Archive for the ‘Investment’ Category
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 |
There are all kinds of avenues available to those that are considering real estate as a likely method of investing in the future. And why on earth shouldn’t you? This is one way that millionaires around the world will agree to build a massive fortune quickly. At the same time, real estate can be a very risky venture for business so you need to have a few more stable methods of bringing in money in order to have a truly diverse portfolio and a better security system for your financial future. Even within the world of real estate investment you will find different manners of investing that each bear different risks.
Commercial real estate is a good place to begin because it is relatively secure when compared to some of the other forms of real estate investing. The drawback with commercial real estate is that it requires a massive investment to begin with. This is something that many real estate investors do not even consider until they have built a sizable portfolio and have plenty of money to risk. It is stable because most businesses that lease from you will want to lease on a long-term basis. This means that when you get clients, businesses prefer to stay in one location as long as possible because it’s bad for business in most cases to constantly be on the move, they tend to stay a while.
House flipping. This is becoming a popular form of real estate investing and many people have discovered that this is also a great way to make or spend money very quickly. This is a high-risk venture to say the least but the rewards are equally high when a flip goes well. You will have to decide for yourself if you are willing to take the gamble as house flips are part skill and part luck.
Residential rental properties. Becoming a landlord, while perhaps not as glitzy as owning business properties throughout the city or flipping fabulous properties for instant profits is a great way to work yourself into a rather comfortable retirement. This is a long-term type of real estate investment but the payoffs can be rewarding when all is said and done. For the cautious real estate investor this is a worthy type of real estate investment to pursue.
Pre-construction real estate. Pre-Construction profits are even riskier than house flipping in many instances, particularly as it has become so popular in recent years. The trick with this kind of investment is finding the right property in the right market. If you can get in a city that is about to have a serious housing shortage or is in the beginning stages of a housing shortage (such as a few desert and coastal communities have experienced in recent years) you stand to make quite a fortune for yourself. The problem is that this field is highly speculative and very competitive.
Lease or rent to own purchases can often bring better profits. For many real estate owners this is preferable to straight up renting for many reasons. First of all, those who hope to own their homes are much more likely to take better care of their homes than those who are just renting. This means that even if for some reason they decide to move elsewhere and do not complete the purchase you are less likely to need extensive repairs before you can move along to the next client. You can charge a little more than rent applying a certain amount of the monthly rent to the purchase price or down payment of the home, and you can actually be helping a family that might have hit a trouble spot along the way to achieve the American dream of home ownership.
Real estate investing is a great way to build great fortunes. You must decide where you want to begin your journey into this lucrative field however. Remember that once you’ve begun your real estate investment career it is a good idea to utilize more than one type of investment for the sake of diversity and spreading the risks, as this is a volatile market at best.
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Sunday, November 25th, 2007 |
All good things carry with them some degree of risk. The same holds true with real estate investing. Despite the promise of high rewards you should temper those ambitions with the reality that the risks involved are more often than not just as high as the potential rewards. For this reason you need to take every possible precaution in order to insure that you minimize your exposure to risk whenever possible or at the very least are prepared, financially and mentally to accept the consequences of those risks if the time comes.
The most obvious risk when it comes to real estate investing is the immediate risk of losing your investment. This risk can be a huge blow depending on how large your investment was to begin with but isn’t the worst thing that can happen during the course of a real estate investment gone wrong. While I’m certainly not trying to talk you out of investing in real estate all together it is a good idea to have a realistic view of the risks and the potential rewards.
If you are flipping houses as your real estate investment you have the potential to loose a little more as you can become injured during the course of your work. The sad truth is that many who are attempting to break into the business of flipping houses have neither adequate insurance coverage (this is true of themselves and the property in general and others that may be working on the property), the money, nor the time that a serious injury might require.
Another risk common to real estate investing is the fact that stuff happens. Market trends tumble, companies go out of business leaving towns and the local real estate market in shambles, accidents happen during the course of the work, natural disasters occur, and buyers change their minds and pull out at the last minute. Each of these things can have devastating consequences and are almost always events that are completely beyond your control as a real estate investor.
