When you get out into the real estate market looking to buy property, don’t go as a babe into the woods. Educating yourself before you start your search will help you find the best deals and avoid the nastiest traps. This article will provide you with a few important ideas to keep in mind.
Commercial Real Estate
One important tip to remember when investing in commercial real estate is to try to avoid the most common first purchase – apartments. This is important because of over saturation as well as the possibility for a much higher profit elsewhere. Try to pick a specialty property that is unique to you.
For Sale By Owner
If you’re an experienced investor, consider “for sale by owner” properties. For sale by owner properties often present an excellent investment opportunity for investors who are familiar with the purchase process, and who would prefer to save on agent commissions. There are many different ways to structure a FSBO deal; it’s a matter of finding the one that works best for you.
Foreclosed Homes
For both sellers and buyers make sure that you always gather data about things. Look at the newspaper in that area for things like foreclosed homes, current and historic median selling prices and also how long homes are staying on the market. Also look up things like unemployment rate and crime rates for the area.
Property
Research the natural disasters that have occurred in the area of the home you are considering. Find out if the property lies near a fault or a flood zone, if wildfires are prevalent in the area or if the area is known for tornado activity. Not only do these factors influence the value of the home, this can make insuring the property, once you own it, much more expensive.
Property For Sale
Find a great neighborhood and then investigate all potential properties. If you find an up and coming neighborhood where property values are on the rise, investigate every property for sale and consider purchasing the lowest priced one. The advantage is this: If you find that the two lowest priced properties in a neighborhood are priced at $150,000 and $170,000 ” buy the $150,000 property and you can place it immediately on the market for $165,000. This gives you an excellent short term investment that will require little to no work on your end, other than arranging the financing and finding a selling agent.
Real Estate Listings
Even though it is very easy to search for real estate listings on the internet, it is still in your best interest to hire an agent to work with you. The agent will be able to answer many questions that you may have, handle the paperwork and analyze data that you would have no idea needed to by analyzed.
Deciding to buy property is a big step. Don’t take that step without learning about the ground you’ll be putting your foot on. This article’s information should give you a little bit of forewarning about the conditions you’ll find when you buy real estate. Educate yourself further to buy with even more confidence and get even better deals.