How to Find the Right Investment Property
♫ Saturday, June 12th, 2010Doing the research and surveying the local market for the potential area where you want to purchase an investment property is undoubtedly the most important part of the whole process, and could be the reason a property makes money for you or not. Take a look around and see what types of houses are available and the features that will be the most rentable to potential tenants in that community. It goes without saying that you will try to acquire it at the least amount of money out of your pocket, but you do not want to buy something that requires you to do a lot of updating or repairs.
In searching for this moneymaker you will need to pay particular attention to what you think the possible costs will be to maintain the property. Finding units that have all the utilities on a separate meter will be important to keep your cost down. Having renters pay the utility bills instead of you is a critical part of making a profit from month to month, and many people expect to have to pay this anyway.
Depending on what part of the country you live in, it could even be possible that you could require your tenants to have to purchase their own refrigerators and stoves for their units. This is not always feasible but if it is possible it could mean the difference between making or losing money. Each state is different and has regulations in place.
If the renters in your area are used to not having to have to supply their own appliances, then this means that you will have to become used to finding deals on washers, dryers, refrigerators and other larger appliances such as air conditioners and heaters. You also have to network with some local repair services so that you will know the cost of maintenance and keeping these costs down also will help with your bottom line.
Most real estate investors are looking to at least break even each month, and then use such deductibles as Insurance, Mortgage Interest, and any repairs or purchases to help offset any potential losses. If things workout, then you should be able to pay off the mortgage and own it free and clear after the mortgage is paid. Sometimes you can get a property below market value and then sell it when it reaches full value. It depends on you when you want to sell.
