Yes! 7 Pointers: From Real Estate

Any time that you're entertaining the purchase of commercial real estate property, you need to realize just how much goes in to evaluating that particular piece of property. Unless you're approaching this the right way, you could end up spending a lot. Read this article for some great advice on commercial real estate.

1) When looking for a new house to invest in it's good to write a list of value-adding assets. For example, a house with a rainwater tank, solar panels, fibreglass swimming pool, patio, new driveway and similar has more value than a similar home without. There are also ongoing perks, for example reduced electricity costs with solar panels. With fiberglass swimming pools just be aware to the maintenance and safety costs.

2) If you are interested in buying real estate, you want to do this when the market is low. Remember that the opposite is true any time you are trying to sell real estate. It is essential that you buy or sell at the right time to get the best deal you can.

3) Ask your future landlord, before signing a lease, whether they have an emergency contact phone number available. Some landlords leave for the weekends or holidays and if anything breaks within your unit, you're out of luck for the time being. Make sure to discuss this with the landlord, in order to ensure that your problems are looked after quickly.

4) If you want to choose the commercial real estate business as a career, then you need to treat it like a business. This means you cannot allow emotions to factor into your purchases or sales! Find strategies that work for you and then repeat them. For example, buy property in the same neighborhood as a location you currently own which commands a high lease amount.

5) Hire a professional to rent out your income properties. Saving money can be tempting when it comes to doing it yourself, but the time involved and the pitfalls of making a mistake with a renter are not worth it. Your time is valuable. Let a property manager take care of your investment for you.

6) Learn the formulas that apply to commercial real estate deals. When buying residential properties, you might rely on certain rules of thumb, such as buying a property at 75 percent of its value after repairs, minus the cost of the repairs. Commercial property has the added complexity of cash flows, so get to know the applicable formulas. You will need to understand cap rates, net operating income and know what the comparables are doing.

7) You can use the cash-on-cash formula to determine the amount needed for the initial investment. This approach is most commonly used by investors who are dependent upon financing activities to raise the cash needed to purchase the property; use it to compare the Year One performance of competitive properties.

As we stated above, you should always be approaching the market from the most informed position possible. Nowhere else in real estate is this as true, as with commercial properties. When dealing in anything commercial, you need to stay fully informed. These tips will help you succeed with any deal.