Orlando Can’t Be Beat When Considering Investment Property

March 25th, 2010

Article written by guest blogger: Joann Whetstine, a timeshare owners advocate.

As everyone knows, Florida is a great place to plan a beach vacation, but what you may not know is that it’s also a great place to consider buying investment property. The main reason is because there is just so much to do there with every conceivable type of entertainment available in this Florida city which means that there will always be someone looking for a place to stay.

One of the biggest things to do is visit a theme park, and Orlando has the highest concentration of theme parks in the country. The Walt Disney Resorts include the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Plus, Universal Studios, Sea World, and even Gaterland, will also all vie for the attention of Orlando travelers.

Not only are there an abundance of theme parks, but, each one has something for everyone. Your youngest set will have the time of their lives in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Grandma and Grandpa are sure to enjoy touring the world at Epcot. Head your teens to Sea World for the zero-gravity roll of the Kraken roller coaster. They’ll also enjoy experiencing the unique up-hill launch of the Incredible Hulk coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

The entire family will love the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of swimming with dolphins at Discovery Cove. Here you can also snorkel through Tropical Reef, a coral reef where you can feed graceful rays and swim among hundreds of tropical fish. Or lazily float on inner tubes down the heated Wind-Away River. Still wanting that Florida beach vacation? At Discovery Cove you can relax in hammocks on the white sand beaches along the shore of Serenity Bay.

We’ve just scratched the surface of all you can do in Orlando. When you purchase Orlando investment property you can choose to stay in the unit for your own vacation and of course rent it out to others when you are not there. There are many choices to consider for investment in an Orlando vacation experience, such as timeshares, vacation homes and rental property for personal use and investment. Do your own research before deciding which option is best for you.

Using Owner Financing to acquire Orlando investment property

November 30th, 2009

Owner financing can either be for the full purchase price or it might just be for a percentage of the purchase price. When sellers do owner financing, they usually require a mortgage on the property. Owner financing is also a way for a seller to get a premium price for the property, often times one that would be unlikely that the investment property would appraise for. Ask yourself why would a seller carry a mortgage? Sometimes they are left with little choice, and it’s either sell quickly using owner financing, or leave the Orlando investment property on the market and chance a decline property value.

Owner financing can also be an option for more than just traditional homes. Property owners can potentially carry the note for commercial property, land, and most other types of real estate. Owner financing is not very common among homeowners and it is usually employed by investors buying investment property to rent out or flip. If a property is in a bad condition or the owner has a vacant home sitting on the market for a significant period of time, then he or she may consider owner financing. Owner financing or seller financing (also called “rent to own”) is a process by which the seller offers to hold the note for you. No banks or credit are needed for this type of Orlando investment property purchasing.

In owner financing the seller is helped while steady cash flows are generated and one can set terms like interest rate as well as payment terms too. This is thus a way in which win/win is ensured for all the concerned parties to the deal. In many cases, people are wiling to have the seller of the potential Orlando investment property help with the finances, which means that the owner doubles up as the bank too. Terms and conditions are laid out and agreed upon. The buyer pays off the amount according to the terms of the deal without having to go to the bank. There is an option of varying the quantity of payments and this is duly mentioned in the terms and conditions of the contract.

In some cases sellers ask for higher than usual down payments to safeguard their interests as compared to a mortgage lender. While most of the owner financing emanates from the owners savings, the terms mostly call for lower interest rates than what traditional lenders charge on Orlando investment property.

Interest rates have spreads that are determined by financial institutions. Generally 1.50% to 2.50% over prime is the general interest rate with those who want lower rates being required to do a lot of research. This is not required in the case of owner financing. In a few rare cases, the owner financing may be even at 0% interest, especially in cases when the seller is very keen on selling the Orlando investment property urgently.

Seller financing helps to sell Orlando investment properties much faster as it becomes extremely attractive to buyers. This helps in not only ensuring great buyer interest, but also the ability to generate higher price for the property being sold.

Orlando Investment Property – Learn to Use It

November 28th, 2009

Real estate investment options are just beckoning interested investors. While real estate seems promising, it comes with the caveat that you should take the trouble to learn about it and master its intricacies.

The demand for real estate is bound to increase with the incessant increase in the population, which means that you can capitalize on this by learning how to make money from real estate.  One can invest in real estate across borders too. Success in real estate can be measured against the metrics of profits, tenant occupancy and development of the building in question. Tenants also need to be clear that residual income quantum is one of the best parameters to gauge as to whether the property is suitable or not for investment.

There are many mortgage planners and advisors that one can consult for creating a suitable investment strategy. It is possible to look at options related to second mortgage and also local currency denominated mortgages. Equity release or second mortgage options may be popular but there is also a risk that one may lose both homes in case of failure to make good mortgage payments.

It is a fact that when sellers sell, they expect more money for their property than what the buyers are willing to pay. But then sellers also become buyers on account of property cycles. Areas that are over developed by developers for rentals often push down prices to the extent that the prices are no longer lucrative or viable for landlords. That is why you should look at an area’s tourist potential as well as interest in these locations where there are regulations in place to prevent over development that can have a negative impact on rentals.

If you want to invest in property, you should look at getting properties that have the potential of positive cash flows. Getting a lucrative property that creates a pull for itself is what you need to consider in your property portfolio build up. While one considers property appreciation and mortgage pay down are accepted means of property investment, one should also evaluate cash flows which is a rather complex task given the fact that one could encounter unexpected costs.

The principle of arbitrage is quite common, because it implies that one buys low and sells at higher prices.  You can hold on to property for as long as a year or more versus sell it off within a few days. It is also possible to use property for business by using the rentals to write off losses on foreclosure in the same year of the real estate loss.