Blog Posts – Page 10 – TexasCashFlow.com

January 29, 2016February 7, 2016

Should I Buy An Out of State Investment Property?

If you are a real estate investor in California or another high-cost area, you probably are considering an out-of-state investment property. In the costly cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, many real estate investors are priced out of the market.

This recent graphic of San Francisco housing prices tells the tale:

Investing in a market like that is brutal unless your closets are full of cash. Here in Texas, I have been blessed to build a big portfolio of under market value investment properties that are very low priced.

If you are ever considering an out-of-state investment property purchase, below are some pointers:

How to choose your out-of-state market

The best locales to invest in under market value properties depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want to flip for quick cash or buy and hold long term? I always want long term real estate cash flow.

Also, I favor investing in under market value, buy-and-hold properties — usually with seller financing. Long-term cash flow is, in my opinion, the best vehicle for massive wealth accumulation.

Anyway, note that a good buy-and-hold market might not be so great for flipping. In my home market of San Antonio, flipping is getting harder as prices rise.

Many flippers I know are starved of under market value deals that can turn them a decent profit. On the other hand, buy-and-hold investors like me are doing well; 10 to 12 percent ROI is still routine for my portfolio.

As you mull where to purchase your out-of-state investment property, consider these points:

State laws: Is your potential out-of-state market friendly to under market value property owners? I advise you to invest only in states that have landlord and owner-friendly laws. I want to be able to evict non-paying tenants and foreclose easily on defaulting buyers. Texas is property owner-friendly.
Population and economic trends: Is the state growing or shrinking in population? How is the job market? As an example, according to CNN Money, Texas is seeing rapid population growth and a strong job market. Forbes stated in a Jan. 14 article that four of its 53 boomtowns are in Texas: San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas. A state with strong population and job growth will have plenty of renters and buyers needing houses.
Price-to-rent ratios: What does it cost to rent a house compared to buying one? CNN has a helpful graph on price-to-rent ratios. San Francisco and Honolulu have the highest ratios — over 30 — while Detroit is lowest at around 10. Generally, I recommend buying in a market with a moderate price-to-rent ratio.

This is not an exhaustive list of considerations for buying out-of-state investment properties. However, if those three points look solid, odds are you will produce positive cash flow in that area.

How to locate a good out-of-state investment property

If you have a good idea of your best city to invest in, how do you know which under market value property to buy? Most investors go one of two routes:

Find a great real estate agent or investor who knows how to scout for good under market value properties and wholesale property. Hopefully, he or she will network with top-notch property inspectors, rehabbers, title companies and a real estate attorneys.
Find a reliable turnkey property company. These under market value properties have been 100 percent rehabbed and often have tenants already in place.

Which route do you choose? It depends. Many out-of-state property investors want zero headaches or stress and don’t want wholesale property. So they purchase turnkey properties.

Other investors want to save money, so they find their own under market value properties and coordinate their own rehabs and property management.

If you handle your own investment properties out of state, consider:

Upsides

You get the house cheap
High ROI
You control rehab costs

Downsides

The house has zero cash flow during your rehab and time to find the occupant
Rehab costs might skyrocket if your partners on site are not top tier
It’s difficult to manage rehab from 1,000 miles away
Material costs can increase when you do one rehab at a time

If you buy turnkey, consider:

Upsides

There’s no rehab to worry about
An occupant is in place
There’s no muss or fuss on your part
Material costs are standardized
The quality of work is there for you to see from the start
The entire investment team is in place

Downsides

Higher upfront cost
Lower ROI

How much is the difference between buying an under market value property yourself or a turnkey property? In my experience, I can do the rehab on a distressed property for half of what a typical rehab crew will charge.

That can make a difference of 2 to 3 percent in ROI per year. That adds up over time. However, I’m a full-time investor with a construction company. My rehabs cost less because I do 100 per year. You might not be able to do that, so a turnkey might make more sense.

For the beginner, I might lean toward buying solid turnkey company in a low-cost market as a first out-of-state investment property. That will help you dip your feet into the investing waters with some positive cash flow, then you can grow into building your own under market value investment team. Above all else, look for solid real estate cash flow from your distressed properties to get the best start in real estate.

January 29, 2016January 29, 2016

Forbes: San Antonio TX Is #3 Best City to Invest in Real Estate, Beating Austin TX!

