New Rental Vs. Old Rental – Which Should You Invest In?

Are you planning on investing in a Houston Texas area rental property? If so, like many investors you may be faced with having to choose between an old build vs. a new build.

Yes, both options can be good or bad that’s why in this article we will list the pro’s and con’s of investing in a new rental vs. an older rental property.

It’s nо secret thаt old houses rеԛuіrе more TLC thаn new. But that’s nоt nесеѕѕаrіlу a rеаѕоn tо аvоіd thеm.

Cоnѕіdеrаtіоnѕ When Purchasing Old оr Nеw

Settling/Foundation Iѕѕuеѕ

Oldеr houses hаvе issues related tо settling thаt hореfullу рrеvіоuѕ оwnеrѕ hаvеn’t nеglесtеd. Thеrе are ways tо combat іѕѕuеѕ rеlаtеd tо ѕеttlіng, ѕuсh аѕ іnѕtаllіng joists. Sоmеtіmеѕ these fіxеѕ can bе a relatively cheap way tо mаіntаіn the structural іntеgrіtу оf the hоuѕе. Other times they саn bе very соѕtlу.

Nеw houses аrеn’t nесеѕѕаrіlу “ѕаfе” іn thіѕ rеgаrd, еіthеr. They аrе in the process оf settling. This іѕ оnе reason you ѕhоuld always gеt аn іnѕресtіоn, whether thе рrореrtу’ѕ nеw or оld.

Addіtіоnаllу, mаnу оldеr hоmеѕ hаvе рооr gutter nеtwоrkѕ, if any at аll. Thіѕ аllоwѕ wаtеr tо penetrate thе foundation аnd possibly create cracks. Thеrе аrе rеmеdіеѕ tо fixing foundation сrасkѕ, but аgаіn, thеу can ѕеt a buyer back unеxресtеdlу іf thеу aren’t aware оf іt.

Tоxіс Chеmісаlѕ

Unfоrtunаtеlу, tоxіс сhеmісаlѕ аrе uѕuаllу present іn houses built bеfоrе 1978.

Oftеntіmеѕ, you’ll fіnd wаіvеrѕ whеrе owners сhооѕе nоt tо іnѕресt for lеаd-bаѕеd paint аnd claim nо knоwlеdgе of its presence. In fасt, іn аll thе dеаlѕ I’vе dоnе, I’vе уеt tо fіnd аn owner whо has wаntеd аn іnѕресtіоn fоr lead-based paint, аѕ mitigation and rеmоvаl methods can bе соѕtlу.

If you purchase an оldеr property with thе intent to rеnоvаtе іt, bе аwаrе that іt’ѕ lіkеlу уоu’ll fіnd аѕbеѕtоѕ. It саn bе іn thе wаllѕ, thе flooring, уоu nаmе іt. Mitigating asbestos еxроѕurе саn аlѕо be еxреnѕіvе, ѕо the presence of thіѕ toxin іѕ something you’ll want tо knоw about prior to purchase, tоо.

Fоrtunаtеlу, аѕbеѕtоѕ and lеаd раіnt wеrе bаnnеd аnd аrе nоt present іn nеw соnѕtruсtіоn.

Elесtrісаl

It’s not unсоmmоn tо fіnd оutdаtеd аnd еvеn dаngеrоuѕ wiring іn оldеr houses. Knоb and tubе wіrіng was frequently uѕеd in lаtе-1800ѕ/еаrlу-1900ѕ hоmеѕ. But іf maintained рrореrlу, thеѕе mаtеrіаlѕ are ѕtіll ѕаfе.

What аrе thе сhаnсеѕ, hоwеvеr, thаt the home you рurсhаѕе hаѕ аlwауѕ been mаіntаіnеd properly? Agаіn, inspection is key.

Pluѕ, сhаngеѕ іn еlесtrісіtу dеmаnd mау create a need for аn updated еlесtrісаl раnеl аnd/оr wiring rеgаrdlеѕѕ. Outdаtеd еlесtrісаl ѕhоuld thеrеfоrе bе a ѕаfеtу concern, so uрgrаdіng іѕ hіghlу rесоmmеndеd (аnd іn ѕоmе cases rеԛuіrеd).

Unѕurрrіѕіnglу, thе соѕt of thеѕе upgrades can add up ԛuісklу.

New construction оutfіttеd wіth modern еlесtrісаl раnеlѕ оffеr реасе of mіnd іn tеrmѕ оf еlесtrісаl fіrеѕ and a ѕtеаdу flow оf еlесtrісіtу tо рrеvеnt power ѕurgеѕ, blоwn fuѕеѕ, trірреd brеаkеrѕ, еtс.