If that wasn’t enough many investors fail to have a proper inspection and find out when it is really too late that there are serious structural problems and other sorts of things wrong with the property. These things cost money to repair and cut into profits, occasionally resulting in a loss. The thing is that once you find out something is wrong with the property you are honor bound to either reveal the problem to potential buyers or fix the problems before selling the house. In the case of a flip, many major problems will undo the work that has already be done. If this doesn’t remind you of the importance of a thorough inspection I have no idea exactly what will but inspections are important for many reasons and can save a lot of time and money if you have one done ahead of time.
Do not allow the risks of real estate investing prevent you from taking the plunge. They are spelled out here to remind you that prudence and caution are wise when investing in real estate not to talk you out of this potentially lucrative field of investing. If you are interested in real estate investing there is no reason on earth you shouldn’t take the time and make the effort to learn more about its potential.
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Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 |
It doesn’t really matter what kind of investing you are participating in, it’s almost always a wise idea to have multiple streams of income in order to maximize your profits while spreading your risks. Even within the confines of real estate investing there are different types of investing that can help you spread your risks when markets meet turbulent times and this is a very good safety net for those who do not want to feel as though they are gambling away their investments on a real estate market that is fickle on its best days.
You really have two course of action when it comes to bringing in multiple streams of income when building your financial portfolio. The first is to spread your real estate wealth and investments across several different types of real estate investments. There are a few types that come immediately to mind. First there are rental properties. You have two options even with these. You can either choose to rent properties outright to families, students, singles, and the elderly in your town or you can offer a lease or rent to own situation for those who have struggled in the past but still have the dream of home ownership.
Other options for bringing in multiple streams of income through real estate is to have a few rental properties and couple those with a few flips in the works, perhaps a commercial property or two, and a pre-construction deal or vacation condo in the pipelines. One thing is certain you should always be on the lookout for your next real estate investment if you really want to make good money in this business while having a little added security. Rentals are passive income for the most part, especially if you have a solid property manager taking care of the details and the other investments are often icing on the cake.
If you want a truly diversified portfolio however, it is a good plan to include a few investments that aren’t related to real estate investing. While I firmly believe that real estate investing is the way to go for most people there is much money that can be made in other fields and it would be pointless to discuss multiple streams of income without mentioning a few that were unrelated to real estate investing. Retirement plans are a great option and you can now invest in a retirement plan of your own even if you are self-employed. It is definitely worth considering as yet another stream of income, even if it is income that you will need to wait a while to receive. Franchise businesses are often great money makers for those who need more immediate results from their investments efforts, and stocks and bonds are also great long term investment strategies.
The truth is that there are many things you can do to create even more streams of income to add to your real estate investments. From making money online through affiliate marketing, blogs, and direct sales you can also tackle brick and mortar businesses, though these tend to be just as time consuming as real estate. The point is that you want to bring in money from different avenues and real estate investing is one of many different routes to explore when deciding on your investment future and establishing those multiple streams of income.
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Sunday, November 11th, 2007 |
If you have the heart and soul of a gambler or love extreme sports and activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping then you may be the ideal candidate for pre-construction real estate investing. Pre-construction profits are often among the highest in the industry. At the same time so are the risks. You will find the greatest highs and lows that can be found in the field of real estate investing lie beneath the umbrella of pre-construction profits and many of the big names we know so well in the real estate investing field have made much of their fortunes through speculation and pre-construction sales.
Before I go any further, one word of caution should be spoken. While the potential for profits in this particular corner of the real estate market are unconventionally high the risks are also abundant. This is speculative real estate at its very best and as we have all learned in the past, when the bubble bursts in a specific market those who have the most invested are the ones who often loose most heavily.