According to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, San Antonio TX is one of the best cities to invest in real estate. According to Forbes, San Antonio has all of the features of a good city to invest in real estate, or to buy a home to live in:

Strong job growth
Strong growth in population
Home price appreciation

San Antonio also is still considered to be under valued. Forbes stated that Texas has three cities on the list. Note that the average home price in San Antonio is only $201,000. Of course, the under market value properties that I buy are usually from $25,000 to $70,000.

Also, the cities in Texas that get more play than San Antonio – Dallas and Austin – are #6 and #7 on the list respectively, with much higher housing prices. Austin’s average home price is a high $281,000, which makes it not as good a city to invest in real estate. I avoided investing in Austin years ago and found San Antonio much more affordable with good cash flow.

One of the big benefits of investing in under market value property in San Antonio TX as an out of state property investor is that this area does not experience major booms and busts like other cities. The last recession hit much of the country hard, but the downturn here was quite shallow. Texas has rebounded strongly in the last five years, and most of the jobs created in the US have been in TX.

The energy boom with higher oil prices helped to fuel San Antonio growth, but even with cheap oil now, San Antonio still is doing well as we have a very diverse economy. San Antonio is home to many financial firms and data centers, Forbes adds. And, the year over year job growth in San Antonio is higher than Austin 3.7% vs. 3.3%.

Forbes thinks that Texas will be a good place to invest for years for out of state property investors , especially San Antonio, until houses are over market value. However, I always buy my investment properties under market value, and I see no sign that this is going to change.

What kind of under market value property do I buy? Here’s a great example:

Address: 1609 W Travis St, San Antonio, Texas 78207
Year Built: 1950
Description: Booming San Antonio Market out of state investment property, very popular location west of downtown, 1609 W Travis St, San Antonio, Texas 78207-3567, 3 beds, 1 bath, 1100 sqft, estimated repairs: 38K, includes paint in/out, new HVAC, flooring, foundation, update kitchen/bath, etc.
Max After Repair Value: $89,900
Cash Price: $35,000 firm.
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 35K repairs: 5-10k down, $895 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 89.9K, can sell note after 1 year; or rent: $900 monthly with 38K in repairs.
Notes: We recommend that you owner finance this out of state investment property because you will have no maintenance expenses. ROI will be ~10%.
Contact us for more information or to make offer.
Sold and Rental Comps: Rental Comps 1609 W Travis Sold Comps 1609 W Travis St

This type of under market value property in San Antonio is exactly what helped me to financially retire at 28 years old. It really is the best city to invest in real estate.

January 28, 2016January 31, 2016

How $20,000 ‘Junk’ Under Market Value Properties Make Me Rich

Many under market value real estate investors cannot believe that I have become very wealthy by buying and selling below market value ‘junk’ houses for $20,000 or $30,000. The fact is, I have bought and sold hundreds of these distressed properties in the last 15 years in San Antonio TX.

There always is very strong demand for these little, profitable under market value houses. We have so many blue collar, Hispanic workers here who have rented forever and want to buy a house but do not have credit. I consider it a great opportunity to work with these people so that they can buy their own house.

Just because the house is unattractive to you or I does not mean it does not hold value for some buyers. Most of my under market value buyers are contractors, and they can repair the house and turn it into a very livable little home. These are great little houses for the out of state investment property investor. Note that the house is always sold at fair market value, never above fair market value.

For example, the house below was said by some people to be worthy of a tear down. They are not wise investors; I have been criticized on ‘investor websites’ such as Bigger Pockets for this type of investing. Frankly, they are fools – conventional thinking, 20% down, rental property investors.

I have made a few million dollars off of these ‘junk’ owner finance properties that many so-called ‘investors’ overlook, and provide a house for a hard working person to live in. But note – investing in under market value properties and owner financing them takes cash. It’s an advanced investing system for out of state property investors with cash.

Most of my blue collar worker buyers had rented for years, and some of them had truly ‘slumlord’ type landlords; I’ve heard the stories from my buyers. Buying a house via owner financing such as this can be a better option for some workers, as long as the house is priced at fair market value.

Here are the details:

front 3 — $20,000 cash purchase, $5000 in rehab, 65 DOM, sold for $39,900 owner finance (Fair Market Value), ROI 12%.

