Understanding property investment is the most vital aspect of becoming a professional real estate investor. If you are just starting out in the Real Estate business then it is vital that you develop a good understanding of what is required when purchasing an investment property. Understanding property investment is the best way to feel comfortable about putting lots of your hard earned money into a home that you aren't even going to live in. I am often asked "what is the best real estate for beginners tips that I know?". Without doubt the best bit of advice that I can give you is to get a Real Estate education and truly understand property investment before you start buying houses.
To many people this advice will be quite straight forward but many of us want to run before we can walk. Some of us (myself included) decide that we are going to buy a house and then want to buy the first bit of property for sale that we see. Whilst this enthusiasm is great it is much more beneficial if you take things a little bit slower and develop a wide and complete understanding of property investment.
For instance should you buy residential or commercial property? What is stamp duty & how much will it cost me? What is capital gains tax & how much will it cost me? Where are the best Real Estate Listings? Which real estate agents should you talk to? There are many more questions that I'm sure you want to be answered but for now lets have a quick look at some of the basic concepts that any real estate for beginner books should (but don't necessarily) cover. Once you understand these concepts you will be well on you way to completely understanding property investment.
1. Residential vs. commercial property - Which one is for me?
If you are just beginning in property then I would suggest that you stick with residential property. There are many great advantages to commercial property but it is generally slightly more advanced and risky. Lets face it, most people are going to know a lot more about what people are looking for in residential houses because they have all done it themselves- whereas not too many people truly understand what makes a great commercial property investment. Remember 'Always play to your strengths'.
2. What is stamp duty & how much will it cost me?
Unfortunately you will be forced to pay capital gains tax on your investment property. The exact amounts vary depending on how much the investment property is worth but on average you can expect to pay about 5% of the properties value. For instance if you bought an investment property for $300k then you would have to pay about $15k in stamp duty.
3. What is capital gains tax & how much will it cost me?
Most professional investors never sell their investment properties so therefore capital gains is not an issue. You might be wondering "what the point in buying a house if you don't plan on selling it?" You will be surprised to know that there a easy and legal ways of accessing your profits without actually selling your house.
4. Where are the best Real Estate Listings?
When it comes to Understanding property investment it is important not to over complicate things. Today there are hundreds of websites that have 99% of all real estate listings. This will save you hours and hours of work as you dismiss hundreds of houses that in the old days you would have needed to inspect personally.
5. Which real estate agents should you talk to?
All of them - If I can give you one bit of advice it would be this
'Real Estate agents are your friends'
If you can get a good relationship with real estate agents it will make your job so much easier. Whilst they are working for the vendor it is in their interest to sell the house. Their commission won't alter too much if the house sells for $300k or $350k but for you that is a massive difference.
So in order to truly understanding property investment it is vital that you get a great education. There is so much information available on the net these days that it is very easy to great high quality free information. So what are you waiting for - Find a good Real Estate for beginner's book, read it, learn from it and then implement it. The people that truly understand property investment are the ones who will succeed.
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