Real estate > Real Estate Research - Talk To Everyone

Real Estate Research - Talk To Everyone

by: Steve Gillman

Real estate research might start with a look at the U.S. Census information about a town. It can include inspections of specific properties, too. There are many statical tools and information that can help, but don't forget one of the easiest and most useful research tools: talking. Let me explain with a true story.

My wife and I were on vacation, and stopped in Farmington, New Mexico for a few days. We were about to buy a house for a winter project. The plan was to fix it up and sell it in the spring for a profit.

Just prior to making an offer, we took a last walk-through. As the owner showed me around, my wife started to talk to the woman who was renting the home. She told Ana that half of the outlets in the home didn't work, as well as other useful information.

This got me thinking, and I went down to the basement for a second look at the wiring. Not only did the house likely need all new wiring, but I found a garden hose attached to a natural gas line. The owner shrugged and said, "You can just cut that off."

To this day, I don't know what that was about, but for these and other reasons, we didn't buy the house. It helps to talk to anyone you can when looking at a house or other real estate investment. Neighbors and renters are especially helpful.

Real Estate Research - Choosing a City

Talking to a lot of people isn't just useful for information on individual properties. It is also a great way to research a town. I once called the
Chamber of Commerce of Deming, New Mexico. The chairman's casually commented that the city was using up the water faster than the aquifer was being replenished. They had no back-up plan. This was enough for us to cross Deming off our list.

If you want to know about a town, use the phone first. Find any excuse to call anyone from a real estate agent to a random resident. Ask about crime, whether the local government welcomes new businesses, what the climate is like. Have houses been sitting for sale for a long time, or do they go fast? What are the good and bad things about the town?

Before we moved to Tucson, Arizona, part of our real estate research was to call people in potential towns to see if they owned a snow shovel. If so, we crossed the town off the list. Two places can both get 45 inches of snow per year, but in some it stays all winter, and in others it melts before noon. The snow shovel question told us the truth behind the statistics.

Once you're in a town, a good local bar can be a great place to do your research. After a beer, patrons will tell you what big employers are about to move in or out of the town, how fast homes are selling, whether there are gangs, and much more. Talking to people is a good way to do real estate research, but verify what you hear. People do sometimes exaggerate.

About The Author

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com.

Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

by: Steve Gillman

For single family homes, there are two basic methods used in real estate appraisal. They are replacement cost analysis, and using comparable sales. A third appraisal method, based on capitalization, is used for income properties, and is covered in another article.

In figuring replacement cost the question is: What would it cost to buy this land and put this house on it? If the land (improved) would cost $40,000, and the house could be built for $150,000, the value indicated would be around $190,000 - if the house is fairly new. If it has used up 10% of its useful life, you can deduct $15,000 for depreciation.

Replacement cost is not really a very useful measurement. It is difficult to say what the land is worth in a city center where none is left for sale, for example, and tough to gauge depreciation. It is used as a secondary method, and for unique homes that can't be compared easily...

Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

Real estate > Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

Real Estate Success

Real Estate Success

by: Steve Gillman

Real estate success? It happens by way of the many things you repeatedly do right, and it is your habits that ensure they get done. Here are some habits to develop for your real estate investing success.

Ask for people's names, and tell them yours. People are your most valuable resource in real estate investing. The more you know, the more likely you are to find good properties, or buyers for your good properties. Get to know the right people too. Start with a real estate agent that gets many listings of the type you are interested in. Wouldn't it be nice if he called you first?

Think numbers. Think people first, but know the relevant numbers. Ideally, when you look at a rental property, for example, you should be thinking about the income, the expenses, and the cap rate. You should be imagining how certain changes would allow you to raise the income, and what that would do to the value. Having a ...

Real Estate Success

Real estate > Real Estate Success

Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

by: Steve Gillman

Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

Real estate > Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own

Refinancing Real Estate Investments

Refinancing Real Estate Investments

by: Steve Gillman

Why should you consider refinancing real estate investments instead of selling them? Maybe you've owned a rental property for years, you've paid down the mortgage, the value is up, and you want to cash in on that equity. You will do better to refinance. Here's why.

There are two problems with selling. First, selling means paying a large capital gains tax. You can avoid this if you reinvest through a 1031 exchange, but then the point is that you want your money, right? Second, you'll be giving up your inflation-indexed retirement plan. A good rental property generates more income as rents go up.

Refinancing Real Estate Investments Is Better

If you refinance, you can get much of your gain out of the property, without paying a penny in taxes. You see, borrowing money is not a taxable event. Take your loan proceeds and spend them however you want, and still keep your rentals. Doesn't...

Refinancing Real Estate Investments

Real estate > Refinancing Real Estate Investments

Sell Your Real Estate Notes

Sell Your Real Estate Notes

by: Steve Gillman

People sell real estate notes to raise cash quickly. A real estate note is just the loan document created when you financed the sale of your house or investment property. It could be a mortgage note, or a land-contract or contract-for-sale. The point is that the buyer is making payments to you, and you want to cash in.

You can sell the entire contract, or just a certain number of payments if you want. The buyer of your property will have the same terms and payments. He'll just be making those payments to somebody else.

Selling real estate notes can be an intimidating process. You know you won't get the full face value for your note, but will there be other fees you have to pay too? How do you know if the buyer is reputable? What is a normal discount on a note? Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. No upfront fees. If they ask, go someplace else. You should be able to find many note buyers...

Sell Your Real Estate Notes

Real estate > Sell Your Real Estate Notes

Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled

Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled

by: Steve Majors

Let's get REAL about something - and quelch the LIES you have been told about Real Estate Investing?

What I am going to reveal to you are some basic truths about Real Estate investing - truths that may totally affect the Real Estate investments you have now - and certainly I intend to modify the way you do Real Estate investing in the future.

Let's get right to it - and into the heart of the real estate investing issue?

You have been programmed all your life to become what you are today - from school, friends, relatives and, yes, your parents.

Recent studies show that you are who you are now, more from what you learned prior to age 8 than in anything else you have learned since.

Now, that may surprise you, but it is true that what you learned at the earliest ages affects the way you make Real Estate investments today, and the type of Real Estate investing success you...

Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled

Real estate > Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled