Important Property Investment Secrets

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There are times in your life when you have the opportunity of getting really good advice that has the potential of changing your life and to give you the encouragement to achieve your dreams. I recommend that you investigate the full potential of investing in property and perhaps if you are serious about changing your financial future then you may consider taking some really good advice from the experts. Once you have received all the necessary information, then you can make an educated decision about whether this is for you and if so, avoid making all the most common property investing mistakes that could lose you a fair bit of money in the process and not have the need to say if only I had have taken some advice.

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Six Property Terminologies Every Investor Should Know

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By Elly Graham

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Important Property Investment Secrets
I am aware there are a lot of real estate investors who say that they will go it alone with their property investing and that they know how it is done, but these people tend to make many if not all of the most common property investing mistakes, which has the potential to lead them to either financial ruin, or else they may be totally oblivious to the money they are losing along the way, through ignorance. Do you want to retire early and have a fun and exciting life with lots of investment properties in your portfolio? Just imagine what it would be like for you if at the end of your property journey you have loads of cash to live a life of freedom with no money worries. Let's investigate and consider the following real estate investing strategies.

STRATEGY 1: MAKE A PLAN

The first thing that is very important is that you need a plan. In other words have a big dream, know where you are going and start mapping out where you want to be. It is so important to have a goal to work towards, therefore:

1. Set goals
2. Develop a plan for achieving those goals
3. Remain focused and take action on implementing your plan.

With clearly defined goals you can easily devise a plan and with an end result in mind you can easily work towards your dream. This dream must be your dream and not someone else's this will ensure you stay focused and motivated at all times even when things may not be going quite as planned. However in order to turn your dreams into reality consistent action is required. And a plan will enable you to do so and can be achieved by following these steps:

1. Set your property goals and write them down.
2. Set a time-frame for your goals.
3. Identify the things you need to do to achieve your goals and put these into little bite size pieces.
4. Take immediate action and remember to review your plan on a regular basis to make sure you are on track.

STRATEGY 2 - GET A MENTOR

It would be a good idea not to ask family and friends unless they are expert property investors. I would recommend that when it comes to financial decisions and investment planning you need a proper coach. Just think about all the famous sports stars and millionaire identities and you will realise one important thing about them and that is, one of the reasons these people are mega-rich and successful is because they all have a mentor or coach. They fully understand that seeking the personal guidance of those who are experts in their field to assist them in getting to the next level. A mentor is accessible to you either in person or through books and you can be in contact with them either by email and phone calls or else you can follow them around by attending their seminars or talks.
Mentors use their experience and knowledge to guide and motivate you towards the goals you set yourself and generally they are happy to do so encouraging you to reach for the stars and often assist you to get out of your comfort zone and move you to the next level of success. They are happy to support you every step you take on your journey to the top! In order to find a mentor you need to start by keeping your eyes and ears open to identify the best people from whom you can learn professionally. Funny thing, when you seek you will find. No point in saying who will mentor me and why would they anyway? Simply be on the lookout and ask lot of questions. Find a mentor that has a good reputation and who has a proven track record a real estate investor and has built long term wealth, obviously, someone you look up to and is successful in the field.

STRATEGY 3 - FIND A REALLY GOOD PROPERTY INVESTING NETWORK

Align yourself with a property investing network or group consisting of experienced people and professionals. Here are some simple measures you might want to take to help you easily identify a good Network.

1. Find out what the network, are they ethical do they share your core values.
2. Check and ensure those professionals in the network are all registered in their field of expertise.
3. Speak with other property investors to find out the reputation of the property network and get the network to provide you with testimonies from past clients.
4. Make sure to conduct your research into any information the network provides you.

These measures will go a long way in protecting you and help you identify the best advice and support that you can find.