As far as what pre-construction real estate is there are a few interpretations. The first is also the most obvious. You are buying real estate at some point before construction is complete. In hot markets you will often need to purchase the units before ground has broken on the project in order to get the lowest price for your investment and highest potential pay off for your pockets. Once you’ve purchased the unit or units you plan to sell you then begin seeking buyers for those units. In markets that are on fire like some Vegas suburbs and big retirement and vacation cities along the Florida coastline the same property is not exactly uncommon for a property to change hands and have several owners before the unit is complete. Each one will take a little something home from the table for their efforts with those who get in earliest often taking the largest piece of the pie home with them.
You may be wondering why this occurs and the answer really is simple. When the contractors attempt to get funding for their buildings in these large complexes they often need to have a certain percentage of the units “pre sold” in order to convince the banks that there is an adequate market and to garner some of the revenue that is needed to get the venture up and running, so to speak. So real estate investors buy these units at rock bottom prices because essentially they are paying for the idea of the unit (which hasn’t at this time been built and isn’t yet approved to be built in many cases) rather than a brick and mortar property. As the project draws closer to completion, particularly in markets where real estate is in high demand, the value of the property rises dramatically ending in ridiculous profits for those who have managed to hang on.
The risks however are many. There are any number of things that can go wrong on a project such as this not the least of which is that the demand for housing will be met before the unit is actually built. This has happened and continues to happen. Also recessions, business closings, economies collapsing, and tragedies in the vicinity can occur before the property is complete leaving everyone who has invested heavily in the project holding a little bit of the bag and loosing their profits and, quite possibly, their investment. These projects generally take a great deal of time to complete which makes the risks that much greater and the anticipation of these events a little more difficult to map out ahead of time. If you can manage to make it through however many investors see more than a one hundred per cent return on their investment making it a popular type of investment among many despite the rather large risks involved.
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Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 |
There are many ways in which a person can make a living when it comes to real estate investing some of them carry more risks than others. It goes without saying that those that carry the greatest risks are often the very real estate investment methods with the highest potential profit but slow and steady, in many cases, wins the race. Flipping houses is in the news a lot because so many fortunes have been made doing this—more than a few have been lost in this venture as well but those don’t make the news nearly as often.
Working with rental properties isn’t nearly as glamorous and doesn’t provide the almost instant profits that flipping houses might but it is also a great and very valid method of real estate investing that will build a steady profit over time if you plan properly. Rental properties are in demand now more than ever with so many people going into foreclosure and losing the homes they’ve worked hard to build for their families. For this reason rental properties are a good thing to own at the moment, especially those that are family homes.
There are many reasons that people rent and while there are some risks involved when renting properties, the risks are much lower than the risks involved in flipping or pre-construction investment endeavors. There are a few things you should consider when purchasing a property for the sake of renting however in order to make a wise and long lasting decision for your real estate investment.
First, only invest in rental properties in areas that people want to live in. It may be true that you can buy property cheap in a few very run down sections of town but it is doubtful that you will turn those properties into profitable rental units. It is best to pay a little more for a more attractive address for renters. You will find that your properties are inhabited more often, which will make you more money in the long run.
Second, pay attention to the types of people in the area and buy rentals accordingly. It is quite possible to turn large homes into multiple smaller apartment units (according to local zoning laws) that are ideal for college students. You do not want to do this however in an area that is geared towards family homes and won’t be friendly or tolerant of college students. Design the rentals according to the market you are attempting to attract.
Third, don’t be greedy. The goal of owning rental properties is of course, to make money. At the same time if your price your properties too high you will find that they sit empty more often than not. Every month that your property is empty is a month that you aren’t making money on that property at best and a month that you are losing money at worst.
Fourth, know the market. Study the local market for buying real estate and renting real estate. This will help with many things, not the least of which is determining whether or not any given property will make an attractive rental unit. Another thing it will help you determine is how much rent the units you are considering can bring in month after month.
Finally, when renting properties you need to keep your eye on the long-term goals rather than shortsighted goals. Property rental is a marathon rather than a sprint with the greatest profits coming at the end. You will want to pay as little interest on the property as possible and pay the property off as quickly as possible in order to realize the maximum profit potential and acquire new properties. The real money when renting properties as a real estate investment isn’t in renting out one or two units but twenty or thirty. The more rental properties you own the more money you stand to make from owning them.
