2 Simple Ways to Identify a Bargain From Your Real Estate Investment

Most people spend their time wondering when the real estate market is good to enter and purchase real estate based on some friend's recommendations. Others are more emotional and buy real estate on their whim and fancy. Such ideas may work sometimes but are not very reliable indicators on when to enter and exit the real estate market. Thus this article highlights a 2 step process to analyze your real estate investments.

Firstly, in real estate investing, just like in the stock market, there is readily available public data, which you can chart to determine if the real estate boom or bust is bottoming out. Like in any investment, try to purchase the instrument at the bottom of a cycle so that you gain on the rebound. Similarly take the rental yield cycle into consideration when you do your maths to determine whether the property is worth acquiring since you want to ensure that you have enough monthly rental to cover your mortgage installments even in the leanest of rental periods.

The best way to analyze this real estate investment analysis is to look at charts and data with regards to the relevant data. You want to look and examine in which part of the real estate cycle, your prospective real estate property lies in and how the rentals are doing in your potential real estate investment. Thus after this analysis, you will know where the pricing of your real estate investment is heading and plan accordingly.

Secondly, after analyzing statistical data, go down to a real estate agents office and talk to them and ask them about their outlook for the real estate investment sector that you are interested in investing in and ask them for indicators of good rental yield in terms of location and whether any events or developments would help to increase rental yields in an area. If for instance they know that a new business district is slated for development next to your prospective purchase, you want to know that too as it would mean a huge jump in price of acquisition and rental yields and a huge gain in your real estate investment.

Always spend some time planning what information you want to get out of the real estate agent before you go down and always know what type of real estate investment property so that you can save his and your time when you view properties. After a while you will get a rough sense of the property prices in an area and when you see a bargain property investment you will know it's the right one for you.

In conclusion, we have highlighted two ways to identify a bargain from your real estate investment in this article. Spend some time this week looking at your next real estate investment deal and perhaps it might turn out to be a bargain.

Real Estate Investing Total Asset Protection - Real Estate Investing Total Asset Protection Guide

Despite soaring oil prices and the fact that many say the economy isn't so strong, real estate is hotter than ever. It seems like everyone is getting involved in real estate, and for many investing in real estate is a lucrative money-maker. But isn't real estate investing tricky? Can you have total asset protection when investing in real estate?

For many, real estate investing in a great way to make a great deal of money. With so many people buying and selling home, real estate investing is a lucrative business opportunity. Home renovations and home "flipping" are huge right now, and this is a vastly growing field for investors interested in real estate. But how to do you combine the risk of real estate with total asset protection?

Not every property sells as well or as quickly as investors might like. While real estate investing is big right now, it's still somewhat risky. New and inexperienced investors might lose more than they gain, depending on the property and the project. When it comes to real estate investing, it's hard to combine your investment with total asset protection.

Total asset protection is a tool that investors of all kinds use to protect themselves from losses. By protecting assets totally, investors will be unable to lose their initial investment. In most cases, it's hard to combine the risk of real estate with the safety of total asset protection. Buying property can rarely be fail safe, especially when profits depend on a sale. Not all sales go through, and not all properties sell for what they should. This means it's very hard to get the safety of total asset protection when considering real estate investing.

Buying real estate means making an investment, and not all real estate is created equal. Some properties may need work before they can be sold, and other properties may need a lot of work before a sale can happen. This makes real estate investing very, very important. Investors use their money toward the future of the property, and in most cases can't expect a payoff from their investment until after a sale has been made. Unless a pre-arranged contract is worked out between the investor and the agents involved with selling the property, real estate investing and total asset protection don't really mix. Often, total asset protection isn't part of the mix when dealing in real estate investing.

Real estate is a great investment opportunity, despite the risk. Before considering an investment in real estate, make sure you know about the property you're buying, and know what the risk is. How much could you stand to lose? Even if you don't have total asset protection, do you have any protection of assets? In other words, could you stand to get any of your initial investment back? All these things are important to consider before investing, but real estate is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to make money.

Getting Started in Residential Real Estate Investing

Residential real estate investing is a business activity that has waxed and waned in popularity dramatically over the last few years. Ironically, there always seem to be a lot of people jumping on board with investments like stock, gold, and real estate when the market's going up, and jumping OFF the wagon and pursuing other activities once the market's slumping. In a way that's human nature, but it also means a lot of real estate investors are leaving money on the table.

By understanding the dynamics of your residential real estate investment marketplace, and acting in opposition to the rest of the market, you can often make more money, as long as you also stick to the real estate investing fundamentals.

Real estate investing, whether you're buying residential or commercial property, is not a get-rich-quick scenario. Sure you can make some fast cash flipping houses, if that's your bag, but that is a full time business activity, not a passive, long term investment. The word "investment" implies that you are committed to the activity for the long haul. Often, that's just what it takes to make money in real estate.

So, while the pundits are crying about the residential real estate market slump, and the speculators are wondering if this is the bottom, let us return to the fundamentals of residential real estate investing, and learn how to make money investing in real estate for the long term, in good markets, as well as bad.

A Return To The Fundamentals of Residential Real Estate Investing

When real estate is going up, up, up, investing in real estate can seem easy. All ships rise with a rising tide, and even if you've bought a deal with no equity and no cash flow, you can still make money if you're in the right place at the right time.

However, it's hard to time the market without a lot of research and market knowledge. A better strategy is to make sure you understand the four profit centers for residential real estate investing, and make sure your next residential real estate investment deal takes ALL of these into account.

1. Cash Flow - How much money does the residential income property bring in every month, after expenses are paid? This seems like it should be easy to calculate if you know how much the rental income is and how much the mortgage payment is. However, once you factor in everything else that goes into taking care of a rental property - things like vacancy, expenses, repairs and maintenance, advertising, bookkeeping, legal fees and the like, it begins to really add up. I like to use a factor of about 40% of the NOI to estimate my property expenses. I use 50% of the NOI as my ballpark goal for debt service. That leaves 10% of the NOI as profit to me. If the deal doesn't meet those parameters, I am wary.


2. Appreciation - Having the property go up in value while you own it has historically been the most profitable part about owning real estate. However, as we've seen recently, real estate can also go DOWN in value, too. Leverage (your bank loan in this case) is a double-edged sword. It can increase your rate of return if you buy in an appreciating area, but it can also increase your rate of loss when your property goes down in value. For a realistic, low-risk property investment, plan to hold your residential real estate investment property for at least 5 years. This should give you the ability to weather the ups and downs in the market so you can see at a time when it makes sense, from a profit standpoint.


3. Debt Pay down - Each month when you make that mortgage payment to the bank, a tiny portion of it is going to reduce the balance of your loan. Because of the way mortgages are structured, a normally amortizing loan has a very small amount of debt pay down at the beginning, but if you do manage to keep the loan in place for a number of years, you'll see that as you get closer to the end of the loan term, more and more of your principle is being used to retire the debt. Of course, all this assumes that you have an amortizing loan in the first place. If you have an interest-only loan, your payments will be lower, but you won't benefit from any loan pay down. I find that if you are planning to hold the property for 5-7 years or less, it makes sense to look at an interest-only loan, since the debt pay down you'd accrue during this time is minimal, and it can help your cash flow to have an interest-only loan, as long as interest rate adjustments upward don't increase your payments sooner than you were expecting and ruin your cash flow. If you plan to hold onto the property long term, and/or you have a great interest rate, it makes sense to get an accruing loan that will eventually reduce the balance of your investment loan and make it go away. Make sure you run the numbers on your real estate investing strategy to see if it makes sense for you to get a fixed rate loan or an interest only loan. In some cases, it may make sense to refinance your property to increase your cash flow or your rate of return, rather than selling it.


4. Tax Write-Offs - For the right person, tax write-offs can be a big benefit of real estate investing. But they're not the panacea that they're sometimes made out to be. Individuals who are hit with the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax), who have a lot of properties but are not real estate professionals, or who are not actively involved in their real estate investments may find that they are cut off from some of the sweetest tax breaks provided by the IRS. Even worse, investors who focus on short-term real estate deals like flips, rehabs, etc. have their income treated like EARNED INCOME. The short term capital gains tax rate that they pay is just the same (high) they'd pay if they earned the income in a W-2 job. After a lot of investors got burned in the 1980's by the Tax Reform Act, a lot of people decided it was a bad idea to invest in real estate just for the tax breaks. If you qualify, they can be a great profit center, but in general, you should consider them the frosting on the cake, not the cake itself.

