Posts Tagged ‘Property’

Buying Or Renting Property

Monday, February 15th, 2010

-Advantages of Buying
Investing in yourself. You won’t be paying the mortgage for anyone except yourself. And if the bank is willing to lend you the money, you can be sure they think you can afford it. That’s their business…to lend you money. They won’t give money to a poor risk. Equity increase. You can improve your asset. New paint and flooring can increase the value of your house significantly, depending on the condition it was in when you bought it. And if the bank agrees that the value of your house has gone up, you may be able to withdraw some of that equity to purchase something else that is important to you, generally through a line of credit. That money can come in very handy! Choices. When prices drop, as they have lately in many cities in North America, it’s a great time to buy. Statistics show that real estate will always increase in value. Do you know of any houses that are worth less than they were twenty or thirty years ago? What goes down will always come up. Real estate prices always go up and down, but they almost always go up higher than the time before. You don’t have to buy when prices are high, but you can buy what you can afford if you don’t want to wait for another slow down in real estate. Freedom. You can do whatever you want. The only people that can stop you are the police, the building inspector, and the health department! Well, maybe some others too. But you can have as many pets, parties and friends over as you like. Pride of Ownership. This is very important to some people. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of living in something that you own! Cutting the grass or shoveling the driveway at a rental house isn’t nearly as satisfying as cutting your own grass and shoveling your very own driveway. Stability. You can’t get a notice saying that your unit is being sold, or you will have to move out because the landlord wants to do major renovations. Long term benefits. When your retirement days start to loom over the horizon and your house is paid off, life can be very good. If you are still making those monthly rent payments, chances are that you will have to pay them for the rest of your life. And rents seem to increase faster than pensions do!
-Disadvantages of Renting
You have no control over your own living space. You can’t renovate or decorate as you’d like, and always have to ask permission to make changes. If you don’t get the okay from the landlord, you will either have to return your unit to its original condition, or pay to have the landlord do the work. Most rental units have many, many regulations regarding smoking, pets, parties, noise, and so on. If you were to buy a condo, you would likely have the same regulations, but if you bought your own house, you would have more freedom to live your own life. Have as many pets as you want. Throw a party every night if you want. You get the idea. If you rent, breaking those rules can get you evicted, which can be very inconvenient. You are helping to pay off someone else’s mortgage, when you could be paying down your own. If you live in an apartment, you have to put up with other people’s noises and smells. If you’re used to it, no problem, but it can be unpleasant at times.

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Commercial Property Lease

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Renting office space is an important decision in the life of every business. It is a decision most businesses do not relish and make only a few times, if indeed they do so more than once. There are a myriad of reasons why businesses are faced with the consideration of what to do prior to committing to a commercial property lease. What began as a home business may have expanded beyond home and require office space for lease. It may just be an issue of space or an issue of staffing, equipment and space. It may be a business outgrowing its current premises or maybe even downsizing in the current economic times. Whatever the reason commercial property leases are an important decision that should be carefully considered. Most businesses don’t want to move once let alone think about doing it all again because their first choice was a poor one long term. Over time there have been so many changes within offices. Consider the changes to equipment size. Gone are the days of monstrous, bulky equipment. Beyond the equipment there have been changes to the ergonomic and functional design of office furniture. Offices now have many options to consider and combine for functionality. Even the humble desktop computer now requires significantly less space than even five years ago. It is important to take stock and think through a few issues involved in commercial office space decisions before setting your sights on a property. The first for most businesses is cost. Don’t be fooled by straight dollar savings however. For example property becomes more expensive the closer it is to the centre of town. Choosing an office on the outskirts of town may save your rent savings but may be costing your business significantly more than you are saving. Think about your customers and staff. Is it easy and accessible? Is it in a location conducive to happy and productive staff or located somewhere that ensures they all leave by 5, no matter what, because they don’t want to be left there after dark. Likewise for customers it is too far to travel to, or too difficult to get to, or located where customers are not comfortable going. Losing or changing staff and losing customers due to changes in location can create enormous costs for your business that most likely outweigh any cheaper rental saving.

