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Real Estate Investing: Commercial or Residential?

admin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:46:39 +0000

Did you know that 46 of the world’s billionaires made their fortunes in commercial real estate investing? Just look at Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad), and the Kennedy family. Their real estate investing produces huge cash flows, also called “passive income” by buying and holding real estate. Then there is Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics. He made his real money buying apartment buildings, then branching off into hotels. Likewise, Arnold Schwarzenegger made his first fortune buying apartment houses in Colorado.

Here are some of the reasons commercial real estate investing is better than residential:

1. The government takes 33-50% of your profits if you buy and sell homes! When you hold houses for less than a year, your profits are taxed at the painfully high rate of “ordinary income”. With commercial real estate you’ll pay the low capital gains rate (now 15%).

2. When you’re flipping or investing in houses you’ve got to keep working to earn your next “paycheck” through marketing, buying, renovating, and selling or we have to do it on your behalf. And if you don’t want the contractors to screw up, we have to supervise them constantly. Wouldn’t you rather make passive income month after month…and reap positive cash flows from real estate investing– with less risk, less money down, and no tenant headaches?

3. Most bargain homes are in disrepair. You’re at the mercy of contractors. You’ve got to renovate the properties. But most contractors are unreliable. We oversee everything they do, or risk paying for their mistakes. And the good contractors are always booked up for months in advance.You lose money for four to six months. That’s how long it takes to fix up a house and resell it. When the contractors drag their feet, you’re left helpless and stressed out. Every day your house sits vacant, your bank account is further depleted by loan payments, taxes, insurance, utilities and time.

When you finally sell, you’ve got to start all over again, marketing, negotiating, and overseeing the contractors. If you take time off, or can’t work for awhile, you have no income. That’s not financial freedom.

When you invest with us in the commercial properties we find for you our carefully chosen property managers will handle 100% of the tenant management. They charge an average of just 6% of the gross rents (versus 10% for single family homes). This lower percentage, combined with your monthly income, makes it easy to afford a property manager. You will never deal with tenant complaints, repairs, or vacancies.

And you will use a legal tax loophole to pay zero taxes when we sell the properties for you. All you have to do is roll your sales proceeds into a bigger building (with even better cash flow). You could start profiting instantly. Rather than being drained for 4-6 months, carrying the costs of a vacant house, you can enjoy positive cash flows from day one.

When your single family home is vacant, the burden of paying the mortgage, taxes, and insurance falls entirely on you. But if your apartment building has a vacancy, the other tenants cover your expenses. Unlike the average home seller, investors are used to buying on terms. So the seller is much more willing to help you finance your purchase.

In fast growing markets, apartment buildings appreciate faster than houses. Why? When people relocate, they rent before buying. And multi-family properties are valued based on their rents. And history shows that rents always climb along with interest rates.

If you want to collect an automatic monthly income, you need properties with big positive cash flows. But without our checklist, you could overpay, make too many concessions, or lose the property to a competing buyer. We will find you nine ways to slash your costs, increase your income, and increase the resale value of the multi-family building. We will reduce tenant turnover, challenge tax assessments and slash the utility bills. We will raise rents and do renovations which will dramatically boost the building’s resale value.

You, the investor, can partner with us (i.e. you put up the money, we do the work, and we split the profits 50/50).

As the properties appreciate and the tenants pay down the loan balances equities will amass. Raising rents will further multiply the value of the buildings. So sooner or later, you may decide to “cash out”. It won’t cost you an additional 20% of your profits or more. You can legally defer those capital gains taxes forever – using 1031 exchanges. You will roll your gain from each sale into bigger apartment buildings (with bigger cash flows) – and never pay taxes.

We have a Commercial Deal Analyzer. We can determine average yields for an area, compare properties, and will move fast when we find a hot deal – before the seller gets another offer. We fill in the blanks to calculate the projected cash flow, net operating income, and cash-on-cash return.

The next step would be for you to tell us exactly what you are looking for. To do that please fill out the form here:

http://interactive-media-network.com/newsletters/?p=subscribe&id=2

We will then start to look for properties that fit your criteria.

