Real Estate Investing Skill Acquisition

Real estate investing is not in any list of high school electives. You can't get an accredited degree in real estate investing. You won't find a high school or college guidance counselor who recommends a career in real estate investing (if the guidance counselor understood real estate investing, he or she probably wouldn't be a guidance counselor!)

The public school system and educational curriculum in the U.S. is only a feeble attempt to prepare students to just "get a job." Unfortunately there is no class in "Making Money 101." You don't have the opportunity to take a class in "How to Become Financially Independent." No teacher ever taught a class in "How to Succeed When Everyone Else is Failing." I never learned anything about succeeding as an entrepreneur or becoming wealthy during my 10 years in the university classroom. I only became a multi-millionaire when I learned the skills of real estate investing, and I paid the price out-of-pocket and out-of-the-classroom for that education. I learned these skills in the ole University of Hard Knocks through trial-and-error.

Never disparage the cost of education. There ain't no free lunch. You've gotta get this know-how outside of a classroom, and learning how to make money is gonna cost you. But if you think the cost of education is expensive, you should calculate the cost of ignorance!

However, learning real estate investing doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, I know, the real estate investing TV infomercials and the real estate investing seminars held around the country charge big bucks for those 3-day seminars and week-long Boot Camps. But that's pocket change compared to the fees they want to collect from you later. Catch this fact: all the real estate investing infomercials and seminars target you as a candidate for "real estate investing coaching." That's where they charge you up to $25,000 and over $50,000 per year for "coaching." And often you are assigned to some kid "still wet behind the ears" to call you each week or month to hold your hand and whisper in your ear what common sense and a persistent drive should already tell you! I'm not exaggerating the real estate investing educational system, because I know it inside and out. I personally know many of the so-called "gurus." I've been close to it for 25 years. My opinion is that the fees charged are exorbitant because the promoters have found deep pockets in the marketplace.

When I started my real estate investing career 25 years ago, real estate investing TV infomercials were unknown and real estate investing seminars were extremely rare. Back then, Mark Haroldsen followed an emerging trend started by Al Lowry and Nick Nickerson by holding occasional real estate investing seminars across the country. Later Robert Allen expanded the industry. Robert Allen promoted real estate investing conventions in the major cities across the U.S. He found a market for costly real estate investing packages of information with cassette tapes and note books. TV infomercials, expensive seminars, and outlandish coaching fees followed in subsequent years. Would-be real estate investing aspirants today who want more than an inadequate salary from a job in Dullsville often conclude that they have to "pay through the nose" for real estate investing know-how.

However, through diligent searching, these want to-bees often find that this education in real estate investing is more readily obtained from other sources than they previously imagined.

Real estate investing is probably one of the most easily learned skills never taught in school. Real estate investing is probably one of the most prolific careers available on Planet Earth. Because families now live in houses instead of caves, houses available for fix up are everywhere. And probably nothing contributes to upgrading the deplorable housing conditions across America comparable to real estate investing in fix up properties.

The entrepreneur-minded aspirant who discovers the real estate investing industry often catches a vision of life-beyond-a-job. Books and online courses offer an alternative to expensive seminars and coaching.

5 Rock-Solid Real Estate Investment Strategies

Investing in real estate is more complex than simply buying and selling homes. To help new real estate investors to decide which strategy might work for them I put together 5 rock-solid strategies. It is up to you which strategy you feel more comfortable with.

1. Buy and Hold

This real estate investment strategy is commonly known as rental properties. Becoming a landlord is easier than you think. You buy a property, you advertise it as "for rent" and you sign a contract with your new tenant. That's where the love story ends. You need to know a lot about your duties and your rights as a landlord or you will find yourself in trouble.

Screening your prospect tenants is your first line of defense. Protecting your property from damage is your first duty. I might paint a little bit dark picture of being a landlord. But dealing with tenants can be the most frustrating job you ever had. Do yourself a favor and visit a bookstore or library and get as many books on landlording as you can get. Armed with this knowledge you will be able to create a positive cash flow and a long term relationship with your tenants every time you put the "For Rent" sign in the yard.

With the buy and hold strategy you basically have 3 income streams going at once.

Amortization; while paying your mortgage you also lower the amount you owe.

Appreciation; while owning the property it increases in value.

Tax incentive; as a landlord you will be able to deduct your investment cost over several years. (See you tax advisor for professional advice).

Based on this information you can easily see that even if the rent doesn't cover 100 % of your mortgage payment you will still be able to create a positive cash flow.

2. Flipping

This is the art of "buying" and "selling" real estate investment without actually taking ownership. In a flip situation real estate contracts get assigned and the person who assigns the contract to someone else typically gets a commission for their services. That's how you can make money with real estate without credit checks or no money down. Because you never take possession of the property, you don't need to apply for a mortgage.

You only need 2 things to be able to flip a home. First, you need to find an attractive property that will sell very quickly. Second, you need to find a buyer within a very short period of time. Typically 2-3 weeks. Then you simply flip the contract to the new buyer and you will collect your commission at a so called "double closing".

This sounds complicated at first, but with a little bit practice you will be able to create a nice income from this. By the way, this is the preferred concept of most real estate "gurus" who appear in late night infomercials.

3. Rehabs

Rehabs are the most risky form of real estate investments. You hunt for a cheap, run-down property and you hope that your preliminary remodel cost estimates will leave enough room for a nice profit. Well that's the theory. Most real estate investors are failing with this type of strategy.

You either didn't get the property cheap enough to make a profit or the damages are more extensive than estimated which will offset the cheap purchase price. To make matters worst. If during the rehab phase of typically 3-4 months the market is going south all bets are off. Trust me, I made my share of experiences with this and I told myself, never again.

4. Commercial Real Estate Investment

What comes to your mind first when you think of commercial real estate investment? Big factory complexes, shopping malls or maybe huge office buildings. Well, my answer is much simpler. Anything bigger than a 4 unit apartment building, some call it fourplex, is considered commercial. The great thing with commercial real estate is that the value of the property is determined by the rent income it generates and not by how crazy people are going with bidding on residential real estate.

Theoretically there's no such thing as sellers or buyers market for commercial real estate. I wrote a complete article about the pros and cons of commercial real estate. So I keep this brief. Personally I love commercial real estate. Of course, commercial real estate is more or less off limits for beginners, because commercial real estate lenders want to see some form of prior experience in real estate investments. However, if you got some experience, go for it. As an added benefit; the competition is far less.

5. New Construction

This is the most affordable and easiest way of real estate investment. Getting into the earliest phase possible of a new development is a sure thing to make money. Keep an eye on the market and you will be able to sell your new home before construction is finished. The construction companies don't like this, so they limit the number of homes an individual can buy. Even so, keep one or two homes constantly under construction and you will make some nice profits. Of course this works only in a sellers market. Stay away from this strategy in a buyers market or when you see big changes in the local real estate market.

3 Things You Must Do to Succeed at Real Estate Investing

Here are three simple guidelines that must be followed if you plan to succeed at real estate investing. It's not everything, of course, but at the very least, you must be willing to commit to these things if you want to become a successful real estate investor.

Shall we get stared?

Acknowledge the Basics

Real estate investing involves acquisition, holding, and sale of rights in real property with the expectation of using cash inflows for potential future cash outflows and thereby generating a favorable rate of return on that investment.

More advantageous then stock investments (which usually require more investor equity) real estate investments offer the advantage to leverage a real estate property heavily. In other words, with an investment in real estate, you can use other people's money to magnify your rate of return and control a much larger investment than would be possible otherwise. Moreover, with rental property, you can virtually use other people's money to pay off your loan.

But aside from leverage, real estate investing provides other benefits to investors such as yields from annual after-tax cash flows, equity buildup through appreciation of the asset, and cash flow after tax upon sale. Plus, non-monetary returns such as pride of ownership, the security that you control ownership, and portfolio diversification.

Of course, capital is required, there are risks associated with investing in real estate, and real estate investment property can be management-intensive. Nonetheless, real estate investing is a source of wealth, and that should be enough motivation for us to want to get better at it.

Understand the Elements of Return

Real estate is not purchased, held, or sold on emotion. Real estate investing is not a love affair; it's about a return on investment. As such, prudent real estate investors always consider these four basic elements of return to determine the potential benefits of purchasing, holding on to, or selling an income property investment.

1. Cash Flow - The amount of money that comes in from rents and other income less what goes out for operating expenses and debt service (loan payment) determines a property's cash flow. Furthermore, real estate investing is all about the investment property's cash flow. You're purchasing a rental property's income stream, so be sure that the numbers you rely on later to calculate cash flow are truthful and correct.

