Getting Started In Commercial Real Estate Investing

22 May, 2010

The one dealing with residential properties always has a query as to how to switch on to larger scale properties. Few have tried investing in big properties, but are not very successful. Some dont know the requirements to invest in commercial properties, while some are still confused about getting into this business due to lack of complete knowledge.

Initially, most of the investors begin their business with a rental house and later on switch on to the duplex or apartment. But after sometime, the bank refuses to provide small apartments on studying their portfolio.

This picture is very common and is a big problem. As the investor initially starts with a small place, but gradually his business expands, it is difficult for the residential lenders to provide the necessary mortgages. So, real estate is the best option available and profitable too. Real estate deals allow you to live a luxurious life. However, at times you may end up with nothing if you are not conscientious about the intricacies of the various deals.

You need to think all the way

In order to avoid the bitter experiences in this business, you need to follow a simple principle, Think twice before you deal. Anything unexpected can happen in the real estate business and so, we should be prepared for the uncertainties.

You need to be focused and give as much attention as you can to every deal, as focus can only mean more money. In real estate investment, if you are prepared with a plan that guides you with different options it becomes easy to start this business and flourish. This plan should involve the strengths and goals to achieve big. It pays to have your investment tactics prepared in advance. So, in order to achieve your targets, you need to plan well in advance and work diligently.

Plans made for intelligent investing

If you wish to be rich by investing in real estate, it is mandatory to understand the simple logic involved in this business. The best real estate deals involved are slow movers and require a proper planning, calm and persistence.

You need to have a proper strategy in place that guides you before investing otherwise it is difficult to achieve the lofty goals you may set for yourself. You need to understand the requirements of the investors and improve your financial standing accordingly, to satisfy the investor.

Once you get a deal in hand, understand how to value the property perfectly depending on its state, your return expectations and how much you can lend.

You should also know how to plan your deals and when to refuse, in order to get good offers. To gain more and more profit from real estate you need to understand:

. It is not so easy to identify and close great deals.
. Finding a great deal involves a lot of time.
. In order to grab the profits, you need to be a very good manager.
. You need to have lot of patience.
. You need to ask more questions.

Kris Koonar
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/getting-started-in-commercial-real-estate-investing-134011.html

Your Guide to Setting Real Estate Investing Goals

20 May, 2010

Without them, our endeavors would all be in vain as we sit idly by and watch our interests stagnate.

In the world of real estate investing, goals are extremely important. Every investment opportunity requires several goals pertaining to scheduling, budgeting, construction, and marketing. If you are to make money in real estate, you have to stick to your plan and achieve the goals that you have made for your project. If you fail to do so, you could sacrifice a great deal of your profit or ultimately see your investment fail.

The first step to setting goals in real estate investing is that they have to be realistic. Don’t try to cram 8 weeks of construction into 4. If you really want to complete construction in 4 weeks instead of 8, trim away excess and unnecessary renovation projects rather than try to work quickly or around the clock. Setting unrealistic goals only sets you up for failure, and a sense of failure can ruin the entire outlook and motivation for a project.

Goals of the financial variety are also extremely important in real estate investing. In any sort of money-making venture, you need to know how much money you are going to invest and how much money you would like to make in the bargain. But more important than these short-term financial goals are the long-term goals.

These goals center on how much money you want to invest over a long period of time with what results. For example: You may have made your first investment with a small sum of money, and part of this money may have been financed through an equity loan, personal loan, by other means, or through a combination of sources. If you continue using these same sources of funding without upping the ante any, you will not move forward in your investing business. This is where long-term goals come in.

Long-term financial goals do not focus on your immediate real estate investing project. They instead look to the future. A great example of this type of goal would be having your loans paid off and be investing purely with profit after your third investment. Another example would be to be able to purchase more expensive properties or multiple properties instead of focusing on just one low-budget project at a time.

When setting your goals, keep in mind that no two investors will have the same goals. While you can draw inspiration from your peers, don’t try to absorb their business strategies as your own. Instead, look to your own future and set goals that will lead your real estate investing ventures in the direction that you wish them to go.

James Klobasa
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/your-guide-to-setting-real-estate-investing-goals-99266.html

Real Estate Investing, Tricks of The Trade

18 May, 2010

Many factors need to be analyzed and considered while taking a decision on real estate investments. Given below are a few useful tips.
Buying a property a once-in-a-lifetime decision is in most cases and it needs to be taken with great care so that you don’t lose financially. Even if you are indulging in real estate investing from a business point of view, it is essential that you should consider all aspects carefully before committing a large chunk of your financial resources. The following tips will help you in making the right decision.

Useful Tips For Real Estate Investing

You should study the market and watch the latest market trends in order to find out what most people are buying. If majority of the people are buying a particular type of property in a particular area, there must be some solid rationale behind such a decision. If you are confused, you should follow the market trend.

Do not be led by what the property dealer tells you. You should try to do your own research by checking up properties and their prices online. You can check the MLS listings on most web sites and become aware of the prices of similar properties in the neighborhood.

If you are planning to go in for real estate investing in partnership with someone else, you should take a joint decision in either money matters or regarding the management. You should not become partners in both aspects.

It is always a good idea to have a frank talk with the seller as to what he is expecting from the deal. The answer to this simple question will enable you to decide whether you will be able to afford the property or not.

It is essential that you should invest your hard-earned money safely. Experience has shown that you should not invest when the prices are rising as this upward trend might not continue for long and then you might be left high and dry. It is advisable to make a deal when the prices are stable as there is a good chance that the price of your property might go up in the near future, yielding good returns.

You should conduct a proper market survey before investing in real estate. Many people indulge in flipping real estate properties in order to make short-term gains. However, this option is rather risky as you might be stuck with a property if the rates go down or if there are no buyers. Your investment would thus be blocked and you might even have to suffer a financial loss.

The most important tip for buying property is that you should go through all the documents of the property with a fine toothcomb in order to check the license of the broker, liabilities relating to the property and other pertinent details. The contract documents should be properly made by a property lawyer and they should contain names of the parties, property details such as area, address, purchase price and other considerations.

Real estate investing in the form of foreclosures is a viable option. Foreclosure signifies the sale of a property of a homeowner by a bank or a lender when the owner is not able to pay back a loan.

All the above tips are merely guidelines to help you in making the right decision. However, a proper analysis of the situation, common sense and your gut feeling should prove to be your best guide.

James Klobasa
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/real-estate-investing-tricks-of-the-trade-126246.html

Real Estate Investing In Tax lien Certificates

16 May, 2010

It is, in fact, the certificate of purchase you as a purchaser get at tax sale. In this certificate, your ownership in the tax lien is documented. In fact, what makes investing in tax lien certificate such an attractive investment is the powerful bundle of rights that it provides to the investor.

The ultimate profit potentiality.
Being a professional and prudent investor, you can benefit from the ultimate profit potentiality of the real estate Investing in tax lien certificates. If you stick to the basics, and work on a proper strategy, nobody can stop you from earning a huge profit. Since you just invest a small fraction of the propertys market value, you will earn a guaranteed profit on the transaction. Again, if the property owner has paid off the lien through investment, it can earn you a huge return on the original investment. If the circumstances go wrong further, the least you can get the full ownership of the property by foreclosing on the certificate. Overall, Real estate Investing in tax lien certificate is quite safe. You do not lose anything but you can gain much.

Headache-free investment.
Some investors take it in a negative sense that they do not get the ownership right over the property when they invest in tax lien certificates. However, if I show you the true picture, not having the ownership of the property in fact works in your favor. Since you do not get the ownership right of the property by purchasing a tax lien certificate, it gives a freedom from the liability of a landowner. You do not need to worry about the maintenance of the Real estate Investing property, or any other thing that is the headache of a landowner. Simply consider the rising lawsuits against property owners and you will understand the potentiality of this advantage.

Getting the ownership
At the time of the foreclosure of the property, you not only get the full ownership of the title but it also clears all other subordinate liens and debts related to the property.

Earn massive passive income
When you go for Real estate Investing in a tax lien certificate, you do not need to worry about anything. You just have to enjoy the benefits, and others will do everything else for you. It sounds funny, but this is what the ultimate passive nature of the investment in tax lien certificates is. You do not need to handle enforcement of the lien until foreclosure. The county will do it for you. In some states, they even handle the foreclosure process as well.

