Real Estate and REITS Investing

You might think the first rule in real estate investment is location but really it is to be cautious of who you are working with. As with any other industry the real estate world is filled with its share of bad apples including a large majority of those late night infomercial gurus claiming to teach you the way to become a millionaire through real estate.

For those who are thinking about investing in real estate there are a few things you will need to make it a successful venture. First off you need investment capital or some form of getting it without putting yourself upside down financially.

Location of the investment property is highly important. You don’t want to invest in an area that has a failing economy or has too many for sale signs.

If you want to invest in real estate then you need to have great management, people, and negotiating skills to help you in every step of the process. It is likely that some sort of problem will occur so be prepared. Some people have the idea that flipping a house is as easy as buying a property, fixing up a few small inexpensive things, and then selling it for a major profit but it is never as simple as that.

There is also real estate investment trusts. This allows you to invest in real estate for far less money and there is no stress of fixing any tenants problems. REITS invest into several different corporations that are involved in real estate including everything from shopping centers to development companies. They are also listed on the NASDAQ and the stock exchange.

REITS work in a similar way as mutual funds with the exclusion that they set up a portfolio that is only involved in real estate. They must pay a large portion of their earnings to investors.

Before investing in a REIT you should fully think about the economic conditions where the key holdings are located. You should also know the past performance of the REIT and what the future projections look like. Speak with the REIT manager who works like a mutual funds manager.

REITS are similar to stocks, bonds, and mutual funds in the fact that they have high and low periods. They can turn into financially strong investments over time and pay dividends. REITS are liquid assets and are a much more secure way of investing in real estate then buying property.

The major reason that investing in real estate is considered so high risk is because the market is constantly fluctuating. For anyone to invest in any type of real estate without having adequate knowledge of the area surrounding it is very high risk.

It is wise to enlist the help of a professional real estate agent who can provide you with information that can help you profit despite the fluctuations in the market. Even if you only use one for your first investment a real estate professional can provide you with information that can help you find more profitable homes.

You may wish to contact Joe and Colleen Lane, Realtors? for more info on real estate, especially in the areas of Pasco Wa Real Estate, Richland Wa Real Estate, and surrounding Southeastern Washington Communities.

About the Author

Published by author Spencer H. The Lane Real Estate Team services Tri City Wa Real Estate, Kennewick Wa Real Estate.

Real Estate Investing Tips - 5 Things You Need to Know

Real Estate Investing is simple, but not necessarily easy! You see, people can complicate anything! It’s like telling someone how to drive a car. It’s not complicated at all. Just open the door. Sit down. Turn the car on and put it into drive. But, people always make things harder than they need to be; They start asking thinks like ‘which door should I open - the left or the right?’ or ‘Do I unlock it with a key or click the button’ and on and on we go. Twenty minutes later, we’ve still not even been able to get into the car.

I liked that analogy because it applies to real estate. There are really 5 things you need to know - or steps - when it comes to real estate.

Here are the 5 Real Estate Investing Tips you need to know!

Tip #1: Find a Motivated Seller
Stop wasting your time trying to make deals out of deals that aren’t there. Sellers are motivated to sell a piece of real estate by only 3 things:

1. Change in personal situation. Sellers become very motivated to sell their properties when things in their personal lives change and they can no longer afford the home or there is an emotional reason for selling. Personal reasons for selling a home are: job loss, divorce, relocation, illness, etc.
2. Economic conditions.
3. Property conditions

Tip #2: Evaluate the Deal
Once you’ve found a motivated seller, it’s time to decide if the deal is going to work. Real estate investing comes down to the numbers. There are 5 factors to consider in order to decide whether or not to invest in a property.

1. Location. If real estate is located in an area that is full of abandoned properties and rundown houses, the score will be lower than if the house was located in a prime location, close to all of the area amenities.
2. Condition. The better the condition of the property, the higher the score will be. For instance, a brand new home is going to have a substantially higher score than a property that’s rundown and needs major repairs.
3. Price. The lower the price, the better! The goal is to purchase real estate for as little as possible. 30% or more below market value will score much higher than when the seller is asking for market value or better.

4. Financing. Real estate comes down to the numbers. If the seller is willing to give you financing with flexible terms and low interest rates and you don’t have to come out with any of your own money, it’s better than when the seller needs all cash up front.
5. Seller’s Motivation. On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated is the seller to sell his/her property? The more urgent their situation is, the higher the motivation score.