Any residential real estate investing deal that stands up under the scrutiny of this fundamentals-oriented lens, should keep your real estate portfolio and your pocketbook healthy, whether the residential real estate investing market goes up, down or sideways. However, if you can use the real estate market trends to give you a boost, that's fair, too. The key is not to rely on any one "strategy" to try to give you outsized gains. Be realistic with your expectations and stick to the fundamentals. Buy property you can afford and plan to stay invested for the long haul.

Most Real Estate Investors Realize They Need To Be Taking Real Estate Investing Courses

Many real investors who are starting - or looking to begin real estate investing - wonder whether they should take a real estate training course online, or try to find another way of learning about investing.

Often, it can be confusing to determine which courses you should take when you're just getting started. Or whether you should take one at all.

Some real estate investors proudly declare themselves as self-taught, like we've seen in TV Shows as Property Ladder or Flip That House, while others have extensive training. This can be very frustrating as well. To add to the confusion, when you may have a limited budget. You may wish to invest more of your money into some investment property instead, and less of it in training.

To many, it's tempting to put off taking real estate training courses until you get "some more cash in the wallet".

But take heed.

Because although it can be a difficult call, there are some solid rules of thumb to follow.

First, you want to consider how much experience in real estate you already have and what sort of real estate investing you are interested in.

If you are interested in low-risk, long-term opportunities, you may read about "real estate investing" in books and courses. If you already have some real estate experience, you may wish to read up on a particular investment method and speak with other real estate investor's, or research testimonials online from your computer before deciding to invest in a particular real estate training course.

However, if you wish to make large profits, you absolutely should invest in quality real-estate training courses in order to truly learn the ropes from someone who has been-there-done-that before.

"This is because great real-estate-investing training courses, unlike books and self-education, allow you to ask intelligent questions of your instructor, who should be a real estate investor professional himself or herself. "

This experience is invaluable, especially when you are structuring your first few deals.

If you combine your training courses with actual hands-on training, you will almost certainly be on the path to success. Even better, you will save the many years that most self-made real estate investors have spent on trial and error.

In many cases, quality real estate training courses can be a great investment, because they can save you tons of money and can actually point to new leads. In your real-estate training courses, you will likely be able to network with other people who are interested in real estate investing. You will often learn how to structure contracts and how to find excellent opportunities.

"This knowledge alone can help you pay for the cost of a course, since this knowledge will get you actually earning a profit."

The key word in all of this, of course, is quality.

There's no point in taking a particular real estate investing training course unless you are sure that the instructor or creator will provide you with quality skills and knowledge that you can actually apply to deals. When selecting real estate training courses, always look for the most comprehensive programs being taught by actual successful real estate investors.

In summary:

Stay away from courses taught by instructors with no practical hands-on experience.

Look for investing courses that are PROVEN, and perhaps go so far as to offer hands-on training (which may be an additional investment but can be well worth it because you will receive lots of personal interaction with the instructor) .

Compare as many programs as it takes to find one that is within your budget and offers you a quality education.

Make sure there are solid testimonials and endorsements from well-known and respected entrepreneurs

Even experienced investors will often invest in real estate training courses in order to polish up their skills and knowledge. New investors should learn as much as they can from books and from reading free resources and then should move on quickly to classes that can actually help them expand their knowledge and can help turn them into successful investors.

To Massive Profits.

Brad Wozny

For more great real estate investing tips log on: http://www.greatrealestateinvestinginfo.com

From a corporate job with $20,000 of credit card debt, Brad set out to build an empire and never looked back. Within 93 days, he had generated $3.2 Million profits (cash and equity) from property in the United States with his partners.

24 months later from the day he began, his businesses had contracted, bought, developed, built, sold, rented or assigned $15 Million of property across America.

He is the creator of the renowned Strategic Investment Manifesto" and the highly acclaimed 7 FIGURE Profits" system that successfully teaches all investors how to build a business that generates a 6 figure bank account and realize 7 figure gains in as little as 7 months ...

Real Estate Investing in Rentals - the "$10 Million Real Estate Investing Mistake"

Renting to tenants is no longer "where the money is" for real estate investing. I became a multi-millionaire landlord in the 1980s by buying $10 million in rental houses. Yet, I consider this real estate investing approach the biggest mistake in my real estate investing career. I call it my "$10 Million Mistake."

Back then, real estate investing in rentals was buying a house, renting it to tenants for a rental fee that covered the mortgage, and waiting for an increase in value. Interest rates were as high as 25%. Inflation was rampant. You could buy a house, and it would almost double in value in 10 or so years.

Boy, have things changed in real estate investing! Interest rates have recently been the lowest in 46 years. Inflation is flat. The same rental house in some areas is appraising for less today than it appraised three years ago. The major profit to real estate investing in rentals is the pay-down of the mortgage by the tenant. Otherwise, profit comes from the difference between the rental fee and the mortgage payment.

One month vacancy per year, which is not uncommon, might convert into an annual investment loss, even if (1) tenants don't leave owing rent, (2) the property is not damaged, or (3) repair cost is negligible. All of these possibilities are very unlikely.

One month vacancy per year can eliminate usage profit for the year. Spend your time on fix up repairs, even part time, and you go more in the hole. How much you lose depends on how much your time is worth.

Real estate investing is intended to be profitable. Vacancies, repairs, and time expenditure might mean you are only making a donation to the great cause of improving the nation's housing.
The scenario changes if the mortgage is negligible and note payments are significantly less than rents. But the beginning investor does not often create this situation.

Fixing up properties for resale is a better venue for real estate investing today. Go a step beyond the norm, and learn how to help a renter get financing for your fixed up house. Go another step by converting a junker into a "Dream House," and you will attract prospects to your property like bees to honey. Turning a "Plain Jane" into a "Doll House" demands extra work, but attracts better quality buyers. Real estate investing is extremely profitable, but your choice of real estate investing venue is critical to optimal profitability.

7 Simple Steps To 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...

o 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.

o 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 Worst Real Estate Investment Strategy Ever!

It's true, You can make a lot of money by investing in real estate. Yet, many investors are not. And when you look at their real estate investment strategy, it's no surprise.

The problem is that they have been brainwashed by the so called real estate investment gurus. You know the ones that I am talking about. The ones that tell you that for a few of your hard earned dollars they will teach you all their ultimate short-cut secrets to successfully making millions.

They will tell you that you don't need a job, money or credit. All you need to do is pay them and they will show you the exact way to invest in real estate. Do what they say, follow their real estate investment strategy and your life will changed forever.

Well I have some bad news for you. In most cases, it's the worst real estate investment strategy you could ever follow.

Don't get me wrong, Its' OK to go to seminars, buy books and audio products if you are using this information to learn certain techniques, financing options, tax laws and other ways to invest. In fact, you should do this, because it will make you more creative and you will become a smarter real estate investor, however it's not the most important thing that you should do.

>>> The Most Important Step When Investing In Real Estate

Before you start to invest in real estate, you should sit down and create a very specific plan of what you want the outcome of your real estate investment plan to be!

I know that this is not very exciting, however, if you don't know why your investing and the overall outcome that you want, then how do you know if you making a good or bad decision?

>>> Two Important Questions

The only reason to invest in real estate is to make money. There are two important questions you need to ask yourself.

1.) When do you want the money and how much?

2.) What are you willing to pay to get that result?

The answer to these questions will help you determine your real estate investment strategy.

Let me give you several examples.

>>> Buy and Sell Strategy

If you want the maximum amount of money in the short run, you should be buying real estate with the intent of a quick sale and profit. This may be buying fixer-uppers or looking for below market properties that you can sell for a profit quickly (know as flipping).

To do this, the price you will have to pay is your time to find, analyze, fix, finance and sell the properties. Once you sell any of your properties and realize your profit, you must go out and repeat the process again and again to continue to make a profit.

