Real estate investors face many new challenges in today’s Miami real estate market. The investor must be willing to rent the property since flipping is not currently an alternative. The investor must weight in 5 investing factors in order to succeed in real estate investing. These are the five investing tips to consider when buying Miami real estate.
1. Flipping: Flipping is not an option in today’s real estate market. Don’t think that the property will sell quickly and you will double in two months. You will have to rent the property for at least one year. The investor may also list the property for sale while is rented. Make sure there is a clause in the lease that allows you to show the property and that you can cancel the lease when the property is sold.
2. Repairing: The cost of repairing the house should be estimated and included in the price you are willing to pay for the house. Walk away from the property if the cost of repairing is staggering. Hire a professional inspector to insure that there are no repair surprises. Roof and plumbing repairs are always the most expensive. Don’t assume you will get all the money back you spend on repairs when you sell the property.
3. Renting: Renting the property is realistic in this market. Make sure you rent the property for the maximum rent price possible. Be practical; don’t set the rent amount so high that the property won’t be rented for months. Hire a Miami real estate professional to rent the house for you. Make sure a thorough background check, credit report check and eviction search are performed. Collect three months deposit up front in order to help you with repairs costs, eviction costs, plus other miscellaneous expenses.
4. Timing: You must make only cosmetic repairs to the property in order to turn around and rent it immediately. A vacant property which produces no rental income can be a costly mistake. The investor still has to pay mortgage payments, taxes, insurance plus other costs. Usually the buyer is not allowed to make any repairs to the property before the closing so you must wait to start repairing the house. Fixing the property fast and getting rented is essential in order to reduce costs. The timing of renting the property fast is very important.
5. Appreciation: The property will not appreciate in value as fast as in the boom years. It will take at least one year for Miami real estate prices to stabilize. The profit should be made when buying not when selling. Make sure the rent will cover all expenses including mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, and maintenance fees. Don’t buy the property is the projected rent will not cover the expenses and you have a negative cash flow.