Tip #3: Write an Offer
After you’ve done your homework and looked at the numbers, it’s time to put the pen to the paper. But before you write your offer, make sure you have 2 exit strategies in place. This way, you’re not stuck holding onto a piece of real estate that you can’t rent or sell. Many people are losing their shirts in real estate because they jumped in on pre-construction and hoped to “get rich quick”. Consider submitting 3 contracts on the same property with different prices and terms and let the seller decide what works best for his/her situation. For instance, you may have a wholesale offer at 50% of market value, a seller financed alternative that you might use for a rental, and a lease option which you might do a sandwich lease-option.

Tip #4: Line Up Your Financing
Once the seller has agreed to one of your offers, it’s time to get the deal closed. If you’re wholesaling the property, find your investor-buyer. If you’re going to close on it yourself, line up the financing via a conventional lender, hard money lender or line of credit. Also start looking for a tenant or tenant-buyer if you’re goal is to build a long term real estate portfolio. The key is to get your financing lined up in accordance to your exit strategy and begin moving immediately.

Tip #5: Follow Through with Your Plan
Many real estate investors purchase a piece of property with one plan, buy-fix-sell. They write the offer based on a certain sale price and with a specific plan to renovate. Then, once they close on the home, they over-improve and try to sell it for more than it’s worth or use a hard money lender and then decide they want to rent it.

If you follow these steps and remember the tips, then you will make money in real estate. If you deviate from the plan, then your chances of running into problems increase. You wind up with the wrong type of financing, you can’t find tenants, the holding costs eat the profits, etc.

Remember, real estate investing is like driving a car. It’s simple. Get in, turn the key, put it in drive, and go!

Real Estate and REITS Investing

You might think the first rule in real estate investment is location but really it is to be cautious of who you are working with. As with any other industry the real estate world is filled with its share of bad apples including a large majority of those late night infomercial gurus claiming to teach you the way to become a millionaire through real estate.

For those who are thinking about investing in real estate there are a few things you will need to make it a successful venture. First off you need investment capital or some form of getting it without putting yourself upside down financially.

Location of the investment property is highly important. You don’t want to invest in an area that has a failing economy or has too many for sale signs.

If you want to invest in real estate then you need to have great management, people, and negotiating skills to help you in every step of the process. It is likely that some sort of problem will occur so be prepared. Some people have the idea that flipping a house is as easy as buying a property, fixing up a few small inexpensive things, and then selling it for a major profit but it is never as simple as that.

There is also real estate investment trusts. This allows you to invest in real estate for far less money and there is no stress of fixing any tenants problems. REITS invest into several different corporations that are involved in real estate including everything from shopping centers to development companies. They are also listed on the NASDAQ and the stock exchange.

REITS work in a similar way as mutual funds with the exclusion that they set up a portfolio that is only involved in real estate. They must pay a large portion of their earnings to investors.

Before investing in a REIT you should fully think about the economic conditions where the key holdings are located. You should also know the past performance of the REIT and what the future projections look like. Speak with the REIT manager who works like a mutual funds manager.

REITS are similar to stocks, bonds, and mutual funds in the fact that they have high and low periods. They can turn into financially strong investments over time and pay dividends. REITS are liquid assets and are a much more secure way of investing in real estate then buying property.

The major reason that investing in real estate is considered so high risk is because the market is constantly fluctuating. For anyone to invest in any type of real estate without having adequate knowledge of the area surrounding it is very high risk.

It is wise to enlist the help of a professional real estate agent who can provide you with information that can help you profit despite the fluctuations in the market. Even if you only use one for your first investment a real estate professional can provide you with information that can help you find more profitable homes.

You may wish to contact Joe and Colleen Lane, Realtors? for more info on real estate, especially in the areas of Pasco Wa Real Estate, Richland Wa Real Estate, and surrounding Southeastern Washington Communities.

About the Author

Published by author Spencer H. The Lane Real Estate Team services Tri City Wa Real Estate, Kennewick Wa Real Estate.

Real Estate Investing Tips - 5 Things You Need to Know

Real Estate Investing is simple, but not necessarily easy! You see, people can complicate anything! It’s like telling someone how to drive a car. It’s not complicated at all. Just open the door. Sit down. Turn the car on and put it into drive. But, people always make things harder than they need to be; They start asking thinks like ‘which door should I open - the left or the right?’ or ‘Do I unlock it with a key or click the button’ and on and on we go. Twenty minutes later, we’ve still not even been able to get into the car.