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STRATEGY 4 - DO NOT LISTEN TO NEGATIVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Although friends and family may have your best intentions at heart the advice they give is not always the best for achieving your personal goals and realising your dreams. Therefore you would be well advised to:

1. Remember your personal and financial position will be quite different from others therefore you may want to consider this when someone gives you advice based on their own financial position.
2. Think twice about taking advice from someone who has made bad financial decisions.
3. Be aware of the area of expertise your advice giver has and see how that relates to the advice they are giving.
4. Only ever take advice from people who have already achieved the goals that you are aiming for as these are the people with the experience to help you navigate any obstacles you will face.
5. Refer back to your investment plan and be sure to keep on track.
6. Find yourself an experienced property investor to act as your guide and mentor and keep abreast of the current property market.

STRATEGY 5 - DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You are taking the right step in reading articles such as this one, we are in the age where timely, accurate information is a highly prized and sought after but remember that information is always changing. To be confident in all your investment decisions you need to have instant access to relevant, up-to-date information obtained from reliable sources. Keep in mind also that you will always find what you are looking for therefore look for positive things about the property investment market don't look for negative because there are always people out there with negative input and negative experiences. As with most things, information gathering and analysis is a time-consuming process. It also requires a certain level of expertise to be able to sift through all available information to find which is relevant to your requirements. In an age where we are constantly bombarded by information from all angles, this activity can become overwhelming and coupled with our everyday responsibilities such as family, jobs and social activities the tendency is to drop the ball. Therefore to learn from the experiences of others it would be recommended to:

1. Always investigate every opportunity before investing.
2. Ensure you have every detail of the investment thoroughly explained.
3. Ensure you understand your legal documents and that they are accurate.
4. Once you have secured your properties then continue to conduct your due diligence remembering that your investment is your responsibility and only yours so you will then not point the finger at others if things go wrong.

STRATEGY 6 - ENSURE YOUR REAL ESTATE INVESTING STRATEGY IS DONE FROM THE HEAD AND NOT THE HEART.

In other words, investing has nothing to do with emotions and everything to do with financial returns. For instance it does not matter if you prefer to live in a quiet country lane or in an older house away from railway stations, big malls and entertainment. You are not going to live in it - it is an investment and you have to look at it from that point of view. Good idea for instance to purchase your property when everyone else is selling and sell when everyone is buying! Remember: it's all about your return on investment - let the figures and supportive information do the talking and not your personal preferences. Therefore:

1. Obtain and assess relevant information.
2. Refer to your investment plan.
3. Never lose sight of the reason you are investing, to make money - preferably loads!!

If you have read Robert Kiyosaki's bestselling book 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' you will understand that profit is made at the time of buying and realised at the point of selling! The housing market can go up as well as down and when the market is on a downward trend you need not worry so long as you hold on to your property for the long term. Do not do what the majority of people do which is sell.

1. Adopt the purchasing at below the 10% below market value mindset whenever possible.
2. Look into wholesale real estate investing, e.g., direct from the developer.
3. Sharpen up your negotiating skills. Read Donald Trumps' bestseller 'The Art of The Deal', get good assistance with finding the ideal property and close the deal.
4. Do not sell; remember this is a long-term investment; use your current property as equity to purchase the next property, or else if you sell only do so to purchase another property or appreciating asset.

Right - you are now one step away from being well ahead of the pack. Final Word: Follow these strategies, the earlier in life the better and one day you too will have your name listed above with the mega rich and very successful real estate investors and have for yourself long-term wealth. You will find the above strategies a very good start to see you safely on your way to success so take your newly obtained knowledge and have the edge on others: 'Knowledge is power but only when combined with action!' Start today, right now and take the necessary actions required, go on it isn't as hard as you think it is.
Author Elly Graham is a mentor who provides free information, she has a mentor too, Jim Downs, Author Appreciating Assets. Elly provides support and guidance on personal development and personal empowerment for people looking into property investment advice

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elly_Graham http://EzineArticles.com/?Important-Property-Investment-Secrets&id=6785060

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Three Steps to Getting Financing for a Home in Tough Times

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Three Steps to Getting Financing for a Home in Tough Times

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By Juhlin Youlien

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Getting into a home, especially for the first time, is a legitimate challenge. Almost everyone who buys a home will have to take out a loan for the home given the fact that it could take a lot of Americans their entire lifetime to save up enough money to get into a home which are often the highest priced things to buy in any market. Getting a lone can complicate things, but just buying a home is tough with our without a loan. Here are three steps to getting into a home using a loan..
The first thing a potential buyer can do is to dramatically increase their credit. By law, anyone can view their credit score for free twice a year. It is a wise thing to take advantage of that free service.