One problem with this strategy is that when you stop buying and selling your profits stop. So it's important to make sure you take some of your profits and invest in something that will produce the income you will need and want later on in your life.

>>> Buy and Hold Strategy

This strategy is to buy properties, rent them out and have the tenants pay for the properties. Once the properties are paid for, you will continue to have rental income for the rest of your life.

The price you pay in this strategy is not only the time to find, finance and analyze, it's the problems that may occur when ever you have tenants. So you will need some type of a system to manage or you can hire a management company to do this.

Personally, I like the Buy and Hold strategy because you are building up assets and income that will come to you for the rest of your life. To deal with the management part you need to create a system of policies and procedures.

Whether your strategy is to Buy and Sell, Buy and Hold or maybe a mix of the two, the key is to plan for what you want your ultimate outcome to be.

If your outcome is to have an income of $100,000 per year without any work, you may choose to buy and hold enough rental real estate that will provide that.

In summary, the worst real estate investment strategy ever is when you don't take the time up front to to decide exactly why your are investing in real estate and what do you want when you are all done.

Copyright 2006 David Schneider

Various Types Of Real Estate Investments

There are several different types of real estate investments and it is important to understand what each type of investment is and what the benefits and risks involved are. The types of investments that involve real estate include Real Estate Investment Trusts which are also known as REITs, real estate partnerships, vacation rental property, rental property, and raw land investments. Each of these real estate investment types has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Real Estate Investment Trusts are companies that sells, buys, manages, and develops land and properties. These REITs are set up as a security that sells on all of the major exchanges just like a stock, and directly invests in real estate by mortgages or property. These trusts get special consideration concerning taxes and they usually offer a high yield and are very liquid compared to other real estate investment types. Individual people can invest in this type of real estate investment by purchasing shares directly on one of the open exchange markets or through an investment broker.

The next type of real estate investment we will look at is a real estate partnership. This is when several individuals partner together and pool their funds and resources for the sole purpose of real estate investment. Investments are made with joint ownership with the other partners in the real estate investment group.

Vacation rental property is one type of real estate investment that provides a rental income most of the time. This type is considered a long term investment, but a big advantage is that you can sell this property and get the value of the property no matter how many years you collect rent for the property. The disadvantage is that as the owner of the property you are responsible for any damage, repairs, and maintenance even if the renter caused the problem. If the problem was caused by the tenant then you do have some remedies available in civil court for the cost of repairs and parts. This investment property is generally rented for short periods of time, and there may be periods of vacancy where there is no rental income from it.

Rental property can be one of the best real estate investment types when it comes to long term income. This type of investment property usually provides a monthly income unless the property is vacant. No matter how long you own the investment property you should get back at least the value of your original investment, and in most cases much more. You collect rent for as long as you own the property without your investment ever losing value, so the monthly income minus expenses is a lot like a very high interest payment. Raw land real estate investment is when a person or company invests in raw land and then makes a profit off of the natural resources of the land or develops the property.

No matter which real estate investment type you choose, you should be aware of all the advantages and disadvantages for the type you are planning to invest in. Do the research and make your investment plan, including which types of real estate you want to invest in. Do your homework before investing and you will never be sorry afterward.

Real Estate Investing - How to Get Started

You've heard the stories about people making millions in real estate, so is it really any surprise why so many people view real estate as a serious investment vehicle? Real Estate investing offers more security than the stock market and provides returns of at least equal magnitude, coupled with attractive tax benefits. Apart from that it really does sounds cool to be 'in real estate'. Let's face it, anybody can trade stocks from their phone or home computer. Real estate investment, however, is a real head turner whenever it comes to tangible assets.

One of the greatest challenges in real estate investment is finding the money up front to acquire your first real estate investment property. Surprisingly, though, this is not your biggest obstacle. That's right! Finding the cash upfront is NOT the greatest obstacle to real estate investment. Facts are, hardly anyone who buys real estate has the money in their personal account to pay for it. And that's where your banker comes in. Let's face it, do you know anyone who owns their own home? I mean really owns it? Of course you'll know lots of people who have a property in their name they call their own. Take a look, however, into their personal finances and soon you'll discover who really owns their property. It's the bank, of course. Remember, your liability is your bank manager's asset. So if these people can use the bank's money to buy a property, then why can't you?

I know 'owning' your own home may sound like the obvious way to go, but if you really want to get on the first rung of the real estate investment ladder, then this is the best way to get started in real estate investment. Why then is this first step completely overlooked by many people? Just take a look at how many are still renting instead of buying property. Now of course the relationship between rented and private housing prices varies from country to country and even from area to area. But wherever you go you will still find many people renting, simply because in their minds "they don't have enough money to buy a house." In reality, though, it would be much cheaper for them to buy!

When you rent, you are more or less throwing good money down the drain. Of course you have the pleasure of a home, but from the point of view of real estate investing, you are not actually building for the long term. Remember, every dollar you spend on rent is a dollar you will never see again. Whereas if you own your own home, instead of paying rent you are paying your mortgage. And even though there's such a variance in terms of what mortgage deals are on offer across the market, the basics of mortgages are more or less the same. Every month you make a payment which consists of two parts: interest and principle. You might compare the interest part to rent. These dollars are gone once they're paid, however, the part of the payment that goes to the principle is money you keep. Every dollar that is used to pay off the principal is a dollar in YOUR own pocket.

So if you're thinking about getting started in real estate and you don't yet 'own' your own home, now's the time to take your first step towards building capital with your own real estate investment. Financially, it makes sense because the real estate investment vehicle also supplies greater opportunity for building your net worth. Simply put, when real estate prices go up, so does the value of property. Conversely, the money you owe at the bank -- your mortgage -- remains the same. Compare this to the financial reality of those people who continue paying rent. Their net worth remains the same. However, their landlord's net worth is doing very nicely, thank you, and their landlord is happy for the status quo to continue. So if you would rather build your own capital, then consider buying your own home!

Many home owners accumulate more money through appreciation of their property assets than they do working a full time job. Be warned, though, this is not always the case. As you know, the price of real estate can go down as well as up. If for some reason you have to sell your home in a down market, it can be a costly venture. In fact, you wouldn't be the first to end up with a house worth considerably less than the mortgage resting on it. So make sure you don't overstretch yourself financially by taking on too much. In the long run real estate prices have risen, but in any cycle there are down periods. By staying within your limits and being patient, you'll be able to sit tight through the hard times yet profit from the long term upwards trend in real estate investing.

Real Estate Investment Success Series Tip #1- Making Money With Real Estate Investing

Are you losing money in all kind of speculative instruments like share, bonds and forex and am wondering what asset class to invest in? Why not consider real estate investment with its traditionally higher yields as compared to leaving your money in your bank account. This article will highlight four common strategies that real estate investors use to make money in property investment.

Money Making Method #1 - Purchase run down property and spruce it up
This method involves finding a run down property in a good area that you think has promise for resale and sprucing it up like some of the shows where people do an extreme makeover on the property. Bring along a good structural engineer or architect when you do look for such properties so as to ensure that the renovation works that you have to do will not be so extensive that it does not become worth your while to purchase the property. Since the property is may be rather run down, you need to redecorate and repair it and then you can resell this real estate for a much higher price. The key consideration when investing in this kind of real estate is to keep your renovation costs low but ensure that the basic utilities like the electricity , water and gas pipes are in good working condition. Thus this buy at undervalue and upgrade real investment strategy requires good investment property valuation skills and the ability to keep your costs low.

Money Making Method #2 - Find places with high rentals
Find areas with traditionally high rental returns that outperform the national average and then spend time looking for them and make money from the rentals. Here in this area of real estate investment, spending some time to find the real estate investment that is a bargain is a good idea so that you can get better return on investment.

Some people do not seem to get it that high rental yields are important to a real estate investor and think that most of their customers would pay anything to get a winter residence. I was at a property exhibition recently and spoke to a Spanish Real Estate Agent and when I asked her what the Return on Investment was on a piece of Bulgarian property that she was selling. Not only could she not even understand the concept of ROI but she even laughed off the question of rental yield when I asked her. I am sure she is not alone in his mistaken belief that people buy just because they like the real estate. Thus rental yields or return on investment is critical when you decide what type of real estate investment property to purchase.

