Tag: real estate investing

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Real Estate

7 Common Mistakes Rookie Real Estate Developers Make

Real estate development is undoubtedly one of the most popular ways to invest in the industry. According to a recent survey by CNBC, 23% of American adults chose real estate investment as the most effective way to build wealth, making it the most preferred investment vehicle. 

As long as there are people, you should expect some returns when you choose to develop properties, as everyone needs a roof over their head.

Although real estate investing seems a pretty straightforward endeavor, there are habitual mistakes novice real estate developers make that jeopardize their chances of making healthy returns.

Here are some of the blunders newcomer real estate developers make and what you can do to avoid or solve these miscalculations.

1. Get-rich-quick mentality

Most developers enter the real estate industry with the expectation of making a fortune quickly. The industry may seem like a solution for your financial woes, but keep in mind that short-term gains in this industry are more the result of speculation than a strategic investment. 

Indeed a 2022 ATTOM Data Solutions analysis shows that the profit received from 3-bedroom home rental units decreased in 72% of US counties.

You can succeed in real estate development if you put in the time and effort. In most instances, however, you will not realize instant success or wealth. It requires patience, effort, experience, and access to the right information to get the most out of your projects. When you commit to a plan with a longer time frame, you may spread out your losses and maximize your returns.

2. Poor Location

Any real estate developer should pay close attention to the property’s location, as it has a massive bearing on the benefits of the investment. Location may determine the property’s costs, revenue, tenant pool, laws and regulations, and market conditions.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 49% of homebuyers cited the quality of a location as a significant factor influencing their decision when looking for a home. If you develop a property in the wrong spot, it won’t fetch the right price to cover the development costs.

You should always study the cost, price changes, and trends, which can help determine if it is an excellent time to develop a property in a given location. Find out about the amenities, vacancy rates, and historical values of other properties in the area to help you make the right decision.

3. Investing Without a Strategy

Failing to establish clear goals is a common mistake among beginner real estate developers. You are more likely to make poor choices and decisions if you don’t have a clear master plan in advance.

A clearly articulated development strategy will help you achieve your objectives more quickly and hassle-free. By sticking to it, you ensure you are not wasting time and effort running in circles and instead making progress in the right direction.

Consider whether you are more interested in short-term returns or long-term capital growth or how you can achieve both goals while maintaining a steady cash flow.

4. Overpaying

Another common mistake developers make is buying or developing a property for more than what it would fetch in the market. Some potential real estate developers are more than happy to pay a premium when they come across a suitable property, especially in a hot market.

However, if you overpay for a project, you may find it challenging to meet your bottom line after settling the property’s costs. An excellent rule of thumb is a minimum 7% annual return on the amount invested in relation to the annual mortgage payments (cash-on-cash return).

Before you dive into developing a property, ensure you have done all the necessary research or consult with a professional to ensure you spend a fair amount on a property.

5. Failing to Conduct Due Diligence

Beginner property developers need to understand how the local real estate market works and how the economy can affect their projects. Without doing your research, there’s no telling if a property will bring in the kind of returns you are hoping for.

Your project’s success will depend on your ability to conduct due diligence. Before starting your project, you need to assess the impact of external factors on your business, allowing you to make informed decisions on the nature, timing, and target market of your projects.

Research the types of properties available, the prices at which they sell, and the nature of the competition before signing any sale contract.

6. Underestimating Expenses

Most developers typically consider the initial expenses required to buy or finish a project only. However, developing a property has many other potential hidden costs, which you should consider before breaking ground.

While budgeting, the smart move is to establish a hard cap and save up some money in case of emergencies or unforeseen expenditures. Conducting a feasibility study enables you to make an accurate financial evaluation and minimize surprises.

In your budget, factor in bills such as paperwork charges, property taxes, utility costs, insurance fees, or necessary property renovations. 

7. Not Hiring Professionals

The urge to avoid spending money on experts because you think you can do the job yourself can be intense. Yes, hiring professionals such as qualified home inspectors may be more expensive. However, it can help you save money in the long run by preventing costly mistakes.

Successful real estate development begins with building a competent team. If you don’t hire the right people in your team, you risk having inaccurate financial structures or poorly thought-out strategies, which can spell disaster for your project.

You should get advice and help from professionals in different fields to ensure appropriate planning, design, and execution of your project according to your strategy. Consult lawyers, architects, accountants, and urban planners to help you.

