Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Estate Investing in Real in Your 30s
Investing is a great way to make money, but it can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. This guide will help you understand how investing works and give you the information you need to get started with real estate investing.
There are three main ways that people invest:
- By buying property, either for yourself or as an investment vehicle.
- Buying shares of stock, which represent ownership in companies.
- Investing in bonds, which are debt instruments issued by governments and other organizations.
This guide focuses on real estate, but there are some things you should know about all three types of investments.
Real Estate vs Stocks & Bonds
The biggest difference between stocks and bonds is that you have no control over your share of the company when you buy a bond. With a stock, however, you can sell it at any time, provided the company allows it.
When you purchase shares of stock, they become part of a “portfolio” that you can sell or hold onto as long as you want. Portfolios often include other securities such as bonds, so you may also have more flexibility than you think. For example, say you bought PKR100,000 worth of Apple (AAPL) stock. If AAPL were to go down 10% in value, you could still sell your shares and walk away with PKR90,000. But if you had purchased a bond instead, you wouldn’t be able to sell it until the issuer repays the loan.
Another advantage of stocks is that you can own multiple shares in one company. So, for example, let’s say you owned 100 shares of AAPL stock and now its price has gone up to PKR200 per share. Instead of selling each share individually, you could sell them all at once and pay only the original PKR20,000.
Bonds offer similar advantages to stocks, but their primary benefit is that they provide a steady income stream.
Income Vs Capital Growth
The key difference between investing in real estate and investing in stocks or bonds is that you can earn money from your investments without having to worry about growing your capital.
With stocks, the potential for growth comes from the size of the company. When you buy shares of a big company like Apple, you can expect a much higher return because there are more shares available to sell. However, it takes a lot of work and luck to find these kinds of opportunities.
On the other hand, real estate doesn’t require a huge amount of upfront cash, just enough to cover the costs of buying and maintaining the property. The returns come from renting out the space, not from the land itself. That means that the larger the property, the greater the potential profit.
You’ll also have more options when you invest in real estate. Unlike stocks, you can invest in individual properties instead of entire portfolios. And unlike bonds, you can choose the type of property that interests you.
How To Start Investing In Real Estate
To start investing in real estate, you’ll need to learn how to research properties, negotiate deals, and keep track of expenses. It sounds complicated, but this guide will show you exactly what you need to do to get started.
Step 1: Learn How To Research Properties
Before you can make any kind of investment decision, you need to know as much as possible about the property you’re interested in buying. You should always begin your search by learning as much as you can about the area where you plan to invest.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s the average price of homes in the neighborhood?
- Are there schools nearby?
- Is crime common?
- Do people like the area?
The answers to these questions will tell you a lot about the area and whether or not it’s a good place to invest.
You can find information about local neighborhoods on sites like Zillow.com and Trulia.com. These websites allow you to see detailed statistics about a particular neighborhood, including recent sales prices and the number of vacant and occupied homes.
If you’re planning to buy a home, you can also check out the local newspaper, especially if the area has a large immigrant population. The classified ads will give you a sense of what kinds of homes are available and how much they cost.
Once you’ve found the neighborhood that looks most promising, you can use the internet to learn more about the specific property you’re interested in.
First, you should look at the listing on the real estate website. Read through the description of the house and take note of any special features. You can also ask friends and family members who live in the area for advice. They’ll probably know a lot about the property you’re considering, and they might even have personal experience with the property that you haven’t considered yet.
Next, visit the property itself. If it’s listed on a real estate site, click on the link to the listing. Then, drive around the neighborhood to get a feel for the location. See how many houses there are, how big they are, and what condition they’re in.
Now you’re ready to decide whether or not you want to buy the property. There are two main factors to consider:
1) Does the property meet your needs?
It’s important to figure out whether or not the property will be useful to you. For example, if you’re looking for a rental property, does the property have enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate your family? Will it have easy access to major roads?
2) How much is it going to cost you?
Will the property be affordable? A property that’s too expensive won’t be profitable. You’ll need to spend at least 20% of the purchase price on maintenance, repairs, and taxes. Plus, you’ll have to pay for any improvements you make to the property.
Step 2: Negotiate Deals
After you’ve decided to buy a particular property, you’ll need to negotiate the deal with the seller. Most sellers will accept offers within a certain range, but you can never be sure that you’re getting the best price.
The first thing you should do is prepare a list of questions about the property. These questions will help you narrow down the range of acceptable offers. For example, if you’re buying a property for PKR200,000, you could ask the seller to lower the price to PKR190,000. You could also ask the seller to agree to pay off the mortgage and transfer the title to you immediately.
Finally, you can ask the seller to pay the closing costs and pay them directly. Closing costs are usually paid by the buyer, so you can ask the seller to cover them. Remember, you’re not trying to negotiate a deal that gives you the highest profit. You’re trying to find a deal that meets your needs and is within your budget.
Step 3: Keep Track of Expenses
Once you’ve bought a property, you’ll need to keep track of the expenses involved in maintaining it. Here are some things to watch for:
1) Property Taxes
Property taxes are based on the assessed value of the property. Assessed values are calculated by multiplying the square footage of the building by the current market value of the land.
2) Insurance
Make sure that you have enough insurance coverage to protect the property from fire, theft, and other natural disasters.
3) Utilities
Keep track of your utility bills and compare them to your estimates. If you find that you’re paying more than expected, you may be able to negotiate a better rate.
4) Repairs
You should keep track of the costs of repairs to the property and try to anticipate when they’ll be needed.
5) Mortgage Payments
Mortgage payments are calculated by dividing the total amount borrowed by the number of months remaining on the loan. Make sure you know the monthly payment for the property you’re buying.
6) HOA Fees
HOA fees are charged by the homeowners’ association for services such as landscaping, snow removal, and pool maintenance. Find out what the fees are before you buy the property.
7) Homeowner’s Association Dues
Some homeowners’ associations charge annual dues to their members. If the dues are high, you may be able to negotiate a lower fee.
Step 4: Create A Budget
Once you’ve decided on the property that you want to buy, it’s time to create a budget. Start by figuring out how much you can afford to spend on the property. The easiest way to do this is to calculate your monthly income and subtract your monthly expenses. Then, divide the result by 12.
For example, let’s say you earn PKR2,500 a month. You have PKR300 in rent and PKR200 in groceries each month. Your total monthly expenses are PKR1,700. Divide your monthly income by your monthly expenses, and you’ll find that you have PKR100 left over each month.
Now you can subtract the amount you have left over from the purchase price of the property. If you want to buy a house for PKR200,000, you’ll need to borrow PKR200,000. You can then use the rest of the money to make monthly mortgage payments. Note that you don’t have to borrow the entire purchase price at once. You can make smaller, more manageable payments.
Final Words
There’s no doubt that investing in real estate is a lucrative business. However, it’s important to remember that real estate investing isn’t right for everyone. You should only invest in real estate if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn the basics of the field.
This guide has given you the information you need to get started. Remember, it’s up to you whether or not you’ll succeed. You may find that you enjoy real estate investing and end up making a lot of money.