HVAC

HVAC concerns реrtаіn particularly tо multіfаmіlу hоuѕіng. In some сіtіеѕ, owners have tо rерlасе аn оutdаtеd HVAC system thаt’ѕ ѕеrvісіng thе whоlе buіldіng with ѕераrаtе vents, electrical, еtс. for еасh unit. Be ѕurе to lооk іntо and соmрlу wіth rеԛuіrеmеntѕ.

Contact Vestpro Residential Services

Need more information before purchasing your next rental property? We can help! Our company is one of the top property management firms in the Houston area and we look forward to answering your questions plus potentially managing your next rental.

Learn more by contacting us at (832) 971-1841 or click here to connect with us online.

Should You Invest in Real Estate to Avoid Further Losses in The Stock Market?

If you’ve been watching the news, it’s not uncommon to read that the stock market is down 600 points one day, or up 400 points the next. Sadly, this is due to the fact that the long-awaited correction in the stock market has finally arrived and many analysts are predicting that the stock market could lose up to 2,500 points in value within the next 30 days.

As an investor, one of the biggest questions that you need to ask yourself is if you should pull your money out of stocks and put it into real estate.

If you’ve been unsure about getting involved in real estate investing, this article will provide you with several reasons why real estate investing is the best investment to make right now compared to the wild roller coaster ride that is the stock market.

Stability

Over the last 20 years, real estate has been one of the most stable investments in the United States, and that stability is only expected to continue because the success of real estate is not tied to the success of the economy, it’s tied to the geographic area where the rental property is located, and of course the demand for rental properties as well.

Thankfully, in 2018-2019, the Houston Texas area continues to be one of the most highly desirable areas for relocation in the United States Because Houston has a thriving jobs market and a lower cost of living than what can be found in other states like California.

Cash Flow

Another great reason to invest in real estate is cash flow. Over the last 20 years, rental properties in Houston and across the United States have continued to produce consistent cash flow on a monthly basis even during turbulent times like the .COM bust of the late 1990’s, or the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008.

If you had your money invested in stocks over the last 20 years, imagine how much money you could have avoided losing how you been invested in rental properties instead.

Hedge Against Inflation

Last of all, but most important, another great reason to invest in Real Estate is that rental properties are an excellent hedge against inflation because, when your tenant moves out of your rental property, you can raise the rent so that it’s comparable to what other rental properties in the same area are renting for.

Contact VestPro Residential Services

To get started with investing in rental properties in the Houston Texas area contact best VestPro residential services today by calling us at (832) 971-1841 or click here to connect with us online.

5 Basic Tips for Investing in Real Estate

Are you planning on getting started with Investing In Real Estate during 2017? If so, you’re not alone. Thanks to the excellent returns from Real Estate many investors have chosen to invest in rental properties in Houston, and across the United States.

Before getting started with investing in Real Estate you should follow these 5 basic tips for investing in Real Estate.

1. Location Matters

The old adage that “location matters” is most accurate when it comes to real estate investing. Before you fork over a down payment and put yourself in a significant amount of debt over a property, ensure that it’s in a good location.

Look for the worst house on the best street. That’s a principle you’ll come across quite a bit as you delve into further real estate investing advice.

You want to invest in the worst house on the best street because it gives you an opportunity to build equity. It’s a property in a great neighborhood (“the best street”) that needs some work (“the worst house”). You can invest some money to fix it up and sell it to someone else who wants a ready-to-move-in house in a fabulous location. Professional real estate investors call this “fixing and flipping.”

2. Look for Wholesale Properties

Investing in real estate is just like investing in the stock market in at least one way: you’re looking for the best deal. If you’re a savvy stock market investor, you probably won’t buy too many stocks at their high if you plan on holding them for a long time. Instead, you’ll follow the Warren Buffet principle of getting greedy when everyone else gets fearful. You’ll buy stocks that are beaten down and make a fortune when they turn around.
That’s what you want to do when it comes to real estate investing. Avoid paying “full price” for properties. Instead, look for so-called wholesale properties that are offered at a steep discount. Sure, they’ll probably need some work. Run the numbers and see if the investment in rehab is worth the ultimate selling price.

As noted at ThinkConveyance: “You can easily invest $20,000 in a property and add twice that much to the selling price. That’s why real estate investing is so attractive to investors who want to maximize their return on investment.”

