Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Real estate investing long term.

By Doc Schmyz

The real estate market has hit bottom. Prices are being dropped on everything. However this is the best time to be a real estate investor. When you are investing in real estate the market doesn?t matter as much as the price you can buy property at. If you are holding long term then you have to accept the market fluctuations. But if you can buy at the lower end of the cycle that is the best time to buy. The trick is knowing when that is.

If the market is experiencing a major downturn it is a great time to be buying due to a vast number of bargains. You can buy at rock bottom prices. However, do not get too negatively geared because this is how most investors get themselves into trouble in the first place. Go for positive gearing. In other words make sure your rental income equals or exceeds your outgoing expenses, to include mortgage payments. If you have other income you may be able to stand an extra $100 or more per month to top up the mortgage but try to avoid it. Negative gearing is ok if you have a really good income and a tax problem.

If the property market is rising you can be confident that the value of your investment is increasing. That is where your profit is and you should be able to sell if necessary. However, that was a few years ago when the market was more positive but now the reality is that the market has dropped and you need to be able to hold long term without any worries. It may take a few years before we hit healthy real estate selling conditions again, let alone a property boom.

Meanwhile, concentrate on positive gearing and steadily increasing returns. This is a long term game and always has been. Look at property investing from a business perspective and do the sums before you buy. You need a decent return on investment and you need the rental return to cover or nearly cover the mortgage expenditure.

Having said all that, there is no getting away from the fact that with good research and due diligence the down and depressed market presents serious investors with the best opportunities to build a portfolio of profitable properties for long term gains.

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