subject: Investing In Real Estate A Survivors Move [print this page] They say survivors are those who know how to adapt to any kind of environment. When it comes to investing in real estate, only those who know how to change their strategies will survive tests as tough as a recession. That is why real estate investors are shifting their positions and redirecting their capital. The way to go today at a time the economy has yet to fully recover from a slump is short-term real estate investing.
These are investment methods that give out returns much faster than the usual buy and keep method wherein investors purchase properties and age them before selling them for a much higher price. Real estate appreciates in years so you are bound to reap huge profits in time. But if you dont have time, there are quick cash investment strategies that are effective under current market conditions.
The most common short-term methods of investing in real estate today are rehabbing and wholesaling houses. Rehabbing houses, which is also known as fix and flip, is buying cheap properties, repairing them, and selling them for a profit. This business is thriving today because of the relatively low prices of real estate properties.
Rehabbers are able to fix and flip more properties because they can buy houses today at bargain prices. Their favorite projects are known as fixer upper homes or handyman specials. These are cheap properties that are in need of repair. Some of them were neglected by their owners for years while others were sold because owners are struggling financially.
Apart from fixer upper homes, rehabbers are also buying REO homes. These are properties that were repossessed by lenders from owners who owed them mortgage and other financial obligations. REO homes have already undergone foreclosure so all liens and claims against them are cleared. This further lowers their prices. Those investing in real estate can buy properties at pennies on the dollar today.
A rehabbing project typically takes up a few weeks to a few months. The timeline depends on the repairs required and how long you take to sell the property. When it comes to profits, a $30,000 paycheck at the end of every project is very common.
Meanwhile, wholesaling houses lasts only a few days. This is placing a property under contract to buy it. You will then look for a buyer and assign the contract to him. In wholesaling houses, paychecks of at least $5,000 are staple. Since you dont need to buy a property, you will not need a huge capital in this business.