If a potential buyer has had identity theft or a crazy out of control spouse who somehow has racked up a ton of credit cards that one was not aware of, then the credit report will make one aware of these potential credit hazards and allow for the situation to be rectified. Credit scores are a measure of an individual's ability to handle responsibility. Some great examples of responsibility is making the rent payment on time, making the utility payments and other bills on time, paying the car loan every month any other form of repayment such as paying the credit card down or making the credit payments on time. When time has passed and a person has made good on their payments, and make sure no funny business is taking place, then the credit score will start to be good.

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The second thing one can do is save up as much money as possible to use as a down payment. A down payment should be somewhere between ten to twenty percent of the entire bill for the home. So if one saves up an incredible amount of money, they could potentially buy an incredible amount of home. For example, if a buyer has fifty thousand dollars saved up, then they could buy a home anywhere between five hundred thousand dollars and a million. More realistically though, a buyer will have ten thousand dollars saved up, and given their debt ratio, they can buy a home between one hundred to two hundred thousand dollars. The important thing though is having the highest amount possible of the home saved up and used as a down payment as it will lower the monthly payment by lowering the interest on the mortgage.

The last thing a person can do is to get pre-approval. Establishing a healthy relationship with the lender or bank or whoever is going to front the money for the loan. When a buyer really is ready to buy a home, they have their credit score looking great, and they have a lot of money saved up, not to mention they have a steady job with a steady income, then they are ready to meet with a banker and to get totally ready to buy a home. A banker will go through everything they can about the banker and then write a letter of approval outlining how much they can probably get approved for as a total amount on a home.

Juhlin Youlien writes about homes for sale like Paradise Valley AZ homes for sale and other real estate like Fountain Hills AZ homes for sale. Juhlin is a good source for all your home needs.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juhlin_Youlien
http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Steps-to-Getting-Financing-for-a-Home-in-Tough-Times&id=5068296

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Smart Guide to Investment Property

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Source: www.moneymanager.com.au

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Buying a small apartment to rent out can be a good way to accumulate funds so you can eventually buy your own place, in an area where you want to live.
What you'll learn in this step: Sensible investments in property residential or non-residential have many benefits, including capital growth.
Property has been a popular route to wealth for many Australians for many years.
Buying their own home is often the first investment many people make; purchasing another property may well be the second even before shares and other assets.
But your first investment in property neednt be your home.
Indeed, buying a small apartment to rent out can be a good way to accumulate funds so you can eventually buy your own place, in an area where you want to live.
Increasing numbers of young Australians are choosing this route, buying in one suburb while renting in a more desirable and expensive area or living at home for a while longer.
Still others are diversifying into non-residential property via property trusts and syndicates.
Sensible investments in property have many attractions.
Property can be less volatile than shares though not always and it tends to be regarded as a safe haven when other assets are declining in value.
It has the potential to generate capital growth (an increase in the value of your asset) as well as rental income.
Then theres the tax advantages associated with negative gearing (more about that later).
However, as with any investment, there are no guarantees.
Property prices go down, as well as up, and sometimes tenants are hard to find especially good ones who pay on time and take care of your investment.
Investors need to have a keen awareness of the interest rate environment how higher rates might affect their expected net return and the market for their property should they wish to sell.
They also need to make sure the return or yield from their property stands up against the return they might have achieved had they invested in shares, for example.
Of course, you dont have to make a direct investment in property.
Pooling your funds with other investors in managed funds with a property focus, listed property trusts or property syndicates provides exposure to a broader range of property including commercial, industrial and retail as well as residential often with a smaller investment required.
Many financial advisers would argue that too many Australians let direct investment in residential property dominate their portfolios.
In theory and this is far from reality for most people property should account for perhaps 10 per cent of an investment portfolio.