Final Word

Real estate developments are a solid investing path, and the stats back this assertion. However, not all real estate developers will realize returns on investment, especially if they are new to real estate investing.

If you want to make the most of your money, it is crucial that you avoid the mistakes mentioned above, such as wrong location, underinvesting, and sinking money on a property without an investing strategy.

Investing in real estate is no longer a secret kept for the nation’s ultra-wealthy! People like you are participating in the action and taking advantage of the numerous benefits of real estate investment. 

While the commercial real estate sector is going through a transition, we’re keeping our eyes on what’s important: solid fundamentals. When you’re allocating your hard-earned funds, think long-term and keep it all in perspective.

When you are ready to reap the rewards of real estate investing let’s talk.

By Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA

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Real Estate

Have the Economic Changes Affected The Built-For-Rent Business?

Real estate has been a great investment option over the years, as it promises commensurate returns. That explains the over 19 million rental properties in the US, with about 70% owned by individual investors.

Consequently, the built-for-rent (BFR) business has been a buzzword in real estate circles, with everyone clamoring for a piece of that pie. However, there’s been a seismic shift in the economy, which could impact that market segment.  

There’s been a general economic decline. There are fears of a possible recession, playing to the soundtrack of doubled mortgage rates and home sales crashing while wages have stagnated. 

To some real estate observers, the built-for-rent business model is about to take a significant hit, but will this come to pass? This article investigates the truths and misconceptions about the impact of the changing economic climate on BFR. 

Economic Factors Affecting the Built-For-Rent Business

Economic changes affect rental prices and housing demand and can lead to extensive periods of vacancies. Some of these factors include:

Interest Rates 

Change in interest rates dramatically affects the cost of mortgage. For instance, in a period of high interest rates, the mortgage payment cost will rise, leading to a drop in the demand for home purchases. The knock-on effect is that since fewer people can afford homes, the only alternative is leasing, which increases the demand for rental housing. 

Economic Growth

A country’s income growth determines the demand for housing. People will spend more on houses as the economy grows and incomes rise, increasing demand and pushing up prices. 

Indeed, housing demand is income elastic (luxury goods), with rising incomes leading to a more significant percentage of income spent on houses.

Similarly, people can’t afford to buy in a downturn, and those who lose their jobs may fall behind on their mortgage payments and have their homes repossessed.

Affordability

Another economic factor that affects the rental market is the ratio of the house to price-earnings. From 2015 to 2022, house prices are higher than income growth by 36%, which means the number of people who can afford homes has reduced since 2015. 

Effects of Rent Control on BFR

With the various changes experienced in the economy leading to the steady rise in house rent, many states have come up with multiple strategies, such as enacting rent control. This program limits the amount you can demand from the house you lease.

While rent control benefits tenants, these programs directly affect the house markets, which would impact you as a real estate investor.

The research at Brookings University shows that although the effects of rent control will decrease rent prices for tenants in the short run, its long-term effects include:

  • Reduced affordability
  • Fuels gentrification
  • Creates negative consequences in the neighborhood  

Further research shows that 8% of owners of rent-controlled buildings are likely to convert their facilities to condos to avoid the effects of decreased market prices. That led to a 25% drop in the number of renters in rent-controlled rental units as the property owners replaced the existing units.

Rebound in Rental Market  

The pandemic period greatly affected real estate, but its market reignited in 2021, and the housing demand rose. According to the Census Bureau of Housing Vacancies and Homeownership, the number of rental households increased to 44 million during the post-pandemic period, leading to a decrease in rental vacancies by 5.8%. 

The strong demand for rental units also fueled the rise in the price of properties. In 2022 alone, the price of rental properties rose by 13.4% from 2021. Therefore, although mortgage rates rose, rental property acquisition has remained the same since property owners have access to rental income and can increase the rental price to match the mortgage repayments. 

Effects of Economic Changes on Rent Growth of Built-for-Rent Businesses

Over the past couple of years, rent prices have been escalating continuously at a rate of 15-20%. That means that the rent is unlikely to go any higher in the next subsequent years, likely dropping by a fraction of the rent rates experienced now. 

Since the income for most renters has risen over the last couple of years (and will probably continue to rise in the subsequent years), there’s a likelihood that most will experience rent growth at a steady pace in the middle of 2023 after going through a brief slowdown in the rent growth. 

