Saturday 27 November 2010

5 Pitfalls To Avoid When Searching For Your Next Investment Property

Finding a bargain investment property on paper is only half of the process of property investment. The other half of real estate investing is going down to the property to examine the real estate investment property physically for defects either in terms of the construction and legal title and other liens that can be on the property. You do not want to spend lots of legal costs later to undo the bad lemon you bought into. This article will highlight five possible things to consider when searching for your next investment property.

Firstly, unless you find a property that is really run down and you want to tear it down to its foundations, you want to look out for properties that might have potential electrical and water piping problems. The reason why this is critical is that, wiring and water piping is usually hidden behind walls and other furniture fixtures and repairing them can be a very costly affair since you have to hack into the walls and run the piping and wiring if the problem is very serious. If you are new to property investing try to bring a electrical engineer along with you when you are doing some property inspection.

Secondly, foundation problems are usually harder to spot. When walking around the property, look for cracks appearing at the side of the house and the foundation that goes into the ground. Look for large unusual holes found at the side of the property and cracks on the exterior paint of the building. You might want to bring a civil engineer and a contractor along to figure out how much it would cost to fix the property if you suspect the repairs involved will be substantial. You can also bring them along to give a “grim estimate” to the house owner and bring down the cost of the property.

Thirdly, roofing problems can be a persistent nightmare to you and your potential tenant if you are purchasing the real estate for tenancy purposes. When inspecting the house, look around the ceiling near the windows and around the edges of the walls to look for new paint or yellow spots or cracks with water in them. Most sellers would be smart enough to eliminate the water bubbles after a heavy rain when trying to sell the property, but it is always important to figure out if there is a major leaking roof which might cost you are lot into repairing it. Use this defect to negotiate the price of the property further if you are interested in the property.

Fourthly, another reason why the investment property in question might be a bargain might be because there are legal problems associated with it. Common ones include, multiple owners that cannot agree whether to sell or not. Litigation here would be futile and you should avoid such property once you learn about it.

Another problem might be a lack of clean title. Did you know that the seller can be selling you only the building without the land or maybe there are existing tax liens on your property or some other liens that can prevent you from getting good title to the property? Spending some time chatting with a reliable real estate attorney to learn about common real estate problems in your area can save you lots of legal problems later.

Fifthly, bankruptcy of your seller or one of the part owners of your real estate may depending on the legal proceedings of your state affect your ability to transfer title quickly. Most states make it a requirement that the receiver of the bankrupt has to agree so pay careful attention to the bankruptcy legislation of your state. That being said, sometimes the banks are willing to sell you at a bargain so as to recover the bad debts quickly so do your homework before purchasing such an investment property.

In conclusion, these five pointers can be used as a starting point for you to evaluate your property investment. Spend some time to think rationally about the properties that you have seen and see if they have any of the above flaws and consider if you want to continue purchasing them and whether the costs that you may incur in fixing them will justify the discount of the property to the market value. Above all, take massive action today and pursue your property investment dreams.

4 Tips to Build a Successful Portfolio

Walking through the financial maze of stocks, bonds and mutual funds can be quite a challenge. American Century Investments offers the following tips to give you the know-how on building a profitable portfolio.

* Know your goals. Consider how much money you'll need for your children's education or your retirement. Whatever your vision for the future might be, set your goals and develop a concrete plan for meeting them.

* Define your investment time horizon. If you're not planning on retiring anytime soon, you might want to have a portfolio that includes more long-term investments. If retirement is just around the corner, consider a more conservative approach.

* Determine your risk tolerance. Figure out your risk comfort level and compare that with what you can afford. In general, the longer you have to invest, the bigger risk you can take.

* Consult a professional. In order to avoid financial pitfalls later on, it is often wise to seek professional guidance when putting together a portfolio.

"Recent research shows that investors continue to grapple with some of the most basic investment concepts, suggesting a greater need for financial advice and guidance," said Doug Lockwood, a certified financial planner.

To help investors meet their financial goals, American Century Investments has developed On Plan Investing, a program designed to help investors build and maintain diversified investment portfolios - at no additional cost.

Combining educational tools, advice, market insight and investment products, On Plan Investing helps investors develop a personal investment strategy, whether they are new to investing, seeking guidance but still want control over their investment mix, need help positioning their portfolios with a long-term perspective or need help understanding how the markets work.