2. Appreciation - This is the growth in value of a property over time, or future selling price minus original purchase price. The fundamental truth to understand about appreciation, however, is that real estate investors buy the income stream of investment property. It stands to reason, therefore, that the more income you can sell, the more you can expect your property to be worth. In other words, make a determination about the likelihood of an increase in income and throw it into your decision-making.

3. Loan Amortization - This means a periodic reduction of the loan over time leading to increased equity. Because lenders evaluate rental property based on income stream, when buying multifamily property, present lenders with clear and concise cash flow reports. Properties with income and expenses represented accurately to the lender increase the chances the investor will obtain a favorable financing.

4. Tax Shelter - This signifies a legal way to use real estate investment property to reduce annual or ultimate income taxes. No one-size-fits-all, though, and the prudent real estate investor should check with a tax expert to be sure what the current tax laws are for the investor in any particular year.

Do Your Homework

1. Form the correct attitude. Dispel the thought that investing in rental properties is like buying a home and develop the attitude that real estate investing is business. Look beyond curb appeal, exciting amenities, and desirable floor plans unless they contribute to the income. Focus on the numbers. "Only women are beautiful," an investor once told me. "What are the numbers?"

2. Develop a real estate investment goal with meaningful objectives. Have a plan with stated goals that best frames your investment strategy; it's one of the most important elements of successful investing. What do you want to achieve? By when do you want to achieve it? How much cash are you willing to invest comfortably, and what rate of return are you hoping to generate?

3. Research your market. Understanding as much as possible about the conditions of the real estate market surrounding the rental property you want to purchase is a necessary and prudent approach to real estate investing. Learn about property values, rents, and occupancy rates in your local area. You can turn to a qualified real estate professional or speak with the county tax assessor.

4. Learn the terms and returns and how to compute them. Get familiar with the nuances of real estate investing and learn the terms, formulas, and calculations. There are sites online that provide free information.

5. Consider investing in real estate investment software. Having the ability to create your own rental property analysis gives you more control about how the cash flow numbers are presented and a better understanding about a property's profitability. There are software providers online.

6. Create a relationship with a real estate professional that knows the local real estate market and understands rental property. It won't advance your investment objectives to spend time with an agent unless that person knows about investment property and is adequately prepared to help you correctly procure it. Work with a real estate investment specialist.

There you have it. As concise an insight into real estate investing as I could provide without boring you to death. Just take them to heart with a dash of common sense and you'll do just fine. Here's to your investing success.

Real Estate Investing Program

The Ultimate Real Estate Investing Program

What Type Of Real Estate Investing Program Fits You?

What type of real estate investing program is right for you? The right real estate investing program will make it simple to become a successful real estate investor. But let's be clear, the steps to becoming successful as a real estate investor are simple but simple does not always translate to easy. Choosing the right real estate investing program is one of the most important decisions you can make as a real estate investor.

The best known real estate investing program is the Carlton Sheets no down payment system that has been running as a TV infomercial for over twenty years. As fare as real estate investing programs go the Carlton Sheets No Down Payment system leaves much to be desired and I would not want to have to make a living based on that real estate investing program alone. But Carlton Sheets has introduced a lot of people to the wonderful world of real estate investing and for this he should be thanked.

Let's take a look at three real estate investing programs and the benefits of each.

Kick Ass Wholesaling. Learning How To Buy.

The single most important skill for real estate investors is learning how to buy properties significantly below market value. When you learn how to buy at 50-70% of market values profits are assured and exit strategies plentiful. Pay too much for a property and there is often little you can do other than take your losses or hang on for dear life hoping the market appreciates over time.

Another advantage of wholesaling is the ability to quickly generate profits without having to use your cash or credit. An example is you find a house worth $200,000 that a seller will sell to you for $130,000. You could in turn sell this to another investor for $140,000 and make yourself $10,000 quickly and never have to fund the purchase. For a complete system on wholesaling check out Kick Ass Wholesaling

Work For Equity. The Most Profitable Way To Sell Properties

This is an advanced real estate investing program not because it is hard to implement but because most investors never discover the system. Instead of buying ugly houses and either wholesaling or rehabbing there is a way to sell and make twice the profits and have a larger pool of buyers wanting your house.

Work For Equity is the real estate investing program where you sell the property with a special lease option agreement that requires the purchaser to repair the property at their expense. Later, typically after 12 months to maximize your tax gains the lease option buyer has the right to purchase the property (in the real world only about 30% of any lease option buyers exercise their option and purchase the property).

If the lease option buyer exercises their option and purchases the property you are cashed out and this is good news. If they lease option buyer does not exercise their option you have a property that has been improved at their expense and you are free to sell again using any method you choose.

The benefits to the real estate investor are too numerous to detail here but in the end work for equity can literally double an investors profits compared to rehabbing the property then selling the property for the full after repaired value.

Work For Equity is a real estate investing program that every investor should use. Why not make twice the profit on deals your currently rehabbing? All the details can be found in the Work For Equity Pro System.

Instant Real Estate Profit Pro - How To Buy Properties In 5 Minutes Or Less

For the serious investor there exists a real estate investing program designed to handle all of your buying needs - in 5 minutes or less.

Imagine being able to analyze a property, estimate profits, and print out all of the documents you need to give the seller a completely justified offer that includes a cover letter, repair cost estimates, how you arrived at your offered price, and two offers - one cash and one terms. Users of this system are so efficient they often put properties under contract after talking to the seller one time and without even looking at the property.

This real estate investing program also prepares complete get the deed (AKA "Subject To") packages which allow you to take over existing loans. Note: Banks do not like this practice so you must understand the risks involved. All the documents you need including disclosures, authorization to real information, power of attorneys, and so much more. It even creates a land trust for you which should be part of your asset protection plan.

Or how about buying pre-foreclosures or doing short sales? Automatically prepare short sale packages in less than 5 minutes. This section is for advanced investors but so easy to use you'll feel like a pro in no time.

There simply is no real estate investing program like Instant Real Estate Profit Pro. Just take a look at what the program has done for investors around the country.

Real estate investing is a lot like being a specialized heart surgeon. Can you imagine needing open heart surgery and the doctor not having all the tools he needs to complete the surgery? Having the right real estate investing programs is what makes successful investors!

The Money Making Advantages of Commercial Real Estate Or Multi-Unit Real Estate Investments

Investing in commercial or multi-unit properties is the secret that wealthy real estate investors have found to accomplishing all these important real estate investing goals.

What are the types of commercial or multi-unit properties available to real estate investors, even new investors? What are the specific advantages of investing in and owning commercial or multi-unit real estate?

Multi-unit properties include a wide range of investment options:

Office Buildings (small two unit office to a high rise building),

Retail Stores (small retail stores to a giant shopping center),

Industrial buildings (small shops to a huge industrial park) or

Self Storage or Private Record Storage (from small to large self storage complexes).

Key Advantages of Investing in or Commercial Properties

The ten key advantages of investing in Commercial or Multi-Unit properties are:

1. Higher Income Potential,

2. Lower Risk on Vacancies,

3. Less Competition from other Real Estate Buyers,

4. More Flexible Sellers,

5. Depreciation Tax Shelter,

6. "Triple Net Leases" and Tenants paying expenses,

7. Equity Build-Up,

8. Solid Economic Value,

9. Massive Leverage (seller financing or partial seller finance),

10. Long term Capital Appreciation.

Multi-Unit/Commercial real estate has a higher income per square foot than residential single family investements, or even apartments, and therefore a Higher Income Potential for the investor.

Multi-unit real estate by its very nature has the advantage of lower vacancy risk, because it always involves two or more units. The vacancy risk with commercial or multi-unit properties is much smaller than single tenant investments such as a single family home, because the vacancy risk is spread over several units.

For example: One office being vacant out of 20 offices is only a 5% vacancy. For the multi-unit investor, this 5% vacancy is significantly less financially traumatic, than a single family house being vacant, and the real estate investor experiencing a very painful and costly 100% vacancy.

Another point in favor of investing in commercial or multi-unit properties is there is less competition from other investors. This is because some investors are not comfortable in larger investments such as an apartment, mobile home park, office building, retail strip center, or industrial complex. These types of larger real estate investments are out of many peoples' comfort zone.

Paradoxically the owners of commercial or multi-unit real estate are usually more flexible sellers. Multi-unit property sellers are not as emotional when selling their property. The sale of most multi-unit Properties such as an office building, retail strip center, or industrial complex, is simply a business decision.