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Concepts:  investment, Smart Guide, loans, buying, funds, shares, font, savings, FINANCE, assets, Australians, property trusts, syndicates, rent, portfolios.

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Property Investment Finance

Your Express Elevator to Real Estate Investing Success

The way in which you obtain and use property investment finance can make a sizeable impact on the rate at which your property portfolio grows.

I'm sure you've heard it said before but it is absolutely true that

The golden rule in real estate investing is other people's money (OPM). This is the most important lesson you can learn!

Yes it's true, the golden rule in real estate investing is other people's money.

Use Other peoples Money

What this means is that whenever you are buying an investment property you should be aiming to pay as little as possible from out of your pocket, and obtain real estate investment finance for as much of the purchase price as you can. This is a vital factor in real estate investment property purchasing.

"I'd Rather not have any Debt"

"I have enough money, I'd rather pay cash."

OR
"I'd rather not have any debt."

This is not the way to build your property empire.

Even if you have $100,000 sitting in the bank right now, you could go and buy one real estate investment property but with the system that I am going to show you, you will be able to acquire multiple properties and reap the harvest of exponential capital gains and increasing rents for many years to come!

Gain Leverage by Using Real Estate Investment Finance

Return from Property Investment Finance To Real Estate Investment Financing Or To the Home Page Freedom Steps With Property Investing

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Loan to Value Ratio - LVR, What Is It, How Can It Help You?

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Loan to Value Ratio - What Is It & How Can It Help You?

Simply put loan to value ratio(LVR) is a ratio that the banks and financial institutions use to assess the level of debt that a certain asset should have.

What does it mean if a bank will give you a HIGH loan value ratio when you are applying for a loan on a particular investment property?

What does it mean if a bank will only give you a LOW loan value ratio when making a morgtage application.

What Does A High LVR Mean To You?

If you can get a high LVR then that means that the bank or financial institution is willing to loan you more of the purchase price of your property.

For example, the loan to value ratio for property is higher than the LVR that banks will give for say shares.

So for example say you wanted to purchase a $100,000 investment.

A bank will be happy to lend you $80,000 on a $100,000 property giving an LVR of 80%

If you were investing in shares the margin loan (LVR) they would give you is usually about 50% and some times less. This would give you an LVR of 50% or less! So that means they would only loan you $50,000 of the $100,000 worth of shares you wanted to buy.

Lenders Mortgage Insurance - Overcome a Low LVR?

If you are given a low LVR by the bank when applying for a loan, then they are giving you a measure of what the level of debt or risk on that property that they are willing to support.

In the case of property, this means that you will either need to fund the difference out of your available cash or find further finance to purchase.

The alternate method to overcoming the situation where you are given a low LVR is to use lenders mortgage insurance.

The Differences between Financial Institutions

There are differences between financial institutions.

Different banks and other mortgage originators will use different valuers and have different methods of assigning or determining value.

Some will be more keen to get your business and so be willing to offer you a higher LVR. This is better for you.

So shop around when looking for a loan and find the lender that will give you the best loan to value ratio that you can get and preserve your available capital reserves.

Return From Loan to Value Ratio To Real Estate Investment Financing Or go to Freedom Steps With Property Investing

Quick Links

Property Investment Finance | Lenders Mortgage Insurance | Loan to Value Ratio | 

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Real Estate Investment Financing

Use These Finance Techniques To Increase Your Net Worth

The area of Real Estate Investment Financing, is one that can have a huge impact on your progress as a property investor.

