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Real estate refers to land and permanent fixtures, including buildings and other objects attached to buildings. Three separate categories exist within this broad heading, including residential, commercial, and industrial. When you consider this investment opportunity, you might purchase land, a house, an office building, a factory, or a retail building. Rental Properties Purchasing a rental property is a traditional method of investing in real estate. With this scenario, you purchase a house, apartment building, townhome, condominium, industrial building, or office building. Once you own the building, you then find a tenant or tenants to rent it. As the owner, you have the responsibility of paying regular mortgage payments, taxes, and insurance. You will also have the responsibility of maintaining the structure to keep it safe and in good repair for your tenants. Optimally, the rent you collect will cover all of your ownership expenses, plus additional money that will pay you dividends for your ownership efforts and the money you have invested. A common strategy is to set rents to cover your expenses only. This strategy involves patience, because you will not make a profit until after you finish paying off the mortgage. Flipping Houses Flipping houses is another investment option to consider. When you engage in this type of transaction, you search the market to find rundown homes for sale. You may be able to find opportunities within the foreclosure market for flipping houses. The process then involves buying a house for a low price, performing various renovations and restorations, and then selling the home quickly for a profit. It's necessary to have enough cash to enable you to pay for the mortgage and any significant renovations to the house to enable you to make a profit. Generally, flippers try to complete the entire transaction of initial purchase, rehabilitation work, and reselling within 30 to 60 days for optimal profit. The longer the transaction period, the less you will profit. Four Steps for Avoiding Mistakes As you contemplate your investment options in real estate, learn common mistakes to enable you to avoid them. 1. It's important to plan the process completely before you move forward, knowing your exit strategy from the beginning. Figuring your strategies as you go along will likely end in mistakes and problems. Always know your bottom line number for making offers to ensure that you stay in the black. 2. Learn the market before you proceed. Consider joining local associations of investors to learn about the market in your geographic area. Educate yourself about foreclosures and landlord-tenant law so you understand all the details involved with your transaction. 3. Develop a team of other professionals that you can trust to help you with your transactions. This team may include an attorney, a real estate agent, a home inspector, an appraiser, a lender, and a contractor. 4. Judge your cash flow realistically. This can be especially important if you are purchasing rental properties. Make sure that your rental income will cover your maintenance expenses, especially if you want to hire a property manager to assist you. Dabbling in real estate can be a lucrative investment. Make sure that you educate yourself and proceed carefully to succeed. When looking for real estate in the Holland, MI area residents visit Greenridge Realty. Learn more at http://www.greenridge.com/.
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