This is an example of our lower priced affordable home, but still an excellent investment in property. These houses will sell in our neighborhoods in San Antonio TX. It is a 4/1 on Colima Ave. in the 78207 zip code. It was purchased by the out of state investment property investor for $20,000 cash, which was well under market value. He had it repainted in and out and the door secured, and other minor fixes. That cost him $5000 total in repairs.

Houses in this range and location do not require major repairs and upgrades to resell.

We then sold the house with owner financing to a qualified end buyer. The buyer was qualified according to SAFE Act – documented income, tax returns, pay stubs, employment verified. All Dodd Frank underwriting rules were followed.

Terms:

$3000 down
$400 per month PI/TI
30 year amortization
10% interest (legal in TX – sorry Bigger Pockets!)
No prepayment penalty
No balloon
Final price: $39,900 (FMV)
ROI: 12%

Note: The final price for the owner finance buyer is FMV and DOES NOT constitute ‘predatory lending,’ which is illegal per Dodd Frank regulations. Sold comps in the neighborhood on properties of similar size, age and condition are approximately $39,900 to $49,900 – if elec and water work and roof is not leaking.

A CMA was run on similar houses within a two mile radius. Max value in that area for similar houses is $99,900 for an immaculate property that has been updated.

More photos of this below market value property:

It has been occupied by a blue collar, owner finance buyer for a year, and I know that many repairs have been made to it. All the while, it has returned 12% ROI of passive income to the investor.

Buying and selling these little ‘junk’ under market value properties has been very good to me, and can be for you, too. You also can buy nicer homes here in San Antonio and do the same thing, if this type of property is not your cup of tea – such as this under market value property.

January 27, 2016January 30, 2016

$25,000 Under Market Value Property – San Antonio TX 12% ROI

One of the best ways to make passive income in real estate investing is under market value properties. Every one of the houses that I buy in San Antonio TX are at least 20% under market value. By buying a property that is under market value, you always know that you will be well protected if there is a downturn in the market while you are working on the wholesale property.

Most of my below market value houses in San Antonio TX might be called ‘junk houses,’ but there are three things you should understand:

I owner finance my houses to mostly blue collar Hispanic contractors, who greatly value the opportunity to own their own home without any banks involved.
There are 500,000 or more blue collar Hispanic workers living in the communities I buy under market value properties. There always is a strong market for owner financing these distressed homes.
These under market value investment properties can easily produce an investment return of 11-12% without any maintenance. In some cases, these below market value investment properties can be sold without any repairs at all; I just sold a distressed, $25,000 house this week to a blue collar worker for $45,000, $5000 down.

In short, these below market value investment properties in San Antonio, Texas are an excellent source of cash flow that have made me wealthy. Here is a nice $25,000 wholesale property that will make at least 12% ROI if rehab is done. I also can market it with a quick $2000 clean up and the ROI could be 14% or more:

Address: 228 Yucca, San Antonio, Texas 78207
Year Built: 1950
Description: Booming San Antonio Market, very popular location west of downtown, this is a 2/1 that has a lot of potential, perfect for a young family. This is a great location and wholesale property, only a few minutes west of downtown and the Riverwalk. Property sits on a beautiful large lot, plenty of room for growth or a wonderful playground and garden.
Max After Repair Value: $89,900
Cash Price: $25,000 firm.
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 35K repairs: 5-10k down, $895 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 89.9K, can sell note after 1 year; or rent: $900 monthly with 38K in repairs.
Notes: We recommend that you owner finance this house because you will have no maintenance expenses.

January 26, 2016May 29, 2021

How Investing in Real Estate Can Make You A Millionaire

Lots of people want to know: stock market or real estate? Real estate or stock market? Anyone who knows me – an under market value property investor in San Antonio TX who owner finances everything – knows that I always will prefer real estate investing over the stock market.

Investing in real estate right can make you a millionaire at a young age. Some of us used to invest in the stock market but lost our rears in the early 2000s, not to mention 2008.

Many people think that if we put enough cash into the stock market, we will be able to retire and not incur a great deal of risk. The problem is that it often takes 30 years to invest enough, and you never know when you are going to be about to retire, and suddenly the market dives. When that happens, many would be retirees end up having to work another 10 years or more.

The low interest rates in the last few years mean that elderly people often have 50% of their money or more in stocks. This is often because they took such a hit in the big economic downturn in 2008. Now they have to take a lot more risk with stocks.