Commercial or Multi-unit property sellers are in a business frame of mind. Multi-unit real estate sellers are more likely to understand and agree to the request from the Buyer for either 100% Seller financing, or Secondary Partial Seller Financing. These sellers are likely to agree to a partial Seller carry back financing, such as a second mortgage, or second trust deed behind an institutional lender first lien. [In Canada, this is commonly referred to as "Vendor Take-Back Financing."]

Investing in and holding onto multi-unit or commercial real estate provides significant Tax Shelter to the multi-unit investor through Depreciation of the building and improvements. The depreciation write off allowed by the IRS, and most States, then shelters the massive passive income from the commercial real estate or multi-unit properties, such as an office building, a retail strip center, or an industrial complex.

Another advantage to the investor is that in many commercial or multi-unit properties the tenants pay all the building's operating expenses. This is especially true in "triple net Leases," which are commonly found in office building leases, retail leases, and industrial leases. In these "NNN Leases," the lessee in addition to paying the base monthly lease payment, the lessee also pays for their "pro-rata" portion of the entire property's expenses. The lessee with NNN lease also specifically pays for their portion of the real estate taxes, property insurance, and maintenance.

The tenants' lease payment provides the commercial or multi-unit owner with the cash to make the mortgage payments, which results in the owner having a nice equity build-up over time.

Investing in commercial or multi-unit properties has the advantage of providing solid economic value. This is because most existing office buildings, retail strip centers, or industrial complexes can be purchased for less than replacement cost, or in other words, the cost to build one new.

Commercial or investment real estate such as office buildings, retail strip centers, or industrial complexes, enjoy the advantage of financial leverage with long term fixed rate institutional debt. Another option is for the possibility of 100% Seller financing, or a combination of institutional financing combined with partial Seller financing.

Holding on to multi-unit or commercial properties over the long term will provide the investor with possible Capital Appreciation and increased cash flow through higher rents over time. The increased cash flow can lead to long term massive passive income, with appreciation as the frosting on the cake.

Due Diligence is Essential for Commercial Investments

The due diligence process in multi-unit real estate begins in the initial interaction with the seller, or the Seller's Commercial Real Estate Agent or Broker. The due diligence process in multi-unit real estate is well underway in the contract negotiation phase.

A multi-unit real estate investor needs to clearly identify to the Seller exactly what will be needed to intelligently analyze the potential multi-unit investment. The investor should frame the request for documentation with phrases such as, "in order for me to make an informed intelligent business decision I will need the following documents..."

Generally multi-unit property owners are more knowledgeable and sophisticated. Start out with a simple request for basic information, such as a current rent/lease roll, copies of all the current leases, and the income and expenses for the multi-unit property for the last two or three years. The more sophisticated the Seller, the less they are surprised or upset by a detailed comprehensive list of items needed for the complete due diligence on the property.

Most Sellers', or their agent's, will give what an investor asks for in a timely manner. Only Seller's who may be hiding something will refuse the buyers reasonable request for information. If the Seller or their agent refuses to provide the information requested, then the potential Buyer should be prepared to just walk away from the deal.

Advantages of Real Estate Investing

Investing in real estate is as advantageous and as attractive as investing in the stock market. I would say it has three times more prospects of making money than any other business. But, But, But... since, it is equally guided by the market forces; you cannot undermine the constant risks involved in the real estate. Let me begin discussing with you the advantages of real estate investments. I found the advantages as most suited and really practical.

Advantages

Real Estate Investments are Less Risky

As compared to other investments, less of misadventure is involved in a real estate property. I will not get away from the fact that just like any investment you make; you have the risk of losing it. Real estate investments are traditionally considered a stable and rich gainer, provided if one takes it seriously and with full sagacity. The reasons for the real estate investments becoming less risky adventure primarily relate to various socio-economic factors, location, market behavior, the population density of an area; mortgage interest rate stability; good history of land appreciation, less of inflation and many more. As a rule of thumb, if you have a geographical area where there are plenty of resources available and low stable mortgage rates, you have good reason for investing in the real estate market of such a region. On the contrary, if you have the condo in a place, which is burgeoning under the high inflation, it is far-fetched to even think of investing in its real estate market.

No Need for Huge Starting Capital

A real estate property in Canada can be procured for an initial amount as low as $8,000 to $ 15,000, and the remaining amount can be taken on holding the property as security. This is what you call High Ratio Financing. If you don't have the idea as to how it works, then let me explain you with the help of an example. Remember that saying... Examples are better than percepts!

Supposing, you buy a condo worth $200,000, then you have to just pay the initial capital amount say 10% of $200,000. The remaining amount (which is 90%) can be financed, against your condo. It means that in a High Ratio financing, the ratio between the debt (here in the example it is 90% Mortgage) and the equity (here in the example it is 10% down payment) is very high. It is also important to calculate high ratio mortgage insurance with the help of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). If needed, you can also purchase the condo on 100% mortgage price.

Honing Investment Skills

A real estate investment, especially when you buy a condo for yourself, will be a pleasurable learning experience. It gives you the opportunity to learn and when I went ahead with my first real estate property, I was totally a dump man. Ask me now, and I can tell you everything, from A to Z. Necessity is the mother of all inventions. I had the necessity to buy the property and so I tried with it, and I was successful. I acquired all the knowledge and skills through experience of selling and purchasing the residential property. Thanks to my job. It gave me the experience to become an investor.

Not a time taking Adventure

Real estate investment will not take out all your energies, until you are prepared and foresighted to take the adventure in full swing. You can save hell lot of time, if you are vigilant enough to know the techniques of making a judicious investment in the right time and when there are good market conditions prevailing at that point of time.

You should be prepared to time yourself. Take some time out, and do market research. Initiate small adventures that involve negotiating real estate deals, buying a property, managing it and then selling it off. Calculate the time invested in your real estate negotiation. If the time was less than the optimum time, you have done it right. And if you end up investing more time, then you need to work it out again, and make some real correction for consummating next deals. You have various ways and methodologies, called the Real Estate Strategies that can make it happen for you in the right manner.

Leverage is the Right Way

The concept of leverage in real estate is not a new one. It implies investing a part of your money and borrowing the rest from other sources, like banks, investment companies, finance companies, or other people's money (OPM). There have been many instances where people have become rich by practically applying OPM Leverage Principal. As I had discussed under the sub head - No Need for Huge Starting Capital, the high ratio financing scheme gives an opportunity of no risk to the lenders, as the property becomes the security. Moreover, in case the lender is interested in selling the property, the net proceeds resulting from the sale of the property should comfortably cover the mortgage amount.

Now consider a situation, where the lender leverages the property at too high ratio debt say 98% or even more, and all of the sudden the market shows a down turn, then both the investor as well as the lender. Hence, greater is the mortgage debt, more is the lender's risk, and it is therefore necessary that lender pays higher interest rates. The only way out to ease the risk from lender's head is to get the mortgage insured. Two companies authorized to insure your high-ratio mortgage debts are CMHC (www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca), and GE mortgage Insurance Canada (gemortgage.ca).

Letme explain you with the help of an example... supposing, you are buying a real estate property worth $ 200,000 at three mortgages, with the first one of $100,000, the second of $75,000 and the third one of $25,000. Possible percentage of interest rates charged can be 3%, 5% and 7%. The last mortgage amount of $25,000 will be accounted, as riskiest; as it would relatively be the last mortgage that you will pay when you finally make a selling deal.

On the contrary, if the first mortgage representing almost 90% of your property price is insured against getting default or as high ratio mortgage, then in the above example, the basic interest rate would be 3%.

Let me explain you the leveraging concept by taking another example.

Supposing, you are buying a real estate property worth $200,000, and made down payment of 10%, equitable to $20,000, while financed the rest amount of $1,80,000. Over the year's time, the value of your property appreciates by 10%. In this case, what would be the total return that you'd incur on your down payment of $20,000? It would be 200%. Yes 200%. Putting in simpler words, the down payment of $20,000 made by you has an appreciation of 10% over it, i.e. (10% increase of original home price of $ 200,000), 200% return on your down payment investment of $20,000.

On the contrary if you invest all the money in buying the property of $200,000, and in wake of appreciation of 10% over the year ($20,0000 would then be accrued to as 20%.

Synonymous with leveraging is pyramiding, where you borrow on the appreciated value of your existing property. Pyramiding applies the principal of leverage that enables you to purchase even more properties. This appreciated value over the real estate property in some selected areas results in accumulation of rich financial virtues.

