Tue 1 Jun 2010
The Pros And Cons Of Property Development As An Investment Model
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You may not yet be aware of this but we have a new form of entertainment in our midst that is depicting doom and gloom for all who dare to invest in property development. Apparently only the clinically insane should ever attempt such a challenge. They show us the trouble and strife people go through in an attempt to renovate a fixer upper that should probably have been condemned. At the end we see them losing their hard earned savings on what should probably be classed as a lemon.
As it’s TV then naturally certain expenses don’t count. Otherwise there’d be no real fun it in, would there. For instance, we rarely see realtor fees on there, are the repayments actually factored in, what about sales taxes. Did they buy using tax lien. Nor, as most of them seem to give up their jobs to do this developing, how much income they lose while ‘developing’?
Not everything on ‘reality’ television is as real as it appears!
However, what I would prefer to discuss is investing in property development. tax lien certificates
It’s imperative that you know that math before buying that “too good to be true” fixer upper. Business and emotions are not usually good partners. Get your facts together. Labor charges. Do houses sell pretty quickly in that area. Don’t get emotionally involved with a property. If there’s little or no room for profit, leave it alone. There’ll always be others.
The next hurdle is getting to grips with the costs of restoring the place which tax lien properties and fixer uppers. When first getting started, so many people underestimate the costs and timescales involved. Not only can it be difficult to get quality tradesmen within your desired timescales, but obtaining approval for any extension work can be very long winded. Councils can be a law unto themselves at times. And then there’s the costs associated with applying for planning permission. Not inconsiderable either.
So next we should think about the methods you’re planning to use to obtain the property. Most people will borrow it, which of course costs more money. Also, when you own a property, you become liable for council tax, service charges if you have bought an apartment, and utilities. These charges continue right up to the day you complete your sale.
House prices aren’t as stable as we’d like either. Great when they’re up, scary when they drop. Even the most beautifully renovated houses are affected by changes in the market. House prices can drop pretty dramatically.
Before ever developing a property, you have to be ready for the eventuality that it doesn’t sell for several months. It’s not unheard of to have empty properties for over a year with no interest. Could you live through that situation and come out intact? If there are no buyers, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s down to waiting it out. Investing in property can be a roller coaster ride. I guess that’s what makes it exciting.
Where do you begin
A great way to get started is look for “the next big thing”. Look for areas that are expanding. This is an easy job. Look for the money. Expensive and/or new cars. Well kept gardens. Houses that “look the part”. New cars usually mean there’s money about. Check out the estate in the evening when everybody is home from work.
One way of discovering a hotspot is to look at areas just next to those which have already come up. For instance, when Holland Park, got too expensive for most people, buyers started looking in surrounding zip codes, all backing onto Holland Park.