Still, the increase in the rental income also means there is room for you, as the property owner, to raise the rent. Some of the indicators that show this is possible is the recent research by Real page, which showed that renters spent about 23% of their income on rent which is well below the affordability rate. 

How Economic Changes Affect the Rate of BFR Construction

Built-for-rent construction always follows demand. Although the US is experiencing an economic slowdown, this hasn’t affected the development of housing units. Although housing prices seem to have stagnated at such a high price, that isn’t because a lack of housing drives up demand and prices, as they would typically do. On the contrary, considering there’s a 2-5 million rental unit shortage, BFR constructors still have plenty of catching up.

However, this only applies to built-for-rent houses. Built-for-sale housing is likely to plunge for most of the year. 

Effects of the Economy on Renter Household Growth

The growth of rental apartments mostly stayed the same, even during the pandemic. Several factors explain why the rental estate is experiencing growth during these tough economic times. 

For one, young adults leaving their parents’ homes and looking to form new households usually make their first stop at rental properties as they settle down.

Secondly, there is limited availability of new houses as they are currently beyond the reach of the average home buyer. Further, although the price of almost goods has risen across the board, incomes have largely stagnated, only growing 17.5% between 1979 and 2020. 

Final Word

Although the negative economic changes signal doom for the real estate industry, the built-for-rent segment seems poised to grow in strength. Mortgage and housing prices are still out of reach for many, and incomes have stagnated, which bodes well for BFR.

To the keen eye, the benefits of investing in BFR far outweigh the potential risks, which makes it a viable investment option.

Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP

Categories
Real Estate

How to Be a Successful, First-Time Homebuyer in 2022

Mid-2022 is probably the worst time to buy a home. Median home prices hit an all-time high of $440,000 in July, and mortgage rates are at 5.5%, almost double what they were last year.

While buying a home now may seem a terrible idea, there are ways to bag yourself a good deal. So, these are some tactics you can employ to ensure your purchase doesn’t become a financial nightmare.

1. Do your Research

Before looking for a home, you must understand the market to know what’s within your budget. Sure, most home prices have skyrocketed over the past few months, but there are some places where it’s coming down.

For instance, according to Redfin, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Denver all witnessed at least 50% cuts in asking prices. Seven more cities, including Tampa and Sacramento, saw asking prices slashed by more than 44%.

So yes, you can still bag yourself a deal in the current environment, as long as you are willing to do the legwork and compromise on the places you wish to live in. 

2. Build your Credit History

It helps to build your credit history if you’re a first-time homebuyer. A poor credit score makes qualifying for a mortgage loan challenging or attracts high premium rates because financial institutions will view you as a risk.

If you have little or no credit history, you may need to take steps to build up your score. Here are some tips for doing so:

  • Pay all your bills in full and on time: Even if you don’t have any credit cards or loans yet, you should make sure that any bills you pay regularly (such as rent or utilities) are paid on time and in full. It will help establish your payment history and show lenders that you’re reliable with money.
  • Don’t open too many credit cards at once: If you decide to apply for a credit card, make sure that you only use one at a time so that it doesn’t hurt your credit score too much if the application gets denied (or approved but with a low limit).
  • Minimize utilization rate: Your balance-to-limit ratio (utilization rate) is just as important as payment history. It refers to the total balances racked up on all your credit cards divided by the total credit limit of all the credit cards. Aim to keep this figure below 30%. 

3. Make a Sizeable Down Payment

Making a sizable down payment toward buying your home is vital. The down payment is typically between 3% and 20% of the home’s purchase price.

You want to make a large down payment because it will lower your monthly mortgage payments, saving money in the long run. Additionally, making a large down payment means avoiding paying private mortgage insurance (PMI).

PMI is an additional fee that many lenders require as part of their mortgage loan package. It protects them if you default on your loan—but it can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your monthly mortgage payment.

You can avoid PMI by paying more than 20% of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. Alternatively, you can avoid a down payment by getting a piggyback or 80-10-10 loan, which covers 10% of the deposit while you deposit the other 10% from your savings.

4. Get Pre-approved for a Mortgage

When you’re a first-time homebuyer, getting pre-approved for a mortgage is one of the most important steps to ensure you find the right home.