Real Estate Appreciation

An appreciation is an average increase in the property value over original capital investment, taking place over a period. There are some neglected real estate properties that have an appreciation below the average mark, whereas, some of the properties located in maintained geographical areas, showing high demand, have an above average appreciation. In such centrally located and high demand areas, the average appreciation can reach up to 25% in a year. I will discuss appreciation in the chapter on real estate cycles. For now, for general understanding, appreciation is what goes up.

You Make Your Equity

As you gradually pay your mortgage debts, you are creating your equity. In other words, you would be reaching to original house price on which you have no debt. Your equity is absolutely free of percentage increase in appreciation. From the investor's perspective, in real estate market, equity is the amount that is free of debt and it is the amount that an investor holds. When you sale your property, then the net money you get, after paying all the commissions and closing costs, becomes your equity. Lenders don't want to take risk by allowing a loan on over 90% of equity. Therefore, in this manner, the lenders take the safety measures in wake of their loan being defaulted.

The Federal Bankruptcy act says that all the first mortgages of over 75% of the appraised or purchase value must be covered under high-ratio insurance schemes. However, there are certain conditions, wherein, CMHC offers the purchasers of real estate property qualifying the insurance, a mortgage of up to 100% of purchase price over your principal house value. In the wake of an event where borrowers want more money from the lenders, they would ideally settle for second and the third mortgages.

Low Inflation

Inflation is the rise in the prices of the products, commodities and services, or putting it another way, it is the decrease in your capacity to buy or hire the services. Supposing, a commodity was worth $10 a decade back, will now cost $ 100 as the result of inflation. For people who have fixed salaries feel the real brunt of the dollar, as the inflation rises. In Canada, the inflation rate varies and it varies every year. There was a time when Canada had a double-digit, but it was controlled to single digit, after the regulation of policy.

If we analyze closely, the land appreciation value for the residential real estate is 4% to 5% higher than inflation rate. Therefore, when you invest in real estate, then you are paying mortgage debts in high dollar value. Now as you are getting more, salary to pay less amount than the amount that you had paid in the original mortgage.

Tax Exemptions

You get various tax exemptions on your principal and investment income property. The tax exemptions available in real estate property investment are more than available in any other investment. In other investments, you lose terribly on the investments in your bank in the form of inflation and high taxes therein, but in real estate; you don't actually have such hindrances.

Various tax exemptions available are:
•The interest receivable from your bank account, term deposit or guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) is completely taxable as income. A little math here will do the magic work for you. Supposing, if you get an interest of 8% on the deposit, and the on going inflation rate is 5%, the Real Return Rate will come out to be settled at 2%.
•You get completely tax-free capital gain on principal amount of your residential real estate property.
•You have the opportunity to ward off principal amount of your residential real estate property against the home expenses incurred by you.
•You can easily ward off the property depreciation against your income.
•You can cut the expenses incurred in real estate property investment through your income
•Tax rate reduced to approx. 50% of the capital gain.
•And many more

Net Positive and High Income is Generated

If taken in right direction and played seriously, a real estate investment can be your virtue making endeavor now and in times to come. You will not only be having additional assets building in your favor, but also with positive cash flow, your real estate property value will increase automatically.

High Return on Investments (ROIs)

Real estate investment gives you potentially high ROIs before and after the taxes levied on your income. In fact, investing in real estate gives you high ROIs after the taxes.

Demand for the Real Estate Increases

As a natural instance, when the population of a region increases, the total usable land decreases, and this provides the impetus for high real estate prices. There are many communities that can or cannot have growth and development regulations, thereby, resulting in limited land available for use. Therefore, the real estate prices of the area shoot up. Remember housing is the necessity of an individual and therefore it is much in demand than any other single commodity taken. Furthermore, there are people who purchase additional houses for their recreation, recluse or as a past time. This in turn increases the demand for land.

Be a Real Estate Investing Expert - In An Instant

Here's a simple method of getting to know your real estate investing market, which is VITALLY IMPORTANT before you can know if a property/price is worthy of calling a 'deal' or not...

This 'LAZY' method of market research reveals some amazing facts about the real estate investing market in your area and it works for any area there is....

Take a local newspaper (you can get many of them online, for free, nowadays) and simply count the number of 'For Sale' and 'For Rent' ads, keeping track of them for later reference.

Usually, Sunday and Wednesday papers are the 'biggest real estate investing days', so, for now, just watch these.

Keep track of the number of ads for a few weeks and watch what is happening to your market (hold on, now, we're coming to the part about you turning all this research into a really great real estate investment).

Keeping more detailed records (what price for a 3/2/2 in the SW part of town is being offered for sale and rent wise, etc.) will yield tremendous knowledge, but, for now, just to get started in your real estate investing, stick with the basic 'total ads' research.

After a few weeks, you'll start to see 'trends' in the real estate investing potential of your area - maybe the number of For Sale is going way up and the number of For Rent is going way down...

In such a market, what are you doing looking for 'flips' as real estate investments anyway?

Such a trend clearly shows that there are fewer people buying and a high demand for rentals (perhaps a good time for you to pick up some deals for your long-term real estate investments).

You see, the newspaper (and the active market) has shown you what you need to be looking for (or not), and this is certainly a good indication that there are few Buyers (whether for themselves or as real estate investments).

Maybe it is because of some local condition (like the closing of a major employer or something), or it could be more national (like the interest rates rising quickly, etc.) - i.e., it could be something you can control, but most likely it isn't.

However, it doesn't mean you can't make real estate investing money in such a market!

You can certainly make money in a real estate investing market where there are few 'For Rent' and lots of 'For Sale' properties (even if you have poor credit and no money...)

This is a perfect time to be doing Lease Purchase/Options! Yes, it is a great time to simply make CA$H in your real estate investing business.

And, if (and WHEN) the real estate investment market changes again, you will already be on top of it because you'll keep this simple method in mind - just watching the total number of ads in the paper - something anyone can do (but so few will...) and you'll know what the next real estate investing 'trend' will be - maybe back to 'flipping', or maybe something else...

Just one of the major reasons that you need more than one 'tool' in your real estate investing toolbox.....

Here's to your successful (and LAZY) real estate investments...

Real Estate Investing Guide-Learn About Real Estate Investing

Real estate investment is a great opportunity to earn profits and generate a cash flow. There is a slight difference between real estate investment and other types of investment. Real estate investment can be categorized as a long-term investment or short-term investment. Good real estate investor has ability to invest in real estate at right time.

Real estate investment requires proper knowledge and concentration to invest in good piece of land. Sometimes heavy investment gives wrong results in the future and sometimes with a small investment you can earn more. Investors should be alert at the time of investment in real estate.

If you're going to rent your property you should have sufficient knowledge about tenant problems and requirements of tenants. You should be aware of all financial as well as legal requirements for your real estate. Investment goals are the primary factor for real estate investment. Decide your investment goals like what you want to do with your real estate.

Real estate market offers different types of strategies to invest in real estate. You should choose the best strategy as per your needs. Efficient real estate investors are able to make their fortunes in real estate business. People who invest in this business can live comfortably. They don't have any tension about their survival. They can earn more and more profits with single right time real estate investment

Investment in real estate requires great commercial skills and knowledge like other businesses. Real estate business needs additional risk because sometimes you're at risk in this business. Thats why a person with a great will power can easily handle this business. Forecasting in real estate investing can spoil your future so don't overestimate your investment.

Real Estate Investing - Free Vacations While Searching for Real Estate Acquisitions

Real estate investing professionals look for all possible tax deductions because of the generous profits derived from real estate investing.

For example, real estate investors are concerned whether the sale of their real estate is subject to capital gains taxation or qualifies as ordinary income. Determining this status in the sale of real estate investments affects net profit.

In addition to this consideration, tax deductions are allowed for expenses incurred in the normal operation of any real estate investing transaction. These deductible expenses include the costs of office supplies, professional fees, property repairs, and depreciation.

This article is not a legal or accounting commentary on IRS Code regulations, so you should ask your personal professionals about your qualifications for any specific deductions regarding real estate investing.

Consult with your accountant to determine if the search for new real estate acquisitions away from home would allow you tax deductions for travel, meals, and lodging.

If so, why not combine a vacation with a search for new real estate investing opportunities?

Tax deductible expenses always require that you obtain and keep all receipts relating to the property investment search while on vacation. Pick up newspapers, and mark properties investigated in the classifieds. Collect business cards of realtors contacted. Keep copies of submitted offers.