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Commercial Investment Property

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Commercial investment property investors look for successful investment opportunity to build wealth. Commercial real estate investors are no different than other types of investors. Finding the potential for successful acquisitions keeps an investor searching for additional ways to create passive income. The keys to becoming a successful investor in commercial investment property are FOCUS (education) . . . and finding a property in the right market phase of opportunity. Where does an investor begin a professional education in commercial investment property? Make your decision to begin where you are right now. FOCUS on the type of investor role fits your goals , . . active, passive or a combination of the two . . . then FOCUS on an investment time frame that meets your goals: long term, short term or a combination. What are the three types of Commercial Property Investors: find properties, secure the right to the purchase and sale agreement and can syndicate the deal by bringing in partners for equity capital when using OPM (other peoples money) or do the deal on their own to complete the acquisition.Active investors: provide equity capital to active investors, an Investment Company, or Institutional Fund once an accurate Pro Forma is provided that satisfies the passive investor about the properties potential for return on investment (The Pro Forma will match the investment criteria the passive investor has decided is their investment strategy.) Passive investors: provide equity capital to active investors, an Investment Company, or Institutional Fund once a current Pro Forma is provided that satisfies the passive investor about the properties potential for return on investment (The Pro Forma will match the investment criteria the passive investor has decided is their investment strategy.) The combination of both passive and active roles . . . is the third way to invest in commercial investment property and can take the legal form of a Joint Venture Partnership (JVP). This entity may provide deal analysis, contracting, acquisition, asset and physical property management and funding for the commercial property by an active investor, or entity with a single passive investor or group of investors.

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Tips For Buying a Property

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Are you considering buying your first home? Are you looking for a house to flip? Maybe you are looking for an investment property that you can rent out. No matter what kind of property you are looking for, you are about to enter the mysterious and complicated real estate market! Because this journey usually involves a substantial financial investment, has a big effect on your credit, and because it may be the permanent residence of you and your family, it is important to do you research and be properly prepared. If followed, the following seven tips should make buying real estate an easier and smoother process Do the calculations properly. Check your credit score, calculate your debt to income ratio, and figure out what you can afford even before you start looking. This will prevent you from falling in love with a property that you won’t be able to pay for. If possible, get a mortgage already approved. Just because you think you can afford a home, doesn’t mean that a bank agrees. Research different types of mortgages, to find one that best fits your situation and beware of risky types such as adjustable rate mortgages. Then make sure you shop around for the best interest rates. It is wise to talk to at least five different vendors. Research neighbor hoods. You can find loads of information about a neighborhood on the internet such as the crime rate, school ratings, proximity to stores and parks, etc. Even better than the internet, is a personal referral. A person that lives there can give most of the information you are looking for. When searching for homes in that area try to picture yourself in that neighborhood. Also, if you are just planning to flip a home or rent out an investment property, you do not need to focus on the neighborhood. Find a real estate agent. Get referrals from friends who have had good experiences and interview at least three agents. Pick one with experience and one with a personality that meshes with yours.

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Investing in Commercial Property

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Whether you own a commercial property, or are looking to invest in one, now is a great time to shop. The economy may be down, but exciting new prospects are one way that it is going to recover, and with commercial property costs at an all-time low, there has never been a better opportunity to invest. The idea of buying a commercial property is to turn a profit from it. Therefore, you want to invest, not collect. Don’t buy something that you don’t have a plan for, as it will just sit around unused, costing you money. However, if you see a good deal on a commercial property and think you can make something of it, now is a great time to purchase that building. Some things to keep in mind if you have a plan for a business is to scope out the area for how similar business are faring, set aside money for any problems that might arise, and have a back-up plan for the future. Decide what you will do if, in a year, the investment is just not making any profitable returns. Shop online. There are literally hundreds of websites available at your disposal. Compile all of the listings that interest you, and being researching them. Try to find as much information as you can about the buildings, including what they were used for and what the area is like. Then, you can contact their listing agents for a showing. While it is true that lots of commercial properties and buildings are sitting empty and unused all across the United States, that does not mean that your listing has no chance of selling. In fact, there are lots of things you can do to boost interest in your commercial property and not feel like a dead duck. The first thing to do is to gather up all of the available information about your property. Know all there is to know about the building including its age, whether repairs or updates have been made, and any problems with it. Include any relevant information that you think will help sell the property. Get a good agent to help you sell your commercial property. You don’t have to settle on the first one you find. Read online reviews and choose the agent who has the best track record of selling properties that are similar to yours.

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Commercial Property Leases

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Some clients will overlook the essential terms of the lease and think that any lease will do. This narrow view is wrong and must be shaped to encourage good lease and tenant placement outcomes. Good tenant placements are supported by great leases. Underpinning this is a good solicitor who knows how to write a good lease that suits the needs of the property and its future for the client. First and foremost, if the Solicitors that are responsible for doing the leases for the property are not fully aware of the property in reasonable detail, it is wise to encourage them to inspect the property with you and the client so that all key issues and potential problems are identified for the client allowing the lease to be designed to suit. A great property and tenancy mix are supported by a great lease. Generic leases do not suit the purpose well because they do not relate to the special issues that the individual property needs or creates. A final word on generic leases is that they are commonly used where the landlord (client) is trying to save money on legal costs. This is not a positive practice. A good lease matches the property and the clients investment model. It then makes it easier for the Agent to undertake the leasing process and the tenant mix. All the key issues of occupancy are already on paper in the lease. Details of physical and other features of properties should be noted in your inspections so that you can build on the opportunities and positive aspects of the property with potential new tenants. All the information gained should be included on an appropriate and organised listing form and recorded as both hard copy and as part of a computerised listing package. Ultimately you will be producing a leasing brochure and information package to present to potential tenants. All positive aspects of the property should therefore be well understood and documented. All investors and owners of commercial property have differing investment and ownership needs. They could want the property to produce certain levels of growth or stability for their investment needs. They could also want to hold the property for a period of time. These issues then lead to the core decisions that they will make when you locate a tenant or adjust the tenancy mix. It could be that the client has a preference to hold the property for a short period of time and then undertake a redevelopment or expansion of the property. This will have significant impact on how you would construct the tenancy mix and lease profile for the property. You may need redevelopment clauses or relocation clauses in the lease to give the client flexibility. To handle these facts you will fully interview the client and discuss the investors property requirements before proceeding with any part of the professional leasing and tenancy services that comes with commercial real estate. You must match your leasing and tenancy services to their needs. Your skill is in assessing the potential leasing and tenant balance of the property and then shaping the leases to support the rental income needs is essential.

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Buying a Property

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Renovating a home can be a bit of a challenge. The thing to remember is no two renovations are the same, so assessing what needs to be done is very important. The first thing is to be very realistic about the job and assess how much time and money is going to be needed. You also have to decide how skillful you are at DIY jobs. If you are not that good then you will have to add a lot of labour costs on top of the materials as well. If you intend not to do any DIY at all, then make sure you get plenty of quotes before you purchase the property. Many people guess what they think things would cost, they purchase the property then after getting the quotes realize the costs maybe double what they thought it would be. This then makes the refurbishment a loss leader. If you own your own home and thee are several botched jobs there that you have done or several that you said you would finish but never got around to doing it, then thinking of doing a renovation yourself would probably not be a good idea. Renovating a property yourself does take up a lot of time. If you have a full time job and you are expecting to work evenings and weekends on your project, you have to remember things usually take double the time than you thought. If your project is not near your home then travelling time will have to be taken into account. This could rob you of maybe an hour of your working time at the property especially as you will have to probably have to change into your working clothes as well. So be realistic about trying to do a lot in the evenings after work.

