Chicago Real Estate Investing

April 25, 2012 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Donald Trump and countless other moguls built their empires on real estate, and, lately, a lot of people have realized the wisdom behind real estate investments. Chicago real estate investing is a formidable, yet very feasible, business. Chicago is a booming city that is economically sound with prime real estate everywhere. Owning a piece of land at the right location is like owning a gold mine: In just a few years, its value may jump to double the amount you started with in the first place.

But as with any business venture, jumping on the real estate investing bandwagon should be more than just a split-second decision. You must be well prepared before you commit to this daunting task.

First, you have to study Chicago real estate investing. Ask significant questions:

Where is the ideal location?

How is the market doing?

How much start-up capital should I have?

What are the different aspects of real estate investing should I be familiar with?

What type of property do I want to deal in?

When you have the answers to all these questions, then you can start thinking of Chicago real estate investment as a possibility.

When you start your business make sure you cover the important facets of promoting your Chicago real estate investment. Know the importance of advertising and how beneficial it can be for your business. You need to constantly let people know what is out there by advertising your property. There’s no such thing as too much advertising-it’s the lack of it that can hurt you.

You must also have reliable real estate agents handling your Chicago real estate investing business. If you surround yourself with hardworking and smart people, chances are you’ll be in it for the long haul.

Sitting at the negotiation table can be intimidating, but you must realize that you’re in this to win. Start your bargains at the lowest possible price: not too low, as this could be insulting for the seller, but low enough so that you’ll have a lot of room for haggling.

Be pro-active. Be on the watch for the smallest movements in the market and make sure you are ready to pounce when prime real estate is suddenly brought to the market.

Chicago real estate investing can be a lot of hard work but it can also be very rewarding in the end.

Chicago Real Estate provides detailed information on Chicago Real Estate, Chicago Commercial Real Estate, Chicago Suburb Real Estate, Chicago Real Estate Developments and more. Chicago Real Estate is affiliated with Atlanta Commercial Real Estate.

Real Estate Investing : Simple Mistakes The Population Makes

April 6, 2012 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing


 

Real Estate Investing : Simple Mistakes The Population Makes

Submitted By: Tom Beaty iSnare Expert Author
 
 

People involved with real estate investing often wonder which came first, the deal or the plan. New investors frequently make the mistake of buying a property before they know what they plan on doing with it. The dilemma starts here. Investing in this manner is completely backwards and will force you into a corner. The correct way of doing things is formulating a proposal before finding an appropriate house to fit in your scheme.

Planning comes naturally to most people. College education and retirement are just two examples of the future circumstances that we plan for. It is only natural for us to plan for real estate deals as well. A rookie investor may get in over his head and forget to forge a plan. You have to elect what you will do in the real estate market. How will you sell the houses you want to pay for? Having a proposal is very beneficial.

Overnight success simply does not occur in real estate. People often envision closing a million dollar deal in order to retire. The reality of the matter is that real estate investing is a gradual process for accumulating wealth. Traveling at a slow pace will gradually help you reach your goal. Although you will make a decent amount of money, overnight success is not a realistic goal.

A veteran investor can average between sixty and one hundred thousand per year with good real estate investments. This income will occur with a steady forward progress while assuming that not everything will go as planned. You must remain practical with your real estate goals.

You cannot do everything alone. There are key people who play crucial roles for you to succeed at real estate investing. The smart investor will be assisted by a team of specialists. You will need a reliable real estate agent who will help you analyze the properties. In order to make sure the house is worth the investment you will need an appraiser and a contractor or an inspector. You positively must have an attorney to make sure there will be no hidden surprises popping up during the deal.

There is no approach that encompasses all situations you will encounter in the business. You must prepare a few different approaches. Sometimes people have to resell a home urgently after buying it. The housing market can be unpredictable and change rapidly. If the window for you to make a profit passes because you can’t get your investment completed for the market, you still have the option of renting. Even this market can become void or stall. If you are in this position and you have no choice but to get rid of the property, you could offer a lease option or perhaps a land contract. If all else fails you may have to sell to another investor to cut your losses. When the time comes to bail, a smart investor doesn’t hesitate.