Many of us real estate investing professionals are workaholics, and a fine line might distinguish the difference between relaxing on vacation and work to find investment properties. But the "working vacation" also might be good therapy to clear your head while simultaneously generating new ideation after keeping your nose close to the grindstone over an extended period of time. http://www.CashinHouses.com/

Real Estate Investment Clubs

The real estate investment clubs provide tremendous resources for both beginners and experienced real estate investors. The real estate investment club is a place to meet and network with other investors. Patient and skillful application of investment knowledge and information is required for a successful real estate investing. For success in real estate, there should be a combination of the power of investing knowledge and the power of market information. A real estate investment club through its thoroughly researched real estate investment ideas can arm you with all the necessary information to invest wisely in real estate.

As the competition in the field of real estate are high, Real estate investors need to keep themselves updated constantly on the new trends and developments in real estate investment. There can be new laws and taxes governing real estate. All this is hard to maintain if you are not a full time real estate investor. A real estate investment club is then the ideal place for you. All issues regarding real estate investment can be discussed and sorted out through the medium of real estate investment clubs. Being a part of an experienced and efficient real estate investment club in itself should form a part of the strategy to become a successful real estate investor.

Details regarding all other aspects of investments related to real estate like mortgage investments can be discussed in real estate investment clubs. The real estate club members bring out several publications to guide real estate and home buyers. Most real estate club members also provide information through Internet. Today, there are several different real estate software programs available in the market to help real estate investors. Before selecting software, you can discuss it with your real estate club members as some of them might have already used it and have opinions on it. A good real estate investment club can act as a good forum to clear all your doubts regarding real estate investment.

Real Estate Investments provides detailed information on Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Loans, Real Estate Investment Financing and more. Real Estate Investments is affiliated with Buying Investment Properties.

How to Choose a Good Real Estate Investment Property With a Good Monthly Cash Flow

There are basically two ways you can make money from your real estate investment, capital appreciation and monthly rental. In this article we will assume that you are a serious real estate investor and are purchasing this property to rent out and use mortgaging to control 100% of the property with a 30% cash down payment. Note this article does not deal with the no money down methods of property investment which will be covered in a separate article. This article aims to show you how to identify a good real estate investment that can provide you with a good monthly revenue stream and cashflow.

Firstly, ascertain how much cash you have in hand initially. This amount will determine how much financing you can get and the maximum amount of real estate you can control with your initial sum. Taking our example above, if we have $30,000 in hand, we can use this to control a property worth $100,000.

Secondly, once you do a rough estimation of your initial down payment sum, spend some time going to all the mortgage brokers, finance companies and banks in your area to see if they are willing to loan you money. You would probably need some credit reports and other documentations so as to convince them of your credit worthiness. Some things you would want to learn from your financers include, the interest rate and whether its fixed or floating, the monthly instalment size, whether they have special short term mortgages in case you should identify a good property to flip and re-sell. The financing element of a real estate investment deal is very critical and spending some time shopping around for the best bang for your buck would be a prudent move.

Thirdly, now spend some time peering intently at the classified advertisements. You want to ascertain the properties with the best rental yields as if you want your real estate investment to outperform the national rental yield, you would want therefore to look at properties in areas that are high in demand and look for bargain real estate investment deals. Another good way to figure this out is to ask someone who is knowledgeable in property. Ask him for places with good locations for the purposes of rental. A quick tip to note, places near the sea and on a mountain always fetch better prices than any other properties. Thus even commercial properties with a sea view command a slight premium over properties that do not have a sea view.

Fourthly, now after identifying on paper the bargain properties within your budget, start making appointments with real estate agents to look at properties on your list. If you make it clear that you are looking into property investment and that you might be a frequent customer, then there is a chance that these real estate agents would welcome you and inform you of other real estate bargains that you might be not aware off.

Fifthly, always make it a point to be early for the appointment and spend some time observing the surroundings of the real estate in question. Things to take note off include, a bad neighbourhood, no human traffic if you are looking at a commercial property, inaccessibility, no car porch or parking facilities or something that your intuition tells you is not right with the property. This is even more so for bargain properties and auction properties as there might be something very inherently wrong with the property. Spend sometime talking to the neighbours and ask them about the neighbourhood and then ask them if they know of anything wrong with their neighbours property.

If you are purchasing a run down property, you would want to bring along a contractor and building engineer or architect to inspect the property with you so that you can estimate how much you might have to spend to spruce up the property and later rent out or sell. Once you have ascertained the real estate investment is good for your purchase, start asking about rental yields of property in the area and what price the agent will be able to rent out your property.

Finally, once you have the property price, the mortgage instalment payment, the rental yields, and operating expenses, spend some time generating a spreadsheet to estimate whether your purchase is viable from a monthly cash flow perspective. You want to find the property with the best cash flow for your real estate investment. Once you find one property like that, spend your energy finding other similar properties and you will start seeing your monthly income rise.

Note that generally you are more likely to encounter surprises as opposed to surprise income, so factor this into your calculations. Remember to keep some money in your bank account to take into account things like changing of tenants where a month may go by without any rental coming in and you must be able to pay the monthly bank instalments. Also take note of where in the rental cycle you are purchasing the property, a property that may be in positive cash flow now, may not be so in the next few years.

In conclusion, this article has highlighted ways to ensure that you have a good grasp of all the different ways to choose a real estate investment property that will yield you a positive cash flow. Note that always remember that Murphy's Law may strike at any time so keep some extra cash in your bank when preparing to purchase a real estate investment property to hedge against such uncertainties.

Real Estate Investing Contracts on Toilet Paper

Even if your real estate contract has been written on toilet paper, it's valid.

Content of your real estate investing contract is what's important.

Your financial destiny in real estate investing is sealed BEFORE you walk into a real estate closing as a buyer. You have set in
concrete your profit (or loss) before you turn the door knob to enter the office of your attorney or title company at closing. The payoff of the transaction under anticipation is predetermined when the contract is signed between you as the buyer and the other party who is the seller.

The interpretation of these cold, hard words is that you must recognize the importance of the real estate contract that ties together the property transaction. Your contract contains implications for determining profits in advance.

When we strike a deal in real estate investing, we usually just reach for some pre-printed contract form that came from a real estate office or stationary store. We usually forfeit many of our closing rights to some stranger who put together traditional jargon and processes without recognizing that we ourselves have the right to charter this course. Subjecting ourselves to legalese of an attorney who may not even be a real estate investor nor own more than his own home is the pattern followed by most who purchase and sell real estate.

The first order of business in writing contracts is understanding that any sale or purchase of property is negotiable. While the payment of certain closing costs may be customary or traditional for the buyer and the seller, we are not bound by this protocol. Without differing specification in your contract to dictate your personal direction, the closing agent simply resorts to customary convention.

But by understanding your rights as buyer or seller of real estate property, you can actually INCREASE your profits on a transaction by the wording of your contract. However, these settlement terms must be in writing on your contract in advance of the closing. Otherwise, potential profits fly out the window.

One of the most euphoric feelings I have ever experienced in this business of real estate investing was walking out of a closing with a check payable to me for $75,000 on a package of a few cheap real estate properties! As with anyone, I had a use for that cash! But those profits were dictated on my special personal contract in advance of closing.

Much more cash at closing is available to real estate investors who take control of the options available by independently choosing wording in the content of their own purchase contract and sales contract. This choice is readily available to the real estate investing professional who understands these rights and applies them in the construction of a personal contract.

The suggestion in this article is not legal advice but encouragement to take advantage of an opportunity available in real estate investing. This suggestion is not encouragement to become greedy with legal rights but to give notification that negotiation is available over the dictates of closing costs. Sometimes transactions are profitable only when these considerations are understood.

Real Estate Investing in Foreclosures

Miami real estate investing is not very hard to learn, even though that there are many facets that are essential to understand before attempting to start investing. While many books and seminars are offered on investing only a few deliver the desired results. Investing is not taught in any university and it is more of an art than an exact science. It requires a lot of perseverance and determination. Many investors learn by trial and error although a mistake could be very expensive and usually devastating. Numerous millionaires made their money through real estate investments. Information, education and research are major considerations for an investor to be successful.

Real estate investing in Miami, Florida is a full time business where investors are constantly trying to maximize their profits and minimize their risks in other to generate wealth over time. Investing is a verified long term wealth creator. It is a numbers game and many of the transactions will not work but it is all worth it when one deal goes through and all your hard work is rewarded. It takes a lot of time and effort to effectively dominate the art of real estate investing. It is a risky business but it is the best way to create lasting financial security. Investing in Miami real estate is an excellent way to make a positive monthly income and built long term wealth and obtain financial independence.

