by Cal Riverton on February 9, 2010
No generation in American history has ever experienced the number of foreclosures and defaulted mortgages as is happening now. However, opportunistic real estate investment professionals are turning the recession into great profits with a bit of creativity.
The real estate investing strategy du jour is called ‘Bulk REO Investing‘ and is a real monster.
Take a just a minute to consider the basics of this highly profitable business.
You can’t understand Bulk REO Investments without understanding the process of foreclosure.
Mortgage lenders faced with a non-paying home owner send a large volume of threats, warnings and documentation to the borrower who is late. The formal process of foreclosure begins at the lender’s discretion. The name for this period is ‘preforeclosure’.
Foreclosure is completed when the property is put up for auction. If the property is not purchased at auction, ownership reverts to the original lender. The lender then categorizes the property as ‘Real Estate Owned’ – or ‘REO’ for short.
REO properties are usually listed for sale with local real estate agents. Yet with increasing frequency, REO properties are being sold for pennies or dimes on the dollar. However, the purchase of a ‘package’ (or group) or REO properties is the trade-off for receiving such great prices.
The recession in the United States has yielded huge profits to real estate investors prepared to take advantage. The most successful Bulk REO Investors will have a well-respected source of funding for their transactions. There are many sources of funding for these transasactions including: hard money and commercial financing, as well as non conventional sources such as hedge funds and private investors. Additionally, one man is becoming very well known in the field of bulk REO investing, and his name is Sal Bushemi of Dandrew Capital Partners, a New-York based hedge fund.
by Adriana Noton on February 8, 2010
There are lots of ways to make money. One could play the stock market or invest in a business. But these activities involve lots of risk, and so most people do not attempt it. But many more people will invest in real estate, by virtue of the fact that everyone needs a place to live. But since there is no such thing as a risk free investment, caution should be exercised.
Renting a place to live in might be cheaper in the short term, but spread over the course of many years, one ends up paying more in rent than one would in buying and running a house. This is because the amount of the mortgage that has to be paid is reduced as the interest is paid off and the principle amount is reduced. Monthly rent, on the other hand, often goes up over time.
Affordability is a key consideration when making any purchase. A person should ask whether they can afford the mortgage payments required for buying. It is always advisable to put as much money down as a down payment, in order to reduce the mortgage. Twenty five percent used to be the standard, but this minimum has gone down. One should factor additional expenses such as electricity and property taxes to get a complete idea of how much can be afforded.
People usually think that buying property is a sure thing, but if one looks at recent events then it is plain that this is not necessarily the case. The sub prime fiasco was caused by people buying houses they couldn’t afford with little or no money down. But when the interest rates went up, they couldn’t afford their homes anymore and had to sell at drastically reduced prices because of the scale of the situation.
Property is something one should buy for the long term, rather than selling it immediately for instant profits. Whereas stocks can be sold the next day depending on price fluctuations, the price of a house accrues over years instead of days or even months. One should therefore buy a place that one is willing to live in for a long time. This way, if you don’t get the price you are looking for when you put your place up for sale, you can afford to wait and try again later.
When purchasing a property, there are many professionals who can assist you. A real estate agent can help in buying or selling a home. He or she will tell you how much you can expect if you put your home up for sale, and will list the property and get you offers. Or if you are looking to buy, he or she will show you properties suited to your preferences. A real estate lawyer will take care of all the technical details involved in buying or selling a property.
Buying or selling a home will require you to pay fees. Hiring an agent to sell your home means that you will have to pay him or her a commission based upon the sale price of the house. A lawyer will charge you fees for his or her time, and for related expenses related to registering the sale and transfer of a property from one owner to another.
It is true that real estate is one of the better ways of investing money, but every investment comes with some level of risk. Especially because of the large amount of money required, one should think carefully before deciding to take the plunge.
As the recovering economy slowly regains its momentum, this might be an ideal time to invest in the Toronto real estate market. In fact, this prosperous city is the ideal place for relocation, since every association Toronto is dedicated and socially responsible.
