Tag: investment

Rental Property Red Flags

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Investing in real estate properties is a great way to make money and build your portfolio, but it can also end badly if you don’t see the red flags. The last thing you want to do is overlook potential issues, purchase the property, and find out down the road that there are bigger issues than you originally thought. 

Before purchasing a property, do your due diligence and avoid these four red flags.

Bad Location/School District

Homes located in less-than-ideal locations with high crime rates tend to be avoided by potential renters. They don’t want to be concerned for their safety or worry about their property being destroyed. When renters are looking for properties, they usually look within the school district where their children go for the ease of getting them on the bus or to school in the morning. If they can’t find anything in their school district, they will look in highly-acclaimed school districts, which could mean they would miss your property altogether. 

No Interior Pictures Online

When looking for properties to purchase online, keep an eye out for properties with beautiful exterior pictures and no interior pictures. This is a huge red flag because it makes it seem like they’re hiding something. Even if you know the property has a great floor plan and awesome amenities nearby, it suggests the inside of the home isn’t in good condition or wasn’t well taken care of.

Dysfunctional Layouts

Renters want their property to feel like a home, and having to walk through a maze to get around is a huge red flag. When looking at properties, renters like to see open floor plans and layouts that make sense. If you can only get to your bedroom by walking through the kitchen, or the only bathroom is on the main level when the bedrooms are upstairs, it’s not a good choice.

Questionable History

If you look up the property and see multiple owners have owned it over the past few years, this could imply it’s difficult to keep occupied or has underlying issues. In addition, if the disclosure sheet doesn’t provide much information on the property or the repairs that were made, it could mean more repairs for you in the future. 

At the end of the day, make sure to do your research before purchasing your rental property. It will save you time and money in the long run! If you have any questions or need recommendations, reach out to us! We are always here to help.

4 Real Estate Investment Mistakes To Avoid

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If you’re just getting started investing in the real estate world, you’ll quickly learn it takes a lot of hard work and is not something that happens overnight. You have to make sure you have the knowledge, expertise, and determination to succeed. In addition to knowing what will help you succeed, it’s helpful to know what mistakes will not.

Let’s dive into a few common real estate investment mistakes and how to avoid them.

Failing To Do Your Research & Make A Plan

It’s easy to want to dive head first into investing. You may think you know enough to start, but you’ll quickly learn you might be in over your head. Doing extensive research and making a plan are two of the most important things to do when you’re first getting started. Whether you want to flip homes or become a landlord, there are many ways to invest in real estate, and you need to look at all options before creating a plan and a strategy.

Overpaying For A Property

Going along with doing your research, if you don’t properly research your local market, you could find yourself in a situation where you overpay for a property. If you find a home that fits your exact criteria, it can be easy to write an offer immediately without thinking. It’s important to take a step back, look at what similar homes have sold for in the area, and make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Thinking You Can Do It All Alone

Building a skilled team to help you along the way is essential. Make sure you have connections with a real estate agent, lender, title company, home inspector, appraiser, and more. If you’re not going to handle landlord responsibilities yourself, you will need a landlord. Also, if you’re looking to flip a property, having the right contractors on standby (electrician, roofer, painter, lawn maintenance company, etc.) is important. Not having these people on hand will create more unnecessary stress and work you don’t need.

Focusing On One Specific Area

Many first-time investors tend to stick to one particular area or city because they’ve heard it’s a profitable area or it’s an easy commute to their home. However, sticking to one area can limit the number of possible homes that could meet your criteria in other areas. Expanding your search to include multiple cities will be better for you in the long run and make it easier to find the perfect property.

It can be easy to make mistakes if you don’t do your research, but with the right tools and people in your corner, you will be successful. If you have any questions or need recommendations, reach out to us! We are always here to help.

4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Becoming A Landlord

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Investing in real estate is one of the most dependable ways to build wealth, but it’s important to know all the ins and outs before getting into it. Set yourself up to be successful by researching and making sure it’s the right choice before you purchase your first rental property.

In the midst of your research, ask yourself these four questions before starting your journey as a landlord.

Do You Have Enough Time?

Being a landlord isn’t as easy as buying a property and finding tenants; there is a lot more to it than that. If you are going to update the property before finding tenants, you’ll be taking calls and coordinating contractors to come out to the property. Once you have tenants, they’ll call if something needs to be fixed or something goes wrong, and those calls could come any day at any time. As the landlord, these are all things you will need to handle quickly to keep your tenants happy.

Remember, the more properties you own, the more calls you’ll take and the more issues you may need to handle. 

How Will You Screen Potential Tenants?