Investors in Miami real estate have recently taken a beating and many have seen their investment properties lose value. An investor should not panic and sell in this market to avoid huge loses. Since it is a long term business an investor should realize that the time is now to rent the property and hold until the market turns around. If an investor requires a predictable and safe return on investment then investing in Miami real estate is not the answer. The business of real estate investing is very risky, and unpredictable but well worth the effort. An investor should consider buying foreclosures and bank owned properties. The Miami real estate market has hit bottom and it should be bouncing back very soon.

Miami real estate investing is different than various types of investing. An investor must overcome many roadblocks and obstacles. Usually finding financing is the single most overwhelming challenge an investor will face when trying to purchase Miami real estate. Using leverage in the business is common so arranging financing is very important. Do not purchase investment property with no money down. Little or no money down has caused many properties to go into foreclosure recently. Investing is not as perplexing, time consuming and financially draining as one might imagine.

Bank owned properties or Reo's and Short Sales are a good way to start to look for a good deal in Miami real estate to purchase. The list of bank real estate owned (Reo) properties is huge. Not all banks want to discount properties so finding a good property to buy takes a lot of work and patience. Short Sales are the new trend in speculating in Miami real estate. Banks are not very eager to short sale their inventory and it takes usually about two months for the bank to accept or reject the offer. Government foreclosures are another to avenue to search. These properties include HUD, Housing and Urban Development, VA, Veteran Administration, FNMA and Freddie Mac. HUD homes are very popular and usually they will sell to the higher bidder in a weekly online auction. Investors are allowed to bid when the property does not sell to owner occupants. These HUD-FHA foreclosures properties are offer an excellent value. Foreclosures remain the best way for investors to start in the Miami real estate investing business since most of them have instant equity.

The best way to start investing in Miami real estate is buying foreclosures. The tremendous amount of foreclosures now in the Miami real estate market overwhelmingly gives the investor a lot of inventory to choose from in order to purchase the right property at a discounted price. This opportunity will more than likely never be available again and investors should take full advantage. An experienced Miami real estate agent who specializes in foreclosures is essential in order to guide the investor. The agent must have access to current bank owned REOs, foreclosures, short sale properties, pre-foreclosures government foreclosures and other distress listings. Investing in Miami real estate is a very exciting and rewarding business.

Real Estate Investment: One Of The Most Rewarding

Donald Trump, a real estate tycoon says, "It's tangible, it's solid, it's beautiful. It's artistic, from my standpoint, and I just love real estate."

Real estate is the term that covers land and other things that are permanently attached to it such as buildings. It is considered as synonymous to real property or realty. It is the exact opposite of personal property, chattel or personalty.

People behind a real estate investment must be good in purchasing and selling realties. They must buy, develop, appraise and sell lands, houses and buildings wisely in order to do business productively.

For sure, they know how to profit. Not jut ordinary profit but rewarding and fulfilling one.

However, in order to have a financially rewarding experience, you must be knowledgeable with the ins and outs of the real estate investment. Ask your self: Is the business deal you are about to enter into a good deal? How do you know if it is?

You must know first the techniques behind the real estate investment before you can be ready to enter it.

There are also keywords on real estate investment that you have to master and here they are:

1. Wealth flow. The first thing to consider in a real estate investment is the flow of money. You have to ask your self first. Is this realty viable? How persuasive can it be to the target market? Will this investment provide them future income? Aside from those, also ask your self, how important is personal income to you?

2. Leverage. Leverage, with regards to real estate investment, is the use of borrowed funds in order to purchase realty. This is done with anticipation that the purchased realty will boost the profit.

This process is important to investors. This is because the lesser cash you give on each realty the more you can have additional purchases. This does not end here, if the value of the properties soar, the profit will also increase exponentially.

3. Equity. Real estate investment equity may take several forms. These forms include foreclosure, re-zoning opportunity, discount, potential fixer upper and defectively managed property.

There are many ways of generating equity but the best way is buying into equity. You can do this by searching for a seller who wants to dispose of his property and that he is willing to renounce his equity for lesser that its full value.

4. Appreciation. Real estate investment is all about purchasing the right realty in order to realize great profits.

This can be a pretty difficult at times. This is because real estate is speculative and risky. You can be up on one point and down on the other.

5. Possibility. As you have read, real estate investment is pretty risky. If the realty did not appreciate in value, what will you do?

There are different outcomes available in real estate investment. They include overwhelming profits, average income and terrible loss. The latter is the most debilitating of them all.

6. Limited Liability. One of your concerns about real estate investment is the manner in which you can limit your liability. Perhaps, you know already that the real estate investment world is susceptible to unlimited liability. Be cautious of this fact. Be sure to limit your liability up to the maximum extent.

If you have already found a realty that satisfies you investor instincts, you are now more aware of what to do and what to ponder.

Real estate Investment Success Series Tip #5 -3 Ways to Get More Out of the Real Estate Agent if You

Real estate brokers are the greatest asset of small investors since brokers deal with more properties than the individual real estate investor could ever deal with. That said, however real estate agents usually act for the seller so tend to act directly opposite to that of the buyer. In addition, their commission depends on the price that they can sell the property, so the higher the price they sell the more they can earn.

This article acknowledges this and lists four things you can do to get the most out of the real estate agents that you meet when you are shopping for your next real estate investment deal.

Tip #1- Use their knowledge

Most people know that some places have higher rental yields than other similar properties in the same class of real estate. If you are new to an area, you would want to tap on the vast knowledge of the real estate agent's local knowledge. Ask him what areas command a better rental and why. Then ask him to show you those properties. In this way you would get a better return on investment as opposed to him showing you the properties he wants you to see.

Choosing a property in a good area good as it allows you have a maximum upside when the economy turns around. Let the real estate agent know that you are a committed real estate investor and when he knows that you might be a potential return purchaser, he will let you know of any new real estate deals that come his way that might interest you.

Tip #2- Go early to scout out the area

This is a simple tip that most people seem to miss out when looking for a real estate property. If you are the potential buyer, spend some time going to the property in question earlier then the said time and check it out. You want to spend some time observing the neighbourhood and talking to the neighbours so that you can find out all you can about the neighbourhood before you talk to the real estate agent who would try to paint a glowing picture of the area. Look out for things like crime problem, bad neighbours and other things that can turn away potential tenants.

For commercial property real estate investments, you might want to go there a day before so as to scout the area for the purpose of ascertaining walkthrough traffic. The greater the walkthrough traffic the higher your potential rental returns. Its no good purchasing a commercial property in an area that has no visitors since your rental returns would be very low.

Tip #3- Compare stories with other agents

Once you have figured out what type of real estate investment property you are interested in and what area you want, you would want to make appointments with several real estate agents so as to learn more about the potential area that you are acquiring property in. Since real estate agents are competing with each another so you can find out the downside of another agent's proposed property at no charge at all.

In addition to learning the downside of your possible real estate investment, some of these real estate agents can give you valuable information that you can use tell your prospective tenants to rent out your property like for instance proximity to bus stations, the proximity to the subway, low crime rate and secured vehicle parking.

Tip #4- Get an agent that is qualified and in a medium to large agency

In general novice investors should contact a long-established real estate agent that is very familiar with the area that you intend to invest in. The reason is that you want an agent that knows that area very well and knows what properties are on sale and a bargain. The agent will also be able to tell you which areas are good for rental purposes and these areas should be the areas that you should spend your energy on.

Another thing to take note is that your agent should be a medium to large agency so as to gain access to a large database of properties for sale and rental. This would facilitate your search for high rental yielding properties through the agent. A medium to large real estate company would also not fold so easily and leaving you in the lurch while in the midst of a real estate transaction.

In conclusion, real estate agents are a useful part of the real estate investment process but if you mentally know what you want, you can benefit greatly from their years of industry knowledge. Effective real estate investment requires education and massive action on your part.

Real Estate Investing for Beginners - Real Estate Investing for Beginners Guide

Real estate investing can become very profitable for those who know what they're doing. For those who don't really know what they're doing, real estate investing can start to feel like a bad idea. Learn more about real estate investing for beginners, and learn how to turn your initial investment into a whole lot more.

Real estate investing for beginners is not so different from real estate investing for the old pros. After all, you're all trying to do that same thing: get a good return on the property you bought. Learning how to get that return is the trick to success at real estate. For beginners, it's best to learn all you can before you start investing. Real estate isn't hard to figure out, and the more you know the more money you stand to gain from your real estate investment.