Money Making Method #3- Purchase foreclosed property
Most people will know that foreclosed property usually fetches a lower price than the market value since banks are often eager to sell at a price that covers their mortgages or sometimes they just want to liquidate the property. Such properties tend to be auctioned off and you can then resell them for a higher value subsequently. However beware of hidden defects in auction properties and always arrange for a visit down to the property just to check it out.

Two people you should bring with you when deciding on a real estate investment is your professional engineer and your contractor. You want to check for hidden defects in your real estate investment to avoid buying a defective property that would cost loads of money just to repair. Thus purchasing foreclosed property may be profitable if you find a real bargain for your real estate investment portfolio.

Money Making Method #4- Cash Flow Investment
Robert T. Kiyosaki in his book explains this real estate investment strategy. He argues that the best investment you get is when you find a property at a bargain and then purchase it with as much debt as possible and then generate a cash flow from the difference between the monthly rent and the mortgage instalment. This method is highly interesting and requires you to really spend time looking for such a real estate investment that fits in that criteria.

Remember that real estate investment is dependent on rental and the higher the proposed rental the better your monthly cash flow is. You could also purchase the property at a lower price and this would mean that your monthly cash flow would improve. Note that once your property is partly paid up, you can refinance your loan and extract out some money and purchase a second property and so on. Soon you would have multiple streams of income from the purchase of one real estate investment property.

In conclusion, there are many ways to make money from real estate investment and what's missing is massive action on your part. Take massive action and start hunting for your ideal real estate investment property today and start generating substantial real estate investment property profits.

Real Estate Investing - "The First House Purchase"

Real estate investing usually begins with the purchase of a house, rather than raw land or commercial property. The purchase of a relatively inexpensive house for rental or fix-up purpose is usually lower risk than any other type of real estate investment. And the return on investment can be quicker than from any other type of real estate investment.

Even with the previous acquisition of one or more personal residences spread over past years, the thought of buying a house as a real estate investment can be intimidating. Even though a personal residence acquisition is usually identical with a real estate investing acquisition, the two are seldom envisioned as similar. True, the ramifications of real estate investing property is different. Investing in houses must involve different considerations, such as improvements, usage, and re-sale. But the actual purchase does not differ from the closing procedures for a personal residence.

The first house in a real estate investing career can be scary because it is the beginning of a new business venture. The would-be real estate investor usually recognizes that mistaken judgment can have disastrous consequences. The lack of experience prompts misgivings about the unknown. Genuine confidence is necessary to make the decision to follow through after the preliminary analysis is completed. In fact, it seems to me that real confidence - in contrast to egotistical bravado - is a personality ingredient prerequisite to entry into a real estate investing career.

I was admittedly fearful as I bought my first investment house 25 years ago. I had little valid instruction in making that first purchase. But I was driven by an intense drive to actualize a career I had envisioned for some time. I was like so many would-be investors I have encountered during the intervening years. They keep walking around the pool, dipping their toe into the icy waters, afraid to suck up and take that mighty leap out into the pool's cold water. But after I bought that first investment house, I bought another and another. Each acquisition got easier and easier. I bought $1 million in properties the first year, and another $1 million in properties the second year. By that time, I knew I was on the way to success. Acting on my fears led to faith in my abilities. And faith and fear cannot remain in the same mind at the same time.

The greatest challenge in my real estate investing career was the purchase of my first house. It might be your greatest challenge, too. But know-how can displace the intimidation, and lead to positive satisfaction in real estate investing.

7 Top Real Estate Investing Jobs

Real Estate investing has long been proven to make tons of
CA$H for the active investor and many of the real estate
investing methods and techniques used to make some of
the biggest (and quickest) CA$H only require a little time
and a bit of knowledge (i.e., NO MONEY and NO CREDIT!) to
rapidly bring home a really big check!

That is the appeal of Real Estate investing courses to most
people ¨C to do deals that require little/no money or credit
yet pay back huge rewards for the time and knowledge you
get from following their systems.

Yet, the "investing" gets a bit lost in most of the world of
"Real Estate Investing" - there is no "investing" other than
a bit of time - there is no ROI (Return On Investment) other
than the time-for-money factor.

That is why I call these activities Real Estate Investing Jobs -
they stop bringing income as soon as you stop working
them.

Real Estate Investing through these jobs, while they make
you CA$H, will never give you financial freedom as they only
generate quick money and not long-term, passive income.

This article will look at some of the more popular methods of
Real Estate Investing jobs.

One of the biggest challenges to overcome is the fact that,
when discussing the money made through Real Estate
Investing, the numbers of dollars are much more than your
common corporate job, and many people simply are not
ready to handle such discussions.

You see, when you were very young, you were
programmed to think that $X was a large amount and often
this amount was only a few hundred, or perhaps, a few
thousand, dollars.

Yet, when discussing Real estate investing deals, there are
often multiple thousands of dollars at stake.

Most people simply are not used to discussing such
numbers, and wind up not making the money they could.
They simply have not learned the language of Real Estate
Investing.

One of the first lessons I teach my students is how to get
past the fear of discussing hundreds of thousands of dollars
and changing the programming you were given as a child to
form open ideas about money and investing to make even
more money.

One quick step you can do to begin this journey is to look
deep inside yourself and ask yourself how you feel about
money. Can you comfortably discuss figures in the hundreds
of thousands of dollars?

Most people learn quite quickly - with just a little bit of
practice.

With that in mind, it is time to look at these Real Estate
Investing Jobs more closely.

These 'jobs' bring you various levels of income, depending
on your area, so instead of discussing them in dollar values,
we will look at them from a percentage standpoint.

Of course, with these examples, the amount of work, time
and knowledge you put into it will certainly pay off more (or
less);

1. Property Profiling (birddogging) - this popular way to get
started in real estate investing provides a real estate
investing job with a decent income - something along the
lines of what a factory worker would make in the area.

2. Lease Purchase - this powerful tool can be utilized to buy
and sell property with no money out of your pocket (a Real
Estate Investing sandwich), while keeping a nice pocketful
of money for your time (can you tell this is one of my
favorites?) An active person can make about 1.5 - 3 times
more than the Property Profiler, on average.

3. Subject To - with a bit of training, you can make this
method of real estate investing really pay off big. Once you
know how to negotiate these deals, your real estate
investing income will reach that of corporate executives -
with much less of a time requirement.

4. Foreclosures - while highly lucrative and one of the top
income producing methods of real estate investing, the time
and knowledge required to actively pursue such deals is
becoming more difficult all the time.

The payoff to those that can perform these deals is huge -
about 10 times that of the Property Profilers, however,
finding deals is much more difficult due to the number of
people looking for them.

5. Tax Lien certificates - this is a true form of Real Estate
Investing - actually putting your money into something that
produces a return - one of the safest investments around
with returns that beat any other form of passive investing.
If you have money to invest, this is a great area to get into
with 15%+ return with almost no down side.

This is still a real estate investing 'job' as tax lien
certificates are short term, quick turn profit generators, not
sustained over time, plus they take skill and talent to make
the maximum profits.

6. Short Sales - this form of Real Estate Investing is another
job, as your knowledge level and timing are extremely
important. A lot of money can be made with this type of
Real Estate Investing job - as much or more than any other
form - once you know how.

7. Secondary notes/Purchasing Equity positions - a 'higher
level' of real estate investing, where more knowledge is
needed to limit the risk, however, the returns on equity
position purchases can be extremely high - from 6%-10%
for fully passive results and 'sky's the limit' for purchasing
equity positions.

Yes, once you get past the internal false programming - the
LIES you have been taught all your life about money, you
can begin a successful career in Real Estate Investing -
through a variety of Real Estate Investing Jobs and then
onto true, full, watch-your-money-grow Real Estate
Investing.

Successful IRA Real Estate Investing in Tough Times

IRA investments are suffering right now. The stock market is plunging, the real estate market is a disaster, and the economy is wobbly. So why would you consider an IRA real estate investment in such tough times?

