The practice of buying property and quickly selling at a profit is commonly referred to as flipping. The other side of flipping, is to keep the house for a lengthy time taking advantage of tax incentives and capital appreciation, then selling it. Here is where you figure out the total cost as opposed to the amount saved from a tax write off and then include the interest charges, property taxes, repairs, and insurance along with the regular monthly mortgage.

Over the past decade or so real estate values have risen in the majority of markets. However, with interest rates on the rise one can’t predict how much higher the interest rates will go. Have you heard the statement “… no gain without risk!” Another investment avenue is the foreclosure. This investment also entails a risk and could require substantial cash outlay. However, it is evident that more and more owners are no longer able to pay the mortgage. This situation usually occurs over a period of months.

While the bank usually has to foreclose and perform a power sale, if you purchase this land, be certain of the condition of the residence. It is usual to find the foreclosed properties are in need of repair. When buying real estate, you ought to be prepared to spend the time and effort bringing back the residence for sale. This may take your own skills, the skills of a tradesman, cash outlays, or even the time required to find a reliable contractor. Abandoned real estate is a risk you’re possibility. However, with some additional legal hoops are involved.

To purchase an abandoned property you may find that it’s not clear who has title. In this case, factor in the additional time and cost, to do a title search for possible legal action. Factor in the additional time and cost for title searches and possible legal action. Aside from capital gains and a tax write off plus appreciation, much of your operating cost for the building may be offset by renting. Do consider however, the amount of time and cash spent finding tenants, paying for repairs, and managing the property.

There are numerous profit opportunities in real estate. When buying a building without laying down the cash, or worrying about structural integrity, you may want to consider a safer investment. There are several Paper Investments equally profitable. One recent entry to the investment arena is a consortium (1980) that developed REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts). These are monetized real estate investments with mortgage-backed securities. These are still high risk and you should speak with a broker before investing.

While loans provide the funds to purchase high-dollar items, consumers must be able to repay borrowed money. Otherwise, they could end up paying late fees and penalties or defaulting on their promissory note. Loan default causes serious harm to credit scores and could potentially lead to bankruptcy.

Not so long ago, loans were pretty easy to obtain. Many people entered into bad credit mortgage loans with high interest rates, which eventually lead to the banking crisis and an overwhelming number of home foreclosures. Today, lenders thoroughly review borrowers’ finances to reduce the potential for loan default.

Borrowers should always consider the advantages and disadvantages of financing before applying for any type of loan. While it can be exciting to buy a house or new car, it can be devastating to lose those items when loans cannot be repaid.

The first thing borrowers need to consider is how much the loan actually costs. Banks charge interest for every type of loan. Interest rates can range from 4-percent to 23-percent; depending on the type of loan, amount financed, and borrowers’ credit history. Banks also assess late fees against delinquent payments and prepayment penalties when loans are paid off early.

Lenders can take legal action against borrowers who default on loans. Borrowers are held financially responsible for court costs and legal fees when collection judgments are awarded to creditors. These fees are in addition to outstanding loan balances, accrued interest, and late payment penalties. Loan default can potentially double or triple the amount of original debt.

Loans obtained through financial institutions are secured with promissory notes. These legally binding contracts provide details of loan terms such as payment dates, amount owed, interest rate, and late fees. Personal loans obtained from family or friends should also be secured by a promissory note. While relatives often feel uncomfortable making family members’ sign a loan contract, doing so can prevent misunderstandings and family disputes.

The amount of interest assessed against loans depends on a variety of factors including: FICO scores, credit history, type of loan, and type of lender. Credit unions oftentimes charge lower interest rates than banks. Family and friends must adhere to state usury laws and are prohibited from charging higher interest than financial institutions.

Credit card companies usually charge the highest rate of interest with rates ranging between 8- and 23-percent. Home mortgage loans usually carry the lowest interest rates which typically range between 4.5- and 7-percent.

Borrowers requiring mortgage loans for bad credit pay higher rates of interest because they are considered high-risk. High interest loans can place borrowers at risk for default which often leads to foreclosure. Borrowers with poor credit should engage in credit repair to improve FICO scores prior to applying for home loans.

