As the real estate market cools, the profit potential of home ownership has cooled as well. Here's a strategy called "follow the builder."It is relatively easy to make a profit when you sell your home if the market is rising sharply like it has been in most of the country for the last three years. It becomes more difficult when a hot market slows down. It's very difficult to make a profit on the sale of your home when prices are falling. Is there...more
Rental property investment starts with finding the best deals. To do this, you can increase your odds by finding more deals. Who's more likely to get a cheap apartment building, an investor that looks through the MLS listings and calls it a day, or the one that uses ten resources? Here are those ten:1. Look in old papers to find "For Rent" ads. Call if they are a few weeks old. The landlord may be ready to sell, especially if he hasn't yet...more
As the real estate market begins to calm down, many worry about making a profit on their homes. Here's an example of the "follow the builder" profit strategy.Follow That BuilderIn many areas of the country, there are builders who build hundreds of houses each year within a fifty mile radius of each other. They build entire communities, or are one of three to five builders who build entire communities around big employment centers. This is important. Hang with me and you'll find out why.SerendipityThe first couple I met who worked the pattern I'm talking about did it the first time almost by accident. They bought one of the first houses built in a neighborhood that took about two years to build out. Toward the end of the two year period, they were out for a walk and, on impulse, went into a house under construction that represented a bit of a "move up" from their home. The same builder who had built their home was building it.The couple went to the sales office of the builder and found out that the house they'd walked through was already under contract. They were shocked to find out the price was $150,000 more than they'd paid for their home! The house was a little larger, but not...more
I didn't understand the concept of a real estate team at first, so I had a hard time with real estate investment. I tended to be a "lone wolf," trying to do too much myself. I have since learned that in real estate, you need a team of people you can trust and rely on. Here are some possible team members, and what they need to be on the team. 1. A...more
Below are ten categories of real estate, and different ways to invest in them. The best one for you is something only you can decide, according to your particular needs. To help you do that, I list a couple good points and bad points for each type.1. Renting single family homes. Good points: An easier way to get started, and good long term return...more
Why should you consider refinancing real estate investments instead of selling them? Maybe you've owned a rental property for years, you've paid down the mortgage, the value is up, and you want to cash in on that equity. You will do better to refinance. Here's why.There are two problems with selling. First, selling means paying a large capital gains tax. You can avoid this if you reinvest through a 1031 exchange, but then the point is that you want your money, right? Second, you'll be giving up your inflation-indexed retirement plan. A good rental property generates more income as rents go up.Refinancing Real Estate Investments Is BetterIf you refinance, you can get much of your gain out of the property, without paying a penny in taxes. You see, borrowing money is not a taxable event. Take your loan proceeds and spend them however you want, and still keep your rentals. Doesn't that sound better than losing a big chunk of your equity to taxes?Now, let's look at an example. We'll suppose you have owned a small apartment building for several years. Let's say you bought it for $340,000, with a down payment of $80,000. Interest rates at the time were at 9.5%, giving you a payment of...more
It was a simple real estate formula. The ads ran in our small-town newspaper for years before I realized exactly what was going on. They were always the same: A house for sale with 5% down and payments of 1% of the purchase price. Maybe a three...more
Nothing down? Exactly why would a seller want to walk away from closing with nothing? The truth is, they normally wouldn't, and that brings up the most important point about real estate investing with no downpayment: A seller almost always needs cash...more
There is nothing worse than putting house up for sale and watching it sit on the market. Here are a few tips to sell your house fast. Sell Your House FastThe following tips will help you sell your house fast, but we need to cover something first. If...more
Hiring a property management company is a great idea if you have even a small apartment building. Having someone taking care of all the small details of a rental property means you'll have more time to find the next good investment. Also, trying to...more
So many people think that by getting into the franchise business, they are setting themselves up for an easy way to make money, with a safety net under them the whole time. The only real advantage is that you are buying into a business model that...more
Buying FSBO real estate, or houses for sale by owner, has its own particular problems and opportunities. Dealing with an uninformed seller who thought he knew enough to handle everything by himself can be frustrating, but it can also be very...more