Any time is a good time for IRA real estate investments, with a proviso. And it's a big proviso. You have to choose the right real estate investment for your IRA. Choose wrong, for either an IRA real estate investment or any other IRA investment, and you've got a disaster. But choose the right real estate investment for your IRA and you'll set yourself up well for a comfortable retirement.

That's equally true now, when times are tough, because there are some excellent IRA real estate investments available if you know where they are.

IRA investing isn't easy. Of course you could do what 96% of the population do with their IRA investments. Leave the investing to your custodian, and if you do chances are that like everyone else you'll get a return of around 4% - 9% per annum. Not the sort of return that is going to result in a comfortable worry free retirement.

Or you could do your own IRA investing. It's quite allowed, there is no reason to leave the investing to your custodian like almost everyone else does, and there are much better returns to be made.

But doing your own IRA real estate investing isn't easy. You need to learn all about buying right, maintaining your real estate investment, finding loans, finding tenants and ultimately, as some stage, selling the property. And none of these is easy to do for the average IRA owner who wants to find a great IRA real estate investment but isn't a real estate professional.

Or you could leave all that work to someone else. Someone who does it full time and knows exactly what they are doing.

Because if you're not a professional real estate investor then you aren't doing yourself a service trying IRA real estate investing on your own. There's too many pitfalls and you'll probably pay for it in your retirement.

And of course there's all the work for you in the meantime. After all, who wants to be fixing toilets?

Is there a turnkey solution to finding high quality IRA real estate investments? Yes there is. It's perfectly possible to find a good company offering solid IRA real estate investment opportunities, and one in particular that offers a total turnkey solution to IRA investing. The work is done for you, no fixing toilets. And no cash down.

And of course a company like this will know exactly where the best real estate investments are to be found, whereas you may find that locating these yourself isn't easy.

And believe it or not, the current state of the real estate market is creating some fantastic, once in a lifetime real estate investment opportunities for IRA investors, and many are taking advantage of these investment opportunities right now. Many people will be setting the foundations of their future retirement through their IRA right now taking advantage of some of the best times we've seen for top quality IRA real estate investments.

So if you've got an IRA and have tired of losing money in the stock market, and don't want the work or responsibility of real estate investing in difficult times like these, consider using a professional IRA real estate investment company.

Identifying Three Migration Trends That May Make You More Money With Your Real Estate Investments

Real estate investment like any other form of investment is dependent on the economic principle of supply and demand. The ebbing and flow of the population in your target area will therefore be important to determine if your property will do well both in terms of capital appreciation and rental income. This article will therefore help you identify three migration trends that may make you more money in your real estate investment.

Firstly, interstate migration is a simple concept that affects real estate prices to some extent. When a certain large group ofbout the Author
Joel Teo is the own people move to another state for instance due to some large factory opening up or some large scale business opening up, you will see that property prices in that particular area heating up. For that matter, it will be prudent to look at states where industries are opening new plants, or the Federal Government is allocating more industrial spending in terms of defence revenue towards to identify which properties will start going up in value. The newspapers and county statistics at the local office should avail you of such migration data and spend some time researching on it before making your next real estate investment.

You will notice that most people gripe and bemoan the fact that they missed out on the last real estate gold rush, I would suggest that you should therefore spend some time looking out for developments in your country or state and seize them. Another good way to spot such trends is to make friends with a real estate agent and tap on their real estate knowledge to do better in your real estate investments.

Secondly, the university town syndrome is easy to spot for the purposes of real estate investments. Students from all over the world and from other states flock to institutes of higher learning and so require housing. I am sure most of you are familiar with this and Sydney is one example in point where weekly rentals are quite high due to the various universities that are around the residential sites in the area.

What most people are not attuned to is the real estate growth of the university and the prospects of rental increase of the properties that are around the growth areas of the university. Always be on the lookout for possible university property expansion and purchase property on the fringes so that you can cater to the prospective student renters around the vicinity and make more from your real estate investments.

Thirdly, governmental Rezoning and Development is another key indicator of real estate prices increasing. Spend some time today to look at the master plan for your state and figure out where the next growth sector or area is going to be. Where infrastructure and development and progress is seen, prices of surrounding property will increase commensurately and thus your real estate investment will also ride the trend.

In addition, look for the presence of good schools, access to highways and other subway rail stations. All these amenities will boost the price of your real estate investment when compared to the rest of town.

In conclusion, spend some time indoors looking at the district master plan, the state reports on development and then take a walk outdoors to walk the target area to observe how the town and place is developing. Spend some time networking with real estate agents who will know the latest scoop on how the town is progressing and where new developments are and then combine all this knowledge into a step by step masterplan for your real estate acquisitions. Empower yourself today and take massive action to reach your real estate investment goals.

Real Estate Investing - Books,TV Infomercials, and Seminars

Real estate investing has become popularized today because of real estate investing TV infomercials and traveling seminar circuits. But real estate investing has not always been so popular.

In the 1960s, William Nickerson wrote, "How I Turned $1000 into Three Million in Real Estate" and "How to Make a Fortune Today Starting from Scratch." It was one of the first real estate investing books to get national attention. A little later, Al Lowry authored "How You Can Become Financially Independent by Investing in Real Estate." Al Lowry might be called "the father of the modern-day real estate seminars," because he was the first to hold seminars as a result of his book sales.

But it was Mark Haroldsen who carried the real estate investing book/seminar thrust to the next level. Haroldsen wrote, "How to Wake Up the Financial Genius Inside You." If you were tuned in to real estate investing at that time, you remember the newspaper and magazine advertising showing a picture of suave and bald-headed Mark leaning against the front hood of his Mercedes. The picture appeared everywhere in full page ads of major publications. And as Mark began selling his books, he began holding real estate investing seminars. I have had lunch with Mark and Al Lowry as they swapped stories of the advertising blitzes that vaulted them into national prominence for their real estate investing prowess. Mark later wrote "The Courage To Be Rich" and "Tax Free."

But it was Robert Allen who capitalized on the previous groundwork by Lowry and Haroldsen. Robert Allen was reportedly paid $1 million advance royalties for his best-selling book, "Nothing Down," a compilation of 50 techniques for buying property with no money. Robert had learned these techniques from several years experience with a commercial real estate firm. He later wrote "Creating Wealth" and "Getting Started in Real Estate Investing." The Robert Allen Real Estate Investing Seminars became a phenomenal marketing bonanza. Conventions were held in the major cities across the country, like Orlando, LA, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta. The authors of various real estate investing techniques spoke at these seminars, but their spiel focused on selling packages of real estate investing materials that they offered for sale. Millions of dollars of real estate investing materials were sold at these 3 day conventions. The convention frenzy ushered in what has since become known as "The Nothing Down Real Estate Movement" of the early to mid-1980s.

I keep all of these books in my personal library, and you can probably still find them in your public library and book stores. There's a lot of great information in these books that can make you very knowledgeable, even though some of the ideas are out-dated.

We are now presented a variety of ways for making money in real estate investing in TV infomercials, books and seminars. Which is best? Who can say? Real estate investing is learned through trial and error. Real estate investing skills and techniques are acquired by practice. I don't think anyone can dogmatically recommend a technique best for another person. Every real estate investor has unique needs and is in a unique situation. Objectives of real estate investing differs.

However, if you are limited with real estate investing educational dollars and need to generate quick return on investment, I think fixing up cheap houses is an ideal beginning point. Real estate investing in makeover properties generates quick, profitable dollars with low risk.

Should You Use a Property Management Company or Manage Your Real Estate Investment in Florida?

When considering investment properties, first of all, it must be determined that it is profitable and a good idea to purchase rental properties. Let's talk about this aspect. Owning rental property produces rental income which, if after expenses are deducted produces a profit, would be viewed as a good investment. Add to this the possibility that property has the potential to increase in value over time and you have some solid reasons to purchase investment properties.

If the rental income is paying more than the monthly mortgage amount leaving some excess for home repairs, it is possible the home could be paid off entirely by renters. At some point in the future, this same home can be sold with the seller receiving the full value of the property. Sounds like you can't go wrong in owning rental properties. But is this true? It all depends on whether the investor has thoroughly completed their homework.

