Investors Journal - Real Estate Investing

Timing Buying and Selling
In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.Buying and selling real estate is similar to timing other investments — stocks, bonds, mutual funds. But there are two important differences. Most investments can be bought or sold within minutes at the market price. Buying or selling real estate takes months. That difference introduces interesting wrinkles in timing when to buy ...
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Flipping
The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.'Flipping', in real estate investing lingo, is nothing more than buying a property and selling it again quickly, hopefully for a healthy profit. It's not illegal, it isn't even unethical — it's just business, and that can be done either way.The belief that flipping is illegal, sometimes the result of media stories de ...
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Foreclosures
The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with real estate.To the novice real estate investor foreclosures often look irresistibly attractive. Who wouldn't want to make a quick profit of 50% or more? But whether a foreclosure deal is really sugar or merely sweet-tasting arsenic depends on a list of complex factors.Foreclosure is a legal procedure in which a mortgage holder reclaims a property due to default on a loan. Some states in the U.S. allow 'strict' foreclosure — the borrower has a cer ...
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The Benefits Of Hiring A Tax Advisor
When deciding to get involved with a real estate transaction normally the first person you would think to consult would not be a tax advisor. Most people will find however that a tax advisor can provide them excellent feedback about the positive points as well as the downfalls of different investment strategies in the real estate world. You want to make sure that your tax person specifically has experience with real estate investing and is fully aware of the goals and needs for property investing. Although it is very likely that you can learn a lot about on your own ab ...
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Buying a Home That you can Afford
Because the process of buying a home is full of decisions, most homebuyers tend to forget to factor in the hidden costs. Before you go out and start the process you should think about the following points.When researching the various loans, make sure you don’t forget the related fees. There is the down payment, how much does it cost? Most mortgage companies will require between one and twenty percent. There is the loan amount. How much will you need to get and how long will you get it for? Are you thinking of a fifteen year loan? Or maybe a thirty year loan would ...
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Questions To Ask Before Investing
This article explains a few things about real estate, and if you're interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don't know.Real Estate is a complicated business. Every facet is controlled, in most countries, by numerous legal restrictions and requirements and there are many people involved in any deal, some with vested and competing interests. But you can also make a lot of money and, in some ways, a lot easier than in many other businesses.Before you take the plunge, ask yourself — and try to answer — some of the fol ...
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Maximizing Return
Have you ever wondered if what you know about real estate is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on real estate.Buy low, sell high. Anyone in any market aims for that, but few succeed. The only reasonable conclusion is it's easier said than done. So, to be part of that group of 'we happy few', consider some of these ways to maximize your return.In any business deal there are essentially only two ways to achieve the highest profit — keep your costs as low as possible, and attract the highest bidders. ...
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Managing Risk
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.In the world of property investment, there are various points along the 'just looking' to 'ready to sell' spectrum. Protecting your investment takes on different hues at different points.When first looking for property you have to consider the amount of ready cash available, the state of the current market, as well as your own level of experience with t ...
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When It Doesn't Sell Fast Enough
Are you looking for some inside information on real estate? Here's an up-to-date report from real estate experts who should know.In a market that has seen double-digit price increases for two years or more, selling a home was easy. Offer the property for sale at or slightly above market value and watch the bids roll in — sometimes within days.But all markets go through cycles and real estate is no exception. When the market, whether local or larger, begins leveling off it's possible to find that property sitting waiting for potential buyers. That ti ...
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Getting Started
When you think about real estate, what do you think of first? Which aspects of real estate are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.It's often been claimed that Real Estate investing is one of the easiest ways to make money. In one way, that's true. With a modest financial investment and a fair amount of sweat equity, a property can be bought and sold for a healthy profit and the future still looks pretty good.But easier is not the same thing as easy.The biggest barrier to success in real estate investing for th ...
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From The Lender's Point of View
In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.It's a hard fact but although lenders may be friendly, they are not your friend. This doesn't make them bad, it just means that they — like you — are engaging in business, not social relations. Though they will often decide in your favor on a borderline case if you have a long-term working relationship, this is not chari ...
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Leverage Is The Key To Making Money In Real Estate

The magic word in making money with real estate is ‘leverage’. Leverage means that you buy properties using other people’s money. None or very little of your own money is ever used. In fact a fundamental principle of real estate investing is that the less money of your own you pour into a real estate deal, the higher your chances of making a profit.