3 Reasons To Invest In Dubai Investment Property

Dubai one of the states in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks today to move away from its traditional oil dependence to a more balanced one based on tourism and services. As a result, its economy has grown with more and more tourism resorts coming up to meet this aim. This article will list three reasons why you should invest in the Dubai today.

Firstly, Dubai as mentioned earlier is becoming a services hub and in particular a financial services hub, there is going to be an increase in the number of foreign professionals who are flocking there to work and with a high pay and tax free status over there, the average rental yields of properties there is above the average. Currently the single room studio apartments are doing the best in terms of rental since the expatriates that work in Dubai tend to be single individuals so this would be a great real estate investment tip to note if you intend to invest in Dubai.

Secondly, the cost of Dubai property relative to international standards is still very low and as a result the chance of a large capital appreciation increase is very high. Coupled with the bullish take on rentals as mentioned above, the prices of your real estate investment in Dubai will be set to soar in the next few months.

The reasoning cited by some real estate professionals is that when US and UK sourced money starts flowing into such properties, the value of the real estate will reach international standards and you would make a handsome profit from the capital appreciation.

Thirdly, there is currently a Disneyland attraction being built there and this would result in an increase in tourist visitors to Dubai. If your property is located near Disneyland, there is a chance that you will be able to rent out your property to people going there on holiday. As for problems with rental collections, most real estate companies double up as property mangers and developers so they will be able to handle most of the payment collections on your behalf.

In conclusion, Dubai represents one of the emerging markets where your investment dollar may make a lot more. Spending some time considering whether you want to investment in Dubai property may be worthwhile when considering the potential benefits involved.

Seeking the Right Advisor to Achieve TIC Investment Objectives

A long-established section in the federal tax code, section 1031, allows real estate investors to sell property that has been held for investment purposes and defer capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes if they acquire "like-kind" exchange property of equal or greater value and reinvest all of their equity.  Since the mid-1990s, many investors have experienced the benefit of reinvesting their equity into investment property interests structured as Tenancy-in-Common (TIC). TIC owners hold an undivided fractional ownership interest in investment property evidenced by a deed of trust.

TIC, also known as Co-ownership of Real Estate (CORE), enables an investor to participate in the ownership of institutional-grade, professionally managed investment properties.  The investor's equity can be diversified amongst several different properties, geographic markets and real estate companies, potentially increasing both the value and safety of the real estate investment. TIC/CORE investments are designed to offer preservation of capital, predictable cash flow and long-term appreciation in institutional-quality investment property assets that benefit from greater economies of scale.

With its features and benefits, TIC/CORE is an increasingly popular 1031 exchange option for many real estate investors.  However, 1031 exchanges and TIC/CORE transactions are very complicated, with both tax and legal issues topping the list of potential pitfalls.  It is therefore essential that investors be knowledgeable about what to look for in a quality advisor.  Financial advisors are required by securities law to be properly licensed in order to consult clients regarding TIC/CORE transactions and other investment interests in real estate. Financial advisors should hold both Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses to qualify them as knowledgeable, well-rounded consultants in the investment process.  It is essential that they have experience in the commercial real estate business, in addition to an understanding of personal investment objectives and client suitability issues. 

But perhaps the most important component to look for in a TIC financial advisor is their intimate, trusted and deeply rooted relationships with key real estate companies.  This attribute is critical to their ability to provide the best opportunities for their clients.  There are almost 80 real estate companies across the United

States that are either already involved or considering involvement in the TIC/CORE industry as a real estate provider.  As with any industry, these 80 companies represent varying degrees of acumen, experience and quality.  To achieve the greatest potential for a client, a financial advisor should have consistent access to the top ten percent of these companies in order to provide their client access to the best properties available.  Obviously, a new financial advisor with little or no experience or industry knowledge may not have access to the top real estate providers, as these providers prefer to work with experienced consultants that specialize in this unique segment of the market.

Investors should also be aware of how their financial advisor stacks up, looking for a history of successfully completed transactions.  A long and proven track record indicates that a financial advisor is an experienced professional.  An investor wants such an advisor in their corner asking all the right questions, making appropriate and suitable recommendations, understanding the nuances of successfully completing TIC/CORE transactions and providing answers to any and all tax and legal questions.

When considering a 1031 exchange or TIC/CORE investment, investors should ask the following specific questions of the financial advisor:

* What percentage of your business is 1031 exchange and/or TIC/CORE related?
* How many investors have you consulted that invested in TIC/CORE structured properties this year?  How many last year?
* How long have 1031 exchanges and TIC/CORE been a focus of your investment recommendations?
* Do you have the appropriate licenses to complete this transaction (Series 7, Series 63 securities licenses)?
* With which real estate providers do you work most closely?

