Archive for the ‘Investment Strategy’ Category

Starting Your Property Portfolio Off On The Right Foot

Jan 28, 2010 Investment Strategy

Real estate investment options are just beckoning interested investors. While real estate seems promising, it comes with the caveat that you should take the trouble to learn about it and master its intricacies.

Since the global population is ever expanding, it makes sense to learn how to get started and start making money as well. Real estate investing is not limited to the bounds of any country or region as it can be quite across borders. One can measure the efficacy of real estate investment business through profits, tenant interest and occupancy as well as investment in building the nature and character of the business. For tenants who are not so clear of the basics of performance measurement, the yardstick of measurement is basically the amount of residual income that you are earning.

It is always advisable to have investment objectives and have mortgage planners help you in creating an investment strategy to meet these. One can avail of a second mortgage or mortgage in local currencies. Second mortgage, also known as equity release, seems to be a cheap recourse right now, but it poses a risk of loss of both homes if the purchaser defaults on payments. One can look at taking advice from mortgage brokers and realtors to identify properties to buy.

It is a fact that when sellers sell, they expect more money for their property than what the buyers are willing to pay. But then sellers also become buyers on account of property cycles. Areas that are over developed by developers for rentals often push down prices to the extent that the prices are no longer lucrative or viable for landlords. That is why you should look at an area’s tourist potential as well as interest in these locations where there are regulations in place to prevent over development that can have a negative impact on rentals.

If you want to invest in property, you should look at getting properties that have the potential of positive cash flows. Getting a lucrative property that creates a pull for itself is what you need to consider in your property portfolio build up. While one considers property appreciation and mortgage pay down are accepted means of property investment, one should also evaluate cash flows which is a rather complex task given the fact that one could encounter unexpected costs.

Investors buy low cost homes, usually wholesales, and sell them at a higher price to other buyers. The investors have the option to keep the property for as short as a few days to as long as one year, with the intention to sell it. Investors who use their investment property for a business purpose such as production of rental income may be able to write off the losses associated with foreclosure in full in the year of their real estate loss. Depending on the situation, the owner’s investment loss may be sufficient to offset the imputed income, essentially one property’s loss is another property’s gain.

Samantha Preston is a real estate investor who enjoys Charlotte investment properties. Her specialty is real estate in Charlotte, NC.

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Why You Should Buy Orlando Investment Property

Jan 6, 2010 Investment Strategy

Low Cost Opportunities

Although current property climate in the US is not so encouraging for short term investors; with shrewd planning one can still manage to reap profits.

While scouting for profitable Orlando investment property, one should keep in mind the location. Places like Orlando and Phoenix are always packed with tourists irrespective of the time of the year, resulting in high rental returns. Today the off-plan investments cost less as compared to completed projects of same size and at comparable locations. This has led to the popularization of the “flip” investment strategy. In this strategy the investors put their money in projects and sell off before their completion. Their profit is the rise in value of the property as it nears its completion. One should keep in mind to verify the re-assignment rules before finalizing the deal. Real Estate brokers charge a fee at times for this facility which is a percentage of the purchase price.

When to Buy

Payment terms are flexible and are designed to give the maximum benefit to investors, who are provided the ease of payment in installments. Another popular scheme allows payment after the completion of project with a token amount to be deposited in the beginning. Of course, the earlier the investment is made, greater are the returns. Early birds have the first choice of units in the project; hence they can choose the one which is most likely to attract the buyers.

Plan for Risk

The most important lesson to learn in any type of investing is the art of risk management. In the Orlando property market the investor will always have a lot of choices. The key is to select the area that suits his needs and is the most attractive one based on parameters like appearance, location and facilities.

Next comes the plan to exit the Orlando investment property at its profitable best. Investors should always have an exit strategy and a backup plan for some contingency; e.g., if the right buyer is not located in time.

ROI

The economic crisis has affected the short term return on investment to an extent. The recovery, although on cards, will still take some time. In fact, the current market is perfect for long term investment. This will ensure substantial capital returns apart from a steady flow of rental income from your Orlando investment property. The investment’s profitability can further be increased by spotting an opportunity early on and reserving it at pre-release stage at a discounted price.

Jack Chambers always enjoyed what Florida had to offer, especially Orlando investment property passive income. Now he uses what he’s learned to give tips on Orlando real estate.

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Charlotte - Unique Investment In The South

Jan 2, 2010 Investment Strategy

Key Opportunity

Although current property climate in the US is not so encouraging for short term investors; with shrewd planning one can still manage to reap profits.

