Investments can be another source of income. With proper research and the right information, you can grow your investment portfolio and expect favorable outcomes. And one of the investments you can consider venturing into is real estate, especially if you’re looking for something long-term.
Why Invest In Real Estate?
The real estate industry has a lot of opportunities to offer investors. For instance, you can own various properties, from commercial to residential, and earn profit from them. And depending on the type of investment you pursue, you can opt to be hands-on in managing your real estate properties.
Furthermore, here are the many reasons why investing in real estate can be beneficial for you:
- Increased cash flow: You may experience this benefit if you rent out your property. You can collect rent monthly, which will be a bonus to your current source of income. You can use various apps for real estate investing to check available properties in the market to acquire and have rented.
- Possible tax deduction: Depending on where you live, you may also get tax deductions by deducting the costs of owning and maintaining the property.
- Asset appreciation: Perhaps, one of the significant benefits of investing in real estate is you can earn by simply owning a real estate property even if you don’t rent or lease it out. The reason behind this is unlike other assets, residential and commercial properties appreciate over time. This is especially true if there are significant developments within the area, such as road constructions or other infrastructures and establishments.
- Portfolio diversification: If you already have other investments such as stocks, gold, and more, real estate properties can also be a great addition to your portfolio. This is often because of its low correlation with other asset classes. It can also decrease the volatility of your portfolio.
How To Invest In Real Estate?
The many benefits associated with real estate investments make it a promising industry to invest in. However, investing in real estate can be daunting and not to mention expensive. It may also require plenty of maintenance efforts and legal work.
And perhaps you may be wondering if it’s possible to invest in real estate without enduring the headaches and stress that may come with it. As mentioned earlier, depending on how you choose to invest, you can be as involved and active as you want or not. For instance, you can opt for fractional ownership of real estate, wherein, as a co-owner of the property, you get to reap the benefits without worrying about property management and other aspects.
Furthermore, here are the other ways you can invest in real estate without headaches:
1. Owning Rental Properties
Considered the most common way to invest in real estate, owning a rental property essentially means buying a piece of property and renting or leasing it out for profits. However, it’s worth noting that the kind of property you’re leasing out doesn’t necessarily have to be residential as it may also be commercial. Moreover, it could also be an office or some storage space.
Ideally, to get the most out of this investment, you’d want to purchase a property located in a good location. It could be within a city center or near commercial establishments offering necessities like groceries, food, and gas. On the other hand, if you’re looking to lease out vacation homes, you can look for a destination rental place to invest in. This way, you can attract more tenants to rent your property.
Looking for the right property to acquire and rent out is one thing, and managing it another. And so, one of the ways you can minimize headaches when attending to your real estate property is by hiring a property manager who can take over all management aspects, such as rent collection, marketing or advertising efforts, and maintenance and repairs, to name a few.
2. Real Estate Crowdfunding
The rise of various real estate platforms allows you to join a group of investors seeking to invest in a big commercial or residential deal. Essentially, these platforms connect potential investors with developers that need financing for their projects.
Venturing into real estate crowding can offer investors a convenient way to invest passively. In a way, it’s like equity investing since you and other investors can own a piece of the property you’re looking to invest in. In this case, you’re not required to be hands-on in managing the property.
3. REITs
An REIT or real estate investment trust functions like stocks and is operated by a corporation or trust. These corporations will use the investors’ money to purchase and operate income properties. They will then pay out the property’s taxable profits in the form of dividends. Some REITs are private, while plenty are publicly traded. In fact, you may compare them to stocks.
To begin investing in REITs, you’ll first need to choose a brokerage firm. From there, you’ll make an account which may take only a few minutes. Note that there’re plenty of firms that don’t require any initial investment. However, the REITs themselves may have a minimum investment.
This option can be for those hoping to invest in real estate but don’t wish to purchase and manage an entire property, as this allows you to passively invest in real estate on a smaller budget.
4. House Flipping
This investment approach can be a little pricier and riskier, but if done right and successfully, it may also come with a high return on investment. To flip homes, you will buy a property that requires some repairs and renovation and have it revamped for as little money as possible. Then you finally sell it for profit.
This can be a good investment option if you’re looking to minimize the headache associated with managing rental properties. By selling the flipped property, you gain your profit without the hassles of being a landlord.
Although, it’d be worth noting that the renovation process can be tedious. Depending on the property’s condition, it may take months to complete the project. Not to mention the significant amount of budget you need to prepare. With that, consider working with a reputable contractor that can help you start and finish the project efficiently. Furthermore, if you’d like to avoid the headache and stress of marketing the property and selling it, consider working with a brokering agent to help you with the process.
By working with professionals and experts in the industry, the higher the chances of success for your house flipping investment.
Final Words
Real estate has been a solid asset to invest in whether you’re hoping to generate more income or wish to diversify your portfolio. However, investing in real estate can come with struggles as you’ll need to juggle various aspects such as legal work, property maintenance, and more. With that, you can opt to invest passively through REITs or real estate crowdfunding. On the other hand, you can also consider being as hands-on as you can in managing your investments with the help of professionals in the industry.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you minimize the headaches that one may experience when investing in real estate.