Saturday, October 23, 2010

FHA Loans Benefits For Real Estate Investors

People is probably assuming that FHA loans are only for home owners, but real estate investors can also take benefit of this government home buying program.

Definite requirements need to be achieved.

If real estate investors live in the residence as their primary home for one year, they may use FHA loans. An additional primary advantage of an FHA loan: You could use the profit you will create from multi-unit investment properties to help qualify for an FHA loan.

Also, it is possible for real estate investors to buy FHA homes that are in foreclosure.

What Are FHA Loans?


The U.S. government is in the home buying business. FHA loans are still one of the most popular ways to buy a home for buyers with a small down payment or blemished credit.

An FHA loan is mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration. The government agency was created as part of the National Housing Act of 1934 following the Great Depression.

Today, it has provided financing for millions of Americans to buy homes. Unlike some government programs, FHA loans are available for everyone.

The amount of FHA loans will vary by state.

FHA loans became popular because they are one of the most affordable ways for homeowners and even real estate investors to purchase homes. You can possibly own a home for just 3.5 percent down. Your down payment doesn’t have to come from your own earnings, but can be a gift, grant or sweat equity.

With FHA loans, sellers are allowed to pay up to 6 percent of your closing costs, which means more money in your pocket. Plus, there are generally fewer credit requirements than a traditional mortgage loan.

Requirements For An FHA Loan

-An FHA loan requires two years of documented work history. By just saying you’ve worked is not enough, you’ve got to prove it with tax returns. I could be very helpful if you've spent two years in the same profession.

-FHA requires a minimum 620 FICO credit score. You can possibly purchase a home with an FHA mortgage if you’ve had a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, once you have a 12-month track record of on-time payments. The bankruptcy must have been discharged for two years.

-Another requirement is a 3.5 percent down payment. This may change to 5 percent in 2010, but it is still lower than traditional mortgage financing that requires 20 percent down.

Home buyers and real estate investors can benefit from FHA loans.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Short Sale Houses Offer Added Benefits To Real Estate Investors

The downturn in the real estate current market has established an unexpected benefit for real estate investors: Short sales are booming and express no signs of slowing down.

Consider the statistics tracked by RealtyTrac Inc.: One out of every single 136 homes in the United States is contending with foreclosure..

When the home owner is in foreclosure and the bank sells the property for less than what is owed, this is when short sale takes place. The home is “short” in market value, and the bank was unable to sell it while in foreclosure.

For real estate investors, this connotes a golden opportunity. It is so fantastic how you may get investment properties for much cheaper than ever before. 10 years ago, short sale houses were rarer, and typically only homes in the worst condition were sold via short sale.

Today, that’s no longer the case. Now, even multi-million dollar homes in manicured neighborhoods to commercial properties sold for pennies on the dollar, which means any home is subject to short sale.

Banks Are Now Property Holding Companies

The foreclosure crisis has put banks in the precarious position of negotiating with would-be buyers for homes. A lot of times, a bank will negotiate a short sale with a buyer just to get the “bad” loan off its books and avoid the maintenance costs of maintaining a home in foreclosure.

Typically, real estate investors deal with the foreclosed homeowner, but any short sale offer must be approved by the bank. It used to be that real estate investors negotiated with homeowners for the best deals. But now, it’s more common for real estate investors to negotiate with banks for the best deals.

The House Short Sale Benefits To Investors


Short sales could be a bad news for defaulted homeowners and banks, they are nothing but good news for real estate investors. Today, homes are sold at rock bottom amounts, at prices never before seen in recent history. Entire neighborhoods and subdivisions have lost 25 percent, 50 percent and even more of their property values.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Get Your REO Homes Offer Acccepted

Buying REO homes (Real Estate Owned homes) takes creativity and persistence: Negotiating with the banks is necessary, your offer may or may not accepted, it will take several months to complete the process.

There's just this problem, several REO investors don't think like banks. They think their offer is reasonable, the home and property has languished on the market forever, and they could not understand precisely why the bank is not returning their calls.

This may all be true, however you have to keep in mind that it is the bank that holds the key to REOs; the dollar starts and stops with them. Once your offer will not be accepted, you don't have a deal. A little homework before you make an REO offer can lead to a lot less headache in the long run.

Your primary goal is to get the bank to say “yes” to your offer. The more knowledge you have with regards to the aspects a lender uses to assess a REO properties can result in a less complicated sales procedure and, in the long run, bank approval of your offer.

