Put simply, when buying real estate, the objective is to put money to work today and allow it to increase so that you have more money in the future. The profit, or “return,” you make on your real estate investments must be enough to cover the risk you take, taxes you pay, and the costs of owning the real estate investment such as utilities, regular maintenance, and insurance.

Real estate investing really can be as simple as playing monopoly when you understand the basic factors of the investment, economics, and risk. To win, you buy properties, avoid bankruptcy, and generate rent so that you can buy even more properties. However, keep in mind that “simple” doesn’t mean “easy.” In the event that you make a mistake, consequences can range from minor inconveniences to major disasters. You could even find yourself broke or worse.

The 4 Ways That Real Estate Investors Make Money

When you invest in real estate, there are several ways you can make money:

1. Real Estate Appreciation
It is when the property increases in value due to a change in the real estate market, the land around your property becoming scarcer or busier like when a major shopping center is built next door or upgrades you put into your real estate investment to make it more attractive to potential buyers or renters. Real estate appreciation is a tricky game. It is riskier than investing for cash flow income.

2. Cash Flow Income
This type of real estate investment centers on investing in a real estate asset, like a multi-unit residence, and operating it, so you get a flow of cash from lease payments, which is the cash a renter gives you to use your premises for a certain period of time. Cash flow profits can be produced from well-run self-storage, car washes, apartments, offices, rental homes, and a whole lot more.

3. Property Related Revenues
This is earnings produced by “experts” in the real estate sector such as real estate agents, who generate income from commissions from buying and selling a property, or property management companies who are able to keep a share of rents in return for controlling the everyday functions of the real estate. This kind of property affiliated income is simple to grasp. For instance, a resort management business gets to maintain a percentage of rents for handling the everyday functions such as for example hiring housekeepers, managing check-ins, cutting the yard and cleaning the linens.

4. Ancillary Property Income
For many property investments, this can be a sizeable source of profit. Ancillary real estate investment income may include things like vending machines in office buildings or laundry facilities in low-rent apartments. In essence, they act as mini-businesses within a bigger real estate investment, permitting make money from a semi-captive collection of prospects.

Ideas for Purchasing Investment Properties

There are several ways to buy your first real estate investment. If you are buying a real estate, you may use debt by obtaining a loan against a house. The usage of leverage is certainly what appeals to a large number of property investors since it enables them to attain properties they usually could not have the funds for. Nevertheless, using leverage to buy property can be harmful considering that, in a declining marketplace, the interest expenditure and monthly obligations can send the real estate investor into personal bankruptcy if indeed they aren’t cautious.
You will hardly ever obtain a real estate investment in your own name. Instead, for risk management reasons, consider holding real estate investments through special types of legal entities such as limited liability companies or limited partnerships (you should consult a qualified attorney for his or her opinion as to which ownership method is most beneficial for you and your circumstances). That way, if the real estate investment goes bust or someone has an accident, resulting in legal action, you can protect your personal assets because the worst that can happen in some situations is you will lose the amount of money you’ve invested. This enables you to rest easy because unless of course, you have messed up someplace, your pension assets ought to be secure.