A rookie investor doesn’t have to make these common mistakes. He can avoid them by doing a little research and planning. Don’t elect what real estate to invest in until you understand the business. Purchase one of the many available books and research some of the approaches used by the pros. Find out where the free seminars are and learn the proper way to invest. In order to avoid these common mistakes, you must be sure to make smart decisions in your real estate investing.

Article Tags: estate, investor, make

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How To Find All The Money You Need For Your Real Estate Investing

February 22, 2012 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Would you like to buy investment real estate? What is stopping you? Is it the money to get started?

If you are like most people, you think that the way to get enough money to buy a property is to go to a bank and apply for a mortgage.

Do you know that the best solution for beginning investors who are short on cash and credit is a method that most people don’t even know exists? This method allows you to bypass banks and mortgage brokers.

In three short steps, you can find all of the money you need to fund any of your real estate deals, without ever having to apply to a bank for a mortgage.

The first step is to realize that the best solution is to use private money. Private money comes from an individual, rather than a bank. A private money investor could be anyone. When you open your eyes to the possibilities of using private money to fund your real estate investments, you realize that all the money you need is hidden in plain sight all around you.

The next step is to find a private money investor. Private money investors are everywhere, ranging from neighbors to professional investors. They can be people you already know or people you find through advertising or online. Let’s keep it simple and start with the people in your own immediate circle. Your relatives, your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, your dentist, and your mechanic are all potential private money investors.

You might be wondering why anyone you know would be willing to loan you money to invest in real estate. The answer is that most people are not satisfied with the low rates of return they are getting in so-called safe investments in savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. And people have been badly burned by the stock markets. They’d like to make more money but they don’t know a better way.

You can find private money investors by asking the people you know if they are happy with the returns they are getting on their investments. Then you ask if they would be interested in earning higher rates of return through safe investments in real estate.

If you don’t know about private money for real estate investing, it’s highly likely your friends, relatives, and neighbors don’t know either. They simply don’t know that they can use the money that is sitting in low-interest savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs to invest in real estate. They also could have substantial equity in their own homes or IRAs that return tiny yields on mutual funds.

You can explain to them that you are offering a higher rate of return than they could get through any of these other so-called safe investments. They could earn 8%, 10%, even 15% by funding a first mortgage on an investment property. One of the greatest benefits of using private money is that you can create flexible rates and terms. You are asking for them to invest in a property that will guarantee them a higher rate of return than anything they are doing now. And you are doing it by offering a first mortgage secured by real estate.

After you find a person who is interested, your third step is to find a title company to set up the paperwork for you. You are not simply asking to borrow money. You are asking your private money lender to fund a mortgage on your investment property.

At this point, the title company will treat the mortgage contract between you and your private money investor the same way they would treat a mortgage contract between you and any bank.

If you want to get started investing in real estate, realize that the money you need is as close as the people you know as you go about your daily life.

Using private money to fund your real estate investment has two great benefits. First, it allows you make money with someone else’s money. And second, you are helping your private lenders make more money by investing with you than they would by keeping their money in the bank. This is a true win-win situation for both of you.

So, if you would like to buy investment property but don’t have the money or the credit to qualify for a mortgage on your own, the easiest and best solution is to look for private money investors among the people you already know.

About the author:
WARNING: BEFORE YOU INVEST IN REAL ESTATE…
FREE “No Money Limits Consumer Guide to Real Estate
Investor Training.” http://www.nomoneylimits.com

Real Estate Investing - An Alternative To Traditional Stock Market Investment

January 31, 2012 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

From a historical perspective, investing in real estate is almost as old as the construction of property itself. Indeed many business owners who created their wealth through companies then went on to diversify into real estate investments. In fact, over the years real estate investments have produced similar returns to those found in the stock market. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons:

First of all, and most obviously, the supply of building land around the world is limited, even when taking into account landfill opportunities. Since the world’s population is growing and the demand for housing ever increasing, then there would seem to be a never-ending and increasing requirement for real estate of all types.

