วันจันทร์ที่ 2 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

Do not run out of money before you run out of life

By john krol

Okay, so it finally hits you that investing in real estate is the best possible move you can make with your money. With your heart is set on buying an apartment building, your search for reading

The answer is simple; use, use and use. Use is possibly the most important factor in terms of the property?s value. For your investment to be a success, you need to think of the building?s use for you as well as for your tenants. Hence, you need to also put yourself in the shoes of your customers, i.e. your tenants. To kick start things, first attain information on the demographics of the area in which you want to invest in. This should give you a basic idea of who your target audience is and will also allow you to build a general profile of your typical tenant.

With that profile in mind, think then of what the average tenant would need if he/she lives in your building. For starters, regardless of who you rent out to, people will always need basic amenities near by. Thus, you have to ensure that the apartment building you buy is located near a grocery store, entertainment facilities, medical facilities and the like. You should note that although people might have cars, they won?t like driving for more than 10 minutes to get the basic necessities. For example, in an emergency situation, no person would like to drive more than 10 minutes to get to a hospital.

Following the universal needs, you need to look a little more closely into the profile you have outlined. The more you breakdown this profile, the greater will be chances for success. For instance, if currently you feel that your building will primarily be occupied by families, then you should study the demographic data carefully to figure out what kind of families are we talking about. Will the families be newly married couples or families with school-going children' If it's the former of the two cases, then your building should ideally be located near a good quality daycare center. Meanwhile, if it's the latter of the two cases, then you will be best positioned if the building is a near a good quality school.

Use is possibly the most important factor when one is to make a purchase. Combine that with customer profiling, and you have the recipe for success. However, always remember that you shouldn?t venture outside your comfort zone unless you absolutely have to. Comfort zone here refers to areas with which you are familiar and have possibly had experience in previously. This point is important always but even more when you are initially starting out as a real estate investor. When starting out, stick to what you know and try out new things only when you feel you have a handle on the situation. And always, always, keep your eyes and ears open to absorb whatever information you can about your location so that you are never left in the dark.

http://blog.ira-401k-realestate.com

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California Living: Economics

By Ian Kleine

The economics of California holds a direct influence on the monetary system of the United States of America, due to the fact that the state pays more than as to the benefits it receives from monetary funds and benefits.

There are at least four major economic regions surrounding California. Hollywood, whose movies and projects cost and create a lot of money. California Central Valley, responsible for agriculture and the produce that supplies the state and its surrounding neighbors. Silicon Valley, which deals with the production, creation and development of computer hardware and electronic devices. And the wineries of California, particularly Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and others.

By 2002, these regions were divided and more were added to the classification system. Among these were: Trade, Transportation and Utilities, Government, Professional and Business Service Providers, Education and Health, Leisure and Hospitality, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Construction, Information, Internet Business and Marketing and Agriculture.

The state also draws a lot of its input from tourism and international trade; after all, California IS the 'melting pot' of cultures in the United States. The tourism department makes at least an annual income of 134 billion dollars; with one third of that only coming from exports. The 96 billion something dollars left comes from revenue from direct traveling in to California.

California also competes with the other states in terms of agricultural produce. This includes the production of wines, cheese, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. California has been known to lead in the dairy category, with milk being the number one farming commodity, and has generated jobs and employment for at least 400,000 people far across the state.

Looking for oil, so called liquid-gold, has also been under development. So far, rich strikes have been made near the Californian Coasts, Long Beach and Los Angeles. Oil drilling is not something new, it has actually supported the state over the years, now only making a comeback due to reduced and cheaper costs in drilling for oil around these areas.

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Home Buddies Quarterly Economic Report - Part 3 - Opportunities

By Cliff Pape

Over the past several weeks we have taken a bird's eye view of the US economy. In this post I will be addressing what we will likely see happening in mortgage and real estate markets in 2009. Finally, I will point out the unique opportunities that are available in this type of environment.

Mortgage Markets and Credit

It seems the biggest story coming out of 2008 is the Fed's announcement in November to buy up $600 billion in unsecured debt and mortgage-backed securities from Fannie and Freddie. The push is an attempt by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to steer toward lower mortgage rates - not just lower short-term rates.

The goal, whether it is a good idea or not, is to make it less expensive to get a mortgage. The idea is to lower debt costs to bring possible home-buyers or investors with credit to stabilize the market.

Investors have always had the role of stabilizing property values after every bust and this cycle is no different. When investors and retail buyers begin to buy up property, values will start to recover which helps the banks' balance sheets. The good news for loan officers is that the cycle so far has been pretty predictable and we have long been anticipating a new refinance boom that usually comes after federal manipulation.

Real Estate Markets

If housing permits continue to slow, it may be some time before the real estate market improves in the US. Keen an eye on a few things in Houston however. Some cities (including Houston) are still countering the global economic trend. However, even in Houston, permits are starting to slow which may lead to a retraction as we move into next year.

However, layoffs will be the big indicator leading into 2009. If we experience substantial job layoffs then the already fragile housing market could experience a deeper setback.

Investment Opportunities

The credit crisis has brought fear into markets whose economic fundamentals would not otherwise justify it. Therefore there may never be a better time to buy single family homes in Houston because the emotional fear does not match the fundamentals and prices have fallen below what they would otherwise warrant without the short-term, emotionally-driven fear.

Lastly, with the current credit standards, many buyers (including many investors) are no longer able to get financing for single family homes. Now there is an opportunity for investors with good credit (or those with other financing options) to buy investment real estate at below-market prices.

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