If you are presently considering an investment in rental properties, be sure you do some thorough research. It's important for the property investor to gather adequate information before committing to rental property ownership. Searching the internet, reading real estate publications, attending seminars, and speaking personally with property investors is a great beginning that will place you on the road to making a wise, informed decision. Starting up a business is a little like real estate investment. Knowing the facts and putting time into the purchase gives you a much greater chance of success. Doing your homework can prevent disastrous property investment decisions.
Why a Real Estate Investment in Florida?
There are many issues that need careful consideration before making a final decision on property investment. These include the location of the property, Are you interested in an urban or rural location? What is the condition of the property, how much maintenance will be required to keep it in good working order? What are your financing options? What do taxes run on that particular piece of property in that location? How will you select tenants?

These are all vital questions that could determine the success or failure of your venture. Let's refer to the first and probably most important of questions to ask regarding property investment. What location will you choose? In searching for the best possible location, it is important to look at trends among renters. The American population continues to grow with a gain of about one person every 14 seconds. Where are all these new people coming from? An increase in our own population and immigration account for this strong growth. With this in mind, it is safe to say there will be a continued need for housing in the future. Concerning the immigration population, California, New York and Florida lead the list, in that order, in new residents. What a potential pool of people to pull from! Looking at the cost of real estate purchase in these three states, a real estate investment in Florida ranks among the most reasonably priced. Along with the strong immigration growth, Florida is a hot tourist destination, making it an ideal location for the purchase of rental property.

Real Estate Investment in Florida - Where is a Good Choice?

Along with having the 3rd highest rate of population growth, the high tourism rate is definitely a great reason for a real estate investment in Florida. With its year-round temperate climate and vast array of attractions, both natural and created, it is the ideal location for family holiday vacations. Families and singles return again and again to enjoy the delightful holidays Florida offers. Deciding where to purchase your real estate investment in Florida may be a difficult decision. Tourists in Florida are searching for sun and fun. A real estate investment near the beach, from Key West in the south to Jacksonville in the north and east from Daytona Beach to Fort Myers would offer good returns on your investment. Beach lovers will pay top dollar for rentals near the ocean. Let's consider Central Florida as a wise real estate investment. Walt Disney World has made Orlando the 3rd favorite tourist destination for overseas travelers. Only Los Angeles and New York City rank higher. With its resplendent and numerous lakes, tropical landscaping and modern, clean skyline, Orlando, the largest city in Central Florida, has aptly earned its title of "The City Beautiful". Along with the biggest drawing card of all, Walt Disney World, theme parks such as Universal Studios and Sea World, have made Orlando one of the largest markets in the world for tourism. 2.6million international travelers flocked to Orlando in 2004, according to the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, a 12 percent increase from 2003.

Real Estate Investment in Florida - Where in Central Florida?

Having established the fact that Central Florida is a hot tourist market, it would stand to reason that a real estate investment in Florida, particularly the Central Florida area, would make good business sense. But how would one go about locating a desirable area and property for this investment? A beginning search would lead you to researching properties listed with the major real estate companies or visit craigslist.org in your area. Deciding which type of property is important. Do you prefer a single family residence, a townhouse or condo? Keep in mind that townhouse and condo purchases may offer onsite property management services. Will your real estate investment in Florida purchase be in a new development, or in an established, older area? Purchasing rental property in a new development often offers pre-construction prices which can be substantially lower than prices post construction. Are you available to manage the property, or do you wish to employ a property management company to take care of the details of property upkeep, record keeping and renter booking? Doing it yourself can save you 6 percent and more of the cost of rent, but can end up costing you if you don't know what you are doing. If you do not plan on living in close proximity to your rental property, it would be wise to consider spending some extra dollars to employ a property management company. This will save you headaches and time, your own time for property maintenance and the time it takes to locate renters.

Real Estate Investment in Florida - Consider Davenport, Fl
Considering a real estate investment in Florida, just 5 miles southwest of Disney you will discover the quiet, quaint town of Davenport, Fl. Its central location yet off the beaten track give it an appeal all its own. Davenport, Fl is only 2 square miles in size. With its small town appeal, it is an attractive rental option for tourists. Davenport, FL is under 30 minutes from Universal Studios, Sea World, Disney World and other Orlando attractions. It is just one and ¼ hours from Kennedy Space Center and within an hour's drive to Tampa (home of Busch Gardens) and Cocoa Beach. After a hectic day at the major tourist attractions, what a welcome respite it would be for renters to lodge in this quiet location which is surrounded by orange groves. Convenience is another drawing card with a Super Wal-Mart, open 24 hours a day, just nine miles away. Kissimmee is just a short drive with its spectacular nightlife entertainment options such as Arabian Nights and Medieval Times. Family oriented Kissimmee attractions, Green Meadows Farm and the Silver Spurs Rodeo are also nearby. The small town environment of Davenport, Fl offers a quiet stay that is near all the most popular attractions, including theme parks, family spots and great shopping and dining, located not far from the Florida Mall, outlet malls and the Orlando Mall.

Bimini Bay, Davenport, Fl

Located in Davenport, Fl in close proximity to Walt Disney World, is a brand new development, Bimini Bay. On 80 acres, 360 three bedroom two bath townhouses are ready for purchase. The Davenport, Fl townhouses are turnkey ready with fully equipped kitchens, appliances and all that is needed to set up house including linens. There will also be 360 fully equipped one bedroom apartments. The planned amenities include a resort pool, two movie theatres with stadium seating, a major chain restaurant, a large Club House, a pool, lazy river, water slides, exercise room, tennis and volleyball courts along with many other features. The best part about an investment in a townhouse at Bimini Bay, Davenport, Fl is that the property maintenance aspect is taken care of for you. The investor reaps the benefits of ownership such as property appreciation and the ability to stay in the purchased property for a minimal fee without the headaches of property management. The onsite management team takes care of maintenance, markets the property and secures renters. The investor receives the same rental income each month, making this a low stress investment. At the beginning of this article, there was discussion on managing rental property yourself or obtaining a management company for this purpose. Purchasing property at Bimini Bay ensures the on-site management will handle all the issues of property management, while allowing the investor the advantage of a steady income along with the benefit of using the property.

Lease Option Real Estate Investing: Advantages and Disadvantages

One creative way to get started investing in real estate is to use a lease option. The biggest advantage of using lease options to invest in real estate is --control. This method of investing, basically gives the investor the right to possess -- be in control of -- and profit from a property without owning it.

A real estate lease option contract is a combination of two documents.

The lease part of the contract is where the owner agrees to let you lease their property, while you pay them rent for a stated period of time. During the lease period, the owner can not raise the rent, rent it to anyone else, or sell the property to anyone else.

The option part of the contract represents the right you purchased to buy the property in the future, for a specific price. If you decide to exercise your option to buy, the owner has to sell it to you at the negotiated price. The option part of the contract obligates the seller to sell to you during the option period -- but it does not obligate you to buy. You are only obligated to make rental payments as agreed during the lease period.

When the lease option contract is written and structured properly, it can provide tremendous benefits and advantages to the investor. If the lease option includes the "right to sub-lease", the investor can generate a positive cash flow by renting the property to a tenant for the duration of his lease, or lease option the property to a tenant-buyer for positive cash flow and future profits. If the lease option includes a "right of assignment" the investor could assign the contract to another buyer for a quick profit.

Lease option real estate investing, is a flexible, low risk, highly leveraged method of investing that can be implemented with little to no money.

High Leverage

It is highly leveraged because you are able to gain control of a property and profit from it now--even though you don't own it yet. The fact that you don't own it, also limits your personal liability and personal responsibility. Only if you decide to purchase the property by exercising your "option to buy", would you take title to the property.

Little to no money

The real estate investor's cost to implement a lease option contract with the owner requires little to no money out of pocket, because it is entirely negotiable between investor and owner. Also, there are a variety of ways the option fee can be structured. It can be structured on an installment plan, balloon payment or other agreeable arrangement between both parties. The option fee can even be as little as $1.00.

In order to secure the property for purchase at a later date, tenant-buyers typically pay a non-refundable option fee of approximately 2%-5% of the negotiated future purchase price to the seller. Depending on how the lease option agreement is written and structured, the investor could possibly use the tenant-buyer's option fee money to pay any option fee owed to the owner.