I liked that analogy because it applies to real estate. There are really 5 things you need to know - or steps - when it comes to real estate.

Here are the 5 Real Estate Investing Tips you need to know!

Tip #1: Find a Motivated Seller
Stop wasting your time trying to make deals out of deals that aren’t there. Sellers are motivated to sell a piece of real estate by only 3 things:

1. Change in personal situation. Sellers become very motivated to sell their properties when things in their personal lives change and they can no longer afford the home or there is an emotional reason for selling. Personal reasons for selling a home are: job loss, divorce, relocation, illness, etc.
2. Economic conditions.
3. Property conditions

Tip #2: Evaluate the Deal
Once you’ve found a motivated seller, it’s time to decide if the deal is going to work. Real estate investing comes down to the numbers. There are 5 factors to consider in order to decide whether or not to invest in a property.

1. Location. If real estate is located in an area that is full of abandoned properties and rundown houses, the score will be lower than if the house was located in a prime location, close to all of the area amenities.
2. Condition. The better the condition of the property, the higher the score will be. For instance, a brand new home is going to have a substantially higher score than a property that’s rundown and needs major repairs.
3. Price. The lower the price, the better! The goal is to purchase real estate for as little as possible. 30% or more below market value will score much higher than when the seller is asking for market value or better.

4. Financing. Real estate comes down to the numbers. If the seller is willing to give you financing with flexible terms and low interest rates and you don’t have to come out with any of your own money, it’s better than when the seller needs all cash up front.
5. Seller’s Motivation. On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated is the seller to sell his/her property? The more urgent their situation is, the higher the motivation score.

Tip #3: Write an Offer
After you’ve done your homework and looked at the numbers, it’s time to put the pen to the paper. But before you write your offer, make sure you have 2 exit strategies in place. This way, you’re not stuck holding onto a piece of real estate that you can’t rent or sell. Many people are losing their shirts in real estate because they jumped in on pre-construction and hoped to “get rich quick”. Consider submitting 3 contracts on the same property with different prices and terms and let the seller decide what works best for his/her situation. For instance, you may have a wholesale offer at 50% of market value, a seller financed alternative that you might use for a rental, and a lease option which you might do a sandwich lease-option.

Tip #4: Line Up Your Financing
Once the seller has agreed to one of your offers, it’s time to get the deal closed. If you’re wholesaling the property, find your investor-buyer. If you’re going to close on it yourself, line up the financing via a conventional lender, hard money lender or line of credit. Also start looking for a tenant or tenant-buyer if you’re goal is to build a long term real estate portfolio. The key is to get your financing lined up in accordance to your exit strategy and begin moving immediately.

Tip #5: Follow Through with Your Plan
Many real estate investors purchase a piece of property with one plan, buy-fix-sell. They write the offer based on a certain sale price and with a specific plan to renovate. Then, once they close on the home, they over-improve and try to sell it for more than it’s worth or use a hard money lender and then decide they want to rent it.

If you follow these steps and remember the tips, then you will make money in real estate. If you deviate from the plan, then your chances of running into problems increase. You wind up with the wrong type of financing, you can’t find tenants, the holding costs eat the profits, etc.

Remember, real estate investing is like driving a car. It’s simple. Get in, turn the key, put it in drive, and go!

Real Estate and REITS Investing

You might think the first rule in real estate investment is location but really it is to be cautious of who you are working with. As with any other industry the real estate world is filled with its share of bad apples including a large majority of those late night infomercial gurus claiming to teach you the way to become a millionaire through real estate.

For those who are thinking about investing in real estate there are a few things you will need to make it a successful venture. First off you need investment capital or some form of getting it without putting yourself upside down financially.

Location of the investment property is highly important. You don’t want to invest in an area that has a failing economy or has too many for sale signs.

If you want to invest in real estate then you need to have great management, people, and negotiating skills to help you in every step of the process. It is likely that some sort of problem will occur so be prepared. Some people have the idea that flipping a house is as easy as buying a property, fixing up a few small inexpensive things, and then selling it for a major profit but it is never as simple as that.

There is also real estate investment trusts. This allows you to invest in real estate for far less money and there is no stress of fixing any tenants problems. REITS invest into several different corporations that are involved in real estate including everything from shopping centers to development companies. They are also listed on the NASDAQ and the stock exchange.