For beginners, real estate investing should begin with study. Study the market, study the properties that are available in your area, study the public reaction. This means, spend a little time just watching properties in your area. Look at what's selling, what's not selling, and where these properties are location. Success at real estate investing often depends on where and what properties you buy. A beautiful home in a terrible neighborhood won't sell as well as it would in a great neighborhood, and your investment is what will suffer. You want to know which areas are popular, and which areas have properties that don't sell as well. Real estate investing for beginners means taking the time to learn, before you jump right into spending.

Keep in mind that, for beginners who are just getting involved in real estate, it's always good to have some help. Speak to contractors, speak to real estate agents, speak to other real estate investors. Learn all you can from others, and in this way you can learn the tricks to succeed. Real estate investing for beginners is just like any other real estate investing, only with a little less experience.

It's always important, when working in real estate, to give buyers what they want. In homes, it's the kitchen and bathrooms that make the most impact on potential buyers. Real estate professionals will say it's the kitchen and bathrooms that make or break the sale of the house. Giving people a pleasant property is essential, because they won't want to buy anything they might consider sub-par. If you wouldn't want to buy the property, chances are good that no one else will want to buy, either. And if no one buys, then you've made a bad investment - and will probably end up losing that entire investment, to boot. A property that won't sell is, essentially, worthless to real estate investors.

Real estate investing, even for beginners, doesn't have to be extremely complicated. Just learning a few of the ABCs of real estate investing can help you find success on the market. Once you start, you may never want to stop.

IRA Real Estate Investing When the Going Gets Tough

IRA real estate investments are booming in 2008 for soon to be retirees who are worried about their future retirement plans. With the economy looking wobbly, the stock market plunging and the big investment banks going under, with us bailing them out, some traditional forms of retirement investing are starting to look a little sick.

For these reasons IRA real estate investments are increasing. Increasing? Surely not. Along with an economic meltdown, a stock market collapse and all sorts of economic turmoil, isn't the real estate market headed for oblivion as well? Who in their right mind would consider investing their IRA in real estate?

Surely in 2008 real estate is a one way trip to the poorhouse.

No, not quite. Have you ever heard the expression that there is opportunity in adversity? There is plenty of opportunity in real estate right now, if you know where.

But lets look at IRA real estate investing first. How can you invest your IRA in real estate? Is it allowed? Is it legal?

Traditionally the majority of the population invest their IRAs in investments that are promoted to them by their custodian. In fact some custodians limit allowable investments to their own. So, it's estimated, over 90%, in fact around 96% of IRA funds are invested this way. Mutual funds, CDs and stocks, and so on.

No problem if the markets are pushing ever skyward, but quite a problem right now.

But what about IRA real estate investments? Yes it's entirely allowed to invest your IRA in real estate through a self directed IRA. Although this is not widely recognised, IRA real estate investing is one of the best forms of wealth accumulation for retirement. Real estate is a traditional long term wealth accumulation model, and as such is in fact ideal for IRA investing.

If you're not certain about the details of how to set yourself up for IRA real estate investing consult your CPA, that's outside the scope of this article. However take my word for it, it's quite legal, and many canny IRA investors are doing it right now, and have been for a long time. You may need to execute an IRA rollover into a self directed IRA, but the trouble is worth it.

And there's powerful reasons to consider investing your IRA in real estate. Did you know, for example, that it's estimated that 85% of all wealth in the US was created through real estate?

And that through your IRA you can secure up to 70% bank non-recourse financing to invest your IRA retirement funds in income producing real estate?

Its food for thought isn't it?

Now back to the real estate market. After all there's no point in IRA real estate investing if the value of your real estate investment is going down is there?

Although we all hear that the real estate investment market is dreadful this isn't the whole story. PARTS of the real estate market are dreadful, but not ALL of it. It's perfectly possible to find excellent opportunities for investing in the lower priced end of the market. Simple comfortable homes for the working class who live in those faceless suburbs in cities right across America. There are some fantastic IRA real estate investments available in the right place RIGHT NOW.

But if you're looking to get out there and find them yourself then you may be in for a shock. It's not something that is realistic for the individual IRA real estate investor. You need professional help.

Buy in the wrong place and you'll probably get burnt, big time.

But right now there are some excellent opportunities available for securing a great real estate investment, no cash down, at under market value, with tenants supplied, rental guarantees and even a guarantee that you will double your current investment return.

All through a major US public corporation with a reputation for solid real estate investment returns, for both IRA real estate investing and ordinary credit investing in real estate.

Yes you can secure your retirement future through a good IRA real estate investment, or more than one. However it's the time to leave it to those who really know what they're doing in hard times, and you can relax and leave the hard work to someone else.

The Myth of Real Estate Investing and 7 Ways to Make the Most Money From Your Property Investment

Investing in Real Estate has become urban legend the myths abound about how much you can increase your wealth by investing in real estate and in particular residential real estate, so much so that the average Joe believes that making money and creating wealth when it comes to real estate is a given and in alienable right so to speak.

Average mums and dads are jumping onto the real estate bandwagon with no knowledge or training in the fundamentals of investing. These folks are fed the myth that using their equity from their family home will miraculously make them into real estate tycoons, all to often these poor misguided souls end up losing the home and everything else in their pursuit of real estate's Eldorado.

To perpetuate the myth these naive investors are advised to hold on to their real estate investments for ten years or longer, this is great in theory if you are in your twenties and do not need the profits in the immediate sh rt term to help fund a decent retirement, unfortunately when you look at the demographics of these investors they are in their fifties with plenty of equity in their family homes most usually own their family home and have neglected doing any thing for their retirement till now and in horror discover that they will not be able to have their current lifestyle on the pension.

Little wonder real estate investment seminars are packed with these late bloomers all hoping to make a fortune by investing in residential real estate, the seminar presenters ensure that is all these folks here, after all this is a valuable gravy train.

Try this little trick next time a telemarketer calls and asks you to attend a real estate investment seminar, and the telemarketer asks you if you own your own home and how much equity you have in it, reply by saying that you have none, I will guarantee that before the word none leaves your mouth they have hung up on you, interesting isn't it?

Tragically no one is told when a real estate investment has gone bad or failed to perform as happens on a daily basis with the stock market, why is this so? One of the major reasons are the volumes of money that Governments, Banks and marketers make from selling the residential investment myth, that is also the reason why Governments have been loathe to legislate that investors under go an investment training program before they can invest, as once the myth is busted the gravy train will not be as plentiful and the flow on effect into allied industries would be catastrophic.

This myth is well and truly busted as you can loose everything from a failed real estate investment and there are no such things as guaranteed growth with out doing some work for it.

Here are 7 simple ways to maximize your money from real estate investment

1. Know your profit before you buy

Do your due diligence and find out if the price you are paying is below market value, a simple rule is can you resell this property today for a profit and if so how much.

2. Type of Neighborhood?

The community surrounding the property can change in a variety of ways that can adversely affect your real estate income property. Increasing vacancy, for instance, can lead to reduced rents, which in turn means reduced maintenance causing building deterioration, This can cause a roll on effect if more properties start to decline in the whole neighborhood,compounding the problem.

The nearby construction of facilities such as prisons, sewer treatment plants, and airports will also likely have an adverse effect on the area. Also, perhaps more subtle and slower in coming, is a decline due to increased crime, perhaps resulting from an adjoining neighborhood spill over. If you still want to invest here find out what it is that makes it special that everyone else has over seen, often gems are discovered with a little digging,

3. Impact of poor or neglected Infrastructure

The impact of being directly under the flight path of airplanes, construction of a major highway or intersection can limit access to the property, cause noise and dirt by the construction and all this can have a negative impact on the property's ability to attract and keep tenants. The end result may be an increase in your investment real estate value, but construction and major works can take up to a year or more and during that time you could expect your real estate investment value to drop. Or worse still the infrastructure is neglected and the local authority does not have the Tax base to start remedial works to bring it up to standard,

4.Controls

Governmental controls and regulatory changes to zoning can adversely impact real estate investment properties. Real Estate investors that purchase raw land for development, for instance, can see their plans grind to a halt because of a building moratorium or anti-development sentiment. All of which results in downturn in value.