Flexible

Lease option real estate investing is a flexible method of investing because the terms of the agreement, like payment amounts, payment dates, installments, interest rate, interest only payment, balloon payments, purchase price and other terms are all negotiated between seller and buyer. Responsibilities of both parties are also negotiable. For instance, if the investor doesn't want to act in the capacity of a landlord, he could specify in the lease option agreement that tenant-buyer will be responsible for all minor maintenance and repairs and the original seller will remain responsible for any major repairs.

Financially Low Risk

It is low risk financially, because if the property fails to go up enough in value to make a profit, you have the purchased the right to change your mind and let the "option to buy" expire. Even if your tenant-buyer decides not to buy the property, you have profited by a positive monthly cash flow from the tenant-buyer's rent payments, and upfront non-refundable option fee.

Let's look at an example of a lease with option to buy structured in a way that the investor profits in 3 separate phases of the investment.

Profit #1: non-refundable option fee

Future sales price negotiated with the current owner is $125,000 with an option fee of 2% of the sales price. Option Fee you owe the owner is $2,500. The future sales price you set for your tenant-buyer is $155,000 and the option fee is 4% of the sales price. Option fee the tenant-buyer owes you is $6,200. You collect $6,200 from tenant-buyer and pay $2,500 to the owner and your profit = $3,700

Profit #2: monthly cash flow from rental payments

The Monthly rental payment you negotiated with the owner is $1,000. You set the monthly payment at $1,250 per month for your tenant-buyer. Each month you collect $1,250 from your tenant-buyer and pay the owner $1,000 each month. Your profit is $250 monthly positive cash flow during the lease period.

Profit #3: is set up when the lease option contract is initially written

The third profit is the difference in the negotiated future purchase price with the owner, and the future purchase price set for your tenant-buyer. Let's say the property goes up in value to appraise for at least $155,000. Your tenant-buyer decides to exercise their option to buy. You buy the property from the owner at $125,000 and then sell it to your tenant-buyer for $155,000. $155,000 - the $125,000 you pay to the owner = $30,000 profit.

Of course the key to making lease option real estate investing work, is finding motivated sellers and buyers. Finding these motivated sellers and buyers shouldn't be difficult. The continuing down turn in the real estate market, has created a large number of sellers who can't sell their property and buyers who can't get financing to buy. The seller could possibly get a fair offer to be paid in the future, by selling their property to a real estate investor on a lease option basis. A potential tenant-buyer could obtain home ownership, without having to qualify through traditional home loan guidelines.

One disadvantage of lease option real estate investing, involves the tenant or tenant-buyer possibly defaulting on monthly rental payments. This would make it necessary for the investor to come up with money out of pocket to pay the owner, and possibly have to proceed with eviction process. However, there are certain provisions that can made, and also various "contract clauses", that can be included in the lease option agreement, to deter buyers from defaulting on payments.

If the investor fails to do "due diligence" before entering into a lease option agreement, he could end up with a property that is unmarketable. There could be a number of liens on it, issues involving ownership of the property or it might be in foreclosure. By diligently performing research before entering into a lease option agreement, the investor can avoid these mistakes. A few things the investor could do is-- perform background and credit checks on both the seller and buyer, search public records in reference to ownership and property status, or do a title search.

Despite the few disadvantages, lease option real estate investing continues to be an excellent way to invest in real estate with little to no money and low financial risks. It also remains to be an excellent way to gain control of a property you don't own, to generate cash flow now, and possible future profits on flexible terms.

Bottom line-- you don't have to miss out on the lucrative profits being made by investors in today's real estate market

The more you understand creative real estate investing strategies, and apply them now, the more profits you will make in today's real estate market. Don't put off getting the real estate investing education you need -- to succeed in today's real estate market.

Learn these things and more:

• Creative investing strategies and concepts for Lease option real estate investing, foreclosure investing, and wholesaling and flipping real estate.


• How to structure every deal right so you make more on each deal and eliminate your risk.


• What needs to be included in your real estate contracts now-- to safely avoid issues that could cost you thousands!


• The most powerful legal clauses you can use to completely eliminate your risk in all your offers.


• The step by step approach to invest in real estate with minimal risk.


• How and where to research properties effectively to save hundreds of hours in time.


• The best ways to creatively finance your investment properties.


• How to know the true market value of properties so you never overpay again.


• How to control properties with no money, credit or income verifications so you can make a lot more.

Don't miss your opportunity to profit from today's real estate market's crisis. Go to http://www.creativerealestateinvesting101.com to get profitable creative real estate investing strategies and concepts that will help you be successful in lease option real estate investing, foreclosure investing, and flipping/ wholesale investing.

How to Start Real Estate Investing and Hit the Ground Running

We want to discuss six real estate investing tips intended to help anyone just getting started in real estate investment to successfully launch an investment real estate business and hit the ground running.

1. Develop the Correct Attitude

Foremost, if you are to succeed at real estate investing, you must understand that real estate investment is a business, and you become the CEO of that business.

It's crucial, then, as your first order of business, to develop the correct mind-set about investment real estate and be able to make the following distinction between buying a home and investing in real estate:

"You buy a home to live and raise a family; you buy investment property to pay for the home, live comfortably, and raise your family in style"

As one investor put it, "Only women are beautiful, what are the numbers?"

In other words, to invest in real estate successfully you must acknowledge that it's not curb appeal, amenities, floor plan, or neighborhood that should turn you on or off to the investment opportunity; that what counts most is the property's financial performance.

2. Develop Meaningful Objectives

A meaningful set of objectives that frames your investment strategy is one of the most important elements of successful investing. Stay realistic. Yes, we all desire to make millions of dollars from our real estate investment property, but fantasy is not the same as expressing specific goals and a method on how to achieve it.

Here are some suggestions:

How much cash can you invest comfortably? What rate of return are you hoping to generate? Are you expecting instant cash flow, looking to make your money when the property is resold, or merely looking to achieve tax shelter benefits? How long do you plan to own the property? What amount of your own effort can you afford to contribute to the day-to-day operation of running the property? What future net worth are you hoping to achieve by investing, and by when? What type of income property do you feel most comfortable owning, residential or commercial, or does it matter?

3. Develop Market Research

As a novice to real estate investing, you probably know little about income property in your local market. So, do market research to learn as much as you can about income property values, rents, and occupancy rates in your area. The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to recognize a good (or bad) deal when you see it.

Here are some resources to check out:

(a) The local newspaper,
(b) A local appraiser,
(c) The county tax assessor,
(d) A qualified local real estate professional,
(e) A local property management company

4. Run the Numbers

Calculating the property's cash flow, rate of return, and profitability is crucial to a successful real estate investment business. As the CEO you've got to know what you're buying, especially if you're trying to determine which of several investment opportunities would be the most profitable.

You have two options:

• Invest in real estate investment software. This will enable you to discover for yourself the rental property's cash flow and rates of return, and create your own analysis reports. Plus, by running the numbers yourself, you gain a broader understanding of real estate investing nuances, and in turn might be less likely to fall victim to the wiles of someone with little concern about how you spend your money.


• Work with someone who owns real estate investment software and can run, present, and discuss those numbers with you.

5. Develop a Relationship with a Real Estate Professional that's QualifiedGetting to know a qualified professional is a great way for beginners to get started with investment property because an astute professional can acquaint you with local market conditions, recommend a property that meets your investing objectives, and discuss strengths and weaknesses about specific property performance.

Just be certain, however, to work with a real estate person who understands real estate investment property.

Be sure the agent has a firm grip on key financial measures inherent to real estate investing, knows how to measure profitability and rate of return, has the ability to present the data you need to make wise investment decisions, and, most importantly, shows a genuine interest in how you spend your money. The last thing you want to do is to get involved with an agent that would throw you under the bus just to make a commission.

Here's a good way to interview for an agent. Ask about cap rate, cash-on-cash return, and then request an APOD or Proforma Income Statement. If they stand there looking at you like a deer into the headlights of a car in response to even these basics, find another agent.

6. Start Investing

That's it, it's time for you to get started. Here's to your real estate investing success.

Why Real Estate Investment?