Explanation of Commercial Real Estate Terms

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:10:34 +0000

These terms are important for you to understand as they are the ones most commonly used by the professionals with whom you will be working. This is not intended to be a glossary, but an explanation of the terms through an example.

Net Operating Income (NOI)

The Net Operating Income (NOI) of a property is calculated by determining the

property’s first year Gross Operating Income and then subtracting the Operating

Expenses for the first year.

Gross Operating Income

Less

Operating Expenses

Equals

Net Operating Income

The Gross Operating Income of property is the total income a property can expect

to receive from all sources over a one year period. The Operating Expenses are

the expenditures needed to keep the property operating during the same period.

(See the article Cash Flow Model for a more thorough explanation.

Sample Calculation:

$500,000 Gross Operating Income

Less

$300,000 Operating Expenses

Equals

$200,000 Net Operating Income

The NOI of a property comes directly from the operations of a property and

disregards mortgage payments or other additional expenditures the property owner

may make, such as tenant improvements or leasing commissions.

Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate)

Many investors start their financial analysis of a property by calculating the

NOI in order to be able to calculate a Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) according

to the following formula:

Net Operating Income

Divided By

Property Price

Equals

Cap Rate

The Cap Rate is expressed as a percentage rate. Cap Rate is typically calculated

based on the first year of operations of the property and an all cash purchase

of the property.

Sample Calculation:

$200,000 Net Operating Income

Divided By

$2,000,000 Property Price

Equals

10% The initial annual un-leveraged return on an acquisition (also known as the capitalization rate or net initial yield).A cap rate measures the ratio between the net operating income produced by a property and its capital cost (the original price paid to buy the asset).

For example, a property’s capitalization rate is ten percent if it is purchased for $10 million and produces $1 million in net operating income during one year.

A Cap Rate can be looked at as a first year return to the investor comparing how

much the investor would receive from operations with the price that would be

paid in an all cash purchase of the property. It is a measure of performance the

investor can look at to compare how their money is working for them in one

property compared to another property or investment.

Many institutional investors purchase their properties for all cash, not using

any financing. For them, the Cap Rate is a valuable method of comparing

properties. Individual investors often use financing and it may be more

appropriate for them to use additional methods of comparing first year returns.

Cash On Cash

Many investors who use financing to acquire properties use the Cash on Cash

method to compare first year performance of competing properties. Cash on Cash

takes into consideration the fact that the investor does not have to have all

cash to purchase the property, but also will not keep all of the NOI because

they must make their mortgage payments from their NOI.

First, the investor must determine the amount they must invest to purchase the

property or their Initial Investment.

Total Purchase Price Plus Costs

Less

Amount Financed

Equals

Initial Investment

Sample Calculation:

$2,050,000 Price + Costs

Less

$1,550,000 Loan

Equals

$500,000 Initial Investment

Next, the investor must determine the first year Cash Flow from operations,

including the payments due on the financing.

Net Operating Income

Less

Payments on Financing

Equals

Cash Flow

Sample Calculation:

$200,000 Net Operating Income

Less

$140,000 Payments

Equals

$60,000 Cash Flow

With the calculation of the Cash Flow and the Initial Investment, the investor

can make another comparison of how their money performs in this property

compared to other properties. By calculating Cash on Cash the investor can

calculate a first year percentage return on their investment in the property.

Cash Flow

Divided By

Initial Investment

Equals

Cash on Cash

Sample Calculation:

$60,000 Cash Flow

Divided by

$500,000 Initial Investment

Equals

12% Cash on Cash

The Cash on Cash percentage can be looked at as a first year return to the

investor comparing how much the investor would receive in cash flow from the

property when the property is purchased using financing. It is a measure of

performance the investor can look at to compare how their money is working for

them in one property compared to another property or investment, when financing

is used.

Many investors use the Cash on Cash percentage in their investment decisions as

more accurately reflects their results than does the Cap Rate which ignores the

financing used to purchase the property and the payments that must be made on

that financing from the NOI of the property.

