www.1001TopWords.com |
Invest In Real Estate - But Where?
Where should you invest in real estate? If you know an area well, and have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere. However, there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments - places that have a better demand/supply ratio. Use the questions below to find them. Demand Questions 1. Is the population growing fast? Check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth. 2. Is job growth decent? Again, ask local authorities or use the census information. You want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. The people have to have money to pay for housing. 3. Decent quality of life? This is subjective, but important. Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It's also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs just to live there. 4. Wealth in the area? It is always a good sign when there is some degree of wealth in a town. Count rich homes. Wealth means everything doesn't die when the economy slows. Supply Questions 1. How much new construction? The census figures can tell you what's happened over the last ten years. Then check with the local authorities to see if the the number of housing units they've issued permits for is more or less than the expected population growth. 2. How many homes for sale? A lower supply of homes for sale means upward pressure on prices. This indirectly drives up rents as well, which makes for better investing. 3. Rent and vacancy levels? Are rents high enough to justify investing? Are vacancies low? When we first came to Tucson, every building had vacancies, and we saw a man holding a sign that read, "Apartment - $250 Per Month." Great place for renters, but not a great place to invest in real estate. 4. Available land that is buildable? Less is better for future appreciation. When the land runs out, the prices start accelerating upwards. Use these questions to compare various towns and cities, and you'll see the differences more clearly. You'll see how housing demand compares to supply in each. Finally, you'll see where it is better to invest in real estate. Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Reinventing Real Estate, Part 2: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less Demanding consumers How to Build Your Free House What if you could "place an order" for the construction your Dream House (made either for your family, or for monthly rental income) and have it built for you in only a few months, or maybe weeks?! Personal Branding Techniques for Real Estate Agents and Brokers Branding can be done to any product, or any person. Before undertaking an exercise in personal branding, however, consider your distinctive strengths and abilities and what they offer the market place. Traditionally personal branding was for sporting celebrities who gained enormous coverage and following through their sporting prowess. Movie stars have also had celebrity status and association since movies began. Negative Gearing ? It?s Not to Your Benefit! The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to encourage real estate investment in Australia by allowing any income losses from property investment to be deductible from other income as a tax benefit. This means that the taxable income of the owner will be reduced after the deduction and therefore the total tax payable is also reduced. Home Selling: How To Set The Right Asking Price Many homes remain unsold for a long time because they're over-priced. Pricing your home right is essential if you want to sell your home in quick time. Expecting more for your home than the rates that prevail in the market will only delay the sale of your home, unless your home has something more to offer than other homes. When it comes to pricing your home for sale, you need to consider that your home is going to be competing with other similarly priced homes in your area and unless there's a short supply of homes for sale, you're going to have to set a competitive price. Buying a Home: The 5 Biggest Mistakes that a Home Buyer Makes As a Professional Real Estate Inspector I get to see and hear the right and wrong things people do when buying a home. These 5 tips will help you choose the right Real Estate Agent the first time. Dont Forget to Ask About Restrictive Covenants Homebuyers, especially first-timers, may not think of asking about restrictive covenants. But these clauses dictate what can and cannot be done to or on a property. When buyers purchase property governed by restrictive covenants, they consent to conduct their lives in accordance with those provisions. Golf and Waterfront Living: Live, Play, Relax With today's planned lifestyle communities, golf and boating enthusiasts have an opportunity to purchase the home of their dreams just a chip shot away from the green or stone's throw from the marina. In addition to an ideal home setting, golf and waterfront community residents enjoy an active and diversified lifestyle experience complete with first-class golf courses, marinas, beaches, spas, clubhouses, recreation areas, fine dining and countless other amenities. Out of the 10,000 master planned communities across the United States, over 2,500 are built around golf courses and pristine waterfront property. Making sense of all the options can be mind boggling. If you are thinking about relocating to one of these golf and waterfront communities, it is imperative to be able to distinguish one community from the next and more importantly, know what to look for before you buy. In the past, golf and waterfront master planned communities catered to distinct segments of the housing market, namely middle to upper income empty nesters and retirees. Things have changed. Today, golf course and waterfront developments are designed to accommodate budgets of all levels and generally fall into one of two categories: multi-generational and age restricted. The construction of multi-generational communities represents a recent trend in planned community home building. The underlying idea is to attract a diverse population of families including retirees and young professionals of varying income levels and backgrounds in order to establish a robust and vibrant community. After decades of building age restricted communities, builders and developers have recognized that the traditional elements of planned community living such as security, on-site amenities and low maintenance housing appeal to home buyers of all ages. Most new communities are multi-generational developments. Vistancia situated in the beautiful Sonoran desert outside of Peoria, Arizona is a recently opened golf community attracting individuals and families of all ages. Since home sales began in March 2004, almost 500 families have moved into this scenic development with 1,700 total acres of open space and a 900-acre mountain preserve. Conversely, age restricted planned communities are developed for the +55 home owner with amenities and facilities for today's discerning empty nester and retiree. Typically, the age restriction requires one household resident to be at least 55 in order to qualify for home ownership. Over the last decade, an evolution has occurred with the age restricted community model of yesteryear making way for contemporary activity based developments complete with lavish amenities and world-class recreation areas, not to mention the conventional facilities required by the +55 demographic. The undisputed leader in age restricted master planned community development is Del