REITS work in a similar way as mutual funds with the exclusion that they set up a portfolio that is only involved in real estate. They must pay a large portion of their earnings to investors.

Before investing in a REIT you should fully think about the economic conditions where the key holdings are located. You should also know the past performance of the REIT and what the future projections look like. Speak with the REIT manager who works like a mutual funds manager.

REITS are similar to stocks, bonds, and mutual funds in the fact that they have high and low periods. They can turn into financially strong investments over time and pay dividends. REITS are liquid assets and are a much more secure way of investing in real estate then buying property.

The major reason that investing in real estate is considered so high risk is because the market is constantly fluctuating. For anyone to invest in any type of real estate without having adequate knowledge of the area surrounding it is very high risk.

It is wise to enlist the help of a professional real estate agent who can provide you with information that can help you profit despite the fluctuations in the market. Even if you only use one for your first investment a real estate professional can provide you with information that can help you find more profitable homes.

You may wish to contact Joe and Colleen Lane, Realtors? for more info on real estate, especially in the areas of Pasco Wa Real Estate, Richland Wa Real Estate, and surrounding Southeastern Washington Communities.

About the Author

Published by author Spencer H. The Lane Real Estate Team services Tri City Wa Real Estate, Kennewick Wa Real Estate.

Real Estate Investing Tips - 5 Things You Need to Know

Real Estate Investing is simple, but not necessarily easy! You see, people can complicate anything! It’s like telling someone how to drive a car. It’s not complicated at all. Just open the door. Sit down. Turn the car on and put it into drive. But, people always make things harder than they need to be; They start asking thinks like ‘which door should I open - the left or the right?’ or ‘Do I unlock it with a key or click the button’ and on and on we go. Twenty minutes later, we’ve still not even been able to get into the car.

I liked that analogy because it applies to real estate. There are really 5 things you need to know - or steps - when it comes to real estate.

Here are the 5 Real Estate Investing Tips you need to know!

Tip #1: Find a Motivated Seller
Stop wasting your time trying to make deals out of deals that aren’t there. Sellers are motivated to sell a piece of real estate by only 3 things:

1. Change in personal situation. Sellers become very motivated to sell their properties when things in their personal lives change and they can no longer afford the home or there is an emotional reason for selling. Personal reasons for selling a home are: job loss, divorce, relocation, illness, etc.
2. Economic conditions.
3. Property conditions

Tip #2: Evaluate the Deal
Once you’ve found a motivated seller, it’s time to decide if the deal is going to work. Real estate investing comes down to the numbers. There are 5 factors to consider in order to decide whether or not to invest in a property.

1. Location. If real estate is located in an area that is full of abandoned properties and rundown houses, the score will be lower than if the house was located in a prime location, close to all of the area amenities.
2. Condition. The better the condition of the property, the higher the score will be. For instance, a brand new home is going to have a substantially higher score than a property that’s rundown and needs major repairs.
3. Price. The lower the price, the better! The goal is to purchase real estate for as little as possible. 30% or more below market value will score much higher than when the seller is asking for market value or better.

4. Financing. Real estate comes down to the numbers. If the seller is willing to give you financing with flexible terms and low interest rates and you don’t have to come out with any of your own money, it’s better than when the seller needs all cash up front.
5. Seller’s Motivation. On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated is the seller to sell his/her property? The more urgent their situation is, the higher the motivation score.

Tip #3: Write an Offer
After you’ve done your homework and looked at the numbers, it’s time to put the pen to the paper. But before you write your offer, make sure you have 2 exit strategies in place. This way, you’re not stuck holding onto a piece of real estate that you can’t rent or sell. Many people are losing their shirts in real estate because they jumped in on pre-construction and hoped to “get rich quick”. Consider submitting 3 contracts on the same property with different prices and terms and let the seller decide what works best for his/her situation. For instance, you may have a wholesale offer at 50% of market value, a seller financed alternative that you might use for a rental, and a lease option which you might do a sandwich lease-option.

Tip #4: Line Up Your Financing
Once the seller has agreed to one of your offers, it’s time to get the deal closed. If you’re wholesaling the property, find your investor-buyer. If you’re going to close on it yourself, line up the financing via a conventional lender, hard money lender or line of credit. Also start looking for a tenant or tenant-buyer if you’re goal is to build a long term real estate portfolio. The key is to get your financing lined up in accordance to your exit strategy and begin moving immediately.

