Purchasing an investment property is a complicated business decision.  Make sure that you study this subject in detail prior to taking action, don’t hesitate to consult with a professional i.e. your attorney, accountant, or real estate agent on this matter.  That said, it is always prudent and well advised to have a plan in mind before you start looking for help.

Tips and strategies to bear in mind when searching for property investing.
Investment Type:  Unoccupied land, rental houses, condos, apartment buildings, commercial properties, industrial properties, mobile homes etcetera. Each has different level of risk and reward associated with it.  For beginners, a rental house or small apartment building is ultimately the finest choice.
They offer the chance for income on a regular basis, have shorter vacancies on average than commercial or industrial property, are less regulated than condos and mobile homes in most areas, and there are many places that you can get information and education on becoming a successful landlord in small residential properties.  It is a good place to start, and it is the investment type we will be concentrating on in this article.

Area Selection:  Buy property in an area that has a varied economic base offering many employment opportunities.  After all, the tenants will need an income in order to reliably pay rent.  The area should offer good schools, shopping, and transportation.  Idyllically, it should be an easy drive from your residence so that you can keep an eye on your investment.  And, the area should be safe. Profits and money are not worth risking your life for, and the quality tenants that you want to attract do not want to risk their lives either.

Research property values and rents: This information readily is available from real estate agents, as well as from a variety of other services in most areas.  You will want to call rental ads in the paper and talk to local landlords about what they are offering, how much they are charging, and what their experience is with the market.  Some of them may be open to selling their property and may even be willing to finance it, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Property Investing can be fun, just be sure you conduct your research first.

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

Rental real estate property ownership seems to be gaining popularity as investor’s grow weary of the dives and swoops of the stock market. What is evident though is the fact that not everyone has what it takes to be a landlord. Those that do may find rental real estate an ideal way to build wealth.
Once you decide to invest in rental property, your real work begins. Locating a lucrative rental real estate property typically takes time, connections and a lot of research.

Tips to get you started:
Recognize your time horizon
Similar to most other investments, you need to have a good idea of how long you plan to own a rental property before you purchase it. The longer you plan to own the property, the more you’ll probably need to invest in maintenance, repairs and improvements.
If you intend to keep it for 20 or more years, then at some point you may be going to be putting a new roof on that property. You’ll definitely put in new appliances and doing some major repairs. Therefore, if you’re only planning to own a property for 5 years, by contrast, you’ll probably want to avoid making any major improvements unless you’re sure you can recover the cost with a higher resale price.
Shorter time horizon may also expose you to more investment risk. Though your rental will almost certainly appreciate over twenty years, it may as well easily lose value in the next five years, chiefly if you’re buying in a worked up market. You may need a bigger potential yearly return to cover up for that risk.
For most small investors, longer-term rental ownership makes the most sense, you’ll have plenty of time to ride out any market swings, and rental income can make a nice supplement to your day job. Find enough rental properties, and being a landlord may become your day job.
If you intent to get a loan to finance your rental property ventures, then ensure that your credit is low, since this gives you better prospects of getting a decent loan, higher consumer credit is highly discouraged.

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

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