u/TomatilloFirm9640

Quick one I have recently bought a Varia VS6 and the zero point is actually at 0.6 not Zero

Also I’m brewing espresso with a fresh beans medium roast (7 days old) in airtight container

I dialed the espresso between 0.9 and 1 (may is it because relatively new??)

Despite the fact the espresso range in their catalog was starting between 2 to 5

Is this normal to have a big shift like this
Note: it is the stock flat burr inside

I have a barista express machine with built in grinder and I buy fresh coffee beans (Toby’s) for people living in Sydney will know, at the moment I feel that I have reached the end with the Barista express machine which is bought in 2019 with no single issue till now, at the moment there is an option to buy both Leilt Mara V2 with the VS6 for about $3.5k which I feel it’s a big cash to put towards an one upgrade.
I pull around 2 double shots of long black and 1 latte daily.

The question is the lelit mara X V2 is worth it and Varia VS6?

I have a Breville express and looking to upgrade to the lelit Mara X, but I don’t know which grinder is best still choosing between Varia VS6 and VS4 but I don’t want spend too much at the same time.
Advice please is the Mara X V2 is substantial difference from the barista and does the VS6 is over kill
Note I’m located in Sydney and I drink Toby wollomollo (medium roast)
Thanks all in advance

I have a barista express machine with built in grinder and I buy fresh coffee beans (Toby’s) for people living in Sydney will know, at the moment I feel that I have reached the end with the Barista express machine which is bought in 2019 with no single issue till now, at the moment there is an option to buy both Leilt Mara V2 with the VS6 for about $3.5k which I feel it’s a big cash to put towards an one upgrade.
I pull around 2 double shots of long black and 1 latte daily.

The question is the lelit mara X V2 is worth it and Varia VS6?

I have a house with a debt of 1.185M at 5.59% fixed interest rate will end this July 2026 return rate is 6.14%
The house is worth 1.53 and I pulled an equity of 215k P&I at 6.29% variable(actual is 210k loan and 5k LMI) putting back the LVR to 88% on my PPOR

Currently looking to buy an investment property in Launceston LGA area in Tasmania for 720k approved for a loan IO at 6.29% with likely to go to 6.54% upon buying the house loan will be 80% LVR.

The question is I’m feeling with the current high interest rates and the federal budget feeling cold feet weather I feeling to close off the loan and loss 6k of the LmI and acclimated interest and establish SMSF and buy a property under super and invest in ETF under my personal name or buy this property investment is 15 years at least

About to hit 40 next year and combined income 405k plus super and 3 kids under 6

Any thoughts

Looking for some balanced opinions because I’m starting to feel frozen trying to calculate the “right” move long term.

Current thinking is one of these paths over a 15-year horizon:
Invest around $1,600/month into ETFs
Buy an investment property through an SMSF
Buy an established house now under my personal name, then potentially set up an SMSF later

Property option I’m looking at is roughly:
Launceston LGA area in Tasmania
Around $720k
~600m² land
Refreshed 1986 house
Estimated rental yield around 4.8–5%

Concerned about the recent federal budget discussions and possible future changes around negative gearing / CGT
Trying to balance long-term wealth building vs flexibility and risk SMSF property sounds attractive but also restrictive and complex ETFs feel simpler, but property leverage is hard to ignore

For people who’ve been through this decision already:
What would you prioritise in this environment?

Would you still buy an established investment property now?

Would you focus on ETFs first and wait?

Is SMSF property worth it for retirement wealth, or too restrictive compared to personal investing?

Not looking for financial advice — just real-world perspectives from people who’ve navigated similar decisions.

I’m looking at an investment property in a regional Australian market (TAS) and wanted some unbiased investor opinions from people who have experience with long-term buy-and-hold strategies in secondary cities.
The property fundamentals are roughly:
Established family suburb

High owner occupier ratio (~75–80%)
Very low vacancy (<1%)
4-bedroom house
low 700s purchase price
Yield around 4.5–5%
Older house (mid-1980s build) - land size 600m2 (looked after) still to conduct B&P
Target strategy is capital growth over 10+ years, not cash flow

Financially:
20% deposit
Stress tested around 7% interest rates
Factored in 5% as maintenance + and 2 weeks vacancy

Holding costs manageable but not heavily negatively geared (which is not mattered now)

Questions:
Would you prioritise stronger yield + stability in a market like this, or chase higher-growth markets elsewhere in 2026?

How much would the age of a 1980s property concern you for a 10–15+ year hold?

For people already investing in regional Australia (TAS), what has mattered more in reality:

population growth,
vacancy rates,
owner occupier demand,
or broader economic diversification?

Would you classify these kinds of regional family suburbs as “steady compounders” or value traps long term?

Interested in hearing from investors who’ve actually held through multiple cycles rather than short-term speculation.