Getting pre-approved means that a lender has reviewed your finances and determined that you can afford a home at a certain price range. Your agent will know how much house you can afford, so they don’t waste time showing you homes that are beyond your means.

5. Try Out for First-Time Home Buyer Grants and Programs 

First-time homebuyers have several financial assistance programs that will soften the sting of the hefty payments needed to purchase a home.

A first-time homebuyer’s grant refers to financial assistance you may receive to purchase your first home. It typically covers a percentage of the down payment and closing costs. Since it’s a grant, you may not have to repay the amount. Examples include:

  • Downpayment Toward Equity Act
  • Good Neighbor Next Door program
  • Bank of America’s Home Grant
  • Chase Bank Homebuyer Grant

On the other hand, first-time home buyer programs usually come from federal, local, or state governments and take the form of tax credits, forgivable mortgages and closing costs, and down payment assistance.

You may qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher if you face financial challenges due to a low income and receive minimum earnings as stipulated by your local public housing authority. A clever way to use the voucher is to fund a rent-to-own program.

Similarly, you can apply for an FHA loan. These are Federal Housing Administration-insured loans made by private lenders, usually featuring zero-interest loans and deferred payment loans. Moreover, they typically have lower down payments and require lower credit scores than most other mortgage loans. 

6. Use a Mortgage Broker and Agent

It pays to consult a mortgage broker in such a tight financial environment. They know the ins and outs of the mortgage industry, so they can find you a mortgage with lower fees, great rates, and financial perks and help you overcome borrowing challenges.

Similarly, procure the services of a real estate agent. Using an agent is one of the best ways to ensure a smooth process and a successful outcome. No wonder 87% of homebuyers used an agent in their home purchase.

Real estate agents or brokers know the market and can help you find your dream home at your price range. Ensure that the agent knows your unique needs so they can find the ideal property that fits your lifestyle.

7. Consider Variable-Rate Mortgage

A variable-rate mortgage can be a good choice at this point. You don’t want to go for a fixed-rate mortgage with fixed interest rate monthly payments throughout its lifespan, as the current mortgage rates are very high.

An adjustable-rate mortgage will have fluctuating mortgage rate payments, so you will pay lower fees when the interest rate is eventually lower. Further, an adjustable rate payment allows you to make higher monthly mortgage payments without penalty. That means there’s a chance you might pay much less than a fixed rate arrangement.

Additionally, variable-rate mortgages typically have lower initial interest rates than fixed-rate mortgages, which means they’re cheaper upfront. That could buy you some time until the interest rates finally dip.

Finally, you could refinance the variable-rate mortgage and exchange it with a fixed-rate mortgage when the interest rates eventually drop to reasonable levels and it makes financial sense to do so.

Final Word

Many potential first-time home buyers are postponing the purchase because of the hostile economic environment that has rendered homebuying virtually impossible.

Home prices have reached historical highs, and mortgage rates are double what they used to be in January 2022, with more hikes in the pipeline as the Fed is threatening more interest rate hikes.

If you must buy a home, try looking for one in states that have lowered their asking prices, utilize a mortgage broker and real estate agent to find deals for houses and mortgage rates, and build your credit history to score favorable loan terms.

Similarly, consider a variable-rate mortgage, make a sizable mortgage down payment to reduce your monthly mortgage payments, and try to secure a first-time home buyer grant or similar program.

 

By Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA

 

Categories
Real Estate

Real Estate Wealth Doesn’t Disappear; it Transfers

 

The economy is currently enduring a significant downturn, having recorded two consecutive quarters of a decline in the country’s GDP in July 2022 and also demonstrating a significant decline in productivity. The FED is purposely increasing the midterm interest rates to reduce historic inflation, it is not yet actually doing quantitative tightening per se, but is quelling economic by reducing consumer confidence. The FED is unlikely to recover until the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2023. For many, this is the textbook definition of a recession, and the signs are everywhere. There’s a bear market, consumer and small business confidence is in tatters, high inflation, and rising interest rates.

While the National Bureau of Economic Research refuses to call it a recession, many are feeling the heat, and the real estate industry is no exception. The Federal Reserve’s 20-year-high rate hikes have jacked up mortgage rates, putting the skid on a hot market. The last time consumer confidence in the housing market was this low (17%) was in 2011. The annual price appreciation rate dropped from 19.3% to 17.3%.