Why should you invest in real estate? Well, investing in real estate for profit is one of the most popular approaches to generating additional income in the United States today. In fact, if you pay attention to recent press you will have seen numerous reports about the real estate investment craze that seems to be sweeping the Nation.

When done carefully and intelligently, real estate can yield fantastic benefits that can not be achieved through any other type of investment. Here are just a few examples of why real estate investing can be such a powerful wealth generator.

1. Real Estate Markets Are Slow to React - Although real estate, like everything else, has ups and downs, it is generally a lot slower to react than the stock market. For example, you won't get up in the morning and discover that your real estate investment is worth ten or twenty percent less than it was yesterday.

2. Leverage. You can borrow money to buy real estate, whereas, generally you can not borrow money to buy stocks. You can control a large dollar value of real estate with a small amount of your own money by using loans and mortgages. The stock market, by law, limits the amount of leverage (margin) you can use to buy stock. There are no such limits with real estate.

3. You Can Purchase Real Estate For Less Than Its Market Value. In many cases you can purchase a property for as low as 60 to 70 percent of the market value. When buying stocks, you may be able to find a stock that is considered "under valued" but generally it's tough to do that on a regular and consistent basis.

4. Real Estate Offers A Tremendous Amount Of Tax Advantages Through Depreciation. Real estate basically has two values, the land and the building(s) on the land. For example, if a property is valued at $250,000 and the assessed value of the land is $75,000, the building would be worth $175,000.

The government allows real estate investors to depreciate the value of the building in equal parts over its "useful life" which is defined as 27.5 years. So for example, based on the $175,000 building value above, the annual depreciation value would be $6,363.63 ($175,000 divided by 27.5). This means that for tax purposes, the investor would be able to reduce his/her annual income by $6,363.63!

Many people find the notion of depreciation to be confusing since it's not really a loss of money. I recommend you check with a qualified tax professional for more details and how this can benefit you.

5. Real Estate Markets Are Insulated Local Markets. For instance, when the stock market falls, it takes down just about everybody and everything involved with it. When home values drop in one city such as New York, generally it does not affect property values in other cities like Boston or Chicago. To protect yourself, you can have a "geographically diversified" portfolio of real estate investments to hedge against these types events.

6. You The Investor Can Control The Value. Another aspect of real estate investment is that unlike any other investment, this investment is controlled by the investor. For example, as an investor, you can increase the value of your investment property by making some modifications to the property such as adding a garage or replacing the carpet, etc. With stocks or any other investment, the investor can't do anything to increase the value of the investment.

7. The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). When a market has prices that always "fully reflect" available information, it is called "efficient". The stock market for example is considered by most to be an efficient market. When you call your broker to purchase or sell a stock, you can be sure of one thing - the price you bought or sold the stock for was indeed the "correct" price for that stock on that day and at that time. Why? Because the existing price for the stock will already incorporate and reflect all relevant available information about the company such as earnings, and other metrics.

With real estate, the market is very inefficient. Unlike the stock market, with real estate, the "correct" price discovery mechanism is left to each buyer and seller to figure out on their own. There is the almost always uncertainty as to whether the price offered by the seller is too high or too low. Moreover, there is typically little to no help available from analysts and research agencies (like when dealing with stocks) in this respect. This inefficiency is the very reason why real estate offers such a great investment opportunity to be smart and win! But it requires experience and a sharp eye for good deals and great negotiation skill. This expertise can be developed.

If done correctly, real estate is probably one of the smartest investments you could ever make. Hopefully this short rambling has provided you with a fresh perspective of the many benefits of real estate investing. So be smart, continue to learn and above all don't wait for some magic moment, just get started.

To Your Success!

How to be a Successful Investor in Sarasota Real Estate Investing

Now more than ever, real estate investing is gaining its popularity because of all the advertisements and promotions of magazines, newspapers and television shows. These are huge exposure for real estate investing.

If you are one of those who are fascinated with real estate investing and you have decided to try Sarasota real estate investing, you should know that there are factors and things that you should consider and know before you start with this kind of business.

Real estate investing is not as simple as buying a property, it requires lots of work, time, effort, skills and knowledge. But if you are really determined to go on into Sarasota real estate investing, you have to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and information about real estate investing and the market.

If you are wondering on how you'll gain knowledge and information about real estate investing, there are lots of ways to do so. You can use the internet in finding information; there are heaps of websites that offers tips and guidelines about real estate investing. You can use your yellow pages and contact some investors and ask about their experiences, you can learn from these investors' experiences.

Read books about real estate investing, this can also give you the proper knowledge about real estate investing. Attending seminars and forums can also help you gain knowledge and information about real estate investing. These are few of the ways to learn.

Hiring a real estate agent can help you in your quest at Sarasota real estate. Actually, real estate investing requires lots of work, so you really need persons to assist you with your quest and real estate agent is one of them. But you need to make sure that you will be having a real estate agent that is very familiar with the Sarasota real estate market in order to assure that the agent can assist you in having the best deal.

Allocating time in searching for the right real estate agent is important. You have to contact several real estate agents and schedule each for an interview. Ask the necessary questions in order to find out who's the best among the few real estate agents.

You have to learn about the market as well. In order for you to know what the right things to do when the market changes, since it is a fact that the market changes every now and then.

Allocating budget for your investments is very important factor as well. You must have save money in the bank before you enter real estate investing, since you need money for repairs, and so on.

If you really want to enter Sarasota real estate investing, these are few of the factors you need to know and consider. But do not rush things out. You can't be successful overnight. Sarasota real estate investing is not a hobby; it is a business, so you need to treat it as one. You have to wait till 6 months to see if you are really into Sarasota real estate investing. If you like what you are doing, you have to know that it takes a year to be successful in this kind of business.

Real Estate Investment Loan - Invest Through Low Cost Funds

Investment in real estate is turning into a huge profit generating business. Real estate business though requires lot of thinking and commercial wisdom for earning a sizeable profit. The loan aspect is crucial to generating continuous business for the investor. Keeping this purpose in consideration, lenders have designed especially real estate investment loan that makes investment in real estate a lot more attractive for even first timer.

Taking a real estate investment loan means you are utilizing the finance for investing in a commercial property. So before you settle for making real estate investment loan deal, make sure that you have carefully selected the property from the loan availing point of view. Note that lenders prefer a sound income generating property for considering real estate investment loan. Lenders wish to ascertain that the property is a good profit prospect. This assures in turn the lender of safe and timely return of the loan. Though real estate investment loan is a secured loan still lender would like to escape the costly repossession route and prefer instead the safe payback of the loan.

Real estate investment loan is a secured loan. Lenders secure the loan against the very property the borrower intends to make investment in. deal papers of the property are taken in possession by the lender for securing the loan and are return to the borrower on complete pay off of the loan. This is one reason the borrowed amount under real estate investment loan depends on the type of property. If the lender values the real estate more as possible income generator or is already giving good income, greater loan can be pocketed. Usually real estate investment loan is offered in the range of £100000 to £3000000.

For the convenient pay off real estate investment loan, lenders give you larger duration. They can offer you repayment duration of 10 to 30 years. The investor can wisely spread the loan in larger repayment duration for reduction in monthly outgo towards installments. A lot of portion of the loan is thus saved for other utilizations. Real estate investment loan is a lower interest rate loan because it is fully secured and risks for the lender are remote.

Since there are negligible risks involved, lenders do not think twice in considering real estate investment loan for bad credit people. In case of payment default, lender can still recover the loaned amount by selling the property of the borrower.

There are some requirements from the lenders of real estate investment loan providers. Lenders may ask for the property documents to ensure the intended investment is for genuine purpose. Lenders may demand tax records of the property the borrower intends to invest the loan in. so keep such and documents ready.

Investors can search for real estate investment loan providers on internet. Number of the loan providers have showcased real estate investment loan in their websites. Study them for each aspect and compare interest rates and terms-conditions. After settling for a suitable lender, apply online to him for faster approval of the loan.

Investment in real estate is a hurdle free experience when the investor opts for real estate investment loan. Make the loan deal after careful comparison of various loan packages on offer. Also ensure for timely repayment of the loan installment for avoiding debts.