Making sure you choose the right tenants is important because you want to make sure they will take care of the rental and pay their rent on time. While it might cross your mind to let whoever replies to your online ad first move in immediately, that is not the smartest idea. As the landlord, you want to screen prospective tenants by performing background checks, checking credit scores, confirming income and job details, and calling previous landlords to make sure they’re the right fit.

Do You Have Legal Counsel Lined Up?

While you hope to never have to call your lawyer, it’s important to have one lined up that specializes in landlord-tenant issues. If nothing else, having a lawyer review your leases and ensure all paperwork complies with local laws is helpful. There may come a time when you have a tenant who doesn’t pay their rent, and in this case, an experienced lawyer will be a huge asset. 

What Is Your Why?

Understanding why you want to be a landlord is important for success. Are you doing this on the side to make extra money, or do you want to do it as a full-time job? Will the time you’re putting into being a landlord and the potential issues that could come up be worth it? Keeping your why at the forefront is important as you purchase your first rental and continue becoming successful.

Becoming a landlord is hard work, but the rewards will be huge if everything works in your favor. If you have any questions or need recommendations about how to start investing and becoming a landlord, reach out to us! We are always here to help.

Top Neighborhood Features of a Profitable Investment Property

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If you’re considering purchasing your next investment property for your portfolio, you’re probably wondering how to decide which Greater Austin neighborhood it should be in. There are many factors to consider, but which factors should you focus on to ensure your property is profitable? 

Neighborhood & Amenities

One of the main factors is researching the neighborhood and its proximity to amenities. You want to ensure the neighborhood is located in a low-crime area with affordable taxes and a good school district. Living near schools, parks, restaurants, and shopping will attract more renters overall. However, if the neighborhood is near a university, this could be a positive for some, but also a negative. This is because students will dominate your pool of potential tenants, which could make it challenging to fill vacancies when summer rolls around.

High Listings & Vacancies

If the neighborhood you are looking to purchase an investment property in has a high number of listings and vacancies, this could signal a declining neighborhood. Not only does it make it difficult to get tenants, but you may have to lower your rent prices to fill your vacancies. Low-vacancy neighborhoods are more popular for renters and are harder to get into, which justifies higher rent prices. 

Average Rent Prices

Speaking of rent prices, make sure to do your research on the area to stay in line with your competition. Renters are usually more inclined to go with the lower rent price if it’s in an attractive neighborhood. Try to gauge where the neighborhood will be in the next five years to ensure the money you’re bringing in from rent is enough for all the upkeep of your mortgage, taxes, and other expenses.

Financial Stability

Look for neighborhoods with stable economic conditions, low unemployment, and low crime rates, as these areas generally have high cash-on-cash returns. Neighborhoods near large businesses with growing job opportunities tend to attract more tenants and are a good sign that the area is growing and stable.

In addition to these factors, there are plenty of others to consider before you write an offer for your next Greater Austin area investment property. If you have any questions or need recommendations, reach out to us! We are always here to help.

4 Timely Home Design Trends for Rental Property in 2021

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If 2021 is the year you become an investor, or if you’re already one and looking for ways to increase ROI on your investment, these four home designs should factor into your portfolio decisions in 2021. With the pandemic, people are spending significantly more time at home, and this influences home layout preferences and needs. Here are some home design trends you should look for in your next rental property.

Separated Spaces for Multigen

Open floor plans are not as popular if multiple people are sharing the same living space. Homeowners are looking for areas to do work, place video calls, exercise, and learn remotely, and you can’t do that all in one room. Think of the chaos! This is especially true with the rise in multigenerational families sharing a home, where each individual needs space and privacy for themselves. 

Wood-grain Elements in the Kitchen

Increased time spent indoors is influencing home materials. Homeowners are craving the outdoors indoors, and this includes materials that are organic and natural. This home design ties interior elements to nature and can be accomplished by adding wood-grain cabinets and wood countertops. 

Outdoor Solitude

The backyard has become a break room of sorts for adults and children, so homeowners are looking for entertainment. The items that gained popularity during the pandemic are fireplaces, fire pits, patios and decks, screened-in porches, and outdoor kitchens. While an outdoor kitchen can be expensive, it can be as economical as adding an outdoor refrigerators and dining areas to your rental property. 

Smarter Bathrooms 

Touchless appliances and self-cleaning appliances gained traction last year in smart technology. Motion sensors for lighting and smart temperature control for bathroom floors are some ideas that can increase ROI.

 

Contact us today to begin your investor journey. If you need help deciding what home designs increase your rental property’s ROI, reach out to TALK Property Management– We are here to help: (512) 721-1094 or dbrown@talkpropertymanagement.com.