Purchase later year tax liens
If you act a little smarter, you can also purchase later year tax liens without any competition. If the delinquent property owner defaults on next years taxes, you do not need to participate in an action to purchase those tax liens. You can privately acquire the same. Spend some time and do your research thoroughly, and you can easily maximize the profit potentiality of your Real estate Investing.

Hence, when it comes to Real estate Investing in a tax lien certificate, the end result for an investor is always a profitable return, no matter what the outcome.

James Klobasa
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/real-estate-investing-in-tax-lien-certificates-97298.html

Keeping Real Estate Investing Simple

15 May, 2010

In real estate investment, do you know what the hardest deal to close out is?

The first one!

The challenge is such that most people eventually quit even before ever getting their first deal completed; in fact some would be real estate investors quit even before getting started!

With the glut in available information and the numerous real estate investment options available, getting started is as challenging as getting your very first deal!

Consider some of options that you can choose from if you want to invest in real estate.

Buy and Hold

Commercial space rental

Subject to the existing financing

Fixer Uppers

Flips

Foreclosures or Pre-foreclosures

Lease-Purchase or Lease

No Money Down

Single-family homes, condos, mobile homes or apartment buildings

Confusion arises when you are undecided which of the profitable and popular options as enumerated above you want to engage in.

Unless you are a very liquid and well-financed organization, you can engage in all of them. However, for ordinary investors, engaging in one or two investment options at the most is the preferred method.

If you are lucky enough to make up your mind in which real estate option you want to engage in, the next step is then to systematically search for and close your very first deal.

Again, there are several options open to you on how to close your deal and get to the bank in order to deposit the check of your deal.

The best way to invest in real estate is to find the option you are comfortable with and specialize in it! Learn everything all you can about your particular investment option.

If you have to, take informal courses related to it so that you will become knowledgeable and on the road to becoming a specialist!

Once you have mastered your specialization, take the necessary action in order to get and close your very first deal.

Then and only then, and only if you are serious in making money in real estate can you diversify and learn another real estate investment method.

In learning the ropes of real estate investing, either you choose to undergo a training course or do it on your own.

If you choose to take formal lessons, do not confuse the price of the program with the value of the program.

The cost of a training program is not related to the value it has and the methodologies and techniques you will learn.

Geri Mason
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/keeping-real-estate-investing-simple-103917.html

Investing In Las Vegas Real Estate

14 May, 2010

Las Vegas, which is now considered to be the fastest growing city in the United States, is going through a real estate boom, with real estate prices soaring without any sign of coming back down. The real estate boom in Vegas has become the pot of gold for many real estate investors since the market for foreclosures, government property, and pre-foreclosures is astounding. It was reported recently that the state actually has the second highest foreclosure rate in the nation.

One factor in Las Vegas real estate is the rise of new condos, which seems to be driving up the value and price of real estate. Investors are buying land and making a bundle on their luxury high rise condos and hotels. This new construction has been making acreage go at a premium price, with average prices per acre soaring over $600,000. While this real estate boom is great, many people wonder if it is too good to be true, and if the bubble is about to burst.

There are many people who feel that the real estate boom is close to being over in Las Vegas, while others debate that with the growth of the city, the boom is just getting started. One thing that is true, is that currently property does not seem to be losing any value at all, in fact it still seems to be gaining. Las Vegas real estate that is near to the strip is going for astronomical prices, with some nearby properties actually being listed at more than one million dollars per acre.

For the investor, Las Vegas real estate looks like a great place to invest; however, one should do so with caution. If one is not a savvy investor, they could end up dealing with loss in this high stakes real estate market. So, it seems that the jury is still out on whether Las Vegas real estate is destined to continue to skyrocket, or if a plummet in value is in sight.

Investing in foreclosure property in Las Vegas may be the best option, though, as this will allow you to get property at a cheaper price than you otherwise might.

