With so much uncertainty in the securities markets recently, smart investors are finding better alternatives for their portfolios and real estate is one of the most appealing strategies. There are ways to directly and indirectly include real estate investments in your portfolio, some of which you may already be familiar with and others that might be somewhat less common. While all of these can give you a good return on your money, some require more “care and feeding” on your part. Here’s a quick overview. Residential rental property Investing in single-family...
None of us likes to hear the word “no” when we ask for something and it’s especially painful when when the “no” comes after applying for a loan to make a major purchase, such as a home or investment property. However, with more than 15 years in the lending business as a hard money lender in California, we have met many people who “won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” and they merely look for another lender when they’ve been turned away by a bank or another conventional lender. You have to love their spirit and determination – it really pays off in the long run. If...
Anyone who has been around the real estate profession for any amount of time – even people buying their first homes – know that it can be one of those “hurry up and wait” type of experiences. Once a property is on the buyer’s radar and a purchase decision is made, then it’s time to get all the offer papers filled out and submitted to the seller. It’s easy to understand in today’s climate why this is so. Real estate agents know that a good piece of property can command multiple offers and often the first good offer to be submitted is the one that wins the day…or...
Sometimes the “noise” of the day-to-day news cycle keeps us from seeing the bigger trends in life, and I think this truth applies to the financial world more directly than almost anywhere else. For example, when the economy takes a downturn, it seems obvious when it finally occurs and in retrospect all the signs were there, but we get so absorbed in the minor ups and downs that we don’t take time to step back and look at the big picture. One trend that I think few are reporting on is how people are beginning to take direct control of their personal finances and...
If you’ve been turned down by a bank or conventional lender for a loan to buy or refinance real estate, you’ve probably asked some questions like these: – “Why won’t the bank lend to me?” – “What can I do now that my loan application has been turned down?” – “How can I get a loan after the bank rejected me?” – “How can I improve my credit rating?” These are common questions that thousands of people have found themselves asking during the last several years, and it’s not just people who want to buy or refinance real estate. Small business owners with profitable...