Starting from approaching a lending institution for a loan for your first REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT PROPERTY to building your property portfolio, the plan I recommend HERE is one that will see your net worth increase considerably and within a short time the banks will be treating you with the utmost respect.

Of course the way in which you obtain and use Property Investment Finance will have a bearing on how fast you progress and just how soon you can retire!?!

These real estate investment financing ideas and concepts will take you from uncertain initial contact with the bank to a seasoned property investment finance pro.

Be Prepared

This is an important step towards obtaining the best terms & conditions for your your real estate investment financing.

Right from your very first approach to any bank or lending institution you should be armed with a document that clearly shows your current assets and liabilities and your income and expenses.

So transform yourself from an hopeful applicant into a knowledgeable long term cliant. This is what banks love.

This has proved to be an extremely positive factor for me on numerous occasions in negotions with various loan officers. For our first two investment properties, we didn't have one and we were treated like amatuers.For the next time we approached the banks to apply for a loan, we went equipped with a document I had produced that gave a clear Statement of Financial Positionand showed our income and expenditure.

Avoid Cross Collateralisation

What is cross collateralization and why should I avoid it?

Cross Collateralizationoccurs when the bank uses the security for one loan to secure another loan. The advantage of doing this is that you can borrow a greater percentage of the purchase price of the next property, perhaps even 100%.

The disadvantage of cross collateralization is that it can bring your real estate investment financing strategy to a standstill.

You may find that because of cross collateralization you are restricted or unable to purchase another investment property.

For example it is usually mandatory that the properties being cross collateralized be in the same state. If you want to be free of restrictive banks Cross Collateralization rules then use a line of credit to borrow the funds you need instead.

Refinancing Real Estate Investment

This is one of the best ways to begin real estate investing and to keep your real estate investment financing moving freely. The best thing is that you can arrainge things so that any one property is not held ransom by a bank or financier (which can really put a dent in your property investing plans).

Refinancing real estate investment provides the perfect method for any property investor to extract capital from the increased value of a property without selling it.

This is a great way to move forward with your property investing plans and keep your real estate investment financing options open.

If you were to sell sell an investment property you immediately lose the future capital gains, income stream and taxation benefits that property would bring.

What's a HELOC and What Can It Do For Me?

A HELOC is a Home Equity Line of Credit.

This is where a bank values your home and determines the available equity you have in your home and then makes funds available up to a perentage of that amount.
This is the most flexible and effilcient way to get started with your real estate investment financing!

How can a home equity line of credit help you with your real estate investment financing you ask?

Once you have established a line of credit you can use it to fund any shortfall that you may have when purchasing an investment property, that includes deposit amount and purchase costs.

This is by far the most preferable way to purchase your first and successive investment properties.

Investment Property Mortgage Rates

Should you be concerned with investment property mortgage rates?

Many "property experts" say that INVESTMENT PROPERTY MORTGAGE RATES should not be of primary concern when looking for a PROPERTY INVESTMENT LOAN. This is only true if you are not concerned with your immediate cash flow situation. Read a more detailed analysis HERE.

No Down Payment Investment Property

This is tied in to the previous tips on refinancing and use of a line of credit.

The general ides is that you purchase a no down payment investment property using the equity you have in another asset, usually your home.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

If you prefer a hands off approach you can invest in a REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST. You can find more details HERE.

However, in my opinion, there are many more advantages to INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE directly.

For more information about a Home Equity Line of Credit see this article:
Steps to Freedom: What Is A Line Of Credit

A Home Equity Line of Credit (often called HELOC, pronounced HEE-lock) is a loan in which the lender agrees to lend a maximum amount within an agreed period ...

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Home Equity Loan: What You Should Know

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By Bill Darken

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Many people are talking about a home equity loan, at work, weekends and even at the dinner table. Why is it the flavor of the month and what should you know about a home equity loan to ensure you stay out of strife if you decide to enter this realm.