Gabriel Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/investing-in-las-vegas-real-estate-122723.html

6 Things You Must Know With Real Estate Investing

14 May, 2010

With real estate investing, it is vital you understand and are aware of how you are doing.  There are several different facets that you want to be aware of in order to keep an eye on how your investing is doing.  Here are six things free real estate tools can help provide you with.

1. Total leads

The first thing you must be aware of is the total amount of leads you are receiving each week.  There are free real estate tools you can find on the internet to help you keep track of this information.  Although it can become quite monotonous keeping track of this weekly, it is important you know this.

2. Where from?

The next thing to know is where your leads are coming from.  You want to know where the leads are coming from so you can focus your marketing on that particular area.  If you are aware of where your leads are coming from, you will be able to generate far more leads than you currently are.

3. Qualified prospects

You are going to deal with prospects on a daily basis.  However, there is a difference between prospects and leads.  Leads are people you are actually working with while prospects are just people you are talking to.  Look for free real estate tools online that can help you keep track of how many qualified prospects you are receiving each month.

4. Total deals completed

In order to see how you are doing, it is important you keep track of the total number of deals you complete.  Keeping track of the total deals can also help you judge whether your marketing techniques are effective or not.  In addition, knowing your hard effort is being put to good use can keep your confidence up.

5. How much you make

Something many people already do is keep track of how much they are making off of sellers.  Obviously, you are in real estate investing to make money.  Therefore, you are bound to keep track of your earnings.

6. How much to acquire a new seller

While many people keep track of how much they are making, not as many keep track of how much it will cost to acquire a new seller.  This is important to keep track of over time so you can be prepared for your next investment.  This is especially true with how often the real estate market fluctuates.

There are a number of things you want to keep track of as a real estate investor.  Looking on the internet for free real estate tools can help you stay organized and be aware of the details listed in this article.

Peter Vekselman
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/6-things-you-must-know-with-real-estate-investing-688186.html

Real Estate Investing- the 6 Myths That Will Kill Your Chances of Succeeding

12 May, 2010

In every business and every industry there are people who just seem to drip with success. They seem to know all the right people, make all the right decisions, be in all the right places at exactly the right time. They seem destined for success whether they even try or not. Real estate investing is no different. In every city or town, there seem to be real estate tycoons that struck it rich through real estate.

 

In this article we will bust myths that will hold you back if you buy into them.

 

Myth #1: You have to have a large sum of money to invest in real estate. They think it is like saving for their first home or that it’s something they can only do once they have made their fortune elsewhere. Both of these thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank to invest in real estate and you certainly don’t need millions. All you need is a good real estate deal that makes sense and one that has profit potential and is based on solid financials.

 

Myth #2: You Need to Start Small-Big Deals Are Too Risky. There is nothing wrong with starting small, but why rule out a $2 million, fifty-unit building? Mortgages on smaller properties like single-family homes are almost always guaranteed through the buyer’s own personal earning potential and wealth. You may be surprised to learn that larger investment property loans are secured by the asset itself. In other words, instead of the $2 million building riding on your own wealth, it is riding on its own valuation. This is less risk to you.

 

Myth #3: You can “Flip” Your Way to Success or Get Rich Quick with No Money Down. Many people think that flipping property is the way to grow wealth. The people who believe strongly in this have been lucky enough to make money this way. In my opinion, this is like day trading in the stock market. It isn’t easy, and it is very risky. No money down is another way of saying that the property is 100% financed. That means a much larger part, if not all, of your cash flow is going toward the monthly payment. In no-money-down deals, you’ll be paying higher interest rates becuase there is greater risk to the lender, have higher loan costs, and have virtually no money to improve the property or even repair it should something break. With this model, you are banking on the property appreciating to make money rather than improving the operations of the property and making money through cash flow.

 

Myth #4: You Don’t Have Time. This really comes down to choices and priorities. There is always time to do the things we need to do like go to work every day, mow the lawn, feed the dog. Often there isn’t time to do the things we really want to do. Learn to speak a second language, build a bookcase, or volunteer in the community. There is a difference between need and want. The investment real estate business is something you should want to do and may even need to do. It’s work. To be truly successful, especially in the beginning, you will be involved in the day-to-day activities of finding and evaluating property, negotiating deals, or overseeing contract repair work.