The key parameter today is location, places like Florida and North Carolina will always attract tourists and they hardly ever have an off-season. As you would see once you get into the Charlotte investment property market, the off-plan prices are always lower than the completed projects at comparable locations with similar scale of development. This has given birth to the “flip” investment strategy, where the capital investors sell off the unit prior to project completion. They basically rely on the appreciation of value as the project nears its completion. It is therefore important to get the terms and conditions of re-assignment of property clarified before you enter into the deal. At times, the trade-off for the power to reassign is a charge to be paid in form of a certain percentage of the purchase price.

Timeline

Real estate players have taken numerous steps to encourage investors. They have been offered friendly and flexible payment plans like an installment system. They are at times asked to pay at the time of the completion of the project with a small amount deposited when they enter the investment. In terms of the project life-cycle, the earlier you enter the deal the better it is. Earlier entry into Charlotte investment property comes with the privilege of first right to the units. This way the investor can choose the unit most likely to get a good price.

Plan for Risk

Risk management is probably the most important facet of any investment. The investor will always have a range of choices in front of him. The key is to rate each Charlotte investment property opportunity in terms of certain predefined parameters like appearance, location and facilities; and then evaluate each option individually.

Next comes the plan to exit the Charlotte investment property at its profitable best. Investors should always have an exit strategy and a backup plan for some contingency; e.g., if the right buyer is not located in time.

Return on Investment

The returns for short term investors in current market have somewhat dwindled. The market is more aligned to the interests of long term investors. The investor latches on to profitable venture benefits both from capital appreciation and a steady flow of rental money. On top of that, the profit percentage can be increased by getting a discounted price at pre-release stages; thereby reducing the cost of Charlotte investment property considerably.

Samantha Preston is a real estate investor who enjoys Charlotte investment properties. Her specialty is real estate in Charlotte, NC.

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Charlotte Property Managers Take The Stress Out Of Owning Property

Jan 2, 2010 Investment Strategy

There are a lot of people who feel that when it comes to property, they would like to deal with everything on their own. While there could be merits in this, a far better option is to take the services of a property management company. Property management companies take monthly charges in return for the property security and maintenance facilities. Incidentally, the property management market is quite fragmented with so many players trying to cope with the demands of discerning and demanding consumers. There are a few players that would like to build up scale and magnitude so as to expand globally and also consolidate by means of mergers and acquisitions.

Property management companies come under the purview of the Companies Act under which they are constituted. This implies that these companies have to comply with the provisions of company law. These companies have the ability to handle various legal matters that a property might face. While property management companies specialize in managing and handling various property related issues, it is true also that many of them are rather small and basic in nature. Some of them may also be in a time warp and may not have woken up to the benefits of modern technology like e-mail.

One of the important services that property management companies offer relate to client interface. This includes marketing properties and screening the response they get in order to short list suitable residents. Apart from the maintenance and upkeep of property they also ensure that agreements are signed properly and renewed in a timely and lawful manner. The company has in-house staff and supports its executives in a collaborative manner. The main aim of such a company is to ensure that the project is made commercially viable and its value is enhanced too. The company has certain limits that are imposed in the form of building codes, commercial business practices and also affirmative action provisions.

When it comes to the area of evicting recalcitrant and problematic residents, these residential property managers are able to save costs substantially. Also, when it comes to getting information about the property, residents want to know more than just unintelligible abbreviations like w/d, hw fl, d/w, a/c. Those who want to move into the building would like to see floor plans, know details of the building and also information dealing with its location.

If property managers are paid to let a property from a landlord’s side, they have to be associated with a licensed Real Estate Agent. Regulation also states that if they don’t take a brokerage or letting fee, but take a part of the rental income, they would be outside the purview of regulation. These managers also have in-depth knowledge of interior and exterior work, plumbing, electrical and other systems that are material for a building. There are annual maintenance contracts that are valid too and these managers look at various residential, commercial farms and ranch properties.

Basic accounting services can also be provided. Most full service property management companies will offer as a customary service some type of accounting procedure. This usually comes in the form of a monthly paper statement itemizing all income and expenses funneled through the management company on your property for that particular month.

Samantha Preston is a real estate investor who enjoys Charlotte vacation property. Her specialty is southern real estate.