Owning your home is a valuable asset for anyone in a lifetime. If you agree to a home equity loan, you are in fact putting this great asset at risk. Home equity loans are appealing due to the low interest rates and (in some cases) the tax deductibility of interest, but they also represent a risky business.

It sometimes has to be faced, if things don’t work out. Consider a significant expense and not to having the necessary cash to cover it. Examples of such expenses are medical bills, major house repairs or a child’s college education. A home equity loan could be the solution to your financial problems, at least for a short term. By using the equity you’ve built in your home over time you can borrow a significant amount of money. You have to repay the amount borrowed plus a (usually) low interest over a fixed period of time. If you fail to do this, you may lose your house.

Usually, in order to pay off the entire loan until the fixed time, you are required to make equal monthly payments. The lenders are obliged to disclose all important facts of their home equity plan, all terms and costs, such as the APR, different charges, and payment terms. After you have received this information, lenders do not normally charge any other fee that has not been specified in the plan. When you take on a home equity loan, you have normally had a few days from the day the account was opened to cancel it.

There are some basic although important things you should consider when you’re considering a home equity loan, in order to avoid a life changing mistake sometimes.

Firstly, if you have money problems, you must consider other options too, before using the equity in your home. Talk to your creditors or contact a budget counseling organization. A plan that would consolidate or reduce your payments might be enough to get you out-of-trouble. Also ask the opinion of someone other than the lender offering the home equity loan. someone you trust and who is reasonably knowledgeable.

If you decide a home equity loan is what you want, you should research the offers of several lenders, including banks or a credit union.

There are many lenders who make use of abusive lending practices and you must be aware of these practices if you want to minimize your risks. Here are some scenarios of such practices.

• Equity stripping. You have built up equity in your home but you don’t have much income coming each month and you need money. A lender encourages you to make a home equity loan, even if you explain that your income is not enough to keep up with it. Of course, the lender doesn’t care if you are not able to pay, he has nothing to lose, on the contrary, he wins a lot. If you are not cerebral enough to get a realistic view of things and let yourself be easily persuaded you will probably lose your home.

• The balloon payment. You’ve already made a home equity loan and, fail to pay the mortgages and you’re very close to losing your home. Another lender offers to save you by refinancing and lowering your monthly payment. You have to be very attentive regarding the loan terms. The reason why the payments are lower may be that he asks you to repay only the interest rate each month. At the end of the term, you may find you still have to pay the entire amount that you borrowed. This sum is called a balloon payment.

• The home improvement loan. A contractor offers to remodel your kitchen, or install a new roof at a low price. You explain you can’t afford this, but he offers to arrange finance through a lender he knows. You agree and he begins work. At some point, you are being asked to sign a lot of papers without having enough time to read them and you sign them. Later, you realize you’ve signed a home equity loan, and even one with aberrant terms and interest rates.

By using the equity in your home, you can benefit by receiving a significant fixed amount of money, repayable over a fixed period, available for any kind of use and at a low interest rate. You may also be allowed to deduct the interest, under the tax law. At a first glance, the home equity loan sounds appealing. But, on the other hand, if you fail to repay, for one reason or another, you may lose your home. Bottom line is that a home equity loan is a good thing if managed and used carefully. If you are considering a home equity loan, you should carefully balance costs vs. benefits, before charging ahead.

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About the author:Bill Darken

There are highly informative eye opening articles and up-to-date loans news as well, see it here at home equity loan or if the previous link is not working, you can paste this link in your browser - http://loans-only.com

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Don't Cross Collateralize Your Loans

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Cross Collateralization - there is a better way

Does It help or hinder you?

Cross collateralization occurs when the bank uses the security for one loan to secure another loan.

What you want to aim for is to have any property you own, investment or otherwise, financed with free standing finance.

How Can It Help You

For property investors just starting out, using your home equity can help you get your first investment property most easily. The advantage of using cross collateralization is that you can borrow 100% or more of the price of your next property plus the costs of purchasing (usually about 5% - 6%).

