Belize Real Estate Links 
| Belize Real Estate Links | |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
Investing in Residential Real Estate: Achieving Positive Cash Flow
When investing in real estate, it is highly desirable to achieve positive cash flow on a month-to-month basis. This is true even if you are counting on property value appreciation to supply the bulk of your desired return on investment. If you are losing money month-to-month, you may find all of your eventual profits eaten up by the monthly drain on your income. This will be particularly true if there is a downturn in property values for a few years. Worse yet, you may tire of the monthly outflow of cash, and you may give up on the property before you have a chance to achieve the desired appreciation. You will be much more comfortable waiting for your property to appreciate if you are making at least some money every month, or at least not losing money every month. One exception to this rule is when you are purchasing a property to fix it up and flip it. While you are fixing it up, you may not be able to rent it out at all (depending on how extensive the work is) or you may have to rent it at reduced rates. The negative cash flow is just part of the expense of rehabilitating the property and will be quickly reversed by your profits upon sale of the property. This assumes that you have properly calculated all of your costs and you have purchased the right property. In other cases, we think it is wise to achieve positive cash flow, Here are some tricks and ideas involving the financing of the property: Lower cost properties are generally easier to rent at a profit than higher cost properties. It therefore makes sense to purchase two or three smaller homes than one larger one, if your intention is to rent them out. If you don't already own your own home, consider living in the first "investment" property you purchase. (This assumes it is convenient to live in the area where you want to invest.) Interest rates and down payments are lower for a primary residence. Also, you don't have to deal with the problems of finding and managing tenants, paying for any damage they may cause, and absorbing the cost of an occasional vacancy. This will also give you very valuable experience in dealing with real estate. If you live in a home for only two out of five years, it probably qualifies as a primary residence from the point of view of the IRS, and therefore appreciation of the property value is probably tax free up to a certain level (for federal income tax). Check with your tax advisor for the exact rules. So one strategy is to purchase a new investment property every couple of years, live in it for the first couple of years, then purchase and move into another property. Rent out the first one while it continues to appreciate. Since you live in each new house for the first few years, you can get a loan at primary residence rates, and you will also have the tax benefits of a primary residence, yet actually own several homes at the same time. A "second home" (that is, a vacation home) also qualifies for preferential interest rates. You have to be able to state that you live there a portion of each year and you cannot claim rental of the property as income. There are other requirements such as location of the property. If this fits, consider making one of your investment properties a second home. Do check with your lender to be sure you know all the requirements for a home to be considered a second home before you go out and buy one. Note that with a second home, you cannot use any rents your charge as income. You will have to qualify for the loan based upon your income without considering any rental income from the second home. The easiest and best way to achieve positive cash flow is to get a loan with a ridiculously low interest rate for the first several years. Nowadays, a number of lenders offer "payment option" loans. These loans offer an optional minimum payment that starts with a rate between 1% and 2%, which results in very low monthly payments. As a general rule, these low rates last for about 5 years. During this period, the minimum payment increases year-to-year by a very small amount, usually no more than a factor of 1.075 per year. If you take advantage of the minimum payment, you are actually charged a normal variable interest rate (such as about 4.5% today), but the interest you are not paying is deferred. At the end of the first five years, the interest you have not paid is added to the loan amount, increasing the loan amount by a relatively small amount. Ask your loan officer to calculate the exact amount. At that time, the loan then becomes a standard variable rate loan. This is not a problem because you can assume that property value appreciation will be far larger than the deferred interest. With this plan, you should plan to refinance or sell the property within 5 years, which is commonly not a problem. (Such loans may not be available in all states.) Another way to minimize monthly interest payments is to obtain an interest-only loan. The interest-only period of most loans is usually 5 to 10 years. You should plan on selling or refinancing by the end of this period. The interest rate you pay and your eligibility for special loans such as a "payment option" loan is subject to your credit rating, your employment status and the financial reserves (savings) you have on hand. Do everything you can to get your credit scores above average (above 640 and preferably above 680). Make sure you are steadily employed in one profession or engaged in your own business or profession for a period of at least one year steadily, and preferably two, and make sure you can prove it. Extended gaps in employment can make qualifying for a low interest loan much more difficult. Lastly, save up enough to make at least a 10% down payment. This will open the door to better rates. Payment option loans as described above generally require 20% to 25% down payments. A down payment of 20% or more will also eliminate the need to pay for mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance is charged by all lenders for loans with less than 20% down payment, even if it is not explicitly stated as such. The extra expense may be built into the rate (as is the case with so-called "sub-prime" or high risk loans), rather than stated separately, but it is there. Mortgage insurance covers the lender against the risk of a default, when there is not enough extra value in the property to pay off the loan and the expenses of foreclosure. The above tips and ideas may get you started toward positive cash flow in your real estate investments. There are many other ideas that may apply to your particular circumstances or where you live or where you want to invest, and not all of the above ideas may apply to you. We are writing from the U.S. Outside of the U.S., laws and loan programs may be completely different than the above. In any case, please ask your loan officer or financial advisor for his or her opinion and ideas to verify and add to the above.
Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology Professor, is the author of "Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits," the only book to reveal interior design secrets on how to make top dollar investing in real estate. For real estate and interior design psychology books, articles, tips, and newsletters: http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com. Robert S. Kramarz is a loan officer for a major loan brokerage. He has over 20 years experience in finance and business management and comes from a family a long background in real estate investing and banking. He specializes in providing financing for purchase of investment real estate. He can be reached by email at MrFunding@22cv.com. Further information is available at the website http://www.sweetloan.info.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Selling Investment Houses: Props & Profits New Marketing and Design Psychology ideas help you stage homes for sale to motivate buyers and generate top dollar. Instead of leaving investment houses vacant, my husband and I add a few props to increase our profits. Real Estate Investment - One Simple Formula I saw the ads 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. Sell Houses Fast & Top Dollar: Design Psychology How would you like to start a bidding war for your home, ending with a sales price greater than the asking price -- all within your home's first three hours on the market? That's the kind of results you can expect when you prepare your home for marketing, using Design Psychology methods! Design Psychology's innovative interior design strategies go well beyond normal cleaning, painting, and repairs, and have been proven to increase homeowner profit while shortening a home's market time. And best of all, you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy the benefits Design Psychology can provide! Here are a few tips for maximizing your sales price, while minimizing the out-of-pocket cost of selling your home: First, you must emotionally detach yourself from your home and begin to think of it as simply a piece of property that needs to be sold. Are Signs Important? Signage, though quite fundamental in nature, plays an important role in the home selling process. The Yard Sign should be two-sided, easy to read, and look great (defaced or worn signs can negatively impact curb appeal). How To Give Yourself A $20,000/Year Raise Without Asking Your Boss Why without asking your boss? Two reasons, one, he or she will most likely say no; and second, he or she will probably have you committed for asking. So what do you do. Financing Houses What Real Estate Lenders Look ForLenders control many programs -- some make use of over 200! Generally, lenders look for the following typical standards, with many exceptions:1. Absolutely no late mortgage payments 2. Fraud in Real Estate, Are You Being Victimized? - Part II The phone range and Peter was on the other end of the line. "Willard, I have a friend of mine that has a real estate problem. Buying Property in Bulgaria : How to Avoid Making A Bad Investment Where is it possible to buy a property on your credit card? Bulgaria, of course! With thousands of potential property buyers seduced by Bulgaria's bargain property prices, the temptation is to think that making a solid return is a no-brainer! Searching the Internet, dozens of articles and property websites boast about the 100% capital growth that can be achieved on Bulgarian property investments in the space of 12 months.For first time investors with small budgets looking for a step onto the property ladder, this seems like an opportunity almost too good to be true! The result is that thousands of novice speculators and second homebuyers are flocking to Bulgaria to cash in on the investment opportunities it offers. Home Selling: How To Set The Right Asking Price Many homes remain unsold for a long time because they're over-priced. Pricing your home right is essential if you want to sell your home in quick time. Real Estate Investing Requires Education I really believe in getting an education in real estate investing, especially before launching a real estate investing career. I have been investing in real estate for 25 years, but I still spend thousands of dollars each year to learn more about real estate investing. Home Inspection Checklist - Home Inspectors Although architectural details, wall and floor coverings, modern conveniences and many other factors are important in the buying decision, the focus of this inspection is on the structural/mechanical/electrical condition of the property.The inspection is designed to give the real estate agent or prospective purchaser a system to detect some of the readily accessible major flaws or deficiencies in the significant components and systems of a home. Stay Motivated With REI Till The Deal Comes I know many investors step into the game of real estate investing with high hopes of landing the deal that will turn their financial situation around and yes some do and this is not for you - this is for the investors still looking for that first deal!The best way starting out in this business, staying motivated and sticking to real estate investing has to do with one big factor!Keep your JOB - Yes you may be "Just Over Broke" but real estate investing comes with no guarantees of doing a deal in 30, 90, or 120 days as a matter of fact deals come and they go. real estate investing has its good times and it's bad times!You need a source of income and without it the likely hood of failure will soon follow!Having a stable income is the number one goal to having financial well being and your mental and emotional well being also. 11 Steps Away From Buying a Home There is no doubt that the market for houses has been on fire recently. More and more people are taking advantage of low interest rates and easy mortgage loan terms to go from being renters to being home owners. 5 Factors of Selling a Home There are five major factors to consider when selling a home. These factors will greatly influence not only the final price you will get for the property, but also how quickly it will sell and how much grief you will suffer through the sale. NAHB's Voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines The voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream marketplace. Currently, there are approximately thirty communities throughout the U. Property Investing Secrets 5 Property Investing Secrets:How To Work With Agents And Get What You WantWhen you're property investing, it is important to know how to connect with real estate agents. Here are some techniques you can use when you are out there pressing the flesh. Escalation Clauses - A Home Buyers Secret Weapon Today we discuss escalation clauses because much of the country is experiencing an extreme "sellers' market." By that, I mean there are more buyers than there are sellers, and that results in sellers' getting more than one offer to buy their property. Get To Know About Building Codes & Town Planning Applications, If You Want To Build A House These are real building questions that I received from readers of my e-book, "Residential Development Made Easy" with answers from me, Colm Dillon, and a major USA Construction Master operating in 48 States.Question 1. Are Condo Hotels What the Orlando Real Estate Investor Has Been Looking For? Earlier this year the Hawthorn suites in Lake Buena Vista quietly sold out all of their units in less than a month. These 540 sq. High Profit Real Estate Investing--Make a Good Deal Every Time! Knowing what a Good Deal is - Is the Key to Success in Real Estate.Dear Investor,Take this little survey: The most important key to Real Estate Success is:1.
|
| home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro |
| © 2006 |