Now let’s take a look at the mechanics of buying property. Here it can be seen that investing in real estate is quite different from most other traditional investments such as stocks. With real estate you can often borrow up to around 80 percent of the value of a property, sometimes even the full value and beyond under special circumstances. Thus a more modest investment of say 20 percent of the value can be used to buy and control the full value of the larger investment. Naturally, if the value of your investment increases, I.e. property prices rise, then the value of your real estate investment also increases. If so, then you are into profit, including that on the money you originally borrowed.

Naturally, there will be costs associated with real estate investing (such as legal fees and property maintenance, taxes, etc), but these are usually small in comparison with the potential gains.

Borrowing in order to invest in real estate makes real estate a type of leveraged investment. But if you know anything about leverage, you will realize that leveraged investments can also go against you. What, for example, if the property you purchased for $300,000 decreased in value to $240,000? Even though the value only dropped by 20 percent, you actually lose 100 percent of the original $60,000 investment. And if you have a mortgage on this property making up its full purchase price, you will actually need to pay money to the mortgage provider in order to cover the costs of selling the property. That’s in addition to the loss of the whole of your initial investment.

So, as you see, investing in real estate is something to be taken very seriously and should not be done with money which you might need for other things in the near future. Investment in property is more secure as a long-term investment. In the above example, if you could have held onto the property and not sold it, the loss would purely have been ‘on paper’. In all likelihood, over time the value of the property, unless grossly overpriced when you originally bought it, will rise and you will likely not only recover the full value of the initial investment, but also possibly make a nice profit when you do come to sell.

Another reason that real estate is a popular investment is that there are profits to be made from it whilst you are the owner. In addition to the tax-saving benefits (in that any tax due on the property’s increase in value doesn’t become due until it is eventually sold), you can also make additional money from renting out the property. This can often cover all your running costs of the property, plus providing a profit on top.

Unless you make a large down payment, early on during your ownership the monthly operating profit from your property business is likely to be small or non-existent. But over time this profit will increase as the amount of rent you can charge increases at a higher rate than the running costs. Naturally these profits will be subject to normal income tax rules.

A further benefit of investing in property is that you might be able to purchase cheaply a run-down or ‘distressed’ property and fix it up or develop it further. Properties like this can still be found if you look around carefully. Naturally, investing in this type of real estate can still produce large gains. This is something you certainly can’t do with traditional stock market investments.

However, returning to the initial question about whether real estate investing is still a viable option when current prices seem to be nearing their peak: yes, it can still be so, but you might need to be more creative and prepare to be in for the long haul. Property ‘flipping’ methods that worked extremely successfully yesterday, might not work at all well tomorrow.

You might also consider diversifying into overseas real estate markets. Whilst this will require greater study and analysis, and there are many more legal issues to consider, seeking out what appear to be undervalued international real estate opportunities has the potential to be highly profitable if handled correctly.

Naturally, you should always seek the advice of professionals, both financial and legal, before investing in properties of any description, particularly when considering investing overseas. There might be major implications to your overall taxation. Risks can also be substantially higher when you are not there to oversee your investment in person.

About the Author

You can learn more about real estate investing and Bianca Tavares’ guide to Florida property at Florida Real Estate.

Real Estate Investing : Simple Mistakes The Population Makes

January 12, 2012 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing


 

Real Estate Investing : Simple Mistakes The Population Makes

Submitted By: Tom Beaty iSnare Expert Author
 
 

People involved with real estate investing often wonder which came first, the deal or the plan. New investors frequently make the mistake of buying a property before they know what they plan on doing with it. The dilemma starts here. Investing in this manner is completely backwards and will force you into a corner. The correct way of doing things is formulating a proposal before finding an appropriate house to fit in your scheme.

