Commercial Real Estate Investing: Five Ways to Make Money

Fundamentally, there are about five different ways to make money investing in commercial real estate. Each one should be considered a tool in every investor?s commercial real estate investment toolbox:

Strategy #1?Equity Buildup: Most people are familiar with the concept of increasing the equity in a property. Equity build-up is one of the key ways to make money in commercial real estate. It can be done four ways:

One is to initially buy the property below market value. This gives you immediate equity buildup. To do this successfully, it?s important to have done your ?due diligence? on your property, understand your buyer?s needs, as well be a skilled at negotiating.

The next way to build up equity is through appreciation of the property. This can easily be done if you are keeping the property in good repair and making sure that when you purchase the property, it is in an area that is growing. It?s value is bound to appreciate over time.

The third way to buildup equity is by paying down debt. The key to this strategy is to always strive to get the lowest interest rate possible on your mortgage or other debt instrument.

The fourth way to create equity is when it?s time to sell, invest the effort to sell at above market value. Again, knowing your prospective buyer, having access to critical information, and being skilled at negotiating can give you an immediate boost in equity.

Strategy #2?Depreciation: At tax time every year, you can receive an after-tax profit boost because the calculated depreciation is taken is taken as operational expense directly against your profits. There is one caveat however: You can depreciate the cost of the buildings, but not the cost of the land.

Strategy #3?Collect Rents: Getting the property to carry itself is the goal. But don?t stop there. You want the rents to not only cover the mortgage and ongoing maintenance and any major repairs - you also want the extra cashflow to perhaps pay down the debt to increase equity or fund another investment.

Strategy #4?Offer Attractive Financing: When it is time to sell the property, you can often negotiate a better deal for yourself when you offer attractive financing or more convenient terms to the potential buyer. For instance, a prospective buyer may be willing to pay a higher overall price if they don?t have to pay as much cash upfront.

Strategy #5?Add Significant Value to the Property: This is one of the most valuable ways to make money. When you add significant value to a property, you can often get a big boost in profits. Adding value can be done several different ways:

First, look at making strategic improvements. Making repairs is obvious, but also look for strategic improvements to make in the property. By strategic, we mean to concentrate only on those items that will raise the value by multiples of what they cost you.

Then, analyze whether there?s an opportunity to convert a higher and better use. When there is a higher and better use for the property, it can be worth substantially more. For instance, if you own raw land in the path of progress, you could get it converted to commercial zoning.

There is an old saying ?Buy by the yard, sell by the inch.? Applied to commercial real estate, it means breaking up a property can often increase the value. For example, you can buy raw land, turn it into a subdivision, and sell off the lots to independent developers to build on.

In summary, use this quick ?checklist? as a way to jumpstart your commercial real estate money-making creativity. It will give you some additional ways to make money you may not have thought of before.

Here?s the key takeaway: When investing in commercial property, a savvy investor will always factor in as many possible ways to make money into the investment as possible. Because that?s the name of the game?to make as much money in as many ways as you can, with the least out-of-pocket investment.

5 Minute Guide to Real Estate Investing for Beginners

One of the best ways to make money is to invest in real estate. There are risks, but of all the risks in investing real estate has some of the lowest. Of course, beginners need to know a lot of information before beginning in order to protect themselves as well as their interests. A real estate investing program or a real estate investing seminar are two great suggestions for beginners interested in real estate investing.

Of all the important things for real estate investors to know, most importantly beginners, is that if you don?t know real estate law as well as the rules and regulations that accompany it then you may be putting your investment at risk. In order to avoid this you need to learn as much as possible about real estate law so there is no problem and you don?t risk your investment simply out of ignorance. Once you are aware of real estate law and the market as a whole then you will be ready to move onto the next step.

The first tip is to know the current market price for any piece of real estate you are considering. Don?t take the seller?s word for it but instead find an appraiser or use your own knowledge to come up with a price for the real estate. When you know what the selling price is and the current market value then you will have a better chance at getting a deal. You want to always know more than the seller so that you can negotiate so that you end up with a bargain. Buying bargain real estate is one of the best ways to make money and if you can find a seller willing to sell for less than 20% of the market value then you should definitely buy.

Another suggestion is to simply buy real estate that has hidden potential that could easily be unlocked to increase the value of the real estate. Whatever the hidden potential is it must be capitalized on and increase the value of the home by at least 20% for it to payoff. Make sure you do this within six month?s of purchasing the real estate.

If you follow these basics then you should have no problem getting started and making money with real estate investing. Keep in mind that it does take time and hard work to make it pay off but it will in the long run.

5 Essential Principles For Real Estate Investing

It’s no secret that real estate investing has become the “weapon of choice” for many investors. With the stock market growing more and more uncertain it’s not hard to understand why. While real estate investing can be very lucrative and when done right can present very little risk, it’s important to remember that timeless adage “knowledge is key”. As with any financial decision to be made, no one should jump into real estate investing without gaining as much knowledge as possible on the front end. While it is true that experience is the best teacher, having a good knowledge base to begin with might just make your experience a little less scary. With this in mind, following are five things to consider BEFORE doing your first deal.

1. Tend to your personal finances first Many prospective investors view real estate as a means to get out of financial trouble. Many real estate “gurus” will advocate this practice and even use it as a selling point to sell their latest and greatest real estate investing system. I am definitely not of this mindset. Real estate investing is a great way to secure your financial future but certainly not at the expense of your financial “present”. If you are having financial problems and are having trouble making ends meet, take steps to rectify the situation before risking any money in real estate. As I stated earlier real estate investing can carry less risk than many other forms of investing, but there are still risks and if you are not in a position to handle the setbacks than you are basically just gambling and that is a very dangerous investment strategy.

2. Choose a strategy. There are many ways to make money in real estate investing. You can buy a property and immediately flip it for profit. You can buy a property and hold it banking on an increase in value in the near future. You can buy a property for rental. You can buy a distressed property and make improvements. There are countless ways to make money. The important thing to remember is that each of these strategies carries its own set of “rules”, if you will, for making a profit. Some might say you should never limit yourself to one strategy and I whole-heartedly agree in the over all realm of your real estate portfolio. What I want to stress here is that indecision in regards to each individual real estate deal can cause you a lot of heartache, frustration and LOST PROFIT, which we could all do without. Decide up front which strategy is best for you and then proceed to find a property that meets your needs.

3. Do your research While this may sound elementary, it’s very easy to get caught up in the emotion of what seems like a good deal and in the process act hastily. Always, and I mean ALWAYS thoroughly investigate a property before you sign anything. Try to determine if the property has suffered any significant damage, find out if the property is in a flood plain, find out if there is more than 1 lien against a property, etc. Create a property inspection checklist up front and check every one off before you decide to do a deal. When doing a conventional deal with a mortgage lender the lender will likely take care of a lot of these steps (they want to protect their investment as well) however, it is always good practice to pay for a thorough inspection before you make the deal.

4. Stick to a budget Decide what you can afford and are willing to spend on a real estate deal and DO NOT deviate. Many real estate investing coaches will tell you not to let a good deal go just because you don’t have the money. “Get creative” they say. While I do not shun the idea of creative financing completely I certainly don’t recommend it for the beginning investor. “Zero Down” deals can be very appealing but they also can increase your risk factor tremendously. In a nutshell, if you can’t afford it, it’s not a good deal.

5. Be prepared to walk away Never get emotionally attached to a property. Emotions can cloud your judgment causing you to make unwise decisions. It’s almost a certainty that if you stick with real estate investing long enough you will come across a deal that seems irresistible. Do not get overly excited and sell yourself on the deal before due diligence is done. This mindset can cause you to overlook some warning signs that otherwise might be deal breakers. Go back and read number 3 again. Be objective and be skeptical. Reserve judgment for after your inspection checklist has been completed. Always be prepared to walk away; there’s likely another prospective deal just around the corner.

These five principles are a good guideline for anyone starting out. While real estate investing can be a rollercoaster ride at times with many ups and downs, sticking to these basic principles will all but guarantee that you will come out on top. Happy Investing!

About the Author

Ryan Gibson is an avid real estate investor and webmaster for the popular investing site www.the-investment-place.com

Real Estate Investing - Three Ways To Make More

Are you considering Real estate investing just to make that extra profit? There are many who believe that investing in real estate is a great source to make money. You can do real estate investing by buying houses and reselling them at a profit. Buying a house is probably the most expensive investment you can make in your life. Thus each sale you make selling your real estate, generates more profit potential for this reason.

Three ways to make money investing in Real Estate

1. Fixing and Flipping Houses:

Fixing and flipping houses is one of the most popular ways to make money in real estate investing. The concept of fixing and flipping houses is simple all you have to do is find a home that needs repair and maintenance. You go in and do all the repairs that are necessary and then put your home on the retail market. Don’t be surprised to make a profit, which is as high as $25,000 just on a single transaction.

2. Fix, hold and sell later:

You can also make money on real estate investing by buying a rundown property and doing all the repairs and maintenance that are necessary to bring the property up to the standard. Once this is done you can rent the home on a lease-option basis.

3. Flipping Houses:

If you do not want to spend on repairs yourself then this type of method will be suitable for you. All you need is some knowledge of home prices and also home up gradation cost. You need to find properties and resell them to other investors on an as-is-basis. Compared to the above two methods this method will not help you to make more profit per transaction as you’ll have to sell at a below- market price to the next investor.

Real Estate investing has been an effective way of making profit for centuries. You can continue to make profit by fixing and reselling homes as long as you are good at bargains and know your market well.

Copyright ? 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Joel Teo writes on arizona estate goodyear investment real . Learn more about Property Investment by signing up for his free Property Investment Ezine

Real Estate Investing - Three Ways To Make More

Are you considering Real estate investing just to make that extra profit? There are many who believe that investing in real estate is a great source to make money. You can do real estate investing by buying houses and reselling them at a profit. Buying a house is probably the most expensive investment you can make in your life. Thus each sale you make selling your real estate, generates more profit potential for this reason.

Three ways to make money investing in Real Estate

1. Fixing and Flipping Houses:

Fixing and flipping houses is one of the most popular ways to make money in real estate investing. The concept of fixing and flipping houses is simple all you have to do is find a home that needs repair and maintenance. You go in and do all the repairs that are necessary and then put your home on the retail market. Don’t be surprised to make a profit, which is as high as $25,000 just on a single transaction.

2. Fix, hold and sell later:

You can also make money on real estate investing by buying a rundown property and doing all the repairs and maintenance that are necessary to bring the property up to the standard. Once this is done you can rent the home on a lease-option basis.

3. Flipping Houses:

If you do not want to spend on repairs yourself then this type of method will be suitable for you. All you need is some knowledge of home prices and also home up gradation cost. You need to find properties and resell them to other investors on an as-is-basis. Compared to the above two methods this method will not help you to make more profit per transaction as you’ll have to sell at a below- market price to the next investor.

Real Estate investing has been an effective way of making profit for centuries. You can continue to make profit by fixing and reselling homes as long as you are good at bargains and know your market well.

Copyright ? 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Joel Teo writes on arizona estate goodyear investment real . Learn more about Property Investment by signing up for his free Property Investment Ezine

Why an Internet Business is better than Real Estate Investing

Want to work from home? There is a lot of ways to make money from a home based business. Two major sources of income are real estate investing and internet business. Both of them have their pros and cons but which is better?

Real estate offers huge payoffs to the creative investor who works hard. But that’s just the problem. In order to get paid with real estate you always have to be working. If you stop looking for properties and writing offers the money stops too. There is an exception if you have the luxury of buying large pieces of property and having someone else manage them. But for the rookie investor this isn’t an option.

So what are the experts doing? What are Robert Allen, Ron LaGrande, and Carlton Sheets doing with their expert knowledge? Let’s discuss what they aren’t doing. They aren’t scouring the newspaper looking for public notice foreclosures. They aren’t knocking doors making offers to desperate sellers. They aren’t sending form letters to out-of-state property owners. Do you know why they aren’t doing any of the things they know so much about? Because it requires too much work.

Instead of being knee deep in real estate they are making their money teaching people how to invest for themselves. They aren’t real estate investors anymore, they are information marketers. These experts moved from real estate investing to information marketing because there is easier money in selling information.

Selling information gives you many advantages over any other business model. The first advantage is that selling information has great margins. This means for every dollar you spend on expenses you can get 2, 3, or 10 dollars of return. They wrote their material one time and sell it over and over again. It doesn’t cost them any thing extra after they get the system up and going.

The easiest and fastest way to sell information is through the internet. Setting up an internet business requires very little risk and investment. Unlike real estate investing which requires a lot of personal risk. If one real estate deal falls apart you could lose your home or destroy your credit. If your internet business fails nothing major is at risk.