Tip #5: Follow Through with Your Plan
Many real estate investors purchase a piece of property with one plan, buy-fix-sell. They write the offer based on a certain sale price and with a specific plan to renovate. Then, once they close on the home, they over-improve and try to sell it for more than it’s worth or use a hard money lender and then decide they want to rent it.

If you follow these steps and remember the tips, then you will make money in real estate. If you deviate from the plan, then your chances of running into problems increase. You wind up with the wrong type of financing, you can’t find tenants, the holding costs eat the profits, etc.

Remember, real estate investing is like driving a car. It’s simple. Get in, turn the key, put it in drive, and go!

Real Estate Investing Tips - 5 Things You Need to Know

Real Estate Investing is simple, but not necessarily easy! You see, people can complicate anything! It’s like telling someone how to drive a car. It’s not complicated at all. Just open the door. Sit down. Turn the car on and put it into drive. But, people always make things harder than they need to be; They start asking thinks like ‘which door should I open - the left or the right?’ or ‘Do I unlock it with a key or click the button’ and on and on we go. Twenty minutes later, we’ve still not even been able to get into the car.

I liked that analogy because it applies to real estate. There are really 5 things you need to know - or steps - when it comes to real estate.

Here are the 5 Real Estate Investing Tips you need to know!

Tip #1: Find a Motivated Seller
Stop wasting your time trying to make deals out of deals that aren’t there. Sellers are motivated to sell a piece of real estate by only 3 things:

1. Change in personal situation. Sellers become very motivated to sell their properties when things in their personal lives change and they can no longer afford the home or there is an emotional reason for selling. Personal reasons for selling a home are: job loss, divorce, relocation, illness, etc.
2. Economic conditions.
3. Property conditions

Tip #2: Evaluate the Deal
Once you’ve found a motivated seller, it’s time to decide if the deal is going to work. Real estate investing comes down to the numbers. There are 5 factors to consider in order to decide whether or not to invest in a property.

1. Location. If real estate is located in an area that is full of abandoned properties and rundown houses, the score will be lower than if the house was located in a prime location, close to all of the area amenities.
2. Condition. The better the condition of the property, the higher the score will be. For instance, a brand new home is going to have a substantially higher score than a property that’s rundown and needs major repairs.
3. Price. The lower the price, the better! The goal is to purchase real estate for as little as possible. 30% or more below market value will score much higher than when the seller is asking for market value or better.

4. Financing. Real estate comes down to the numbers. If the seller is willing to give you financing with flexible terms and low interest rates and you don’t have to come out with any of your own money, it’s better than when the seller needs all cash up front.
5. Seller’s Motivation. On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated is the seller to sell his/her property? The more urgent their situation is, the higher the motivation score.

Tip #3: Write an Offer
After you’ve done your homework and looked at the numbers, it’s time to put the pen to the paper. But before you write your offer, make sure you have 2 exit strategies in place. This way, you’re not stuck holding onto a piece of real estate that you can’t rent or sell. Many people are losing their shirts in real estate because they jumped in on pre-construction and hoped to “get rich quick”. Consider submitting 3 contracts on the same property with different prices and terms and let the seller decide what works best for his/her situation. For instance, you may have a wholesale offer at 50% of market value, a seller financed alternative that you might use for a rental, and a lease option which you might do a sandwich lease-option.

Tip #4: Line Up Your Financing
Once the seller has agreed to one of your offers, it’s time to get the deal closed. If you’re wholesaling the property, find your investor-buyer. If you’re going to close on it yourself, line up the financing via a conventional lender, hard money lender or line of credit. Also start looking for a tenant or tenant-buyer if you’re goal is to build a long term real estate portfolio. The key is to get your financing lined up in accordance to your exit strategy and begin moving immediately.

Tip #5: Follow Through with Your Plan
Many real estate investors purchase a piece of property with one plan, buy-fix-sell. They write the offer based on a certain sale price and with a specific plan to renovate. Then, once they close on the home, they over-improve and try to sell it for more than it’s worth or use a hard money lender and then decide they want to rent it.

If you follow these steps and remember the tips, then you will make money in real estate. If you deviate from the plan, then your chances of running into problems increase. You wind up with the wrong type of financing, you can’t find tenants, the holding costs eat the profits, etc.

Remember, real estate investing is like driving a car. It’s simple. Get in, turn the key, put it in drive, and go!