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Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 |
The financial industry greats will be the first to tell you that real estate investing has the potential to bring in serious profits. They will also gleefully inform you that the risks in some cases far outweigh the potential, especially if they are among the more cautious investors in the industry. Those who have made their fortunes in real estate however will tell you that investing in real estate is worth every ounce of risk when you manage to work through the rough patches and find your way to real estate investing fortunes.
Commercial real estate is somewhat unique among real estate investment types. This is the type of real estate that requires a high investment to get into the game, much higher than most residential property and poses equally great risks depending on what you plan to do with your commercial real estate investment. Of course you will also find more than a few options for your commercial real estate investment that many investors find appealing.
Most investors find leasing office or building space to be the safest route to take when it comes to real estate investing is the path of leasing office space or warehouse space to businesses. They feel that this is a relatively steady source of income because most businesses prefer to keep their locations as long as possible. Smart business owners are well aware that customers, clients, and vendors need to be able to find them in order to do business with them and for this reason, prefer to keep their business in the same location whenever possible rather than reestablishing themselves in different locations year after year.
Commercial real estate investing is a bit of a different animal than traditional residential real estate that many of us are more familiar or comfortable with. You will need to do a lot of research before jumping in with both feet with this particular sort of real estate investment. Commercial real estate investments can take on many forms. From strip malls and outright shopping malls to business and industrial complexes to sky scrapers and high rise condos you will find all manner of commercial real estate interests. Whether your interests lie in business or personal types of commercial real estate there are significant profits that stand to be made.
Unfortunately, beginners often find the path to commercial real estate investing laden with thorns. You will need a massive contribution to fund your commercial real estate pursuits and it is probably best if you can find a group of investors in order to share some of the risks. Real estate, in and of itself, is a high-risk venture. Commercial real estate bears a little more of the risks in the beginning however once you’re established and people, particularly investors, know your name you will find that path to real estate wealth is much easier obtained through commercial real estate, if you play your cards right than many other types of real estate investing.
To create even bigger profits it is often best to work as part of a team of investors when it comes to commercial real estate investing. Not only does this approach spread out the risks to some degree but also helps find the good buys, spreads the labor pool, creates an environment of ideas, and allows you to bounce those ideas off one another seeking temperance and enthusiasm for members of your investment group in like measures. It is a great idea for those who are looking to build a prosperous future in the field of commercial real estate investing and can be extremely profitable for all involved.
Commercial real estate investing can be extremely intimidating if you allow it to be. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you feel out of control or completely uncomfortable for your first commercial real estate investment but if you have the means, the price is right, the deal appears to be solid, and you feel you are ready for the challenge, commercial real estate profits can be a serious motivation.
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Sunday, November 4th, 2007 |
If you’ve dreamed of real estate riches along with dreaming of being in the position to help out those who have hit a few bumps in the road along the way but are generally good people fallen on hard times then you may want to consider a type of real estate investing in which you purchase properties and then work out a lease to own agreement with people who, for one reason or another, cannot get the financing to purchase their own properties right now.
This type of real estate investing is a great way to make money while helping out your fellow man and there are many other benefits to this type of arrangement as well. First of all, renters have no stake in a property. For this reason you will often find that renters have little regard for damage done to the property beyond how it affects their security deposit. Those who have hopes of someday owning the property however are much more inclined to take great care of the interior and exterior of the home they are renting. This means that chances are good that the value of the property will actually improve during their tenure whether they ultimately decide to purchase or not.
This also benefits you because these properties are often in high demand and will fill up more quickly then the average rental property should the sale of the house fall through for whatever reason. Common reasons for sales falling through are work related transfers, divorces, and an inability to get financing even with the money escrowed to go towards a down payment. The good news is that even if the sale falls through you can try again and the house isn’t likely to sit empty for very long.
The benefits to those leasing from you are many. First of all, you will be putting a predetermined and agreed upon sum of each months rent towards their down payment at the end of the (again) previously agreed upon amount of time. This allows them to save the money for the down payment without really consciously thinking about it each month. This agreement also allows them a little more leeway for making improvements, painting to taste, and decorating than your typical rental home.
