Belize Real Estate  Links  
Real Estate Information

Seven Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Condo Hotel Unit


You may have heard all the buzz about the newest type of vacation home investment, condo hotels. These are condominiums located in four- and five-star hotels in cities like Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas and Chicago. Owners use their condos when they'd like. When not using their unit, they can place it in the hotel's rental program and receive a percentage of the revenue it generates.

How do you choose a condo hotel unit that meets your desire for a vacation home and is also likely to produce a healthy revenue and appreciate down the road? Consider the following seven questions when evaluating a condo hotels:

1. Is a condo hotel right for you?

Condo hotels are not your typical second homes. They are fabulously-furnished condominium suites in some of the most famous hotels and resorts around the country. The properties are usually large, high-rise, luxury hotels and come with premium amenities like valet, concierge and maid service. Prices can range from $250,000 to over $1 million for prime properties.

2. Is the condo hotel well-located?

Consider whether the property is located in a popular vacation destination, one that is likely to do a healthy tourist or business trade regardless of economic factors.

Also, you must be sure you yourself like the location. Does it offer you the ocean view or golf course access you always dreamed about for your vacation home? If you'll be flying to this vacation home, how close is it to a major airport?

3. Does the condo hotel have a major franchise?

The key to a successful condo hotel investment is the hotel operator. The better the operator and the franchise, the more likely the success of the property.

A condo hotel with a name brand like Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Starwood or Trump is likely to generate more revenue than a non-brand because it can charge higher room rates and benefit from international advertising and a centralized reservation system.

4. Will the condo hotel receive traffic from any nearby attractions or entertainment venues?

A condo hotel that is near a convention center, a theme park or cruise port will benefit from proximity to these high-traffic venues.

5. Does the condo hotel have any on-site amenities that will draw guests such as a well-known health club, spa, fine dining restaurant or golf course?

You'll want to choose a condo hotel that has amenities you'll enjoy using and also are a draw to attract hotel guests.

6. Does the individual unit that you're considering in a condo hotel meet your needs?

Does it have enough bedrooms, enough square footage? Does it have a kitchen? (Some do, some don't.) Does it offer an appealing view? Is it furnished to meet your tastes? Does it offer any owner storage?

7. Will the condo hotel unit appreciate?

While personal enjoyment should be your primary reason for considering a condo hotel purchase, it's certainly worth thinking about whether the property you want has good appreciation potential.

Look at surrounding properties and area appreciation rates. Does the condo hotel have lots of competition? Is it different or better than area properties? How has the demand been since the property first came on the market?

A realtor who specializes in condo hotels and is familiar with the area in which you're looking can often help you determine if the condo hotel you're considering has good appreciation potential.

By Joel Greene
President, Condo Hotel Center, www.CondoHotelCenter.com

About the Author:
Joel Greene is the president of Condo Hotel Center in Miami, Florida. Visit his website at http://www.CondoHotelCenter.com which is a clearinghouse for listings, information, and photos of condo hotels. At his website you can sign up for his Property Alert newsletter which notifies readers of new condo hotel properties coming on the market and provides useful information about condo hotel developers and trends.


MORE RESOURCES:

International Business Times

Mariner Real Estate acquires loan portfolio
BusinessWeek
Mariner Real Estate Management LLC said Friday that it worked with bank regulators to buy a portfolio of real estate loans worth about $760 million. ...
Leawood-based Mariner buys $760 million in real estate loans from FDICKansas City Star
Mariner Real Estate Management Acquires $760 Million FDIC Real Estate Loan ...Benzinga
FDIC sells another $760 million in REOHousing Wire
Emii.com -Bloomberg
all 24 news articles »


Jamie Dimon's real estate woes
Los Angeles Times (blog)
The bad real estate market has forced a series of reductions that have brought the listing price down by nearly half, to $6.95 million. ...

and more »


Real Estate News: Mortgage Rates Fall to 4.32%
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Mortgage Rates Hit New Low at 4.32%: Average mortgage rates hit another record low even as Treasurys sold off, according to Freddie Mac's ...

and more »


Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share ...
MarketWatch (press release)
MINOT, ND, Sep 3, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Investors Real Estate Trust (NASDAQ:IRET) (NASDAQ:IRETP) announced today that its Board of Trustees has ...
Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share ...Trading Markets (press release)

all 10 news articles »


Town Hall

Mo. drops appeal of real estate ballot measure
The Associated Press
2 whether to amend the Missouri Constitution to prohibit real estate transfer taxes, which typically are charged like sales taxes based on the price of the ...
Mo. drops appeal of real estate ballot measureKOAM-TV
Mo. judge orders real estate tax on fall ballotBusinessWeek
Ballot measure on real-estate transfer tax cleared by judgeKansas City Star
Real Estate Journal Online (blog) -FOX2now.com
all 122 news articles »


RiverSource LaSalle International Real Estate Fund, Inc. Declares Third ...
MarketWatch (press release)
Investments in real estate securities may be subject to specific risks, such as the risks associated with general and local economic conditions, ...

and more »


Commercial real estate transactions
Dallas Morning News
John Barker of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services negotiated the sale. SRK Properties purchased a 3540-square-foot retail building on 10672 ...
Rankin Commercial Properties says Commercial Real Estate Back to Black.dBusinessNews Triangle (press release)

all 4 news articles »


Why is Google Getting Involved in Real Estate?
Forbes (blog)
And what impact will it have on the real estate market at large? The answer to the first question, as TechCrunch points out, may just be that they can ...

and more »


Hypo Real Estate's Collapse on the Slopes
BusinessWeek
Snowmass Village, the Colorado ski town, got a lift in 2007 when Germany's Hypo Real Estate Holding agreed to arrange ...

and more »


Inland Real Estate sells center to joint venture
BusinessWeek
Inland Real Estate Corp. said Thursday it has sold a recently acquired shopping center in Chicago to a joint venture it operates with Dutch pension fund ...
Inland Real Estate declares The Point at Clark's contribution to its JV with PGGMTrading Markets (press release)
Inland Real Estate Corporation Announces Contribution of The Point at Clark to ...MarketWatch (press release)
Property for Sun Prairie Copps Food soldThe Business Journal

all 35 news articles »

Google News

home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro
© 2006