Real Estate Investing ? Not A Solo Sport

Real Estate Investing is not a solo sport, but a team effort. It is so important to select your teammates well and constantly evaluate each player?s performance against the overall goal you are working toward.

The scout is the person who helps you locate the deal. This person knows what you are looking for and brings you the deals for evaluation. A scout can be a real estate agent, another investor, a reputable wholesaler or even consistent advertising medium. You should be prepared to compensate your scout and provide incentives to bring you great deals. If they aren?t giving them to you, they are giving them to someone who will compensate them accordingly. Be generous so that you will always be top of mind.

The next team member is an accountant. Your accountant should be someone who specializes in real estate practices. Ideally, they should own real estate themselves. This person helps you take advantage of the tax savings that comes along with buying real estate. We suggest that you interview several. A good accountant will save you much more than their hourly rate, so don?t be intimidated by high fees. They are well worth it if they can do the job properly.

You will need a good real estate attorney. Most people have a closing attorney. Remember that the closing attorney in a transaction works for the mortgage company ? not you. You will want an attorney you can depend on to represent your interests. They should be able to advise you with any title issues, assist you with land trust formation, help you with entity selection and provide general council for real estate transactions.

Home inspectors are worth their weight in gold. A good home inspector can help prevent you from purchasing a poor investment, give you a realistic picture of the repairs and give you a general picture of the costs required, as well as alert you to safety concerns. Our home inspector has saved us thousands of dollars by helping us chose not to invest in properties that required more renovation than we had estimated in the deal.

Once you have found a property, financing your real estate investment is the key to a successful real estate career. Helping you determine the best way to finance an investment based on your overall strategy is very important. The majority of the benefit of real estate comes from using leverage. With all the various types of loans available now, you will want a mortgage partner who understands investing, can help you determine which loans are best for a particular piece of property and provides long term strategies that will enhance your credit standing ? not hurt it.

As with any team, it takes a while to work together to make sure that you have all the right players. At times, you will find that players need to be traded and sometimes it is good to have alternates.

I encourage all of my investors to interview their teammates in advance. Have a series of questions prepared in advance and determine who you feel most comfortable with. We have found that it takes a couple of plays sometimes before they really understand you and your goals, so be patient. If however, you don?t feel confident with their ability ? trade them. This is your future ? not theirs.

About the Author:

Anne Lackey is a real estate investor in Atlanta and works with The REI Team at Solid Source Realty, Inc. http://www.theREIteam.com. She frequently helps other investors in their pursuit of financial freedom. She is the President of Solid Source Property Management, Inc. http://www.solidsourcepm.com

Real Estate Investing Tips On The 4 Ways You Can Profit- Do You Know Your Real Estate Mathematics?

Profit is the main reason we invest in real estate so it’s important to understand how and where your profits come from. We’ll call this the mathematics of real estate profits. The four basic ways you will profit from real estate are:

1. Appreciation
2. Principal Reduction
3. Tax Deductions
4. Cash Flow

Appreciation - Calculating your return on investment (ROI):

We can calculate the appreciation in the value of the property over time in dollars or as a percentage of the cost. Let’s say you bought a house for $100,000 a couple years ago with a down payment of $10,000 and now it’s worth $120,000. The appreciation is $20,000, or $10,000 per year.

Since $20,000 is our appreciation amount over two years we divide it by two to get an average annual appreciation of 10% based on the original property cost. The ROI is the percentage of profit you have earned based on the down payment you made. We divide the appreciation amount of $20,000 by the down payment amount of $10,000, showing that you return on your investment from appreciation is 200%.

Principal Reduction:

Principal reduction is the amount of your mortgage that has been paid off. A small part of your mortgage payment goes toward paying the principle and the rest goes toward interest, insurance and taxes. The mortgage company keeps the interest but you get a tax deduction and the principle reduction increases your equity in the property. Our loan was $90,000 after a $10,000 down payment and $2,000 has gone towards the principle in the first two years leaving you with a $98,000 debt.

To figure out your equity return simply divide the equity by down payment. Your total equity is $22,000, your down payment is $10,000 so the return on your equity is 220% after 2 years. Pretty good ROI in this example.

Tax Deductions:

Real estate investing has some of the best tax shelters compared to anything else. If your gross income is under $100,000 and you’re in the 33% tax bracket the government gives you back 33 cent for every dollar of tax deductions you can create. So, for every $1,000 in tax deductions you’ll get back $330 in cash or in reduced taxes. Your appreciation and equity will be long term but your tax deductions create cash flow in the current year.

Cash Flow:

Dealing with rental property investments means dealing with cash flow; neutral, negative, or positive. We all hope to have the positive kind but that’s not always possible. Even so, it can still make sense to invest in a property that has neutral or slightly negative cash flow because of the tax deductions and long term equity you can eventually cash in on. A common mistake from investors with good intentions is to get in hot water with unexpected maintenance costs, vacant properties, and non-collected rents. Not having a contingency plan in place for covering negative cash flow can leave one scrambling for co-investors or worse; foreclosure. Some negative cash flow can be offset by tax deductions. Keeping expenses down together with rent increases can eliminate negative cash flow and this should be an obvious long term goal.

