Real Estate Investing: America Rents

Most people in America rent a personal dwelling!

Just think how many families rent a house or an apartment, a duplex or a condo.

Yet, nobody prefers renting.

Who wouldn't want their own home, if they had the choice.

Even if, say, someone moves into town on a temporary basis, wouldn't they prefer buying a house, gaining appreciation even for the short term, and selling for a profit in 6 months or a year?

Maybe there are exceptions, but I can't imagine anyone really preferring to rent when they could own.

After all, most rental houses are not even preferable. The condition of a rental house usually declines after being occupied by family after family. Rental houses usually are neglected and abused. They become less desirable. A rental house is NOT THE BEST HOUSE IN TOWN simply because it IS a rental house! And sometimes a rental house becomes a real dump. Families move in, families move out, and the landlord CANNOT and IS NOT ABLE to maintain a rental house in TOP CONDITION! The main reason a rental house is impossible to keep pristine is because renters don't treat a rental house like their own.

Yes, there are exceptions, but most rental houses are not up to snuff. I know, because I use to own $10 million worth of rental houses. I had some very nice properties, but there was always something that needed repair. Things go wrong that need fixing, and perfect maintenance is impossible. Rental houses are less desirable because they can never be brought up to first class and maintained that way. If I had been the owner AND occupant of that rental house, I would have tried to fix it up and keep it in top condition.

When you fix up houses to sell, "Renting America" becomes your marketplace.

(1) You can never exhaust the demand. Everyone prefers their own house. It's still the "American Dream."

(2) It's easy to create an immaculate house for re-sale that outshines most rental houses.

(3) Selling renovated houses to the tenant in the marketplace rather than to the house-hunting market is much easier. Renters are readily convinced that paying monthly rent is a financial downer. Sorting out the credit-worthy renter with an offer to own becomes a win-win proposition.

An untapped niche market in real estate investing is fixing up houses that can be purchased by America's renters.

Phil Speer, Ph.D., started his real estate investing career 25 years ago. Without the availability of credit and using only a $10 bill, he purchased $1 million in properties in his first year, and had accumulated $10 million in properties by his fourth year. http://www.CashinHouses.com/

He was featured in a Wall St.Journal editorial as most successful investor in the Nothing Down Real Estate Movement, and was honored with a Caribbean cruise as top investor of the year. In his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, he has been a businessman and Human Resources Consultant for 30 years. He is an author, speaker and seminar director. To learn how to profit in real estate investing, even without cash or credit, read his report at http://www.Real--Estate--Book.com/nomoneydown/flipping.html/ Subscription is free to his Fix-up Ezine. He and other contributing authors provide free articles and resources on real estate investing at his online "Academy of Advanced Real Estate Investing Techniques" at http://www.AAREIT.com/

The talk show host pays $12 million for the 4,088-square-foot house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The ocean-view home sits on 1.26 bluff-top acres with beach access.

In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million.

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore lists for $2,875,000.

A decorative cast stone entrance opens to this restored Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Pasadena's South Orange Grove area. Built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore, the house retains such original details as coffered wood ceilings and arched doorways.

They don't believe they can sell their property for what it's worth, so they're spending money on making their homes more comfortable.

Do you fit any of these descriptions?

A biennial research report by the National Assn. of Realtors indicates that a handful of real estate agents and brokers and their clients either don't know the law or don't care to follow it.

When it comes to lawsuits, real estate agents and brokers tangle mostly among themselves.

The president aims to help about 3.5 million people with good credit who are unable to refinance at historically low rates because their homes are worth less than their mortgages.

 

The White House hopes to help millions of homeowners lower their monthly mortgage bill with a $5 billion to $10 billion plan to set up a streamlined refinancing program for people who are current on their payments.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 large U.S. cities fell 1.3% in November from October as foreclosures continue to drag down the housing market.

Three straight months of home-price declines in the biggest U.S. cities showed that foreclosures remain a significant drag on a housing market that is entering its fifth year of deterioration.

L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.

Karen Mena managed to get a foreclosure on her San Bernardino home rescinded. But she continues to negotiate with Bank of America over loan terms and could still lose the house.

Foreclosure commonly represents the end of a struggle. A borrower can't pay a mortgage, loses a home and moves on.

A.F. Leicht designed quirky Spanish Revival houses in Los Angeles as well as evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's landmark Angelus Temple. His interiors often had irregular-shaped or curved walls, rooms or hallways. This Los Feliz villa, with rounded rooms, fancifully shaped living room French doors and elliptical master bathroom, captures his signature style.