Streetname, City, State, Zip

medianetwork — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:54:44 +0000

# of Units: 20

Price $1,250,000

Owner Financing: Yes

http://interactive-media-network.com/real-estate/property/street-city-state-zip-2/

Street Name, City, State, Zip

medianetwork — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:57:37 +0000

3 bedroom, 3 bathroom

$279,000.

http://interactive-media-network.com/real-estate/property/street-name-delray-beach-florida-33484/

How To List Your Property

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:03:24 +0000

Here are the steps you will take to list your property:

1. Register your username and password. You will receive an email with your password. You do not have to sign in at this time.

2. Once we have received your signed listing by email we will change your registration capability to Editor.

This will allow you to log in and post your pictures, videos, and the description of your property.
Please subscribe for our free report which will show you creative ways we use to market and sell your property. You will then receive the forms that we need filled out and returned to us by email.

Before you add an image:

Make sure the images are named your street name-city-state-zipcode1 lower case. The next would be your street name-city-state-zipcode2. You should add up to 12 pictures: 1 clear picture of the outside front, 1 of the outside backyard toward the house, 1 of the living room, 1 of the 1st. bedroom, 1 of the bathroom, 1 of the 2nd. bedroom, 1 of the 2nd. bathroom, 1 of the kitchen, 1 of the view, 3 of any areas needing repair ( if any). If it is a commercial property you can substitute the picture of the 2nd. bedroom with a Clubhouse (if there is one)
and of the 2nd. bathroom with a picture of any other communal area.

3. Please follow these steps:

Click Add New Gallery

Name your Gallery your street name, city, state, zip.

Click Add Gallery

Click upload image

Choose your Gallery in the drop down menu. Browse your computer for your 9 -12 pictures.

Click Properties

Click Add new

In Title put your Street name (not the #), City, State, Zip.

Click tab under Visual (Add Next Gen Gallery)

In the drop down menu find your property Gallery and insert

Fill in General Information

Put square footage where it states Area

In Tabs put Acre:, Year Built:, Taxes (Yearly):, and Maintenance (Yearly):

In Tabs if commercial also add: # of Units, Square footage in each unit:

Check type of property on the right

Click Publish/Update on right

Click View property above Title

Save the URL in your browser of your property in your html editor or Word doc. Add above it if it is a private home #of bedrooms, bathrooms or if it is a commercial building state number of units and price.

Click on Posts.

Add New. To the right check commercial or residential listings. Choose the one that your property falls
under. In the Title Put in your Street name (not the #), City, State, Zipcode.

To the right of Upload/Insert click on Add an image.

Click on NextGen Gallery.

Select your Gallery

Click Show of frontal view of property

Click insert into Post

Insert the URL and brief description of your property that you saved in your html editor or Word doc.

To the right under Post Tags click choose from the most used tags

Click on each tag that corresponds to your property. You can add your own lower case tags also by entering them into the Add new.
After each one click Add.

You can add 360 degree panorama picture and a video also. To do this go to 360 tab above the description screen or to add the video go to Upload/Insert and next to add image is add video. A Google Map will automatically be added if you added the exact address.

You can also add Schools and Businesses in the area

It would be a good idea to make a pdf. To do this use Word.doc and then convert to pdf. Add pictures, address, description and include our contact information. You can add it by clicking download.

Click Publish

A screen will pop up in the upper right had corner of your computer which will ask you to insert the characters you see. Do this for all 25. This will submit the post of your property to 25 other sites. It will
also be added to Twitter, Facebook and many other Real Estate sites.

Real Estate Listings

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:18:18 +0000

Real Estate Owners

Real Estate Listings

About listing agreements

The common top three listing agreement choices are:
1) Open Listing
2) Exclusive Agency Listing
3) Exclusive Right-to-Sell Listing

The best choice for you will depend on your willingness and ability to tackle some of the home selling duties and the local real estate market climate.

