| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
Investment Property Part I: How Not to Become a Slumlord
After riding the ups and downs of the stock market roller coaster for a while, an increasing number of investors are looking into property investment as a more stable alternative. With hot markets in many parts of the United States, the time may be ripe for you to get into this potentially lucrative trade. I would suggest, however, that you keep reading before you jump on the first property you find. You just might find something in this article that will keep you from breaking the bank and your back. The hope of any investor is to build long-term wealth; this is a fairly straightforward principle and probably the reason you're reading this article. There are however, some rules to play by in the property investment game if you don't want to end up taking a shotgun with you every time rent needs to be collected. I'm talking about how to avoid becoming a 'slumlord'. In order to best relate the rules of being a successful landlord, let me share a story experienced by some extended family members. It's a great example of what NOT to do if you want to get the most out of your investment property. After the story we'll see what rules and lessons we can learn. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the innocent. Ben bought a beater single-family investment property in a very bad area and he his two sons, Josh and Nathan, all got busy. They put in hardwood floors-don't want to have to replace carpet every time you have turn over, right? And then they thought they'd use really good paint-don't want have to repaint every time, right? And then they decided to splurge on good cabinetry and bathroom fixtures-a happy renter is a good renter, right? And to top it off, they put in nice towels on nice racks that said, "We are Family." Renters would appreciate that, right? Right. The first family to move in removed the bedroom and cupboard doors for firewood, tore out the nice bathroom fixtures and sold them at the swap meet, and fired small caliber rounds through the new hardwood floors. Ben discovered this when he received a call that the roof was leaking and he should, "Get your *** down here and fix it!" He patiently tried to explain that roofs do that when you pull shingles for kindling. Other wonderful visits ensued, prompted by similar calls. It only took eight months to get them out of the house; turns out that tenant rights as outlined by the county enumerate more rights than the rest of us enjoy collectively. As the family moved out he noticed that mom and the two older boys all sported matching shirts stitched with "We are Family." The rest carried various pieces of the house. Ben, Josh, and Nathan began to rebuild the house, finding all sorts of interesting changes to its structure. Nothing really serious other than a supporting beam was chain-sawed out (apparently more firewood), tile pried up in one bathroom-no clear reason why, gang signs scratched into all the glass and mirrors that weren't broken and other little surprises. While helping restring some crawl space electrical wire-later found strung in the closet for hangers-Josh found a rusted out .32 caliber handgun. Somehow the tenants had managed to pry bricks out of the chimney, which Ben needed to replace in order to meet code. Apparently someone had driven an M1A1 Abrams up the driveway; there was no other way to explain the huge cracks in a driveway that had remained perfect for 20 years. What can we learn from this horrific, yet unfortunately true story? Rule #1 Rule #2 Rule #3 Rule #4 Rule #5 Don't repeat the mistakes made by Ben and his sons. Granted, getting into the investment property business takes hard work and you'll have to put up with things you normally wouldn't put up with. At the same time there are steps you can take to limit your liability while preventing yourself from becoming a 'slumlord'. In the next portion of this two-part article we will be discussing some of the financial aspects you should be familiar with in order to find the best deal possible on your first investment property. Cameron Brown is an internet marketer specializing in ranking automation. For information on investment property, visit Security National Capital.