Two of the biggest real estate companies, Redfin and Compass, laid-off workers, with the Redfin CEO citing a 17% decline in expectations back in May 2022. Even REITs, traditionally investors’ safe haven, are taking a beating, with the S&P REIT index plunging 23% as of July 2022.

While the real estate industry may seem calamitous at the moment, it is often said that wealth, like energy, can’t be destroyed; it transfers. There’s a reason why real estate is touted as having produced 90% of the world’s millionaires. All you have to do is join the dots, follow the money trail, and you will be fine recession/downturn or not. Please keep reading to learn how to go about it.

How to Prepare for a Turbulent Real Estate Market

There is a lot of uncertainty in the markets, so real estate investors need to prepare for anything that comes their way. That means getting your house in order, including:

1. Reduce debt

The average American is $90,460 deep in debt, but that doesn’t mean you have to sink to such depths. Huge debts will dent your credit score, diminish cash reserves you can use to improve your quality of life, eat into your emergency fund, and obliterate your ability to save or invest. Settle debts with higher interest rates and keep away from them. It would be best if you only kept debts with more prolonged and lower interest rate payments. Similarly, only sign up for debt whose investment will yield higher returns.

2. Diversify your investments

If you’ve just started investing in real estate, it is essential to diversify your investments because not all real estate forms perform the same. It means having a mix of hard assets in different industries that will help you weather any storm that may come your way. For instance, don’t just invest exclusively in commercial office blocks. Try malls, single-family units, multifamily units, REITs, or others.

3. If you have the money, try a hedge fund

True, getting into and maintaining a hedge fund is costly, but it is one of the best vehicles during a downturn. Most hedge fund managers will employ different techniques such as derivatives, leveraging, and especially short selling, where you will make a profit if the value of an asset falls, which is perfect during an economic downturn.

4. Study about returns

Since the market dictates that we watch the pennies, you have to assess the return promised by each deal before making a decision. For instance, you must be smarter in evaluating whether to pay off debt or invest. For example, instead of increasing payments towards offsetting the mortgage, you would be better off investing that money elsewhere, especially if the returns are much higher than the inflation rate.

5. Take advantage of opportunities to sell your home

Median home prices hit a record high of 440,300 in July 2022, the Fed continues to jack up interest rates, leading to higher mortgage rates, and the supply of homes is still lower than expected. Now might be the perfect time to sell your home if you wish to make the most out of the market. Since there’s little supply, there’s little competition, but you have to act fast before the spiraling mortgage rates lock out all potential buyers.

6. Think long-term investment

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a good investment opportunity, but it’s essential to keep things in perspective. You could lose money if you lose your head and make an impulsive decision. Instead, take time to consider all options before making any moves.

7. Curb appeal

If you have a home that needs some work before it’s ready to sell, now is the time to get started. Although home repairs can be costly, they add value to the property.

HomeLight research suggests homes with good landscaping fetch between 5.5% and 12.7% more than poorly landscaped ones. There’s even an instance where a new $20,000 worth of curb appeal returned $200,000 more for a home they had bought a year earlier. It would help if you considered painting the walls in neutral colors, manicuring the lawn, and replacing old and broken stuff and appliances.

8. Build relationships with other realtors

You don’t always have to compete, especially in a low-supply environment. Instead, team up with other realtors to create a network of peers for the common good. That should improve your craft, get referrals, and serve your customers better as you exchange valuable input from each other and find the best deals for your clients.

9. Make use of technology

Instead of requiring clients to make a trip to view the property, you can provide virtual reality tours to help save some money. Additionally, you could use customer relationship management (CRM) platforms to keep track of listings and customers to ensure they get the best service.

There are plenty of real estate platforms and apps that make it easier to market listings to a broader audience. Some even utilize AI to match buyers to their most preferred listings, making it easier to find suitable homes.

Wrap up

Whenever there’s an economic downturn, you should note that wealth doesn’t disappear; it just transfers. It may not be transferring to another visible entity, but may be transferring in time, or it may be transferring in nominal currency (for example, the US$ is increasing in value compared to the Euro, and although US$ denominated Real Estate prices are declining, they are increasing against the Euro). Your job is to follow the trail to ensure you maintain a profitable real estate business.

Some ways you can achieve this include diversifying your real estate portfolio, reducing debt, trying other forms of investments such as hedge funds, making use of technology, and opting for investments that provide the best returns.

 

By Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA