Posts Tagged ‘Futures’

Property investing versus property development

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

The topic of property investing versus property development is always a hot one to inexperienced buyers interested in venturing into the property market. Though the two can be easily classified into one topic, the truth is that they’re quite distinct.

Property development refers to a situation where by a person acquires a residential property below the prevailing market value, often in a state of disrepair then develops it into something that can be put up for resale. Thus profit is realized by the developer. Time has to be factored into the equation as development is mostly linear and hands on. Meaning Individual property developers can normally only deal with one project at a time.

Property investment by contrast is about the rental market and is fully scalable. Scalability makes property investment more lucrative that property development. The best starting point for beginners is to conduct research on properties in a preferred area – local property agents could be a very useful source of information on properties. Avoid flats and apartments where you may have to include the charge of ground rent and communal maintenance since this charges will reduce your profit.

Note that your profit does not come from the potential of future equity rise on your investment but on the solid monthly rent payable by your tenants. As a parting shot, I’d like to make it clear that buying property for investment is a must do thing to people interested at securing their financial future, investment in property is a good way to hedge your funds against the corrosive effects of inflation.

When you purchase a good property, then you can be assured that its value will definitely appreciate in the future. But remember that if you find a good developer and a location that happens to be a jewel, then don’t shy away from it because its value will grow exponentially, giving you faster wealth growth as opposed to other investments.

Love life, not just the weekends. You only have one life, Live It! @ www.NicciAndLee.com

Investing in Property

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Investing in property is one of the most important investment decisions a person can make in a lifetime. Having a shelter is humanity number one priority, irrespective of whether it is owned or rented. Owning a house means that you not only have shelter for your family but also an investment vehicle. A house can be used as a vehicle to built wealth. But before buying a house, you should read the following tips carefully. These will ensure that the house you buy has a good resale value.

The most essential factor in real estate is location. This is because land is heterogeneous and immobile. That means that you cannot move your house if it’s located in a bad location to somewhere different, and since you can’t change location, you should give it careful consideration. The guiding principle in deciding location is to go for location that is incorporated and thriving.

This could be in an area that is experiencing good growth rate. Infrastructure should be highly considered, a locale with planned economic progress, good transport network, and local government. A good example would be a house in city suburb that is growing towards a major cosmopolitan area with plenty of economic activity. You can use the internet to locate such areas, try to steer clear of airports, railway tracks, and industrial zones.

Another essential factor is the neighborhood and crime rate statistics, this means that you should aim for safe and organized housing community. Locating your home in secure and well maintained neighborhoods will give it high resale value. Most housing community have homeowners Associations established with the mandate of looking after the community.

Home owners associations are important because they impose treaties on their community, and ensure that there is proper maintenance of the homes. You should therefore avoid run down neighborhoods. An area crime rate statistic can be found from the local police station. Other factors you should consider include: home structure and appeal, and schools.  Sticking to the above measures will ensure that your house has high resale value should you decide to sale at a future date.

Investing in property will involve making a decision on where to live is one of the most important things we make/have to make in a lifetime. Whereas some people prefer to own their own property, others prefer to rent - this is of course depended on a person’s financial muscle. Nonetheless, there are also people who prefer to both own and rent properties. Such people live in the apartment building they own and rent out the rest of the apartment. Finding an ideal place to live in is a serious task that requires good research and background information.

The most recent in hip is the revamped farmhouses that have been divided into many apartments. This way the residence might look like a big old house from the outside as it has one main entrance but from the inside you can see that the house is split into separate apartments. From my point of view investing in buying a refurbished house is a great investment decision. Typically the mortgage is cheap so consider taking one in order to realize this great investment plan. Not only will you be able to pay back the mortgage but you will also make a profit from the income you will receive monthly from the renters.

A more conventional apartment building is a large square one with long hallways on each floor and many identical apartments. Some people consider living in such a building an adventure but a risky one. The traditional apartment building has three stories and from fifteen to thirty apartments. Of course, living on any level has its own pros and cons.

In case you live in a lower level apartment you will hear your upstairs neighbor’s footsteps. If your neighbors’ above have kids then it could get rather noisy. Thus, it might be better to live in the upper level of a building, though you will have to climb stairs or take an elevator to get to your house. The worst case scenario is to live in a middle apartment in a large apartment building as not only will you have noise from above and below but you will also have to climb the stairs or use lift, as well.

Love life, not just the weekends. You only have one life, Live It! @ www.NicciAndLee.com

Shares versus property

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Many investors find themselves in a tight spot when it comes to deciding between investing in shares versus property, it’s never a case of all good or all bad when you look at the stock market as an investment option opposed to the property sectors. The property market has been an in thing for a while now. The glamour is especially going to the residential property, though, as research shows commercial property is where the treasure lies.

Shares have been on a rebound for some time now, but that has not saved it from the market pundits who have openly expressed skepticism about its future prospects. A matter-of-factly, both shares and property have merits. This is because both divisions have large markets, something that makes both options attractive. Investors trapped in shares versus property investment decision trap should therefore have their radars open to opportunities in both markets.

Since income comes as a definite part of an investment return, you should focus on investing in properly managed companies with excellent profit record and sound dividend history.  If you opt for the slow residential property market, then you may have to exercise caution. This is because in the medium term price appreciation opportunities become hard to find.                        Shares versus Property

Note that established properties that are near cities and in some cases beaches in mid range brackets fare best.  This case also applies to apartments in much sought after addresses. With shares look at where there is potential for growth and increased demand in the future, this has to be considered in relation to the population structure. In the case of an investment split then the younger generation with plenty of year in their hands should diversify their shares versus property investment in the ratio of 7:3. Older folks are better off putting almost 90% of their investment in commercial properties – for this case ensure that the property is in good shape.

Keep in mind that a decision to invest in either shares or properties should be done in an objective manner – meaning you’ve considered all the essential factors to inform your investment decision.

Love life, not just the weekends. You only have one life, Live It! @ www.NicciAndLee.com