How Can It Hinder You

The biggest disadvantage of crossing your collateralization is that it ties you to one financial institution.

I'm not saying your current bank is a bad bank, they may have served you faithfully and well for many years, but you are embarking on a new business venture here and your current bank may not be able or willing to meet your needs going forward.

Yes you heard me right, every piece of investment real estate you buy is like a new business venture. It works for you producing a cash flow week in week out and will produce long term capital gains profits that are reliable, rock solid and way beyond what you could earn by working or saving.

However cross collateralisation can bring your real estate investment financing plans to a standstill.

For example it is usually mandatory that the properties being cross collateralized be in the same state. If you want to be free of restrictive banks lending rules then use a line of credit to borrow the funds you need instead.

When you are planning to purchase a real estate investment and you approach the bank to get a loan amount pre approval, the bank will usually assume that you are going to cross collateralize your home to purchase the investment property.

Why Should You Avoid It

For most property investors this is not what you want. By asking that the equity you have in your home or other real assets be made available to you as a LINE OF CREDIT you are put in a much more flexible position.

If you are sure that you only want to purchase one investment property, cross collateralizing your home may serve your purpose.

No Money Down property Investment

This is usually achieved by using a cross collateralization. But using the techniques on discussed on the REFINANCEING REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT and HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT pages you can use more advanced techniques to buy investment property with no money down.

Remember, what you are aiming for is to have any property you own, investment or otherwise, financed with free standing finance. This is achieved by making use of a line of credit secured against your home initially. As the value of your property investment portfolio increases you can set up more lines of credit to access the available equity you have in your real estate investment portfolio.

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See these related related articles in
Wikipedia and EzineArticles for more information

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Return From
Cross Collateralization
To Real Estate Financing Tips

 Or go to Freedom Steps With Property Investing

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Real Estate Investment Property can give you Financial Freedom

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Financial Freedom Is Within Your Reach With Real Estate Investment Property

Financial freedom can be yours with real estate investment property.
You can have financial freedom, sooner than you think. Here is a quick overview of how to do it.

1. Start with an evaluation of your current financial position. See this real estate investment finance for an effective strategy to get favourable (lending) results from a bank or other financial institution.

How To Build A Cash Flow Model For Your Real Estate Investment Property

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By Joe Tosolt

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About To Start Investing In Real Estate?

Are you about to start investing in real estate? Or perhaps you've already put your toe in the water but want to learn more. Here is an overview of the factors you need to take a look at in order to project your potential return on an investment.

• Purchase price - obviously, the amount of money you put out for the property is significant in determining your investment outcome.
• The annual appreciation rate at which you expect the property's value to increase.
• How many years you expect to hold the property. Combined with the 2 figures above, this will enable you to estimate a future selling price.
• Number of rental units, and rent you expect to receive from each unit.
• Annual rate of rent appreciation.
• Expected unoccupancy rate - it's important to remember that tenants come and go, and will occasionally leave you with empty rental units. It's best to plan that into your projection.
• Any miscellaneous revenue you anticipate (laundry facilities, etc.), and the rate at which you expect those revenues to grow.
• Property management fees. Even if you expect to manage the property yourself, it's best to budget in an allowance for professional property management. First, this rewards you for the time and effort you invest. Second, it ensures that you are covered if for some unanticipated reason you need to turn the management over to a pro at some point in the future.
• Last, but not least, you need to know your opportunity cost, something that big investors would call the 'cost of capital'. For example, if you can earn 5% by keeping your money in the bank, you're going to want a lot more than 5% for taking on the risk and time investments required by a rental property!
• Annual operating expenses, and the rate at which you expect those expenses to increase over your term of ownership.
• Property taxes and rate of annual increase.
• Insurance and rate of annual increase. It's critical to insure your substantial investment!
• Any miscellaneous expenses, and rate of annual increase.
• Depreciation expense. To determine this, you'll need to estimate the building's assessed value as a percent of the total purchase price.
• Your annual capital investments in the property. You were planning to budget on capital improvements, weren't you?
• Downpayment - how much cash are you putting in upfront?
• Bank fees - how many points do you expect to pay, and what closing fees do you expect to incur if you will putting a mortgage on the property?
• What mortgage interest rate do you expect? And how long will the payback period be?