Evaluate Your REO Home Deals Like A Bank


Regardless how much your offer is, the bank is going to always think the house and property may be worth more. It’s that easy. Lenders agree to an REO based on a percentage of what banks believe is the “as is” value of the home and property. Every lender has a different approval percentage, and these figures can change.

Your main goal is to offer just enough so the lender quickly grants your offer; practically nothing more and nothing less. Being familiar with the approval percentage is fifty percent the battle; the other portion involves the as is property value in the lender’s eyes.

This relies on the broker’s price opinion (BPO), involving three comparable sales, three active listings, local market conditions as well as other evaluations. The BPO is usually conducted by a real estate agent and even includes an interior and exterior “drive by.” Lots of lenders also use appraisals.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Importance of Credit Repair For Real Estate Investors

Are you aware that credit repair is not just essential to home owners with low FICO scores and credit blemishes but it's just as necessary for real estate investors too. Credit – or absence of it – can make or break your career as a real estate investor.

Your capability to succeed as a real estate investor is dependent upon your ability to buy property quickly, with little cash.

There may be other sources to get financing and private money, but at some point it's much simpler to get financing on your own. It will be harder for you to make your deals happen once you have bad credit.

Credit repair is a must if you have bad credit. Everything won't happen overnight because it's a process. You'll soon have good credit with little patience so it would be easier for you to complete your deals.

Improve Your Credit With Credit Repair


Let’s look at a few ideas for credit repair service.

First, get a copy of your credit report. This is the first, most basic step that you will take. You’ll need credit reports from all three credit bureaus. You can legally get a free copy of your credit report if you were denied credit.

Now, take a close look at your credit report. Chances are, the errors will cost you in terms of a lower credit score. Most credit reports are full of errors: closed accounts are reported as open, charge-offs are inaccurate, payoff amounts are wrong; on-time payments are reported as late. I’d be willing to which most people can find at least one thing wrong on their credit report.

Make a list of all the inaccuracies. Make a list of everything that’s wrong on your credit report. The three major credit reporting bureaus are required by law to maintain files for debtors, and creditors most supply information.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Lease Options Real Estate Investing Can Increase Monthly Cash Flow

Lease options certainly are a beneficial way for real estate investors in order to expand month-to-month earnings.

Lease options enable real estate investors the chance to reap the main benefit of tenants who would eventually own instead of just renting. Lease option homes give a consistent means for investors to generate higher earnings more than they would implementing traditional rental properties.

Here’s as to why:

Lease options offer renters an opportunity of buying your property in the later, pre-arranged date and selling price. In most cases, a lease option allows tenants the choice of buying a house in the two-year period. This allows them sufficient time in order for sellers to be eligible for a traditional financing.

Progressively, lots of renters have found the fact that American dream of home ownership is much more difficult to get hold of. Mortgage brokers have a lot more prerequisites, and many renters end up having problems in a rental trap.

Lease Options Give Benefits For Real Estate Investors And Renters


Lease options offer benefits for real estate investors and renters.

You find a far better quality tenant who is definitely not just simply “renting” given that they intend to eventually own the property and are more inclined to take better care of it. As being an investor, you continue to own the house but the tenant can possibly beautify, renovate and remodel the property with your authorization. Significantly as the tenant is concerned, they are the “owner,” and they're going to care for your house or property as such.

A real estate investor should get a larger advance payment for a lease with option to buy compared to a rental – normally a non-refundable 1-3 percent of the selling price. And the rental amount is usually at a larger amount. Take note: A portion of the rental amount is usually used for deposit or even closing costs.

The tenant usually pays off a lower deposit when compared to a traditional mortgage, and lease options “lock” the buying price of a home. So, whether or not property values in a certain neighborhood increase, the tenant has the option of purchasing the house at the decreased, pre-set price.

Even more Cashflow With Lease Options

So now, this is where the advantage with the option comes into play. Let us say the tenant cannot qualify for a mortgage by the pre-set date. You will get to keep the down payment and the premium rental amount.

You have got higher monthly income, regardless of whether the tenant purchases your home. The tenant could, but is not really demanded, to buy your property. They just enjoy the privileges to purchase it only when they will want to exercise the option.

Lease options tend to be an excellent method for higher cash flow, especially if the property or home would've been rented out anyway.