Planning comes naturally to most people. College education and retirement are just two examples of the future circumstances that we plan for. It is only natural for us to plan for real estate deals as well. A rookie investor may get in over his head and forget to forge a plan. You have to elect what you will do in the real estate market. How will you sell the houses you want to pay for? Having a proposal is very beneficial.

Overnight success simply does not occur in real estate. People often envision closing a million dollar deal in order to retire. The reality of the matter is that real estate investing is a gradual process for accumulating wealth. Traveling at a slow pace will gradually help you reach your goal. Although you will make a decent amount of money, overnight success is not a realistic goal.

A veteran investor can average between sixty and one hundred thousand per year with good real estate investments. This income will occur with a steady forward progress while assuming that not everything will go as planned. You must remain practical with your real estate goals.

You cannot do everything alone. There are key people who play crucial roles for you to succeed at real estate investing. The smart investor will be assisted by a team of specialists. You will need a reliable real estate agent who will help you analyze the properties. In order to make sure the house is worth the investment you will need an appraiser and a contractor or an inspector. You positively must have an attorney to make sure there will be no hidden surprises popping up during the deal.

There is no approach that encompasses all situations you will encounter in the business. You must prepare a few different approaches. Sometimes people have to resell a home urgently after buying it. The housing market can be unpredictable and change rapidly. If the window for you to make a profit passes because you can’t get your investment completed for the market, you still have the option of renting. Even this market can become void or stall. If you are in this position and you have no choice but to get rid of the property, you could offer a lease option or perhaps a land contract. If all else fails you may have to sell to another investor to cut your losses. When the time comes to bail, a smart investor doesn’t hesitate.

A rookie investor doesn’t have to make these common mistakes. He can avoid them by doing a little research and planning. Don’t elect what real estate to invest in until you understand the business. Purchase one of the many available books and research some of the approaches used by the pros. Find out where the free seminars are and learn the proper way to invest. In order to avoid these common mistakes, you must be sure to make smart decisions in your real estate investing.

Article Tags: estate, investor, make

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Fundamental Principles of Real Estate Investing

December 10, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Real Estate investing has always been viewed as a conservative investment opportunity. Real property is thought to not only hold value, but is expected to increase. This is generally true, but like any investment, there is risk involved. There are some fundamental principles of investing in Real Estate that will tend to reduce this risk. These principles hold true no matter where the actual location of the property. They apply to investing in Utah real estate as well as they do for any other area.

The first principle is education. Actually, this applies to any investment. Real estate is often about relationships. You need to learn about people. In many ways, they are going to be the key to your success or failure. You also need to learn all you can about markets and marketing techniques. Investors will have to evaluate properties and must know about home repairs. There is a lot of information that can impact your success or failure, and the more prepared you are, the better chance you will have.

Another principle is to understand cash flow. Real estate investments are not very liquid. Properties can rarely be sold quickly. The investor must be prepared for short term losses due to the need for costly repairs or the sudden departure of tenants. There are many relevant numbers involved in real estate. If you understand these numbers, you will be prepared to deal with cash flow fluctuations. It is a good idea to start small and look for every way possible to reduce risk. Although it is impossible to eliminate risk completely, when you are working to eliminate as much as possible, you are going in the right direction.

It is important to research your property. You need to find property that is going to be in demand. Provo real estate might always seem to be in demand, but every property and location has things that make it more or less desirable than the average. In addition to inspecting potential property, make an inspection of the neighborhood. It is better to be aware of conditions that might lower property value, or make rentals problematic, before you are the owner of the property.

The most important principle to remember in real estate investing is this: Your home may be where your heart is, and emotion and sentimental attachment may matter in selecting your personal home, but when you are investing, return on investment is all that matters.

Natalie Aranda writes about finance and investing. These principles hold true no matter where the actual location of the property. They apply to investing in Utah real estate as well as they do for any other area. It is important to research your property. You need to find property that is going to be in demand. Provo real estate might always seem to be in demand, but every property and location has things that make it more or less desirable than the average.

7 Simple Steps To Real Estate Investing

October 13, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Whether you are BRAND NEW to real estate investing or an expert in the game, it’s critical that you understand these 7 Simple Steps to real estate investing.

First things first…

* Real Estate is NOT a get rich quick scheme. However, if you learn the foundations and put them into practice, you will make more than enough money to realize any and all of your dreams and goals.

* The real estate bubble is not going to burst! The real estate market will, however, shift and the real estate market will change - just as it always has! What’s “hot” now may turn ice cold in the next 3 years (or perhaps even 3 months). But, there are ways to “bubble proof” your real estate investments. It’s actually quite simple.

Did you know that in the United States, in 1975, the median home price was $33,300? In 2005, the median home price was $195,000. Historically, the average home doubled every 7 years. If you do the math, it should be well over $200,000.

OK… Now, having said that… The real estate market WILL change and what is “working” today in real estate may not in the future… The rental market was strong a decade ago, but has been soft in recent years. We are getting ready for a turn once again.

Real Estate IS a cycle… and cycles have some degree of predictability. With predictability, you can grow your real estate business into a cash-producing, profit-pulling machine that runs itself WITH the changing real estate market trends. It is still possible to make money in real estate. In fact, now is just as good a time as any to get started in real estate investing.

But, you’ve got to make wise investments. Sure, you may make some SERIOUS cash in pre-construction, but what happens if (no, not if - when) the market shifts and there are suddenly 35 identical properties on the market for sale in the same building? How long can you afford to carry a negative cash flow on the property?

Or how about taking over property ’subject to’? Sure, it’s a great strategy and lenders may be inclined to turn the other way and not exercise the “due on sale” clause as long as the interest rates are at rock bottom prices (You know, those sellers that you’re usually taking property subject to from usually don’t have the lowest interest rates, right?) If the interest rates spike to 10-11%, don’t you think lenders might be MUCH MORE inclined to exercise their option to make you pay off the 6.5% note?

What this means is simply that you must be experienced in the basics - the tried and true techniques, strategies and systems that have worked in the past, are STILL working and will work in the future. You’ve got to have all the tools in your bag so that you can go with the flow and not be affected when real estate markets begin to shift (which they are already in the process of doing, in case you’ve missed that memo! ;-)

Step #1 - Set your plan: Figure out what your long term real estate goals are (aka retirement and wealth building) and figure out what your short term needs are with regard to making money in real estate. Then, set up the proper entities and put the plan in place.

Step #2 - Determine what your target market will be: You cannot be all things to all real estate markets. If foreclosures appeal to you, start investing in the foreclosure market. If you want to be a landlord, look to out of state owners to focus your real estate marketing efforts.

Step #3 - Be consistent and persistent: Real Estate is not a get rich quick scheme. Real Estate is get wealthy over time and put some quick cash in your pocket today. You’ve got to follow your plan and stick with it to see real results in real estate. You’ve also got to continue to increase your education and your experience.

Step 4 - Don’t fall into the “Analysis Paralysis”: Learn to analyze properties quickly. Don’t get caught up overthinking. It’s quite simple actually: What’s the property worth? What does the property need for repairs? And how much can you get the property for? It all comes down to numbers!

Step 5 - Become a master of finance!: Real estate is the business of marketing and finance. You must learn about mortgages and interest rates and loan programs that are out there. You must know how to use finance to negotiate your deals and to sell your properties.

Step #6 - Become a skilled problem solver: The reason you will get real estate deals that others don’t, is because you are able to solve people’s problems. Anything goes on the real estate playing field. You’ve got to be ready!

Step #7 - You must continue your education: It is important that you are always investing in your education and learning new tactics, strategies and tips that will help you make more in real estate.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to look up the other articles discussing The 7 Simple Steps To Making Money on Real Estate. The next article discusses Step #1 - set your plan in further detail!