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Commercial Property

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

If you are not familiar with the growth patterns, ask an experienced real estate agent, talk to an active real estate appraiser, or visit the Chamber of Commerce. Make sure you concentrate on an area that is growing. You do not want to buy land and have to hang on to it. Of course, if you use the techniques in this book, you can tie up a piece of property and see if it will resell before you actually close on it. In order to find property that can be bought for a reasonable price and provide a good profit margin, you will normally look on the outskirts of the city. When looking for a tract, first make sure you are in a county that will not prevent your subdividing activities. Then as you are looking for land in a particular area, notice if there are fire hydrants or manhole covers in place. And look for land with a for sale sign on it, preferably by the owner. To locate owners, first visit some of the neighbors in the area and ask if they know who owns the property. If you can’t determine the owner and their address, go to the County Tax Assessor’s office. At the Tax Assessor’s office you can locate the property on their tax maps and they can provide you with the name and address of the owner. By looking at the tax map you can determine how many acres the people own and how it lies. This could give you very important information on the approximate road frontage and whether the road is public or private. And whether the tract is so deep that a road would have to be built or shallow enough so that it would be perfect for slicing up. Analyzing the tax map could cause you to loose interest in that particular piece of land or could get you very excited. These maps will also indicate any easements that have been recorded on the property. Also while you are there, if it looks as though you want to pursue this piece of land, ask if they have aerial maps of the area.

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Commercial Property

Monday, February 8th, 2010

When you consider investing in commercial real estate, it is very necessary that a commercial property analysis has been conducted on the site you wish to use. Incomplete or shallow research can break the deal on any prospective location. Such analyses are performed by professionals who know what to look for. In commercial property investment, there are many factors that influence the decision as to whether or not a lender grants a loan. Those factors range from local zoning laws governing the area to the socio-economic composition of the community surrounding the location. All of these considerations are made with an eye towards a successful deal. Knowing how your business contributes to the cultural, social and environmental area is the first step to securing a profitable deal. The necessity of knowing all about a business before it is established at a location is critical. Commercial property analysis professionals will evaluate a multitude of influencing factors for you so that you can decide whether or not to pursue a loan for that particular site. Time and effort are valuable commodities in real estate transactions. Time is, quite honestly, money. You should be confident that your time is being well spent when you contact your sellers, lenders and/or brokers concerning a site that you are interested in. Wading through the analysis information is time consuming and may cost you the deal if the investigation is not done thoroughly. Securing your loan is a critical goal if you are going to have a successful career in commercial property investment. A thorough analysis of the property you desire contributes to a successful transaction with your lender. During these financial considerations, a mortgage broker can also be as beneficial as your community property analysis. A mortgage broker is familiar with the lender and borrower relationship and does his or her best to see that your application for a loan gets to the right hands. Still, without an accurate accounting of the target location, your broker will have difficulty securing your loan.

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Determining the Value of Commercial Property

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Investing in commercial real estate is quite lucrative if you are an intelligent investor, who has a property purchase plan from the beginning. Before you ever make a move to begin the purchase process, it is wise to take a look at the property to project the potential value of your investment. Not all valuation methods are created equal Before discussing the actual valuation of commercial property, it is prudent to know the different methods of real estate valuation. The first is the market valuation, or sales comparison method. Residential homes are usually valued using the sales comparison method since the value of a home is directly related to the price a buyer is willing to pay compared to the sales price of similar homes. Another method is the Cost Valuation Method, which is simply land value plus an estimate of what a building or other improvements would cost to reproduce in today’s dollars. And the last method, which is used most widely in commercial and investment real estate valuation, is the income capitalization method, or cap rate method. Using this method, commercial property is valued by determining the rate of return on an investment, or capitalization rate, divided by the average net operating income (NOI) for the property. NOI is the gross income for the property less expenses, but not including debt service or mortgage payments. For instance, you as an investor find a nice retail strip center for sale. The current owner provides details of the previous 12 months net operating income, and you find that the average yearly NOI is $75,000. The capitalization rate for the area you are looking is about 10%. Therefore, by dividing $75,000 by 10%, you can figure that $750,000 is a good estimation of the value of the property.

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