.investorschoice.com.au or click on the link below

This year instead of spending a large amount of money on self-branded Christmas cards I decided the money could be better used elsewhere.

So on behalf of each customer this year I have donated a small amount to World Vision Child Rescue Foundation. I hope the little angel they supplied sparkled on your Christmas tree.