As customer demand continues to drive this segment of the real estate market, the emphasis on quality - quality consulting, quality property, and quality transactions - will be increasingly important.  Part of the qualitative process is ensuring that financial advisors representing a client make appropriate recommendations for that client based on the client's best interest and not based on any "bias."  A final issue that needs to be addressed is that it is not unusual for "referral" compensation to be paid between referring parties. This practice is illegal and a complete breach of ethics,.  Therefore, if any form of compensation changes hands - disclosed or undisclosed - between financial advisors and Qualified Intermediaries, real estate companies or other unlicensed individuals derived from an exchange transaction, a felony may have occurred. 

In short, investors should take the time to identify a reputable advisor who not only can provide acceptable answers to the above questions, but who will also have the relationships necessary to guide their clients into the appropriate investment.  It is important to remember, firms or individuals involved in recommending, offering or selling 1031 TIC/CORE investments must be licensed with a broker-dealer, the SEC, the NASD and the state securities regulators in every state in which the firm or individual operates and in which the client resides. Any "unlicensed" firm or individual involved in recommending, offering or selling these investments is in direct violation of federal and state securities laws.

Co-ownership is the fastest growing option for 1031 exchange investors seeking suitable replacement property.  Properly structured and presented, such investments can also generate new listing opportunities for real estate agents while satisfying both the IRS "like-kind" investment property requirements and the SEC and NASD securities regulations.  The advantages of co-ownership of institutional-grade real estate are clear and compelling.  When exploring co-ownership, smart investors need to seek out industry experts to guide them through the replacement property process.  It is indeed the wise investor who is aware of his or her long-term goals that seeks experienced guidance to chart their course, thereby turning TIC/CORE investment opportunities into realities.

(c) 2005, 1031 Exchange Options.  Reprint rights granted so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.  This article is neither an offer to sell nor an offer to buy real estate or securities. There are material risks associated with the ownership of real estate. You must be an accredited investor. Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corporation, Member NASD/SIPC.

"Successful real estate investor tips"

Becoming a successful real estate investor
Becoming a successful real estate investor requires being able to find good real estate investment deals and put them together. Your job is not to become an closing attorney, a management expert, or a repair person. Use professionals!

You must learn how to appraise and find the true value of real estate this information will help you make better investment decisions. Realtors, appraisers, and banks determine what a property is worth by looking at comparable sales usually three to five sales of similar property that has recently sold in the same neighborhood. You must be able to do the same.

Getting a list of comparable prices of properties  bought or sold (and when it sold) for the neighborhood you need information about, and asking active real estate investors in your area what the market is like will be helpful and making a better investment decision.                                                                                                                                                                                                             What is the ideal market for investing?
There is no such thing as an ideal real estate market for investing. It tends to be more difficult to find bargains in rising markets if the market keeps rising the probability of selling the property quickly for a large profit increases. In contrast but when property values are falling more bargains become available.

You need to be able to assess the true value of properties based on when you expect to sell. Your purchase must be made at a good enough discount to allow for a profitable sale at a later  date.
Leverage
Leverage is very important for investors because the less cash you put down on each property the more properties you can buy. If the properties go up in value your rate of return goes up. However if the properties go down in value and you have a lot of debt on the property this can result in negative cash flow.

Since real estate is generally cyclical negative cash flow is only a short-term problem and can be handled if you have other income or a cash reserves. This makes "Nothing down" investing very helpful to protect against negative cash flow for high leverage investor.

If you are a long term real estate investor leverage will work in your favor if the markets in which you invest appreciate in the long run and your income from the properties can pay for most of your monthly debt.                                                                                                                                                                                                            Strategies to limit risk
To limit risk become educated in your local real estate market first by understanding the large scale trends from global down to national regional and specific neighborhoods. Learn about target neighborhoods with the help of successful real estate investors in your area along the way.

Real estate investors can help you interpret market indicators such as the average length of time houses have been on the market this month versus last month or last year. With this information it will help you make better investment decisions.
                                                                                                           Exit strategies
It is important  not to guess the future of a local real estate market you need to have a clear plan in mind when purchasing property. As a  real estate investor you must know exactly how you will exit the property before you buy. And have a backup plan or two in case the first course of action doesn't work. You must know your market and your plan before you begin to invest. For more helpful information and online real estate corses from Donald Trump himself visit us today at  http://www.TrumpUniversityCo.com

Por Qué Los Medios De Noticias Financieras Le Pueden Costar Dinero?