Real Estate Investing Tips On The 4 Ways You Can Profit- Do You Know Your Real Estate Mathematics?

Profit is the main reason we invest in real estate so it’s important to understand how and where your profits come from. We’ll call this the mathematics of real estate profits. The four basic ways you will profit from real estate are:

1. Appreciation
2. Principal Reduction
3. Tax Deductions
4. Cash Flow

Appreciation - Calculating your return on investment (ROI):

We can calculate the appreciation in the value of the property over time in dollars or as a percentage of the cost. Let’s say you bought a house for $100,000 a couple years ago with a down payment of $10,000 and now it’s worth $120,000. The appreciation is $20,000, or $10,000 per year.

Since $20,000 is our appreciation amount over two years we divide it by two to get an average annual appreciation of 10% based on the original property cost. The ROI is the percentage of profit you have earned based on the down payment you made. We divide the appreciation amount of $20,000 by the down payment amount of $10,000, showing that you return on your investment from appreciation is 200%.

Principal Reduction:

Principal reduction is the amount of your mortgage that has been paid off. A small part of your mortgage payment goes toward paying the principle and the rest goes toward interest, insurance and taxes. The mortgage company keeps the interest but you get a tax deduction and the principle reduction increases your equity in the property. Our loan was $90,000 after a $10,000 down payment and $2,000 has gone towards the principle in the first two years leaving you with a $98,000 debt.

To figure out your equity return simply divide the equity by down payment. Your total equity is $22,000, your down payment is $10,000 so the return on your equity is 220% after 2 years. Pretty good ROI in this example.

Tax Deductions:

Real estate investing has some of the best tax shelters compared to anything else. If your gross income is under $100,000 and you’re in the 33% tax bracket the government gives you back 33 cent for every dollar of tax deductions you can create. So, for every $1,000 in tax deductions you’ll get back $330 in cash or in reduced taxes. Your appreciation and equity will be long term but your tax deductions create cash flow in the current year.

Cash Flow:

Dealing with rental property investments means dealing with cash flow; neutral, negative, or positive. We all hope to have the positive kind but that’s not always possible. Even so, it can still make sense to invest in a property that has neutral or slightly negative cash flow because of the tax deductions and long term equity you can eventually cash in on. A common mistake from investors with good intentions is to get in hot water with unexpected maintenance costs, vacant properties, and non-collected rents. Not having a contingency plan in place for covering negative cash flow can leave one scrambling for co-investors or worse; foreclosure. Some negative cash flow can be offset by tax deductions. Keeping expenses down together with rent increases can eliminate negative cash flow and this should be an obvious long term goal.

Real Estate Investing Tips - Use A Second Mortgage For Lower Downpayment On Investment Property

Second mortgages are a great way to start investing in real estate because they will have lower down payment requirements for:

A commercial second mortgage, which is usually obtained from a mortgage company instead of a bank can be used for investing in real estate or financing part of a primary residence.

A second mortgage, because it will be in a junior position to the first mortgage and so will have a slightly higher interest rate as well as a lower term; ten or fifteen years rather than a twenty five or thirty year term.

Mortgage companies will lend on a loan-to-value ratio to reduce their risk. They’ll lend you about 80% of the value of the sum total of the first and second mortgages so if you default they can sell off a property quickly even below fair market value and get the full 100% of their money back.

You may be able to simply assume an existing second mortgage as part of your new financing for the property. If the seller is holding a second mortgage you may be able to assume it by just asking the mortgage company. You would need to qualify for the particular mortgage of coarse. If you don’t qualify for the existing second mortgage that is already on the property the mortgage company may very well offer you a new second mortgage of your own.

Here’ a creative idea you can use with a willing and motivated seller:

Even if you can’t get the second mortgage you may still buy the property “subject to” the second mortgage. In this way the seller stays on the second mortgage agreement as guarantor but you are making the payments. Sounds like a risk for the sellers but there is actually little to no risk because if you were to default on payments they would simply get the property back and would be responsible for no more payments than when they first owned the home.

keywords: Real Estate Investing Tips: Second Mortgage

Purchasing a property “subject to” isn’t the same as using the clause to attempt to circumvent the non-assumability of a first mortgage.

Use this second mortgage strategy as a great way to start investing in real estate.

Real Estate Investing Tips On The 4 Ways You Can Profit- Do You Know Your Real Estate Mathematics?