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Understanding Opportunity Cost When Investing In Property While most investors have got involved in property investing because they understand the opportunities to make money through leverage and capital growth or high yields, I still see and hear of many who do not fully understand opportunity cost.Remember anyone that gets into property is usually in it to generate money or income - how many deals/properties you own is insignificant. Property Investing Secrets 3 Property Investing Secrets: When you Make Property Easy to Buy for People Using Vendor Finance It Is Easy To SellWhen property investing, my goal is to make it easy for people to buy my properties, that's why I offer vendor finance. You have the advantage when you buy properties from sellers when property investing. How To Go About Selling Your Home On Your Own In days of booming real estate, you would think that selling a home shouldn't be too much of a task. And if it's going to be that easy then why not do it on your own and save yourself on thousands of dollars in commissions. Property Investors, Scrub Your Thoughts and Start Again - Brazil, Brazil, Brazil! Brazil Property - FortalezaThe PlaceWhat to do in a place like this - You can swim, surf, dive, sail, golf, play ball, ride, explore, bargain hunt, sight see, explore, drive a dune buggy for 100 miles in any direction, or take a jeep up a steep mountain trail. You can explore environmental preserves, or just swing in a hammock and do nothing at all. Purchase Your First Home with Confidence If you are making the transition from renter to homeowner, you're not alone. In 2004, 40 percent of homebuyers were purchasing for the first time, according to "The 2004 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Are You Tired of Tenants, Toilets, and Trash? Wouldn't you rather go to Tahiti? Are you a landlord with rental property whose value has significantly appreciated? Are you ready to cash in those profits and take that trip to Tahiti?Before selling your property, check with your accountant whowill tell you that you will be paying $60,000 in CapitalGains Tax to Uncle Sam. Your accountant will also tell youthat adding another $20,000 to your income by that sale iscalled recaptured depreciation. How to Become a Successful Real Estate Investor Many folks dream of becoming real estate investors, but not everyone has what it takes. If you're dreaming of becoming an investor, here are several important questions to consider, long before you buy your first investment property:1) Why would a homeowner sell a house at a bargain price?Many things happen in people's lives that make their home suddenly become a burden. Will The Real Home Buying Guide... Please Stand Up? Use Google right now and do a search on, "Home Buying Guide". Take a few minutes to click some of the links to see what's out there and then come right back. Will a 1031 Property Exchange Solve Your Problems? If your problem is listed below, a 1031 exchange may or may not be your solution.1. Best Time to Buy? Best Time to Sell? When is the best time to buy? When is the best time to sell? I get asked these questions constantly everywhere I go. In short, the answer is that it depends on your individual circumstances. Homes in Chapel Hill Chapel Hill is located right in the middle of North Carolina, halfway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. In 2000, the nearly 20 square mile city had a population of 48,715 people and it has substantially increased over the last five years. Estate Planning Estate planning can enable you to control your property while you are alive, take care of you and your loved ones if you become disabled, and give what you have to whom you want, the way you want, and when you want, and if you wish, you can save every last tax dollar, professional fee, and court cost possible.Estate planners frequently begin the estate planning process by analyzing clients' personal and financial dreams, aspirations, fears and objectives. Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble? We are selling our house. We have lived here for 15 years, the longest I have ever lived anywhere; of the places since I left my parents' home I think my previous best was three years. Buying Rental Property - Avoid Sellers Tricks Be careful when buying rental property. We stayed at a motel for a week one winter. Preparing To Make A Zero Down Offer I'm going to focus on the Seller of a hypothetical property you have found and the offer that you are going to make. You want to write it so it has a reasonable chance of being accepted. Secrets of Making Money from Real Estate - Part 1 There are three investment vehicles which can make you rich. Stocks, businesses, and real estate. What To Expect In Closing Costs On A Home Purchase Many are taking advantage of this year's low mortgage rates to purchase a home. Pent up with excitement, many families, who have scrimped and saved for a down-payment, jump for joy when the mortgage lender finally approves their application. How to Research and Purchase a Good Investment Property How much do you really know about investment property? Accurate research and professional expertise applied to the purchase of an investment property builds a solid foundation for financial success. You may want to work with a REALTOR who can help to identify the great opportunities in investment properties in the area of your choice. Condo Hotels Offer Luxury and Great Investment Potential Not Your Typical Vacation HomeWhat could be more perfect that owning a luxury vacation home at a landmark resort and receiving rent revenue whenever you're not using it? Condo hotels are the newest trend in vacation home ownership. Live in it when you're there; rent it when you're not. Reinventing Real Estate, Part 1: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less For decades, the real estate world turned in a predictable manner. The roles of buyers, sellers and real estate professionals were fairly well defined and transactions followed a predictable path of yard signs, newspaper ads, open houses and miles of paperwork.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 TIGER MEDIA |