Now that you've got all the numbers laid out in front of you, you 'just' need to build a financial model which will allow you to project cash flow throughout your ownership term, and then use time value of money calculations to create a present value of those flows. Compare the present value of your future cash receipts against the amount of cash you will outlay upfront. If it's greater, congratulations- you have positive Net Present Value, and this property looks attractive. If the result is negative, it's a red flag-- you need to take another look, because this may not be a good deal for you.

The obvious comment you might have is... "This all sounds awful hard! Aren't there tools which can help me?"

The good news is that there are! In fact you can use an online investment property calculator which will do all of the heavy calculating for you. You simply plug in the numbers, and review the results. Now THAT's some smart investing!

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© 2007 All Rights Reserved

Here's some great news: thorough financial analysis doesn’t need to cost a lot of money or take up much of your time. The Real Estate Genius investment property calculator runs the numbers and calculates the cash flow instantly– you just gather the facts, and plug in your assumptions.

Joe Tosolt is the president of Real Estate Genius, LLC, which empowers property investors with fast, powerful tools for performing discount cash flow analysis and projecting financial returns on prospective property investments. Learn more about this easy-to-use tool at Real Estate Genius.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Tosolt
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Build-A-Cash-Flow-Model-For-Your-Real-Estate-Investment-Property&id=510360

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Property Investing Success Begins With Your Your Attitude

To Your Success

Your property investing success starts with your attitude to your investments. Look at each piece of real-estate you buy as a long term investment & it will turn into a new stream of income and work for you all the time making you wealthy.

Starting with the real estate financing and property refinancing techniques that I have discovered and will talk to you about and continuing with the real estate selection methods and property criteria that I have used to become financially independent along with all the other techniques I will cover here, you will see that successful real estate investing does not depend on picking the lows and highs of the real estate market but rather it depends on your basic attitude.

People who have become rich by investing in property all have the basic belief that selectively investing in property is the best investment they can make and the best long term use of their money.

Return From Property Investing Success To Use this Easy Business Plan Or go to Freedom Steps With Property Investing

A Property Investing Business Plan

Image by JohnHallAssociates via Flickr

Use this Business Plan to
Keep You Focussed on
Your End Goal

The Big Picture

The end state you want is to be able to retire wealthy with your wealth guaranteed to continue to grow.

This business plan will help you progressively increase your net worth to the point where you can retire.

The best part is that this process can take as little as seven years.

This plan presents an attitude of optimism. Your future is assured as you progress through the various stages of building your property investment business.

Business Plan for Property Investors

Your starting position right now may vary slightly in detail, but the execution of the plan does not change greatly. :You may be a home owner right now or currently renting where you are living. It doesn't matter.

What matters most to your success is your attitude right now!

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Stop looking at yourself as a person who works for a living. I want you to start seeing yourself as a person who has a property investing business. I will show you how to acheive this!

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Home Owners With Equity

For home owners with equity the steps are as follows:

• Set a goal
• Do initial financial research
• Do property search
• Select target property
• Finalise financing
• Finalise Purchase
• Find a tenant
• Start collecting the rent
• Manage the property
• Move on to next property

All of these steps are expanded on in the sections below. For now the important thing is to start changing your focus from a worker to an investor, in particular a property investor.

If you Don't Have Equity

If you don't have equity the steps are very similar to those listed above. The difference is in a small variation in how you finance the property.

You can read more about it on this page:
Financing your very first property starting from nothing

And remember you only have to do this for the first property or so. After that you will have some equity on your side.

Return From Business Plan for Property Investors To Freedom Steps With Property Investing

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