 

Myth #5: You Have to Know Somebody to Get Going in This Business. While knowing a few key people such as a real estate agent, an attorney, or a banker may save you some time, you don’t need to know anyone even remotely connected with investment real estate to get started.

 

Myth #6: You Have to Know a Lot About real estate. This myth holds people back every single day. They feel they have to already be experts in a field in order to be successful. Success is a journey, it’s not a destination, and all successful people start at the same place. We gain expertise through experience. On your first deal you’ll learn a ton and even more from your second and third.

Shawn L Charles
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/real-estate-investing-the-6-myths-that-will-kill-your-chances-of-succeeding-686596.html

How to Benefit from Investing in Real Estate

11 May, 2010

I bought my first apartment 10 years ago, on my 20th birthday. I had spent the previous 5 years working and saving for college; but when I finally entered college at 19 on a full academic scholarship, I decided that instead of spending my accumulated savings, I would try my hand at investment. Here I am 10 years later. This is not a story of extreme or fast wealth building.

But it is a story of effective “forced savings” that has provided me significant insight into financial planning, real estate investing, and balancing the books. While it hasn’t always been a barrel of laughs, overall, I’m reasonably satisfied with the outcome so far.

I thought I would share some real world real estate investment thought. Let’s start at the end, where I am today: I currently own 7 condo apartments in my general geographic area. All of these condos are revenue neutral or revenue positive. I don’t have significant savings to fall back on, and I am just now in the process of “cashing in”, by selling my first apartment. My approach is best described as “slow and steady”; my outlook is 20 – 25 years.

Here the top points I like to share about investing in real estate:

1) Path to (instant) riches

I will never argue that real estate investing is an instant, or even particularly easy, path to significant wealth. My bank statement demonstrates that. I am willing to grant that many people are able to turn real estate in wealth quickly; I’m afraid that hasn’t my approach. Instead, I’ve taken the long view, with the hope that my real estate portfolio will provide a steady cash flow in 10-15 years time. For me, slow and steady really does win the race.

Just think about it: if you can manage to buy and hold 5 properties, within 15 years all five will turn in heavy revenue and heavy profit. For example, my two oldest properties now generate $3500 in revenue each month, with monthly expenses of just $1400. Imagine what that will look like once I’ve paid off all the mortages!

2) For a cautious investor, take the long view

This a vast generalization, but I hold to it pretty firmly: if your outlook is long enough, you will not lose money. At the worst, investing in real estate is a forced savings.

That’s not to say that you’ll never lose money; circumstances such emergency repairs, a destructive tenant, or rapidly inflating interest rates certainly increase the risk. But, if you can hold on through any such upheavals, you’ll find that within two or three years things will settle and you’ll start to benefit from increased appreciate in property value, increased rental income, or both.

And, while property values might dip for periods, keep in mind that over 5 years it’s virtually impossible that your overall property won’t appreciate. At the very worst, you’ll have paid down some of your mortgage.

Plus, you have a tangible, physical asset. There’s a lot to be said about that kind of peace of mind.

3) Operating costs – if they balance, you’re in the good!

You’re probably not going to earn back your down payment quickly – that’s ok! Keep in mind that the portion of your down payment that goes toward principle (ie: the part not eaten up by lawyer and realtor fees) is still in your hands. It just happens to now be in your property. You will see this money again when you sell.

So, the real goal is to be at least neutral on an operating basis. Ideally, that means that your rents will cover mortgages, strata fees, taxes and maintenance. This might not be possible for the first year or three, but even if you’re paying out a few dollars each month, you are still gaining more than if you were not investing.

4) Tenants – do your research,

I learned this lesson the hard way, when I had a tenant cause about $5000 in damage to one of my apartments. What I learned is that tenants have histories; if they are unwilling to share, or if you don’t receive sufficient references to make you comfortable, it’s probably better to just wait. Personally, I now ask for 3 references, and I require proof that the people I’m talking to are actually who they say they are (requiring a work phone number, for example). It might seem extreme, but this type of due diligence at the beginning increase comfort throughout a tenancy and reduce the chances of serious damage.

