Are you fearful of buying/selling? What information do you need to make real estate decisions? What are your biggest questions about today’s market?

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I have a piece of commercial real estate in a small montana town. It just went into the foreclosure process so time is of the essences. It’s been on the market for 2 years, it’s price point is right and it is prime real estate in a difficult location.
The good qualities are the town host the hottest mineral healing waters in the world. I am at a lost as to how to market this and get it sold!
Any thoughts?

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Right now, the real estate market is cooling in most areas, but its caused by interest rates going up. What other factors contribute to a booming or busting market? 10 points to a solid well thought out conclusion.

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Is this a good / bad time to buy a house? I know the prices are still dropping slowly, but how does the fall of Lehman Brothers, buyout of Merrill Lynch, direction in which AIG is headed affect the real estate market? Will it crash? We are still getting great deals on houses, but is there a possibility that suddenly the housing prices fall by 30% say if another large bank declares bankruptcy?

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The CMBS market is paralyzed and the CMBX says prices will fall 23 percent over the next three years. There are a lot of interest only commercial real estate mortgages in CMBS portfolios and many will begin amortizing this year. If a recession is upon us and those borrowers can’t meet their debt service requirements under the new amortization – it seems to me we have a repeat of what is happening in the subprime universe.

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I’ll be graduating from college this May and I’m hoping to get into real estate development or commercial real estate. Is the commercial market currently as shaky as the residential market?

Thanks

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I would like to invest in real estate. I am early 40’s, have no debt, home is paid for, etc. I would like to look into buying real estate. I have spent alot of time looking at the local market and have a good understanding of it. But, at this point, I am not sure what to do next. Should I consider purchasing rental property? If so, should I look at small 2 BR homes, duplexes, or homes? Or should I just look for property that has been sitting on the market for a long time that may need some TLC, etc and then flip them? I have never done that and don’t really have alot of time to spend remodeling so I would have to hire out.
And, the area I live in is a rural , somewhat depressed area. What is your approach to Real Estate?

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I am looking forward to buy property in Hyderabad, hence want to collect some real estate market information.

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Before you put your foot in the commercial real estate market, it is better if you gain experience by dealing in smaller residential single properties where you tend to get off lightly when making a mistake. Dealing in commercial properties requires more skills and investments and the consequences of making a mistake could be very heavy.

Commercial properties are those where industrial or commercial activity, including education and medical activity takes place and also properties where 4 or more residential units are located together. The first thing to be ready for such a deal is that all the problems associated with such dealings become varied and multiple as compared to a small residential deal. You hence have to get ready to devote more time and energy in solving problems such as evictions, maintenance, etc, sometimes occurring together at the same time.

Instead of learning everything the hard way, you could contact a commercial real estate broker who could guide you in the first couple of deals so that you can slowly learn the ropes. His experience and style of working should be observed closely so as to spot good deals immediately and avoid costly mistakes. In this way, you can also note down the paperwork involved in the entire process. Also, in many cases, commercial properties are sold in a very hush-hush way and a good commercial broker might be able to ferret out valuable information to help you seal the deal.

You can also set up bigger loans from your bank’s commercial loan department. This will be easy if your previous dealings with the bank have been clear and if you have cleared your earlier loans on time. This will enable you to have the required funds, which will be needed to finance the new big deals. You might be required to place your assets as collateral, but since the interest rate on such big loans are low and the repayment period long, it should be quite easy to manage paying off the loan.

Plan every deal to the last detail and have a backup plan ready to get a fast and painless exit in case your original plan fails. Study your seller’s strength and weakness to get better leverage while dealing with him. By offering the maximum amount upfront, you can get a better deal and hence make more profit while selling. Have a long term plan and be prepared to hold onto some properties for a longer time if the market does not appreciate the way you had hoped.

Check out the appreciation rate of the neighborhood commercial properties before you plan to purchase or sell a property. Hire a good tax consultant who can guide you in tax saving by investing your profits back again into commercial properties so that your profits multiply with the minimum tax liability.

The location of your commercial property is very important. The property should be accessible easily and should be in good condition. Buying and then repairing a commercial property is very expensive and should be attempted only when you have gained enough experience and have the right contacts to get the job done quickly and at a reasonable cost.

If you have the confidence and a proper plan to execute it, then go ahead and get started in commercial real estate.

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Real estate investors spend the majority of their time in search of “hot” properties. In today’s cool real estate market, locating profitable properties might seem impossible. However, there is still plenty of money to be made in the real estate investment game.

In the past, hot real estate properties consisted of homes with oceanfront or mountain views. Recently, house flipping has been portrayed as the ultimate money-maker for investors motivated to renovate distressed properties.

Foreclosure homes and bank owned real estate can oftentimes be purchased significantly under market value. Investing time, money and physical labor in repairs and renovations can result in huge profits, if you know what you are doing.

Homes and condominiums located in gated and golf communities are another source of hot real estate properties. As more Baby Boomers reach the age of retirement, they are seeking second homes either for retirement or vacation purposes. Many of them are opting to purchase real estate in activity-based communities geared toward retirees.

One of the lesser known, but exceptionally “hot” real estate markets is that of sustainable living communities. Also referred to as “green” or “enviro-friendly” real estate, sustainable living homes are manufactured from recycled materials and powered by alternative energy sources such as windmills and solar panels.

Many sustainable living communities are self-contained cities or towns. Retail and grocery stores, recreational facilities, post offices and schools are located within the community. The majority of sustainable living communities have their own local government, police and fire stations, hospitals and medical facilities.

Investing in sustainable living real estate offers the potential for substantial profit. Not only is environmentally-friendly real estate expected to significantly appreciate within the next five to ten years, there are currently many tax credits available to investors who purchase energy-efficient homes. These properties make excellent rental properties and tend to attract tenants who are financially responsible.

Commercial real estate and land can be quite lucrative investments. Investing in vacant office buildings, retail outlets and land can yield a tidy profit if you take time to conduct research to analyze future market trends.

The U.S. Government offers numerous tax incentives on commercial properties; particularly if they are developed to bring new jobs to the area. This type of real estate transaction requires extensive knowledge; therefore it is advised to work with knowledgeable advisors who can guide you through the process.

Last, but not least, one of the hottest real estate market investments is that of purchasing distressed properties sold through private investors. A little known secret is to seek out private real estate investors who purchase bank-owned foreclosure property portfolios.

Investors who purchase bank portfolios in bulk are able to purchase houses and other distressed properties at wholesale prices. Depending on the condition and location of bank owned foreclosures, investors can sometimes purchase them for as little as 30-cents on the dollar. However, these deals are rare. Instead, the average cost if closer to 70-cents on the dollar.

When investors purchase in bulk they are eager to pass their savings along to interested buyers. In order to obtain these low-ball prices, most investors require buyers to have cash-in-hand at the time they make an offer. This allows buyers to close the deal in a matter of days instead of weeks. The buyer can then renovate the foreclosure real estate and resell quickly. In some cases, a buyer can make 30- to 40-percent profit within 90 days or less.

Although the real estate market is currently cool, there are plenty of hot deals to be found in real estate investing. However, you need to frequently research and review real estate market trends if you want to stay on top of the game. The more you know about how the real estate market works, the better off you will be when it comes time to buy or sell.

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