| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
Real Estate: Financial Considerations $$$
Raw land as opposed to improved property is much more difficult to finance through traditional lenders. The main reasons are that it generates very little income, development costs can be expensive, there are no buildings or improvements that can be used as collateral, and it is often considered speculative. For those reasons mentioned we find that sellers are often our first choice regarding financing. It is typical for a seller of raw land to accept 10 percent down and the rest to be paid over time at a specified (below market) interest rate. This would be an example of an installment land contract. Other forms are contract for deed, mortgage and note and purchase money mortgages. In these cases, a real estate attorney usually drafts these contracts and a bank will act as an escrow agent to facilitate verifiable records of payments received. The seller often retains the deed until the property is paid for in full. If you want to investigate bank financing, then you may start out by offering 30 percent down with a seven-year mortgage, with the bank getting an extra percentage point over and above the current interest rates for standard loans. This may not be accepted, but it does give you a starting point to see just what they may be willing to do. If you plan on building on your land, then having a development plan with an appraised set of blue prints for the project will help the lender in justifying your loan. If you can use equity from other property, then paying substantial down payments may also be an option. Final words of caution here are to know values and don't overpay. Always offer less when possible and research recent sales of comparable properties. The larger a parcel is, the cheaper it tends to get per acre. Ask an agent what an acre of land tends to go for in the area that you are considering; try to buy more than one acre. When buying residential lots, builders try to keep raw land costs down to 10 percent of the overall value of the project. If streets and utilities are already in place, then they will use 25 percent as their guideline. If you can combine or assemble parcels or achieve zoning changes with property, you have a good chance of immediately increasing its value. Always physically inspect the property and do your research before obligating yourself to buy it. And try using contracts with contingencies put in to protect yourself. In essence, these are really options that let you control the deal while you investigate and research the land's potential to satisfy your objectives. Happy Hunting and buy the high grounds! About The Author By Dan Auito, mailto:magicbullets@alaska.com, a real estate investor for the past fifteen years & has bought, sold, and rented seventeen properties to date, totaling more than $1.3 million - all on a blue-collar salary before the age of forty. Grab your free tip sheets & more at: http://www.magicbullets.com/home.php
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Buying Outer Banks (OBX) Investment Property So, you're thinking of purchasing a rental property at the beach. Historically, real estate investments have proven to be a wise investment strategy. How To Best Negotiate A House Deal Whether it's selling your home or buying a home, more often than not you'll come across a stage where you'd have to negotiate. Negotiation is the art of getting what you want at your terms and conditions. The Costs of Transforming Your Home into a Buyers Dream House Turning your house into the home of a buyer's dreams doesn't have to cost a great deal of money. In fact, armed with some paint and the determination to work hard, most home sellers usually need to invest only about $500 to spruce up their homes for a quick sale. Budgeting Your Log Home - Creating a Checklist If you've read my first article, BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you start?, you've got a very basic overview of the process. However, there are still a number of questions I'd like to address. Negotiating the Real Estate Contract Negotiation is the process of communication back and forth in order to reach a joint agreement. There is no "one size fits all" strategy of negotiating a real estate contract. Real Estate Investing - The First House Purchase Real estate investing usually begins with the purchase of a house, rather than raw land or commercial property. The purchase of a relatively inexpensive house for rental or fix-up purpose is usually lower risk than any other type of real estate investment. Closing Costs When Buying A Home Closing costs are often the last thing a person thinks of when buying a home. While closing is the joyous moment the home becomes yours, the costs can be surprisingly aggravating. Questions To Ask The Landlord Before Renting His Apartment Apartment hunting is not the easiest thing around. You may find places not suited to your tastes or those which do are not to your budget. Tenant/Buyers Have Multiple Options Lease Purchasing affords the tenant/buyer a wonderful opportunity to get into a home today, that he or she can buy tomorrow. But what options are available at the end of the contract? Fortunately, Lease Purchasing provides multiple options here also. Negative Gearing - It's Not to Your Benefit! The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to encourage real estate investment in Australia by allowing any income losses from property investment to be deductible from other income as a tax benefit. This means that the taxable income of the owner will be reduced after the deduction and therefore the total tax payable is also reduced. Are You Really A Twenty First Century Investor Today's residential real estate market for investors has become very competitive in most major markets. The vast majority of real estate investing seminars and clubs are encouraging you to search out desperate home owners or distressed properties to be rehabbed. Home Equity - Don't Spend It on Risky Investments The housing market has exploded in the last five years, and homeowners are finding that the equity in their homes is greater than it has ever been. The equity in a home is the difference between the market value of the home and the amount still owed on it. An Often Overlooked Secret of Marketing and Negotiating for Real Estate Investors Looking for Deals When you call sellers, what do you say? When you sit down to write a marketing postcard to find deals, what do you write? When you go to negotiate price and terms, how do you present it?These are scary situations and it is not unusual to be at a loss for words at such times. In fact, you may avoid these situations all together just so you don't have to face the overwhelming fear. Staging® Your Home for Sale: a Superior Real Estate Home Marketing Technique: Part 1 Every Realtor KNOWS that a home should be shown in its best light to help sell it faster and for more money! We also know that, properly done, it Is a lot more than putting fragrant pies, breads or cookies in the oven, opening the drapes and turning on all the lights; although even that helps greatly.Setting the stage to obtain the highest value, fastest, for a home has recently evolved into a real estate specialty that can pay of grandly for the seller and help the buyer overcome the immense emotional strain of making a decision on which, of many similar properties, to purchase. Buying Property in Spain - How to Avoid Paying over the Odds Spain has a lot to offer Northern Europeans and until recently there was a marked difference between the price in their home country and a similar Spanish property. However many buyers have found to their cost that they paid way over the odds. How to Get Financing after Filing Bankruptcy If you're thinking about buying a home but have declared bankruptcy in the past, don't give up hope. There are still ways for you to be able to find a loan, even if your credit history is less than sterling. Home Appraisal Values Are Critical To most, owning a home is a necessity, but sometimes it is a matter of pride or a business investment. Home appraisal values become relevant if one wishes to sell his house. Russ Whitney and Real Estate Investing Gurus There is curently a huge real Estate boom in America today. Little does the world know that this boom has some to do with all of the real estate guru's out there. How To Buy Property in Spain Safely Buying property abroad is not an undertaking one should embark upon lightly! It is not wise to assume that the entire purchase process will follow the rules we're used to 'back home' and generally speaking there are usually a whole new set of rules and regulations, traditions and traps to learn, understand and watch out for.Spain is absolutely no exception and has a tangled web of laws and legislation seemingly designed to trip up an unwary real estate buyer. Walnut Creek Real Estate Looking to relocate to a Californian suburb with a low crime rate, beautiful luxury homes and the convenience of being located just minutes from Oakland and San Francisco? Look no further than Walnut Creek. This city of just over 65,000 people is staying relatively stable in population, but new luxury homes are being constructed in this northern suburb all the time, and there are countless options.
|
| home | site map | |
| Realty Web Services © 2007 | MesaSky Services |