El adelanto en las comunicaciones que tenemos hoy en día, como el Internet, periódicos financieros y canales de la televisión enfocados a la inversión,  como CNBC, son medios de información de alta velocidad llenos de habladurías absurdas. Todas estas fuentes de información son indicadores de que no hay escasez de personas en los medios que intentan contestar nuestras preguntas acerca del mercado de valores y en especial sobre acciones. Usted tiene que recordar que los medios de noticias compiten constantemente para sobrevivir contra otros canales, el cual usted puede o no ver. Si ellos no se escuchan como si supieran exactamente lo que sucede o de lo que esta en moda, entonces usted deja de ver sus presentaciones. Si usted no sintoniza sus exposiciones entonces sus índices de programación bajan. Si sus índices bajan ellos son despedidos y su presentación es cancelada.

Esto significa que los periodistas financieros están en el negocio en búsqueda de  noticias o grandes historias para así proyectarse como la autoridad en la materia, no importa que se hable. El mercado de valores es un gran lugar para ellos buscar noticias sensacionalistas que alimenten al público. No verifican muy bien los hechos y algunas veces ni lo hacen. Esto significa que algún ejecutivo con información privilegiada  (“insider”) que quiera provocar una expectación falsa todo lo que  tiene que hacer es mantener buenas conexiones con los periodistas financieros, patrocinadores y  programas de inversión, o abiertamente  comprar un canal de televisión como hizo Jack Welsh, director general de GE cuando él creo CNBC. ¡Que gran manera para los ejecutivos manipuladores de controlar el flujo de información que el público recibe a través de poseer uno de los pocos canales de televisión de noticias financieras!… pero esto no es tan bueno para usted. Estos periodistas también avivan el fuego al traer a grandes “expertos” para hablar de los diferentes puntos de vista de un tema que los verdaderos expertos no consideran importante.

Esto solo hace más confuso para el público poder entender que es importante a la hora de comprar o vender valores. Los programas en CNBC como “Closing Bell”, “Kudlow & Company” y “Mad Money” no hacen más que confundir y dar una dirección errónea a  la mayoría de los inversiones que están en el público. Peor aun, esto significa que las noticias financieras que salen a la luz pública permiten a las acciones sobrevaluadas ser recomendadas vía análisis en el Intenet, cuando los ejecutivos manipuladores tratan de salirse del mercado. Esto hecho ocurrió en el  tope del alza del mercado del año 1999. Para una gran descripción histórica de lo que ocurrió lea el libro  de Maggie Mahar titulado “Bull”.

El famoso economista de la Universidad de Yale, el Prof. Bob Shiller , Ph.D. es particularmente duro con los medios en su libro “Irrational Exuberance” (Exhuberancia Iraccional). El Dr. Shiller es uno de los economistas más respetados por Alan Greenspan (presidente ejecutivo de la Reserva Federal de Estados Unidos) y de quien obtuvo el término Exuberancia Irracional.  El Dr. Shiller  describe a los medios como un lugar en donde las opiniones superficiales son preferidas sobre el análisis profundo. Estoy completamente de acuerdo con él y entiendo que también se hace solo porque la industria prefiere tener al inversionista individual confundido y emocionalmente vulnerable para que venda o compre cuando ellos quieran con total indiferencia de los mejores intereses del inversionista.

Las personas que habían invertido los ahorros de sus vidas en el mercado de valores fueron saqueadas porque las noticias financieras en los medios y los analistas exageraban lo que era una gran compra de acciones en el mismo tope del alza del mercado en 1999 y el 2000. Al mismo tiempo los ejecutivos corporativos manipuladores vendían todo lo que ellos tenían. Lo que es asombroso es que nuestro Gobierno Federal en la forma del “Security Exchange Commission” nunca hizo nada al respecto. Nunca hubo ningún caso o protesta en contra de estos ejecutivos, los cuales de alguna manera mágica, vendieron todas sus acciones seis meses antes de que el mercado colapsara.