5) Tenants, Part Two – Late rent is forgivable – Once and don’t be afraid of the eviction notice

real estate investing is a business. And, like many small businesses, it is sometimes operated on small margins. That means, if a tenant doesn’t pay their rent, it comes out of my pocket. I know that nothing works perfectly, so I will always forgive the first missed rent if there is a reasonable explanation. However, a second missed rent, and I will immediately begin eviction proceedings.

The laws of our state are very strict when it comes to evictions; there must be good and reasonable cause; here, at least, missed rent is just cause for eviction. Don’t misunderstand; I always keep an open mind. But many individuals will take advantage of a situation if they believe there is no consequence.

All in all, I’d say real estate investing has been a very positive experience and I would recommend it to anyone who has patience and fortitude. Do your research, though, because real estate investing has highs and lows, just like any other type of investment vehicle.

Michael Lee-Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/how-to-benefit-from-investing-in-real-estate-57611.html

Innovative Real Estate Investing

10 May, 2010

In order to buy and sell Real Estate most states require that an applicant take a minimum number of classes before taking the state licensing exam.

Real estate brokers and their agents typically do not provide title service such as title search or title insurance and do not conduct surveys or formal appraisals of the property such as those required by lenders. Further, they do not act as lawyers for the parties, although they may “coordinate” these activities with the appropriate specialists.

The good news is that there is a way for you to buy and sell real estate without becoming a licensed real estate agent or Broker. This would include but would not be limited to Real Estate Foreclosures.

Real Estate Foreclosures is one of the HOTTEST INCOME producing streams of all time using LITTLE or NO MONEY of your own. One market in particular is tax sales. Real Estate agents won’t tell you about tax sales because they earn no commissions on these properties. Real Estate Tax Sales are a little known but potentially lucrative way to expand your portfolio.

John Beck’s proven Amazing Profits tax deed and tax lien education teaches people how to buy properties for just pennies on the dollar. The Free and Clear Program Course is a must have for anyone looking to get ahead in real estate investing. John Beck is a guaranteed name for real estate business consultancy.

His program is primarily advertised via infomercials and primarily runs on late night and cable channels in the United States and Canada. You have no doubt seen his late night infomercials!

On his infomercials he repeatedly holds up color photos of houses and states the price at which they sold via delinquent-property-tax procedures. He is well known for his expertise in the real estate business.

He has also been a real estate broker, syndicator and real estate consultant who has been listed in Who’s Who in Creative Real Estate. He is a much sought after speaker who regularly conducts real estate investment seminars in both Northern and Southern California and who has spoken extensively throughout the United States and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows as a guest expert on foreclosures.

John Beck is constantly sifting through the tax lien and foreclosure information on the Internet to find the most valuable and profitable research available which he puts on his site as a benefit to his students.

John Beck’s unique system of researching tax lien and tax foreclosure properties and his long history of studying the foreclosure market gives him insights into properties that others simply do not have and cannot provide.

His proven tax lien and tax deed system teaches you exactly how to get your share of the profits this section of the real estate market represents and again, you don’t even need to get a real estate license.

The course has a lot to offer to those who come with the pure intentions of growing their business community. John Beck’s, Buy Real Estate Free and Clear for Pennies on the Dollar is a popular website and TV campaign that basically advocates purchasing taxed out properties. He shows you how real estate investors can profit from his free and clear real estate system.

John Beck has personally attended thousands of tax auctions around the country and has personally invested in nearly every state. His current experience and his vast knowledge of the tax foreclosure and tax lien market has been developed into an easy-to-read format to make it easy for you to learn John Beck’s incredible method of finding, buying and profiting from tax auctioned properties you buy for just pennies on the dollar.

He has been working with real estate for over 20 years and has helped many people just like you accumulate wealth through real estate investment.

John Beck’s Property Vault tool has been designed to make finding deals like this easy because you can download the information in Excel format making it a snap to screen for the best deals matching your investment criteria.

John Beck’s Amazing Profits Tax Deed and Tax Lien Real Estate Investment System has been created to make it easy to understand what to do in real estate to make big money now. He continues to make unbelievable tools available to his students that makes it even easier to find profits in your investing today.

Sharyce Arciaga
http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/innovative-real-estate-investing-718478.html