5. Finance

Difficulty obtaining finance or the lenders require more of your capital to top up your borrowings,yers for your rental property if you decide to sell, This type of condition is prevalent at the moment as lenders are devaluing the amount that they are willing to lend against real estate, in most instances I have seen lenders valuations or real estate down by up to 30% to 40% of the contract price depending on the region this could be higher again, this trend should alert the investor that the deal they think is great may not be so great after all, unfortunately marketers have this covered as they are dealing with naive and unsophisticated investors by saying that the lenders always value the property for less, if that is what some one lending you money says about your intended investment wouldn't it be prudent to listen and renegotiate or if that is not possible walk away from the deal.

6. Lack of or no maintenance.

If your property is the run down, get it brought back up to a good condition. This will make it more appealing to prospective tenants

7. Pressure to sell

Highly motivated sellers may reduce a property to a bargain basement price and smart investors watch for property owners who must sell to take advantage of the owner's strong motivation to quit the property. Always try to avoid ever reaching the moment when you are forced to sell.

These are just of many tips I use to maximize my profits from my real estate investments and so can you.

Real Estate Investing Requires Education

I really believe in getting an education in real estate investing, especially before launching a real estate investing career. I have been investing in real estate for 25 years, but I still spend thousands of dollars each year to learn more about real estate investing. To avoid unnecessary risks, you need to know as much as possible. If you make a wrong move in buying, managing or selling your property, you can lose everything, and your efforts will be flushed down the toilet. On the other hand, if you have what I call know-how savvy, you can weather almost any of the financial storms that will inevitably brew around your real estate investing venture.

Here are some of the critical essentials to make real estate investing pay off.

1.You've got to have a solid overview of the business.

You just can't go out and start making offers - even if you have some money. I guarantee you'll lose your money if this is your approach.

Don't think that fixing up houses is a piece of cake. You've got to know what you're doing.

2.You've got to have a good contract.

Picking up a crinkled ole contract document from your friendly real estate agent won't cut it. Most contracts are NOT written to give you the slight edge as a real estate investing professional.

A good contract means the difference in walking away from a closing with money out of your pocket or in your pocket. I have taken home thousands and thousands of dollars from closings - up to $75,000 from my best closing on just a cheap little house. But a fistful of bills at closing is not your only reward for having a good contract. You can get your seller to take care of some or all of your closing costs if you have a good contract. And you can avoid some of the usual buyer costs if you have a good contract. Have a good BUYER'S contract as a real estate investing professional.

3.You've gotta have a good working model as a pattern for your fix-up project.

If you have never tackled the job of remodeling or even fixing up a house, you don't have any idea what needs to be done and what should NOT be done.

Let me tell you from experience, you will be tempted to spend far more than necessary if you want the perfect house to sell. I know, because my wife is always suggesting what we need to do to our houses. Sometimes she is right, but often she wants to dress up a house with items that do not bring return on investment. It's a very thin line of distinction.

You need a model for your fix-up project to establish a working formula.

Let's face it. You can spend a bank full of money in fixing up a cheap little house. And it's easy to over-spend with money you will never get back. But, on the other hand, if you don't spend the right money on the right things, no one will buy your house. The margin of difference is close.

4.You have got to put on the hat of salesman when you get into this real estate investing business.

Your remodeled house will not sell itself. You have to polish to a spit-shine, and make the finished appearance of your house come off as the most desirable house in the neighborhood.

Don't fix up a cheap little house if you are unwilling to show it and sell it. You will lose a big chunk of your profit if you have to list it with a real estate agent.

It's O.K. to sell your makeover house through a real estate agent if you feel deficient as a salesman. But it is important to see your house AS a salesman in order to do your best job.

The key to success in real estate investing is in knowing what you are doing when you sell.

5.Real estate investing is a business.

Real estate investing is not a hobby and it's not a game. It is, however, a slam-dunk, dead-serious, rock-solid way of making money when you learn the ropes. And it just may be the easiest way you have ever earned a living.

Real Estate Investing - So You Want to be a Landlord!

Is landlording the way to go if you are starting into real estate investing today?

Receiving cash flow from rental residuals is an exciting idea. If the rental housing is congregated in large apartments within a focused area, the costs of management and maintenance are more economical. Rentals are even more appropriate when all of the portfolio is in the "path of developmental progress" with "upward mobility" population of a prime metropolitan city. This results in clustered landlording of an area free of crime, prostitution and drug traffic. However, whether purchasing large quantities of these apartment complex units as fix-up properties or pristine properties, acquisition usually demands deep-pockets and is not within the cash range availability of the beginning real estate investor. Therefore, I suggest such acquisition of these larger apartment properties after some experience in real estate investing has resulted in a big wad of cash in the hip pocket. For the beginning real estate investor, the choice is usually between becoming a near-slumlord or fixing up cheap properties for resale.

I recommend residential fixup for quick return on investment and less hassle from landlording for the beginner.

I bought $10 million dollars in rental properties during my first four years in the business, and it made me a multi-millionaire. I followed the instruction of the books and seminars precisely. It made me rich. But it was a costly mistake. In fact, in my opinion, becoming a landlord in the beginning of my real estate investing career was what I consider my "$10 Million Mistake."

Perhaps an explanation of what I term a serious "mistake" can guide your decision in starting a real estate investing career.

Problem 1. I can clean out toilets pretty well. I've cleaned out quite a few. It's not the most fun activity I've ever had. I never thought of it as a party. But I can clean toilets in the maintenance of rental property as well as anyone.

Cleaning toilets is simply symbolic of all the upkeep jobs necessary for being a landlord. But let me assure you, there are many, many other detestable jobs required in landlording, too.

I can clean out one toilet. But cleaning out toilets in $10 million dollars worth of properties is a little beyond me. So, that's why I had to quickly start an in-house maintenance company.

Problem 2. I can rent one apartment to an applicant. But renting $10 million dollars worth of properties is beyond me. So that's why I had to start an in-house management company.

Here's the point. Any person who becomes a landlord can handle a few properties. But a few rental properties seldom make you rich. I "became rich" as a landlord by acquiring a lot of properties which required a lot of renting and a lot of maintenance work.

Eventually, my landlording life became helter-skelter.

I never want to be a landlord again in this same capacity. It is a deterrent to real estate investing success.

Real estate investing has many better opportunities other than landlording.

The easiest and most quickly initiated opportunity is the fixup of cheap housing. With efficiency, the beginning real estate investor can acquire a cheap house with little or no money down, repair it with "sweat equity," and dispose of it through a sale within 30 days for $5000 to $10,000 profit minimally. Several of these cheap houses can quickly replace a job income and can lead to full-time real estate investing.

What Is A Real Estate Investment Trust?

A real estate investment trust is a device that permits you to invest in real estate and property but without the usually hassles associated with purchasing such property on your own. A real estate investment trust is a system where a group of investors collectively gather their funds into a legal trust and invest in various forms of real estate. If you've ever heard of other investment mechanisms such as mutual funds, you'll understand the way real estate investment trusts are supposed to work. A real estate investment trust may also be known as a REIT and a REIT invests in different types of property. The different types of property that are invested in may be residential or commercial or even for leisure purposes. Simple REITs may invest in property as a simple as an apartment block or as complex as a group of hotels and leisure parks. Some real estate investment trusts even own shopping centers and movie theatres and it all depends of the purposes of the people who initially set up the real estate investment trust.

Different types of REIT's exist and some of these trusts are private in nature. A number of these real estate investment trusts are public and can be found on stock exchanges such as the NYSE and the London Stock Exchange. One form of real estate investment trust is the mortgage REIT, which provides a unique service in that it supplies new home owners with money in order to purchase new property. People may also invest in such devices in order to get loans and securities which are backed by these REITs and mortgages. As with any investment device, a certain form of risk is always involved and methods have been created to effectively handle these types of risk. The risks that are associated with a real estate investment trust will vary and can be dependent on a varied number of factors some of which include the location the investments are based in and other factors.

In recent times REITs have increased in popularity due to a different number of reasons. Some people prefer real estate investment trusts because they are associated with factors that they can easily understand. Some people prefer REITs because they are identified with development and growth. Others simply make investments for certain reasons which are often driven by emotional factors. Statistics have shown that some relations exist between the prices of stock and the prices of real estate and profitability of REITs may easily be determined by monitoring for such statistics and varying volatility of stock markets in a particular region.

If you want to invest in real estate but you have often been scared of the problems of tying down all your money in one particular investment, REITs make perfect sense for you. The increased popularity of these devices, the growth of demand for quality real estate on a global scale as well as the opening of new vistas for investment such as the economies of newer countries on the boom such as the UAE and the countries of the former Eastern Bloc of Europe show better times ahead for early investors.