He aquí un valioso consejo a considerar por parte suya: Si usted es un inversionista principiante es importante que ¡NO VEA LAS NOTICIAS O LEA LOS PERIODICOS FINACIEROS! No permita que el mercado de acciones lo lleve a la bancarrota. No escuche lo que ellos quieren que usted escuche. Debe enfocarse en aprender lo que es importante del mercado de acciones antes de actuar. La prensa solo le va a confundir hasta que se haya educado.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I like maxims and quips. Little phrases that tell a big story. I like the parables in the Bible because a child can say "I get it," and an aged student can say "Oh… now I get it." The principle of keeping it simple is a good one for most of life's situations including trading. And while trading skills are not easy to master, they involve simple principles.

Mastery in most areas of life includes learning to conserve extraneous movement and effort. When it is done right it looks simple and onlookers often say "Well, I could do that." But the "wanna be" soon finds that it is not as easy as it seems. Trading can be frustrating and discouraging, but when the market seems to get you down and you feel like you will never get it, remember Sean Connery's famous line, "Impossible, but doable."

Too often, traders experience real highs and real lows. While the give and take is normal and expected, big swings are usually the result of changing stride or technique inappropriately. Finding your stride or niche can really make the trading life a lot more consistent and smooth and therefore, profitable. Getting to know a few terrific trading stocks rather than collecting all the potential candidates from recommendations and scans begins to overwhelm a trader and changes the rifle shot accuracy to a shotgun splatter.

So, a while back in a Trader Talk Live training a student wrote "- the past 7 days of trading have been absolutely fantastic. I have confirmed again the value of following just a few stocks and getting to learn (as much as possible) their behavior. PD is one of my all time favorites". She was referring to a principle that is trained in the Trader's Forge two day trading camp that I conduct once a month. I advise students to build a stable of good trading stocks and get to know them. Pick your favorite 6-10 and back trade them repeatedly. Learn to recognize the patterns of behavior. Does it behave in similar ways around earnings? Does it make clean or sloppy turns? Does it have a tendency to throw certain chart patterns? In doing so, you get a feel for the traders who influence the stock and improve your chances to repeatedly tap that stock for pattern trades.

The patterns we observe are the behavior of people. Key Traders are interacting with various levels of traders, brokers, fund managers and the public. This cast of players is unique in each stock or group of stocks, bonds, commodities etc. Hence, unique patterns develop and that is the key. Instead of flitting around like a butterfly from bush to bush looking for a new flower, you can find certain flowers that keep producing on a regular cycle. You develop a routine and learn the cycle so that you can just stick around and harvest over and over again.

I have a friend who taught me this principle in a dramatic way. He had a very narrow group of stocks that he got to know and not only did he learn the patterns, but he also studied the company's behavior. He knew how they acted around earnings, what products they were releasing, and how their stock responded to economic news and events. One year alone, he made over $750,000 trading one company. It was interesting to note that others seeing his success always wanted to know, "What's it going to do next?" Like the children's story of the Little Red Hen, most fellow traders wanted to cash in on his valuable insight and very few asked him to teach them how to trade like he traded. It was folly to think that if he gave them the information, they would also gain the skill it took to glean the information. That, however, is human nature.

It is the nature of most folks to want to find the easiest way. Most want to find a secret or a magic strategy. A good deal of the GDP of this country is based on selling the sizzle, not the steak. We search for the fountain of youth, the short cut, and the edge so to speak, but in the end one universal constant remains. Working smart is better than working hard. And in the end, the magic is usually finding the key or core of the matter and developing some simple and specialized skills.

If you can find a piece of good ground that can be cultivated and harvested over and over again, you find one of the jewels of trading. The secret of most millionaires is finding a stream of residual income. Patterns are there because people are creatures of habit and the market is just people. With six to ten good pattern trading stocks in the price range you like, there will always be something ready to trade. When you run across a great stock, you can replace the weakest one in your stable and place it on the bench until it warrants taking a position on the starting lineup.


The problems come when a trader chases the latest hot stock or lets their field of vision widen too far. When you find an account size and a group of stocks and a few strategies that work, stick with it!!! And don't mess with it and Dance with what 'brung ya'.

I would love to have you spend a couple days with me in the Trader's Forge. As a trading coach, that is where I can do the most good for you. I train folks in the Trader Talk Live mentoring workshops each week but that training is most beneficial to the folks who have been to the two day training of the Forge. Last week was a terrific training in Tampa. This month is Denver and then on to Detroit.

I hope to see you in the online web training classes held throughout the week and soon in a two day FORGE Trading workshop.


Ryan with Better Trade