Even when the market is down, investing in property can be lucrative if you take the time to do it right. Unfortunately, many people rush into these investments without realizing exactly how much is at stake.
These four tricks will help you find the best possible real estate and protect your investment in the coming years.
Start Working on Your Credit Score
Unless you happen to have a substantial amount sitting in the bank, you will most likely need to borrow at least some money. When it comes to investment property, banks and other lending firms are extremely cautious of who they offer loans to.
Tackling your outstanding debt, removing open debt accounts, and keeping your monthly income as consistent as possible could help you boost your credit score by quite a few points in the coming months.
Over the next few years, those few points could save you thousands of dollars in interest.
Get Approved Early
One of the best ways to speed up this process is to get approved for the loan before you make any offers. As a general rule, most experts agree that investors should try to get approved for a property loan at least 30 days before the expected purchase date.
That will give you plenty of time to make a bid and negotiate prices before the approval expires. Your lending company might take two or more weeks to approve your loan application, and the property you wanted to bid on could be gone by then.
Properly Insure the Property
Many investors don’t take insurance into account before making a purchase, and that can be a very expensive mistake. Your insurance is going to be your first line of defense against any accidents or injuries that take place on your property.
Insuring investment property is much different than insuring a private residence, and you need to work with an experienced agent like Family Insurance Centers or someone similar to make sure that you have the proper coverage.
Work With the Pros
Investing in property without any outside help is time-consuming, stressful, and full of risks. Hiring professionals to inspect and manage the property will initially eat into your profits, but those pros can help you avoid major problems later on.
You should also consider joining a real estate investment group or starting a local club. These property investment groups can get you started with years of knowledge and connect you with all the right professionals to help.
Property management companies can take care of issues such as screening tenants, evicting tenants, ensuring rent is paid on time, and minor maintenance problems.
These few tips and tricks will limit your risks, but there is always a chance that your investment will go sideways. That is why real estate investors should always have a backup plan for their property.
Options such as living on the property yourself or renting it out to a loved one for a short period of time could help you get through any unexpected dips in the local real estate market.
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