Buying Investment Property - A Sample Strategy For Rentals

Purchasing residential properties is an easy way for new investors to begin directly owning real estate. The business model associated with buying investment property for residential purposes is straightforward and most people can grasp the basic cash flow strategy without taking a course in accounting.

However every investor should study and understand the current and expected market conditions and choose only investments that are expected to earn profits under reasonable assumptions. The first step towards developing these reasonable assumptions and buying investment property successfully is to have a rational investment strategy.

Let's examine an imaginary prudent investor's four step strategy.

Step one - Evaluate your goals.

This includes your interests and desired level of involvement. You'll need to consider whether you want to actively manage your properties or if you'd rather be hands-off. What type of properties will most likely bring the returns you seek? What kind of initial investment do you have available? Are you a sole investor or will you be part of an investment group?

Step two - Assess the market.

Simply buying investment property haphazardly all over town can lead to disaster and confusion. It's much simpler to begin in one area and expand as your portfolio does. If you're considering residential properties as rental units, start your research with the following area attributes: The migration of the residents, are they moving in or away from the area? How long do homes remain on the market compared to surrounding areas? What is the average annual market appreciation or depreciation?

Step three - You'll need a team.

At very least your team should include a realtor and an attorney. As your portfolio grows, you may consider adding a tax advisor and an insurance agent. If you're not the handy type you will definitely need a contractor on call to help you gauge repair costs and estimates.

Step four - Property selection.

If your goal is residential property then you'll want to target those attractive neighborhoods that will appeal to employed tenants. Lower tenant turnover means less property damage and lower cost to rent again. Choose homes without those special features that result in higher repair bills or greater insurance fees i.e. avoid swimming pools and working fireplaces.

With a record high number of consumers who need to sell their homes, this is an excellent time for buying investment property. Decreased market values in many areas make it more possible to buy low for cash or with little debt and build equity. Making a real estate investment now should find one in a financially equitable position once home values return to normal.

Financial Planning Advice-Assists With Your Long Term

Financial planning advice is advice that will help you get organized and track your spending habits to assist you in planning for the long term. Your income is the first place you need to start. Figure out what you make and how much is taken out in taxes each week. Then multiply this by four to get your accurate monthly income.

Write it down on the top of the page so you do not forget. Income, spending, saving and investing is all an ongoing process and it is very important to understand the basics to make your financial planning a success.

No financial plan is written in stone and must be able to roll with the punches. Times change and your financial planning advice has to be able to change with them. If they do not change with the times then you may get somewhat off track and it may take longer to realize your long term goals.

Your first order of business is to figure out where you stand right now, in real time. Get the piece of paper you wrote your monthly income at the top of and make two columns, one for a list of your assets and one for a list of your liabilities. This is done to determine your net worth. It will also give you a good idea where your money goes on a monthly basis, too.

The second thing you need to do is set some goals. Now that you know where you are financially, now you need to make some decisions on where you want to be. To do that you need to set some specific, written in stone, goals.

Once you come up with your list of goals, and it does not matter what they are, vacation, cars, RVs, College for the kids, whatever, you need to rate them. Rate them as long, mid- and short term goals. When you reach one of the short term goals like paying off that high interest credit card, you can celebrate, but just a little.

Always put any monies you free up toward another one of your goals, get rid of all the short-term goals, move on to the mid-term goals and then the long term goals. One thing to remember, always pay yourself first. Set some money aside in savings every single week. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. It does not matter how much, it will eventually add up and you can use it for whatever you need it for.

Some long term goals are buying that dream car or purchasing a home, sending your kid to college or planning for retirement. Always make sure you accomplish one of your goals before you move on to the next. Know your priorities, start with the most reachable goals and work up from there. Do not just fly by the seat of your pants either, set a reasonable time table to accomplish each goal. Do not rush things. You have heard the adage, "Slow and steady wins the race"? Consider this just more sound financial planning advice.

Making a Marriage Proposal Special

When you become engaged what everyone seems to want to know is how the “proposer” popped the question. Was the marriage proposal given in a traditional manner down on one knee, looking up in the shining surprised eyes of the bride to be? Or was it given as a spur of the moment gesture after a good night out? Was it delivered with romantic words either from the man’s heart, or remembered from a love poem? Or was it more of a slurred just audible whisper before the wine took over and he fell asleep on the sofa?

For the couple, the marriage proposal is the start of the wedding. It’s the catalyst that starts a chain of events, which will lead to one of the most stressful, yet treasured, days in a woman’s life. For this reason, if no other, it should be given a fitting setting – somewhere romantic, memorable, an intimate moment between two separate people about to embark on a life together.

When you first realize that you are dating the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, that’s the time to start planning the marriage proposal. Don’t rush this. Try to discover what your partner thinks about public proposals? Do they like them, or do they think that a marriage proposal should be something between the couple alone? Do you think that they would enjoy doing a once-in-a-lifetime experience that ended in the proposal, or would they perhaps enjoy a quiet romantic dinner that ended with a ring as sparkling as the wine on the table?

There are many ways to make a marriage proposal special, but some of them will take some forward planning. For instance, you could consider fulfilling a dream your partner has to swim with dolphins, and ask the question when you are both in the water with the graceful animals swimming around you. Alternatively, how about a hot air balloon ride over some beautiful scenery such as the Californian vineyards or even an African savannah if you want to go really exotic! You could propose to your beloved underwater on a snorkeling trip, or at the top of a mountain covered in either spring flowers or snow. You could do it yourself, or you could organize for someone else – such as a look-alike celebrity or local personality – to do it on your behalf. You could give your marriage proposal at the end of a long monologue, or you could just place the ring somewhere she’ll find it at a nice dinner in an expensive restaurant and explain yourself when she finds it.

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5 Ways To Numb The Financial Pain Of Divorce

Whether it comes before or after the papers are signed, economic hardship is all too familiar to many couples who divorce. Following a few financial guidelines can ease the burden during this difficult time.

Each year, 1 million Americans divorce. More than 80 percent of divorcing couples cite “debt and financial distress” as the primary factor in the dissolution of their marriages, according to an American Bar Association survey, and studies find that most families suffer a financial decline following a divorce. By taking steps to protect credit, families can come through in much better shape. Bills.com, a national consumer finance portal, encourages divorcing couples to take the following steps:

1. Accurately assess debts and liabilities. First, see yourself as your creditors do. Online (see http://www.myfico.com ) or by phone, you can request a "tri-merge" credit report (a summary from all three major credit reporting bureaus). Note all of your existing shared and individual liabilities. Settle (or get a judgment) on how you'll allocate these responsibilities.

2. Plan on how to handle your home. If you own a home, the mortgage is likely your most significant monthly payment. Be certain you understand how you'll resolve monthly mortgage payments, and how you'll divide the home's value – whether one partner buys out the other now, or the home is to be sold after children are grown.

3. Budget for payments. Create a detailed budget, based on your new income level, and use free cash flow to pay off debts. Most people find the most efficient way to pay off debts is to first pay off smaller bills – starting with under $100 – then pay off loans and unsecured debt, such as credit cards, beginning with the account with the highest interest rate.

4. Make sure your ex-spouse is making his or her payments. If possible, make provisions in the divorce agreement for reporting on resolution of significant debt. There are important implications for you personally if your spouse does not meet his/her end of the bargain on liabilities allocated through the divorce proceedings.

Call all creditors for shared accounts (credit cards, gas cards, department store cards, phone cards, etc.). Close the accounts if you are not carrying balances, or remove your name from jointly held accounts. Remember that for jointly held credit cards, and for any other debts incurred during the marriage in community property states, you have shared liability – and thereby share any potential negative credit rating impact. This means that if your spouse does not make payments after the divorce, it could come back to haunt you – and your credit rating.

If you owe back taxes, be aware that the IRS does not have to honor a decision from a divorce judgment. Consult a tax expert to help with your divorce tax planning.

5. Focus on rehabilitating your credit and financial health. Begin a savings plan. Reinvest any proceeds or equity that come out of the divorce proceeding, and be especially cognizant of building yourself a retirement fund for the future.

If you find yourself in trouble during this stressful time -- in which you must make many financial decisions -- seek help immediately from a reliable, professional debt resolution firm. Be sure to investigate the company you choose to assist you, and seek out a company that operates for the consumer, which is markedly different from credit counseling, debt consolidation, and debt management firms.