Newbie to the group and looking forward to making connections

Hi all, my name is Luigi and I'm pleased to join the group. I'm in my 4th house (also previously had a rental) and currently considering subdividing, for which I have been granted council approval in Auckland.

A few years ago I wrote and published an eBook called Buying a House - Using Real Estate Apps, Maps and Location Based Services Kindle Edition which was focused on location which is my specialty. You can see it here.

I have a couple of areas of interest in joining the group.

1. I've had a granny flat built before, but I have never subdivided before and in the next 12 months I need to decide whether to subdivide and stay in the house I'm in or have another one built on the new section. I have a third of an acre with 2 full sized houses on it, and the subdivision will create 3 titles. I could move to the new house and sell the old one, or I could sell the lot. I was told that most of the capital gain comes from the subdivision more than the build. The reason I'm doing it is to become mortgage free for my retirement which is a few years ago.

2. I was going to update the book (which is under $10 and still relevant. I have decided instead to write a course (or perhaps a few, looking at NZ, Aussie, USA, Canada and UK) also as part of my retirement plan. The course will be in a similar vein to the book, but taking people through the location based steps and how to find information like demographics, location risks (e.g. flooding, noise, light), crime, commuting, local amenities and more. There is lots of information about finance, the buying and selling process etc, but very little about the many other things that people don't think about when they are focused on the kitchen, the view, the walk in wardrobe etc.

I'm keen to share my learnings in this forum, but also really keen to hear from people who have had bad experiences that I can help protect other people from. My first project is a free PDF eBook that I am part way through writing.

Thanks for the opportunity to join the group. I look forward to getting to know some of you.