Open Listing
An open listing lets an owner sell her home by herself. It is a non-exclusive agreement, meaning the owner may execute open listings with more than one real estate broker and pay only the broker who brings an able buyer whose offer the owner accepts.
Exclusive Agency Listing
An exclusive agency listing is similar to an open listing except the major difference is the agent will represent the owner. The owner still reserves the right to sell the property herself and not pay a commission. The broker is free to cooperate with another brokerage, meaning the second brokerage could bring an able buyer whose offer the owner accepts. Typically, the broker is paid a listing commission that is shared with the selling broker, so the owner pays both fees.
Exclusive Right-to-Sell Listing
An exclusive right-to-sell listing is the most commonly utilized instrument. It gives the broker the exclusive right to earn a commission by representing the owner and bringing a buyer, either through another brokerage or directly. The owner pays both the listing and selling broker fees. The owner cannot sell the property herself without paying a commission, unless an exception is noted in the contract.

Create a Marketing Plan

Selling can entail a variety of marketing strategies. Once listed, the home will be quickly entered into the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and whether it is residential or commercial it is placed on http://interactive-media-network.com/real-estate and multiple other sites. Much of our work will be behind-the-scenes. The quiet telephone calls, the work with contacts, arranging for and marketing the property, the follow-ups, conversations with ad respondents, web postings and other efforts are all part of the process required to attract buyers to your property.

Setting the Right Price

A key part of the marketing plan is setting the list price. To determine the best asking price review the cost of recently sold comparable homes, evaluate the competition and study marketplace trends. We provide you with the tools that will determine the best sale price.

It is also helpful to discuss other terms and conditions, such as timing and items that can be included with the sale. Knowing what’s most important to the person on the other side of the negotiating table can help you. For example, a seller who won’t budge on the sales price might be willing to pay more of the transaction costs or make more repairs, while a buyer with an urgent move-in date might be willing to pay a higher portion of the transaction costs or forgo some major repairs.

1) Location: If your property is located in a desirable area that is in demand, you will be able to get a higher price than you can for the same type of property in a less desirable area.

2) Condition: Better maintained means that it will show better than one that has had deferred (neglected) maintenance and needs work.

3) Desirable amenities: If the kitchen appliances and cabinets are new, it will bring a higher price.

Go for picture perfect
Lastly, a picture’s still worth a thousand words, so ensure online photos of your home are top-quality. This is especially important considering that 74 percent of property buyers reported using the Internet in their property-hunting search. We allow you to post 360 degree and video also.

Negotiating the Real Estate Deal

When a buyer is ready to make you an offer we will contact you to let you know. The buyer will present their offer formally with a contract to purchase and sale agreement. These documents can be obtained from us.

Most buyers and sellers want to arrive at a win-win agreement. Successful negotiating encompasses the learned ability to use certain skills and techniques to bring about those coveted win-win results. “Win-win” doesn’t mean both the buyer and the seller will get everything they want. It means both sides will win some and give some.

Seller financing

If a seller helps to finance a real estate transaction by taking back a second note or even financing the entire purchase if the seller owns the property free and clear it is called seller financing. However, a mortgage payment assignment can also be used. Usually sellers do this when a buyer is self-employed and has difficulty qualifying for a conventional loan like 82 million in this position today.

Seller financing involves extending a credit against the purchase price of the home while the buyer executes a promissory note and trust deed in the seller’s favor.

Mortgage Assignment is the sale of a home or property where the loan(s)/lien(s) are assigned to a buyer or buyers in exchange for the deed (ownership) or part ownership in a commercial property.

The necessary paperwork is prepared by the title or escrow company after the terms are worked out between the buyer and seller. Seller financing can bring a higher price plus complete the sale sooner.

Seller financing offers tax breaks for sellers and alternative financing for buyers who can’t qualify for conventional loans. If you are a seller, the risks you face are the same as those facing any lender. There are financing, disclosure and repayment-term requirements that need to be met.

The interest rate on an owner-carried loan is negotiable. Seller financing typically costs less than conventional financing because sellers don’t charge loan fees (points). Interest rates on an owner-carried loan will also be influenced by current Treasury bill and certificate of deposit rates.

Property inspection

Your property is in escrow, and the buyer has scheduled an inspection. A property inspection is a thorough visual examination of the property. The inspection includes observation and, when appropriate, operation of the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical, and appliance systems, as well as structural components: roof, foundation, basement, exterior and interior walls, chimney, doors, and windows.