Another big benefit to those leasing to own is that it gives them a certain amount of time, typically two years, to get their affairs in order and work on improving credit, saving money, and taking other positive steps towards their dreams of home ownership. They also get the opportunity to see how they like living in the home in question. Many homeowners would love to have had a two-year trial on their homes before making the final commitment. They have an opportunity to learn about many of their neighbors, the local schools, the local commute, shopping, and entertainment among other things. These things are all great knowledge for those leasing to see and enjoy first hand before making the absolute commitment to purchase the property. It also happens to keep money filling your pockets month after month with excess paid to go to the down payment reverting to you if after two years (or the agreed upon time frame) they decide not to make the purchase.
Some have a difficult time making the decision to go the lease to own route when it comes to real estate investing. They feel, for whatever reason that it is taking advantage of some people and that is something you’ll have to wrestle with on your own. Truthfully speaking it is a service that many people wish was offered much more often than it is and can be a huge help to those who are experiencing a bit of a rough patch but otherwise have always been on time with payments and are, at the core, good people who deserve a break. You can quell the feelings of taking advantage by offering a fair price on an arrangement that has the potential to be mutually beneficial.
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Sunday, November 4th, 2007 |
It is for these types of investors that the interest only mortgage options should be used. The borrowers are business people, with business plans, and enough knowledge about the workings of commercial and mortgage loans, to understand a good investment from a bad. The commercial mortgage industry is a huge market, and since most of the monies borrowed exceed the $100,000.00 amount, the international bank rates, or LIBOR, are used for determining the commercial mortgage rates.
Wealthy investor usually means successful investor. These investors are very educated in the investment process, be it real estate or stocks, they understand the risks they’re taking, and how to maximize the risk for the profit. The real estate investor and the interest only mortgage are a perfect pairing. The real estate investor looking to retain an investment for short term can really benefit from the lowered capital investment of the principal payment. Especially in a situation where the investor is improving the property and the value is certain to increase.
Many of the consumers, who are being offered these interest only loans, are not business people; they’re not wealthy investors looking for a way to invest excess capital. They’re simply consumers looking for a place to live.
The investor normally has an investment analyst at his or her disposal, with tools and resources that can determine a good investment, the risk involved, and measure it against the amount of risk the investor is willing to take. All these factors go into determining if an investment is a buy or sell. This particular borrower fully understands the risks involved in an interest only mortgage, and has spent the time needed to determine if the product is right for his investment needs. The real estate investor is a business person, not a consumer borrowing to pay for a place to live
When you compare this with the consumer buy or sell, you’re not even comparing apples to apples.
Some investment opportunities for the wealth-building investor will at some point require an additional amount of monies to turn the investment into a profitable situation; do you suppose the average consumer has another ten or fifteen thousand dollars at their disposal, in case the interest only option should become a problem, or they’re home should need unexpected repairs, in order to remain at the purchase value? Most likely, the answer here would be no.
The short-term real estate investor or developer wants to keep his or her expenditures at a minimum during this investment period, saving as much of the expendable cash as possible for the actual renovation or preparation for sale of the property itself.
The less money spent on mortgage payments, or in the investor’s eyes, investment expense, the more money there is to actively and aggressively pursue potential buyers and increase the value of the property. This is good business, and good business is based on sound business decisions.
It is here that every consumer needs to stop and reevaluate their borrowing situation against that of the investor. The wealth-building investor is a business person. Their livelihood depends on their knowledge of the product they market, in this case real estate. Normally, a business person is not going to take a risk with their personal investments; not like the risks they will take with a business investment. Why? Because the home they share with their family is much more important than a business deal, most are not willing to risk losing their home.
I still am not an advocate of the interest only mortgages, but for some situations they are the best option. In a business setting, when many factors have been thoroughly discussed, and the interest only option has proven itself to be the best choice, I think the interest only mortgage should be used. But this option should remain as the knowledge of LIBOR is among the masses, virtually unknown.
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