Borrowers who obtained a bad credit mortgage who have improved credit scores and borrowers with good credit may want to consider mortgage refinance to obtain a reduced interest rate. Refinancing mortgages involves taking out a new loan. Borrowers are subjected to a variety of refinance rates including: application fees, property appraisals and inspections, attorney fees, and closing costs.

Loan consolidation might be a good option for borrowers carrying multiple loans. This option can be beneficial for graduates holding several college loans and homeowners with two or more mortgages. Consolidation loans reduce interest rates and allow borrowers to pay off loans earlier than expected.

So what exactly is rental property depreciation? In simple terms, it’s the decrease in value of property over time as the building structure begins to wear and tear with age.

Depreciation can only be used for tax purposes on rental properties; you cannot claim depreciation for the home that you live in. It’s also important to note that rental property depreciation only applies to the building itself, and not the land upon which it is situated.

How to Calculate Depreciation for Non-Residential Rental Properties

There are a few different methods for making this calculation, however the most common and straightforward method is the so-called “straight line” depreciation method. Using this formula, annual depreciation is calculated by taking the purchase price of the building minus land value, and dividing it by its useful life span.

When it comes to the useful life span of the structure, you’ll need to refer to tax rules and local regulations. Laws vary, but generally you can find a fixed number based on the type and age of the structure, or a formula to calculate the building’s life span.

As an example, say you purchase a property for $150,000 with a land value of $50,000, and the property has a useful life span of thirty years, according to local laws. Annual depreciation is as follows:

150,000 – 50,000/30 = 3,333.33

Of course, it’s important to note that the land value may change according to market conditions. Therefore, you will need to calculate rental property depreciation independently each tax cycle.

The above formula applies to non-residential rental properties, like hotels, motels, and business rentals.

How to Calculate Depreciation for Your Residential Rental Properties

If you own residential rental buildings or rent out your home, then you need to calculate rental property depreciation using the same formula, but the useful life span of the building is assumed to be 27.5 years. This calculation should be used for any home or residential rental building earning 80% or more of its revenue from rental income.

For the first year that you own a rental property, depreciation should be calculated using a pro-rated formula, depending on the month in which you purchased your property. Pro-rated depreciation is calculated as follows:

Annual Depreciation = Purchase Price – Land Value X Depreciation Percentage

Use the following table to calculate residential depreciation:

January 3.485% February 3.182% March 2.879% April 2.576% May 2.273% June 1.970% July 1.667% August 1.364% September 1.061% October 0.758% November 0.455% December 0.152%

For example, for a residential property purchased in November for $150,000 with a land value of $50,000, depreciation for the first year is as follows:

(150,000 – 50,000) X 0.00455 = 455

How Rental Property Depreciation Affects Your Real Estate Taxes

In the short term, depreciation can be counted on your annual tax return as a rental expense, resulting in a deduction from taxes owed. If you did not know that this option was available and thus did not claim this deduction in years past, you should know that you can claim up to 3 years prior depreciation on one return.

When you sell your rental property, you should also be aware that having claimed rental property depreciation on your tax return will result in higher capital gains taxes. In addition to being taxed on any profit from the sale of your property, you’ll also have to pay 1/4 of the amount that you have claimed in deductions for depreciation of the property.

Overall, you still benefit monetarily from claiming the deduction, however you may want to set aside some of the offset for the future in case you should decide to sell your rental property.

The simple answer is that lenders and investors (I’ll call them “readers” from here on out) are looking for good deals. A good deal is one that offers the reader a reasonable rate of return for the risk assumed. The complete answer is that you should write a plan that a reader will want to read and then get it to reader(s) who are looking for your type of project and levels of risk and return. This article deals with the first part of the equation – how to write a business plan that readers will want to read.

Readers want plans that clearly, accurately and completely allow them to make an initial determination about the project. Here are the steps needed to write that plan:

To borrow from the real estate industry, the three most important things about a business plan are research, research and research. While other things are important (even critical), ultimately your plan will live or die on the quality and completeness of your information. For that matter, you’re about to risk your time and financial future on a project – how much information do you want to have? Step one:

1. Become expert in your project. Learn everything possible about:

a. The customers to whom you will sell (your market).

b. The competition.

c. The actual costs of operating your business (get quotes).

d. The actual results of similar projects.

e. Your industry.

f. The project’s physical location(s) and it’s impact (if any) on the project.

g. The people who will be key to the project.
If you’ve followed the above, you’ve now got a mound of research – sticky notes, web pages, reports, quotes, etc., etc. But, what does it all mean? Step two:

2. Analyze. (Hopefully) when you first got the idea for your project there was a sense of excitement and a feeling that this is a sure winner. Now is the time to see if your feelings were well founded. With a critical eye, do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis on your project. Determine what you are able to do to capitalize on the S and O and minimize the W and T.

Steps one and two may have changed somewhat your sure winner feelings – which is good. (If not, you either have hit upon the next sliced bread or you need to redo the preceding steps). Presuming that your research and analysis shows a worthwhile use of your time and money (and that of your readers) move to step three:

3. Forecast. This is where the rubber meets the road. Using your research and analysis you will now tell your readers that “this is what will happen to the money”. You’ll do it with accounting forecasts called pro forma statements. Provide either three or five years of statements with (generally) the first year done monthly, the second and third done quarterly and (if included) the last two years done annually. In all events, include:

a. Operating statements.

b. Cash flow forecasts.

c. Balance sheets.

Optionally include:

d. Various ratios (loan to value, debt service coverage, etc.)
In addition to the above, you should usually include a Source and Use of Funds showing where the source of the initial capital and on what it will be spent.

By this point you’re either sure you have a winner (differing from a sure winner in that you recognize the obstacles but are prepared to work through them) or you are going back to the drawing board to rethink your project. If you have a winner, step four is:

4. Write the plan. Obviously, you need to be able to use good grammar and spelling. You should be clear, concise and complete. Fill your plan with compelling facts gleaned from your research. Do not avoid the W and T from your SWOT analysis, rather, describe in detail how you will deal with them. Avoid platitudes and your own opinions – everyone knows that you like the idea, readers need facts to determine if they like it. Try to keep your answers as short as possible while still giving complete information. With the exception of the Executive Summary, keep your answers somewhat dry and factual – short, sweet and to the point.

The Executive Summary, on the other hand, is where you sell the sizzle. It is here that you make the claim that yours is a dynamic project that deserves full consideration. You need to compel your reader to read your plan and tell them why you are excited about the project.

You’ve now done the lions share of the work leaving only step five:

5. Review and revise. The review should be first by the author(s) and then by trusted advisors – the more people that you can get to review your plan the more likely you are to find any problems before they are found by a reader.

Follow the preceding steps and you will have a business plan that will get read and, hopefully, funded.

Investing in real estate does not just involved housing property it can also been commercial property as well. There are some individuals that use their commercial property as an investment. The strategies can be done in both circumstances. There are some risk that are involved in investing. The type of time frame can have a significant impact on, any investments for many factors. It is commonly accepted that a long term investment in a diversity of places is the safest and conservative way of making a good return on your capital. If you decide to use short term investment they can have many implications.

A factor to consider while investing is tax. Capital gain taxes, will have a significant difference because of the time frame. Long term is encouraged in many countries because of the tax code. The more money you accumulate will benefit your tax.

There are risk to investing in property as sometimes when you think you make a profit it wont always happen. There can be many reasons as to why someone losses money when they invest. They could be, that they brought a property that was for a resale purpose only and may not be able to sell it straight away. When the sale is possible, the value of the house and land may have decreased and so in return they may not have been able to make a profit. Other risk could be that if they are renting and expecting money on time to pay for the mortgage and don’t get it, it can have a negative impact.

It is easy to invest money and there are many people who seem to be doing it. However getting the best for your return isn’t easy and you should know what you are getting into, before you invest. As investing money can back fire, if you don’t do your research.

Finally, investing has a lot of factors that are involved with the art of investing. There is a lot of planning that is involved, working out how you invest and what you invest in, whether it will be long or short term. Although it does seem to be that long-term factors are better for investing as it has a less negative impact on your capital, in comparison to short term. However investing in long term, it may be wise to split your money up into different investments, as you may get more of a return that way. Investing in property can backfire especially if you are renting your property, cause it may cost more if the tenants don’t pay on time. Or you want to resell the property but are unable to sell because of bad timing, you may lose out when you eventually do As you are probably well aware, investing money does take time, to get any kind of return so be patient and you will eventually get back what you have put in and more.