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Charlotte REO Investment Properties

Dec 27, 2009 Investment Strategy

In these days and times, there are many instances of people taking loans to buy property and being unable to pay back the mortgage. This is where the lenders are left with properties that they have to re-possess from the defaulting buyers and then sell it through a loss mitigation department. These repossessed properties are known as REO properties and cannot be auctioned openly on account of which these are sold at rates much lower than market rates. Given the vast selection and choice available, investors can have a gala time looking at acquiring such Charlotte investment property.

While REO properties could be rather cheap, they are not for everyone as they are not sold in the open market through auctions. By definition, REO properties lack equity and also come with some built-in risks especially when one is buying a Charlotte investment property in ‘as-is’ condition. Most lenders who are stuck with re-possessed property would be interested in getting rid of the property as soon as possible in order to recover part of the costs that remains sunk in the property. Similarly, lenders are not interested in paying management costs which means that they are willing to sell the properties at prices that are way below market rates.

REO properties are sent to the bank and generally do not carry a mortgage on them any longer. They are foreclosed in nature, but cannot be sold at an auction. These do not have any disclosure purposes that make them sticky as also the fact that they do not have liability releases too. While these are listed for sale with real estate agents, in most cases the fact that the lender has no clue about the home releases the person from all liability. The recession has hammered away at the prices of these properties and ensured that these are being sold at very reasonable and sometimes unbelievably low rates.

Holding an REO property is of no use and is a drain as its upkeep is the responsibility of the lender. One also has to look at the rehab costs in getting the house into a functioning, rentable condition, which is why people should take advantage of special software programs to print inspection forms and see as to how much it would cost. Holding REO property costs money for every day it remains vacant.

Lenders are willing to set up special agreements for a buyer’s interest to purchase a ‘package’ of REO’s rather than a single property. Lenders have no interest in owning property, and thus usually opt to list their REO properties with a local real estate broker in hopes of a retail sale. Yet with increasing frequency, REO properties are being sold for pennies or dimes on the dollar.

Those who want to look at acquiring an REO property would be well advised to get to know some of the essentials and basic principles in such deals. If the Charlotte investment property is well priced and reasonable there could be a lot of potential buyers, with some of these being institutional buyers too, as a buyer you can look for guaranteed or direct loans. Direct loans can be had as they are funded under the rural housing plan of the government. In case of auctions, one cannot get too much of a chance to inspect properties, which means that REO properties are quite suitable. On the other hand, buying at an auction enables the investor to circumvent the hassles of dealing with lenders.

Samantha Preston is a real estate investor who enjoys Charlotte investment properties. Her specialty is real estate in Charlotte, NC.

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Is Your Retirement Slipping Away? How Are You Going To Rebuild Your Wealth?

Jul 31, 2009 Investment Strategy

by Marc Abrams

My retirement projections are all wrong! They were based on annual returns of 8% to 10%. That is what I was told I could expect. How many of you are facing the above situation? Well, we are now in a new era and there are new questions to be asked. What are you going to do?

You need to take control of your investments. You can no longer rely solely on the advise of your broker or financial advisor. After all, didn’t they allow you to get into this position in the first place?

Are you waiting for those losing stocks to recover, you know, the ones that you have an emotional tie to? You as an investor must teach yourself to think differently. That is entirely alright. Who cares how those positive investment returns will come. What is important is that they do come.

The average investor’s thinking needs to change. We need to teach ourselves to invest in the stock market using common sense, not emotion. I treat my investment activities like a business. If a trade is not working out as I had planned, I close it out and move on to the next one.

I have been told my real estate investor clients that the profit for a property is made at the time of purchase, not on the resale. Is it possible to apply that thinking to the stock market? Absolutely, I have clients that do that very thing.

Your change in thinking will shift your focus from emotion to common sense. Such as hoping for a particular trades increase in value to monitoring the trade during its expected life. You will know the trades expected life prior to entering into the trade. Yes, you will have an exit strategy!

You need to learn to train yourself to operate your investing activities like a business, watching the trade through its life cycle. I can assure you that you will feel in control and not at the whim of the stock market.

Surprisingly, there are stock market investing strategies that allow you significantly more control over the outcome. The stock markets most successful investors do not just hope things go their way. They have tools at their disposal and they use those tools to give them the best chance of success.

Successful investors use strategies that tip the odds in their favor, and they have learned to treat investing as a business. What are these strategies? Well, that is beyond the scope of this article. However, in order to find the success you are looking for you can start by changing the way you think.

About the Author:
About the Author: Marc Abrams is a Certified Public Accountant with over 15 years of financial and stock market investing experience. Visit Marc’s website for more information on stock market investing strategies to help rebuild your wealth.

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