Webb. Since the 1960s, Del Webb has constructed numerous age restricted golf and waterfront communities across the United States. Del Webb's Sun City developments are arguably the most recognizable line of age restricted communities stretching from coast to coast with Sun City Hilton Head in North Carolina and Sun City Lincoln Hill in California. The most important criterion in selecting a traditional home is location and the same is true when deciding on a golf and waterfront community. The old adage "location, location, location" aside, one has to consider whether the new property will serve as a primary residence, second home getaway or retirement abode. The final location decision is generally based on three primary factors: home use, surrounding area and local weather. For most of us working folk, our primary residence is located within an hour or so of a major metropolitan center. Don't fret, there are hundreds of golf and waterfront communities centrally located within driving distance from most major metropolitan areas. If by chance you live near Dallas, you have several options to choose from including Stonebridge Ranch in north Dallas and Black Horse Ranch which is only 25 minutes from downtown. Washington D.C. commuters are also in luck with conveniently located golf and waterfront communities in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Belmont Country Club, a Toll Brothers property, is a mere 40 minutes from Washington D.C. in Ashburn, Virginia. These examples represent only a fraction of the actual number of suburban golf and waterfront developments. The location decision is a bit more complicated and not as clear cut when one considers purchasing a second home retreat or retirement residence. In this situation, other factors come in to play such as the activity and cultural richness of the immediate area and of course, local weather. If you are looking for a second home, would you like to be nestled in the woods away from the hustle and bustle of the city, located in a more suburban area or some in between? Climate is also an integral factor to take into consideration when purchasing a home particularly if you are feeling abused by recent harsh winters. This may clearly point to a direction that takes you out of your home state or even to another part of the country. Conversely, the summer's never ending heat may drive you to consider the cooler climates up north. Fortunately, there are 2,500 golf and waterfront communities spread out across the United States from Minnesota to Texas and California to Massachusetts. What is clear in the case of retirement homes is that good local health care and transportation facilities are a must. For most retirees, living over 60 miles away from the closest hospital or airport is just not an option. In the end, it comes down to striking a balance between modern necessities and the beauty of the great outdoors. Once you have settled on a geographic location, the next area to focus on is amenities. These can vary greatly from one golf and waterfront development to the next. Typically, these expanded 'goodies' fall into two categories: conveniences and lifestyle enhancements. Conveniences include such things as security services, home maintenance, gardening services, concierge service, on-site retail and office space, cable television and high-speed internet. Lifestyle enhancements relate to recreation activities and rest and relaxation befitting an enhanced life of leisure. One can find a mix of facilities at planned communities which support numerous activities like tennis, hunting, boating, skiing, and hiking. To balance the rigors of recreation, planned communities provide residents with rest and relaxation amenities such as spas, clubhouses, wilderness preserves, pools, beaches and fine dining. With real estate opportunities for every budget, isn't it about time you looked into moving to a golf and waterfront community that offers unbelievable vistas, year round activities, low maintenance living and first-class amenities? Should You Sell Your Home Yourself? Are you thinking about selling your home? Would you like to sell it by yourself instead of hiring a real estate agent? If so it would be beneficial to review the pros and cons of selling your home by yourself before hanging out the sign. A Real Estate Primer There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It's often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. That's what this article will set out to do. Home Inspectors: 5 Tips to Choosing the Right One Choosing the wrong Home Inspector can cost you a lot more than the fee you paid. If you choose a home inspector solely on price alone, your headed down a dangerous highway. Real Estate Appraisal - Rental Properties Real estate appraisal for rental properties isn't the same as for single family homes. If you were looking at a 24-unit building, it would be difficult to find similar ones nearby that have recently sold. Therefore, a market analysis using comparable sales isn't normally used. Real Estate Marketing, Do You Use Direct Mail? Prospecting for leads is by far the most difficult part of being a Realtor or small business professional. In fact, lead development is by far the most expensive and time consuming aspect of your job. However, you level of success in lead development will determine if you succeed or fail as a real estate agent or small business professional. Finding a Great Listing Agent for Your Home: 8 Tips If you've decided to list your home, you'll be paying a real estate agent a significant amount of money to the hard work of selling your home. Therefore, you have the right to expect prompt attention, good service, and protection. Here are eight tips for finding a good real estate agent: Escrow From a California Homeowners Perspective The Escrow Process Mechanics Lien on Your House In many places you can buy a house and a contractor can put a lien on it within 90 days of construction or delivery of materials. For example if a contractor fails to pay a subcontractor he/she can place a lien against your real estate. Home Appraisal Values Are Critical To most, owning a home is a necessity, but sometimes it is a matter of pride or a business investment. Home appraisal values become relevant if one wishes to sell his house. Home appraisal values is a technical term which means the value of a home in terms of money that it brings in a real estate market. Home appraisal values are a critical factor when it comes to assessing the selling price of the home while it's under consideration. Dont Sell It Yourself Don't sell it yourself! Sometimes a "FSBO," or house "for sale by owner" can sell as fast, and for as much as it would have if listed with a real estate agent. Sometimes. Before you decide to give it a try though, consider the following ten points. How to Get Financing after Filing Bankruptcy If you're thinking about buying a home but have declared bankruptcy in the past, don't give up hope. There are still ways for you to be able to find a loan, even if your credit history is less than sterling. How to Become a Successful Real Estate Developer Real estate investment and development has never been a more popular pastime or career changing challenge; if you would like to learn seven secrets for consistently successful real estate investing through development or you would like to know how you can continue to profit from property even if the market takes a downward turn just read on? |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |