Understanding The World Of Real Estate Like A Pro
For anyone who is curious about the world of real estate, there is plenty to learn. No matter what it is that you hope to achieve, you can always benefit from getting to know the ins and outs of the whole experience. There are plenty of aspects to real estate which any amateur might need to consider if they want to succeed with their venture. Whether you are looking to buy-to-let, or just rent out a building, it is helpful to know as much as possible about the entire process. In this article, we are going to take a tour through some of the most vital concepts which you might come across. Knowing as much of this as possible will help you to make the most of your experience. Let’s take a look now at some of the essentials that can help you to feel like an absolute pro.
The Real Estate Cycle
As with most things of this nature, there is a specific cycle which it helps to understand. The world of real estate works in a fairly predictable manner all over the world. If you want to get ahead with your venture, whatever it is, it might be useful to understand how this cycle works. With that in mind, let’s have a detailed look at how it works today.
One of the most important elements to understanding and utilising the real estate cycle is timing. This is really where all of your understanding pays off. But to get it right, you need to know the cycle inside out. This is critical particularly if you are investing and want to get the biggest returns possible (more on that later). One cycle can take anything up to 12 or even 15 years, so this really is macro approach to real estate. To begin with, you often have an economy in a pretty poor shape. This might last for up to five years or so, and then comes an economic boom. This boom is liable to push real estate up considerably in a short space of time. It is usually then not long until the banks start over-lending, and the whole thing crashes again.
You can probably see how this is just a reflection of the larger capitalist system at play. After this, the cycle resets, with house prices way down low again. Using the knowledge you now have of the real estate cycle, you can see how it is important to choose your timing carefully. As long as you get that right, you can be sure that you will get much more out of it. In real estate as in many other things, timing is everything.
The Nature Of Supply & Demand
The cycle we have just seen can go some of the way to explaining the way real estate works. However, to rely solely on that one model would be to grossly over-simplify things. There are countless factors in play at any one time – and the more we look into, the better prepared you will be. For this reason, it is also helpful to understand the nature of supply and demand as best as you can.
Supply and demand applies to any commodity which is sold or traded, and it even applies partially to services provided too. With real estate, it works much the same as it does anywhere else. Put simply, the more demand that there is for housing, the more supply there needs to be. The way that this process affects pricings, however, is quite enlightening to look at. The law of supply and demand states that higher demand for something leads to increased prices of that thing. If there is a large supply and little demand, the price will fall. We can see this at play in real estate pretty predictably throughout the ages. The important thing to remember here is that the key factor in housing supply and demand is location. So if there is plenty of demand for people living in a certain city, prices in that city rise.
This is useful to know if you are planning to buy-to-let any properties. The more that you know about these financial terms, the better you can interpret the market. And that leads to a better and fuller understanding of what you are doing generally.
Buy-To-Let & Investments
One of the most common ways in which people trade in housing is buy-to-let. As the name suggests, this is when you buy a property outright in order to rent it out. This can be an extremely lucrative venture, so long as you do it right. For many people, the biggest hurdle is being able to secure a deposit to put down for the property. But as long as you can do that, you might find that this is a really good venture to try your hand at. Nonetheless, you do want to ensure that you know as much as possible before getting into it. A lot of people end up rushing the process, which ultimately only leads to them making some kind of mistake. Let’s take a look, starting with the basics.
One of your biggest concerns is going to be securing a mortgage. The majority of people in this position will need to use a mortgage to pay for the property. When you are looking for a mortgage, you need to make sure that you are getting exactly what you need. The good news is that mortgage prices are at their lowest for a long time currently. However, you should also beware of low rates. Often, these are variable rate mortgages, which means that the rate could increase over time. Because of this, you might end up repaying more than you would for a fixed rate mortgage.
You also need to consider other costs which are likely to be involved, such as stamp duty. This can be anywhere up to 3% of the whole price. Depending on the property, that can be a whole lot of money, so it is worth thinking about carefully. If you plan to invest, then the first thing to do is to research the market. And take your time – this is definitely not the kind of thing that you want to rush into. Your next major consideration should be finding a good location for your property. Remember the law of supply and demand, and think how it will affect you individually. It also helps to have a target tenant in mind. That way, you can shop around for a specific property which you can effectively market. To get this right, it helps to know the people of the local area fairly well. For that reason, many investors find it easier to start somewhere near their own home.
If you get it right, investing in property can be hugely lucrative. Just take things slow, and be careful not to make any big decisions without careful planning and consideration.
Renting
Not everyone is in a position to carry out buy-to-let, however. For many people, the only possible option at the moment is renting. Too many people rent blindly, without really knowing what they are doing or what their rights are. If you are in a position where you need to rent a property, then it is a good idea to know everything there is to know beforehand. Let’s take a look at how to make the most of renting.
As a tenant, you have many rights which are well worth bearing in mind. Whether you are looking at houses or apartments for rent, there is plenty to consider. First of all is the deposit. It is often a considerable sum of money which you are asked to part with, and it can be stressful for just about anyone. To help you make this process less stressful, you should remember that your deposit needs to be protected by law. There are many deposit protection schemes, and your landlord should automatically ensure that it goes into one of them. But make sure that they do! The last thing you want is to lose out on your money due to some unscrupulous landlord.
It is also a good idea to know what you are actually paying rent for. That might sound basic, but so many people do not properly look through their contract. You should have a tenancy agreement with your landlord – and you should read it thoroughly before signing. This is your main protection against anything untoward happening, so this is vital. Renting can be a difficult process for many people, but as long as you are careful, it is a useful short-term solution.
Marketing
When you are selling on property, it is useful to know how to effectively market it to the local population. There is a certain art to this, and it helps to have some practice before you go into it. First of all, make sure you know who you are marketing to. Make up the property so that it appeals to your target tenant. After that, it is a matter of advertising locally. If you want to, you can hire the help of a local realtor. They will take care of most of the work for you – for a fee.