The chance of your internet business failing is a lot lower too. If you do your research and avoid spamming techniques there’s little that can destroy your little business. With real estate, on the other hand, there are hundreds of ways for a deal to fall to pieces. Things like shifts in market, unexpected expenses, and people flaking out can all cause your real estate investing to sour.

The real clincher for an internet business being better than real estate investing is this: passive income. Passive income is a powerful force. Your internet business will make you money while you sleep, while you’re on vacation, and while you’re doing other things. Some real estate investors will probably bring up rental properties. Isn’t that passive income? My wife’s parents have a lot of rental properties and they are always chasing down payments, fixing things, or paying the bills. It’s really not as passive as it first appears.

So, let’s leave real estate investing to people that don’t know better and do what real estate gurus are doing instead; selling information online.

About the Author

Matthew Ryan is the owner of {a href= http://online-internet-business-opportunity.net}Online Internet Business Opportunity Learn more about starting {a href= http://internetbusinessmap.com}home based internet businesses or a home based internet marketing business that really work. Find out how to start scam free, spam free, money making internet businesses.

Real Estate Investing And Property Investing Secrets Revealed!

When you think of real estate, what do you think of? Buying a home, building a home, or realtors are what most people think of when the term real estate crosses their minds. Real estate is also a great way to invest your money and can be very profitable if you go about it carefully and wisely. However, just like any other business there are sneaky secrets and tips that you should consider before embarking on a real estate investment. Buying real estate to rent or buying real estate to fix up and resell are two of the most common ways to make money investing. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before you take the leap and hand over the cash!

The first thing that you have to do is to take action. Don?t sit around thinking about real estate investing, jump out there and do it! There are thousands of people that kick themselves daily for not trying something new. Yes, it is a risk, but think of the rewards that could be yours if you do great! Next time you think about buying and investing in real estate, keep in mind that you are letting the money sift through your fingers each minute that you think instead of act! The truth is that there will never be a perfect time to do anything. And that is just as true with regards to real estate as for anything else. Do not be a fence sitter! And look back in three years time wondering on what might have been ‘If Only’ you had developed a property portfolio. Of course I am not saying to be rash! Try to Invest wisely (obviously ;)) but don’t be so cautious that you can never bring yourself to pull the trigger and actually take action.

Secondly, keep your expectations realistic and detailed. Saying that you ?want to get rich? is not reason enough to take the jump into the real estate market. Choosing to invest in real estate to bring in extra money for a specific purpose is a good place to start. It may be a while before you are able to quit the day job and buy yachts and vacation homes. Let’s be honest. It may never happen. It could in fact cost you the shirt on your back. By their very nature investments can go down in price as well as up. So picking the right investment property is a must. However, you will achieve more by focusing on what you actually WANT, rather then what you don’t want. So stay positive. Read some books on real estate. Visit some estate agents or real estate brokers and then lay out a list of attainable goals for you to achieve over a year?s time and every three months or so go over your list to see how you are doing.

Some of the benefits to real estate investing are being your own boss, cash flow, appreciation of property, and more! You are your own boss if you invest in real estate. However, whilst that has many upsides, remember that it is down to you to be motivated to develop the properties you buy, and that ultimately you will have to provide for yourself. There is no safety net when it comes to your property portfolio. The upside is ALL yours. But so is the downside. So be careful!

When you get to the point where it is a full time job for you, then you can take a vacation when you want, wear what you want, and go and play golf when you want. But the only place that money and success comes before work is in a dictionary! So get busy working before you spend all your days daydreaming about spending your gains!

Cash flow is another great benefit of real estate investing, because when you rent out a property it will provide you with a rental income. Hopefully, you will have a positive cash flow instead of a negative cash flow (ie the incoming cash flow is greater then the costs like repairs, mortgages etc) and be able to do all of the things that you have wanted to do. Another great benefit is that when you invest in property that property values usually rise (over time this is generally the case…but remember you can also potentially lose EVERYTHING…So stay awake to that possibility and be cautious. You can get more great information about Loans at http://www.just-loans.com). This is like earning interest on your money. What a bonus!

Real estate investing can give you a great return on your investment if you choose wisely. But, be careful that you go into it with your eyes open. Are you going to have rental properties? Office properties? Are you going to fix up houses and resell them? Will you buy those properties using buy to let mortgages, or finance it from money you already have? Whichever method of real estate investing that you choose, if you are wise, then you will make lots of money for you and your family. Make a plan TODAY to reach your goals and go for it! You will be glad you did!

About the Author:

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