The Next Level Institute is dedicated to helping real estate investors - whether a brand new or a seasoned investor - become more successful with less effort. Get your free 4-part mini-course on finding deals AND learn the 7 keys to sucking in the deals faster than a “Hoover” vacuum! Get your free e-book at: http://www.7steprealestate.com

About the Author

The Next Level Institute is dedicated to helping real estate investors - whether a brand new or a seasoned investor - become more successful with less effort. Get your free 4-part mini-course on finding deals AND learn the 7 keys to sucking in the deals faster than a “Hoover” vacuum! Get your free e-book at: http://www.7steprealestate.com

Why Reinvest Profit Earned From Real Estate Investing?

September 8, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Creating a business plan with the future in mind can be a daunting task. I mean who knows what tomorrow is going to bring, and if you can not see the future, how can you plan for it? One thing that you know for certain is that there will be problems; there always is with real estate investing. So what can you do to ease the burden of those problems when they occur?

The best buffer that you can create to protect yourself from unforeseen problems with real estate investments is to put aside some cash for a rainy day. A buffer of several thousands of dollars can take care of any number of setbacks including excessive carrying costs, unplanned repairs, illness, budgeting miscalculations, and inclement weather.

While you may not be able to begin your career in real estate investing with this type of cash insurance policy in the bank, you can build one over time if you are smart with your money. Every time that you pull off a successful investment, you will have a large chunk of profit that you will need to use to pay off any outstanding bills and to finance your life. But before you do this, you should take a flat percentage of your profit and put a portion of it in the bank and reinvest the rest into your next project.

By constantly reinvesting a small portion of your profit into subsequent projects, you will increase the amount of profit that you make with each investment. This is because many repairs and upgrades that you make to a property add value to the property that is well above the amount originally invested. Having more money to work with in real estate investing will also allow you to purchase high end properties that can bring high end profits.

Another reason that you should always reinvest a portion of your profits is that homes and properties appreciate in value. This is the very thing that makes you money in real estate investing, but it is also the very thing that makes the purchase price for investments continue to rise. You cannot expect to pay the same for a property next year as you paid for it this year even if it is in the same condition. It is just not going to happen, and you need to be prepared to meet this reality with a little extra cash on hand to make initial investments.

Reinvesting profits is also a smart way to compound profit on money that you earn through real estate investing. Think about it this way. If you took the money you earned from an investment and ran with it, you would have nothing to show for it. But if you took the profit earned and reinvested it to make more profit, you could increase your profit margin without increasing the amount of work that you have to do. Now, that is smart business.

James Klobasa, once broke with no job and $20,000 in debt made a choice that changed his life forever. That choice was investing in Real Estate. With the founder of, The Little Building Co. you too, can learn at Real-Real Estate Investing

4 Tips On Foreclosed Real Estate Investing Success

September 5, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Foreclosed real estate investing will take more than just having enough capital to invest. Such a venture may require you to learn more about the ins and outs of foreclosed real estate investing. Such investments also come with their own risks, just like any other profitable venture. Success belongs to the wise investor and that is what you should aim for if you wish to profit from your real estate investments.

Real estate investing is governed by rules and guidelines that you should be following. Along with such guidelines, there are also a number of useful tips that you can utilize when you venture into foreclosed real estate investing. Here are just some of them.

1. When looking at the profitability of properties in foreclosed real estate investing, one of the things that you should first be considering is its location. Location has everything to do with foreclosed real estate investing.

The right location will determine the attractiveness as well as marketability of such foreclosed real estate properties. The best locations where you can get the best deals in foreclosed real estate investing is in mid-level to upscale neighborhoods. Property investments in such areas not only will make you acquire properties that have a wider market among prospective homebuyers, they might also be easier to sell.

2. Investing in properties during an economic downturn can also work to your advantage when you are into foreclosed real estate investing. With the slowdown in the economy, some families may not be able to cope up with their higher than average mortgages and might opt to put their homes up for foreclosure in order to salvage what might be left of their investments.