A pre-sale inspection enables you to attend to problems before the property is put on the market, it also removes any questions about the condition of your property for you and a potential buyer. Buyers are positively influenced by a professionally produced inspection report, which improves the speed, price, and likelihood of a sale.

Some sellers elect not to correct every defect reflected in the inspection report. Instead, they acknowledge the defects to buyers and explain that the asking price has been adjusted to reflect the estimated cost of repairs. Such candor tends to shorten negotiation time because buyers have fewer objections that could thwart a sale. In addition to facilitating the sale, an inspection helps comply with full-disclosure real estate laws, governed by state laws. By focusing on the condition of your property, you are less likely to overlook a defect or material fact for which you later could be held liable.

Once you have arranged for an inspection, plan to accompany the inspector/contractor for the entire procedure. It helps you to better understand the findings in the report, and will reduce post-closing hassles. A thorough inspection report covers more than 400 items, everything from the foundation to roof and takes two to three hours depending on the size of the property.

Real Estate Closing

Closing — or settlement or escrow — is essentially a meeting where the closing agent (the party who conducts settlement) takes in money from the buyers, pays out money to the owner and the representing agent and makes sure that the purchaser’s title is properly recorded in local records along with any mortgage liens. All papers have been prepared by closing agents, title companies, lenders and lawyers. This paperwork reflects the sale agreement and allows all parties to the transaction to verify their interests. For instance, buyers get the title to the property, lenders have their loans recorded in the public records and state governments collect their transfer taxes.

The closing agent reviews the sale agreement to determine what payments and credits the owner should receive and what amounts are due from the buyer. The closing agent also assures that certain transaction costs are paid (taxes and title searches).

Closing is also the time when “adjustments” will be made. For instance, suppose you’ve pre-paid taxes four months in advance. In this case, the closing agent will compensate you for the prepayment at closing by having the buyer pay you additional money.

It could also work in reverse. If you are behind on property taxes, the closing agent will reduce the money due to you at settlement by the amount of the unpaid taxes.

Timeline and Closing Paperwork

The Closing Paperwork generally consists of the following documents:

Deed – A legal description prepared by an attorney to transfer and record, in public records, ownership of property.

Title Insurance Policy and Certificate of Title – This coverage is issued by the title company after completion of the title search. They check to see if there are any judgments, liens or attachments that need to be taken care of to `clear’ the title. After checking on unpaid taxes and assessments (e.g., sidewalks or sewer), the attorney provides a certificate of title to the lender and the buyer.

Homeowners’ Insurance Policy – New home buyers must obtain a binder for new coverage on the home, and the seller is generally required to keep the property insured against loss or damage prior to the Closing to protect the new buyer’s interests.

Mortgages – The mortgage contract gets recorded to protect the mortgage lender’s interests. When a mortgage is paid off (also known as ‘satisfied’), the buyer will receive a copy of the “satisfaction of mortgage” which is a document that indicates that the mortgage has been paid in full.

Property Tax Bill – Property owners should supply a copy of their property tax bill to the buyers.

Warranties and Service Records – Buyers appreciate these records as they can aid in obtaining satisfaction if a product or service fails within the given time or usage limits. It is also helpful to know what service people the sellers have used in the past for the maintenance of a property (furnace cleaning, snow plowing, plumbers, etc.)

Plot Plans and Surveys – An up-to-date survey will be required for the closing. You can look up a the current plot plan at the town hall and obtain a copy for a nominal fee.

Water and Sewer Bills – Proof of payment by the seller will be required for the Closing.

Utilities Records – Homebuyers generally arrange for services to be changed the day of the Closing. Check with each service provider to determine how they handle requests and what is required for final readings and new service setups.

If you are in a property that has no equity or is upside down we can help you through a combination of a short sale and mortgage/payment assignment. The buyer will pay our fee and most of the closing costs.

We would like you to list your property with us. Please first subscribe to the form which states Real Estate Owners to the right so that you can receive our free report which will detail the steps you need to take and also outlines the options of how we may help you.