3. Understand the Tax Benefits
The people who run our government want private investors to provide housing for people. That’s because they know that if private investors don’t provide housing, then the government will be responsible for it.

To that end, Uncle Sam offers significant tax benefits to real estate investors. The most significant benefit, arguably, is the depreciation write-off. When you buy an investment property that includes a building, you get to write off the depreciation of that building as a tax deduction. You’ll have to consult your tax advisor for specifics, but basically you can expect to depreciate a residential building over 27 years and a commercial building over 39 and a half years.

Keep in mind that the IRS views your real estate investment efforts as a business so you also get to claim the “necessary and ordinary“ deductions that business owners take, including mortgage interest, insurance, and maintenance expenses. Again, it’s a good idea to consult your tax advisor about specifics.

4. Check Your Credit Report

You’re more than likely going to need to borrow money to buy real estate. That’s why you should check your credit report before you begin investing in real estate.

If you have problems on your credit report that are mistakes, get those resolved as quickly as possible. If you have problems that are legitimate, then you’ll need to work to improve your credit.

Simply put, banks aren’t going to loan money to you for a property that’s not your primary residence as readily as they’ll loan it to you for your own home. That’s why your credit has to be spectacular.

5. Use the “1% Rule”

If you’re planning on buying a property that you’ll rent out one or more tenants, use the “1% Rule” when you decide whether or not the property is worth the price you’ll pay for it.

The 1% Rule simply states that an income producing property must produce 1% of the price you pay for it every month. For example, if you’re looking at buying a property for $150,000, then the monthly rental income should be 150,000 x 1% = $1,500.

Get Houston Texas Property Management

As you grow your portfolio of rental properties you’re going to need an experienced Houston Texas Property Management company because a property manager will save you the time, money and hassle of managing those rentals yourself. Learn more about the services we can offer you by contact us today at (832) 971-1841 or click here to connect with us online.

8 Ways Real Estate Is Your Smartest Investment

Have you been thinking about investing in Real Estate but don’t know if it’s a smart investment to make for your portfolio? You’re not alone.

Although Real Estate has been a strong place to invest for the last 4 years many people are still sitting on the fence deciding if they should but their first rental property when the right time has already arrived.

Stop what you’re doing, read this article and learn 8 reasons why you should get started with investing in Real Estate in Houston or elsewhere across the United States right now.

1. Positive cash flow.

One of the biggest benefits to income producing real estate investments is that leases generally secure the assets. This provides a regular income stream that is significantly higher than the typical stock dividend yields.

2. Using leverage to multiply asset value.

Another important characteristic of commercial real estate investing is the ability to place debt on the asset, which is several times the original equity. This allows you to buy more assets with less money and significantly multiply asset value and increase equity as the loans are paid down.

3. Low-cost debt leveraged to multiply cash flow.

Placing “positive leverage” on an asset allows for investors to effectively increase positive cash flow from operations by borrowing money at a lower cost than the property pays out. For example, if a property generating a 6 prcent cash-on-cash return were to have debt placed on it at 4 percent, the investors would be paid 6 percent on the equity portion and approximately 2 percent on the money borrowed, thereby leveraging debt.

4. Hedge on inflation.

For each dollar that is created, there is a corresponding liability. Real estate investments have historically shown the highest correlation to inflation when compared to other asset classes, such as the S&P 500, 10-year Treasury notes and corporate bonds.

As countries around the world continue to print money to spur economic growth, it is important to recognize the benefits of owning income producing real estate as a hedge against inflation. Generally speaking, when inflation occurs, the price of real estate, particularly multi-tenant assets that have a high ratio of labor and replacement costs, will also rise.

5. Capitalize on the physical assets.

Income-producing real estate is one of the few investment classes that, as a hard asset, has meaningful value. The property’s land has value, as does the structure itself, and the income it produces has value to future investors. Income producing real estate investments do not have red and green days, as does the stock market.

6. Maximizing tax benefits.

The US Tax Code benefits real estate owners in a number of ways, including unlimited mortgage interest deductions and depreciation accelerations that can shield a portion of the positive cash flow generated and paid out to investors. At the time of sale, IRS allows investors a 1031 provision, allowing investors to exchange into a like-kind instrument and defer all taxable gains into the future. (See your tax advisor for full explanation.)

7. Asset value appreciation.

Over time, more and more inflation has made it into the economy, drastically reducing purchasing power. However, income producing real estate investments have historically provided excellent appreciation in value that meet and exceed other investment types. Properties historically increase in value as the net operating income of the property improves through rent increases and more effective management of the asset.

Click here to read reason #8!