Profit is the main reason we invest in real estate so it’s important to understand how and where your profits come from. We’ll call this the mathematics of real estate profits. The four basic ways you will profit from real estate are:

1. Appreciation
2. Principal Reduction
3. Tax Deductions
4. Cash Flow

Appreciation - Calculating your return on investment (ROI):

We can calculate the appreciation in the value of the property over time in dollars or as a percentage of the cost. Let’s say you bought a house for $100,000 a couple years ago with a down payment of $10,000 and now it’s worth $120,000. The appreciation is $20,000, or $10,000 per year.

Since $20,000 is our appreciation amount over two years we divide it by two to get an average annual appreciation of 10% based on the original property cost. The ROI is the percentage of profit you have earned based on the down payment you made. We divide the appreciation amount of $20,000 by the down payment amount of $10,000, showing that you return on your investment from appreciation is 200%.

Principal Reduction:

Principal reduction is the amount of your mortgage that has been paid off. A small part of your mortgage payment goes toward paying the principle and the rest goes toward interest, insurance and taxes. The mortgage company keeps the interest but you get a tax deduction and the principle reduction increases your equity in the property. Our loan was $90,000 after a $10,000 down payment and $2,000 has gone towards the principle in the first two years leaving you with a $98,000 debt.

To figure out your equity return simply divide the equity by down payment. Your total equity is $22,000, your down payment is $10,000 so the return on your equity is 220% after 2 years. Pretty good ROI in this example.

Tax Deductions:

Real estate investing has some of the best tax shelters compared to anything else. If your gross income is under $100,000 and you’re in the 33% tax bracket the government gives you back 33 cent for every dollar of tax deductions you can create. So, for every $1,000 in tax deductions you’ll get back $330 in cash or in reduced taxes. Your appreciation and equity will be long term but your tax deductions create cash flow in the current year.

Cash Flow:

Dealing with rental property investments means dealing with cash flow; neutral, negative, or positive. We all hope to have the positive kind but that’s not always possible. Even so, it can still make sense to invest in a property that has neutral or slightly negative cash flow because of the tax deductions and long term equity you can eventually cash in on. A common mistake from investors with good intentions is to get in hot water with unexpected maintenance costs, vacant properties, and non-collected rents. Not having a contingency plan in place for covering negative cash flow can leave one scrambling for co-investors or worse; foreclosure. Some negative cash flow can be offset by tax deductions. Keeping expenses down together with rent increases can eliminate negative cash flow and this should be an obvious long term goal.

Real Estate Investing Tips On The 4 Ways You Can Profit- Do You Know Your Real Estate Mathematics?

Profit is the main reason we invest in real estate so it’s important to understand how and where your profits come from. We’ll call this the mathematics of real estate profits. The four basic ways you will profit from real estate are:

1. Appreciation
2. Principal Reduction
3. Tax Deductions
4. Cash Flow

Appreciation - Calculating your return on investment (ROI):

We can calculate the appreciation in the value of the property over time in dollars or as a percentage of the cost. Let’s say you bought a house for $100,000 a couple years ago with a down payment of $10,000 and now it’s worth $120,000. The appreciation is $20,000, or $10,000 per year.

Since $20,000 is our appreciation amount over two years we divide it by two to get an average annual appreciation of 10% based on the original property cost. The ROI is the percentage of profit you have earned based on the down payment you made. We divide the appreciation amount of $20,000 by the down payment amount of $10,000, showing that you return on your investment from appreciation is 200%.

Principal Reduction:

Principal reduction is the amount of your mortgage that has been paid off. A small part of your mortgage payment goes toward paying the principle and the rest goes toward interest, insurance and taxes. The mortgage company keeps the interest but you get a tax deduction and the principle reduction increases your equity in the property. Our loan was $90,000 after a $10,000 down payment and $2,000 has gone towards the principle in the first two years leaving you with a $98,000 debt.

To figure out your equity return simply divide the equity by down payment. Your total equity is $22,000, your down payment is $10,000 so the return on your equity is 220% after 2 years. Pretty good ROI in this example.

Tax Deductions:

Real estate investing has some of the best tax shelters compared to anything else. If your gross income is under $100,000 and you’re in the 33% tax bracket the government gives you back 33 cent for every dollar of tax deductions you can create. So, for every $1,000 in tax deductions you’ll get back $330 in cash or in reduced taxes. Your appreciation and equity will be long term but your tax deductions create cash flow in the current year.

Cash Flow:

Dealing with rental property investments means dealing with cash flow; neutral, negative, or positive. We all hope to have the positive kind but that’s not always possible. Even so, it can still make sense to invest in a property that has neutral or slightly negative cash flow because of the tax deductions and long term equity you can eventually cash in on. A common mistake from investors with good intentions is to get in hot water with unexpected maintenance costs, vacant properties, and non-collected rents. Not having a contingency plan in place for covering negative cash flow can leave one scrambling for co-investors or worse; foreclosure. Some negative cash flow can be offset by tax deductions. Keeping expenses down together with rent increases can eliminate negative cash flow and this should be an obvious long term goal.

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