And it is during these times that many foreclosed real estate can be acquired at very attractive bargains. And with the bargains that you might get will result to more profit when you put up such properties for sale.

3. During a typical foreclosed property transaction, never sign any purchasing contracts without including an inspection contingency period for the property in question. This will be able to safeguard your own interests especially when you find out about serious problems that might show up during such property inspections. Remember that most foreclosed properties are fixer-uppers, with some in need of major repairs.

Such a case is not necessarily a bad thing since they can also help bring the property prices down even lower. But you must also be able to weigh out the costs of repair with the property value that you have in mind. Be also wary of hidden problems that may crop up only during inspections. This way, you are trying to cover all the bases and keep your investment options work to your advantage always.

4. Before you go into price negotiations with the property seller, try to obtain a loan pre-qualification or a loan pre-approval letter. This will make you a very attractive potential buyer in the eyes of the property seller, knowing that financing such purchases on your part is already guaranteed. Property sellers are more likely to deal with buyers with available funds than someone whose financing capabilities might still be in doubt.

Success in foreclosed real estate investing would rely on how you follow such tips and make them work for you. It would be a mistake going blindly into any investment opportunity that comes your way. It pays to know and learn what you are getting into. That is essential to every successful real estate investor.

To search for foreclosed real estate properties, please visit http://www.real-estate-foreclosed-home.info

Real Estate Investing Alternatives

July 22, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

You’d like to invest in Real Estate, but you aren’t sure what to invest in (condos, apartment buildings, commercial properties, land), and you’re not certain if you have enough money available to make a suitable Real Estate investment.

It seems that everyone is investing in some form of Real Estate, but you consider yourself a novice and your risk tolerance is low. You don’t want to make a costly mistake, so you decide to wait. You may have even purchased tapes and books and videos extolling the virtues of Real Estate investing, and how simple it is to become financially independent.

The old saying, “If it’s so easy, everybody would be doing it,” is just as appropriate for the Real Estate market.

Also, you may think that it’s too late — the so-called Real Estate “bubble” is about to burst.

Are there any alternatives for the neophyte, or the conservative investor who’s very concerned about his or her life savings?

There are such alternatives, a method by which you can own real estate and have it managed, with the liquidity of the stock market. It’s called a REIT, or Real Estate Investment Trust.

For about fifty years, REITS have offered investors the opportunity to own a variety of Real Estate investments — commercial and private — without the aggravation, inconvenience, and time-consuming hassles of individual ownership.

On top of this, a REIT can be purchased or sold just like as common stock. Professionals who are experienced in buying, selling, and renovating properties manage them.

Because many REITS purchase several properties, their diversification often keeps the investment risk low. Within the REIT, the management team has the capability of divesting itself of unprofitable properties, and, if the timing is appropriate, the ability to purchase additional properties.

Many REITS also offer very competitive dividends, which make them an excellent alternative to bonds and preferred stocks.

Also, the value of the properties in the REIT can appreciate, giving the investor a very important investment advantage — total return (appreciation plus dividends).

This appreciation in value is rarely seen in bonds (unless interest rates drop sharply), and, unlike bonds, REITS do not have a maturity date.

REITS are not without their risks. The Real Estate market could weaken, apartments and mall locations could remain vacant for a period of time, or the REIT may not want to risk putting additional capital in certain properties.

If you don’t have the expertise to invest in individual Real Estate ownership, or, if you’re a conservative investor who demands liquidity in your portfolio, speak to your investment advisor regarding REITS. These trusts may give you the liquidity and the diversification you need and deserve.

As a final note: If you’re searching for appropriate vehicles for your IRA, REITS may be one of your best alternatives. Remember to do your homework. There are many different types of REITS out there.

Gail Dotson is the Editor for an international corporation’s monthly newsletter distributed to 125,000+ employees, and a contributing writer to the corporate magazine. Http://home–equity–info.blogspot.com; http://www.how-to-invest.keep-you-informed.com

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