For me, once I got out of the stock market with my $50,000 and invested in real estate, I become wealthier much faster. I began in 2001 and had 40k of college debt, but by investing in below market value properties, I was able to be essentially retired at age 28 with 20k+ per month of cash flow.

I find that investing in under market value property just produces more steady cash flow than any other vehicle. I never have to ask invest in stock market or real estate, invest in real estate or stock market. It’s 100% under market value real estate for me.

I always choose real estate over the stock market because my returns are like this property below:

new front — $65,000 cash price, $15,000 rehab, resold for $99,900 owner finance, $1041 per month, 7 DOM, 12.9% ROI.

This under market value property was purchased by a CA cash buyer in July 2015 at 1622 Alametos St. This house is in 78201, and is north of downtown. This region is seeing rapid growth and appreciation.

The out of state investment property investor bought cash on this below market value property, and we completed $10,000 in repairs in 3 weeks:

$65,000 cash price
$1500 carpet removal and adding wood vinyl in 3 bedrooms
$3500 HVAC
$750 for third bedroom conversion.
$750 for dumpster – clean out
$1500 two tone interior paint
$500 update five light fixtures
$1500 level front bedroom
$1500 closing costs

Total Investment: $76,500

Repairs were complete on July 31, 2015 and out of state investment property was put on MLS. By Aug. 3, we had two full owner finance, price offers as follows:

$1041 per month
30 year note
10% interest rate
$5000 down payment
$99,900 final price
$216/mo. taxes/insurance

Investor’s total monthly income after taxes/insurance is $825.

Final ROI: 12.9%

I will make nearly 13% per year without repairs on this under market value property until the buyer decides to refinance. Most stock portfolios cannot produce that type of steady return. That is why I always recommend investing in real estate instead of the stock market. Invest in real estate or stock market? For me it is not a choice at all.

January 24, 2016January 24, 2016

Should I Invest in the Stock Market or Real Estate?

To invest in the stock market or real estate? Many people are asking themselves that question right now as their stock portfolios take a beating. I have been on both sides of this and have a strong opinion.

In the last 20 years, I have invested in under market value real estate as well as the stock market. I have reached a firm conclusion: Investors generally speaking are better off to invest in real estate over the stock market.

Even though I have done well at times when the stock market increased in value in the early 2000s, I have been able to make much more steady passive income from investing in below market value properties.

Conventional thinking investors think that if we invest sufficient cash into the stock market, they will be able to stop working with little risk. The big problem that most people have is how many years it takes to invest and the big ups and downs of the stock market.

Invest in the Stock Market or Real Estate?

Given the low interest rates we have seen for the last eight years, many older people are far more invested in stocks than they ever thought they would be. This is understandable as they need to grow their portfolio so they do not run out of money. But there is a lot more risk by investing in stocks rather than bonds.

With under market value real estate, you can stop working much earlier and safer than the stock market, if you do it right. Take me: I started out in 2001 with $40,000 of college debt and was financially retired in real estate by 2007 with $20,000 per month in passive income from investment properties. I did invest in the stock market early on and made nearly $100,000; of course I lost half of it in the stock market dive after 9/11. That is when I started to look at investing in under market value real estate in San Antonio.

Investing in real estate instead of the stock market has many advantages:

Leveraging your money, if you decide to get mortgages and rent out the property (this is not what I do, but many do so)
Long term, steady cash flow- every one of my under market value properties produces $600-900 per month of steady cash flow without repairs.
Tax breaks – rental property owners enjoy many tax write offs and depreciation write offs.
If you know what you’re doing (or working with an expert), you can buy under market value properties in real estate and make 10% a year or more, year after year.

It Is Tough to Retire Reliably By Investing in the Stock Market

The US government and most traditional investing models tell us to invest in stocks and mutual funds. Over time, the stock market generally goes up in value. I learned this the same as everyone else and I first invested in the stock market when I graduated from Northeastern University 16 years ago.

I quickly got frustrated with this because I found that while I had years where I made 15% per year, I also had terrible years, such as right after 9/11, when I was negative growth and lost 10s of thousands of dollars.

I also ran the numbers in retirement calculators and was amazed at how long and how much I would be investing before I could ever stop working.

Even worse, I was just spitballing when I would die, and I also had to take a guess at what my investment return would be. If I lived longer than I thought or didn’t get the return I thought, I’d run out of money!

Then I Discovered How Real Estate Investing Is Better Than the Stock Market

I have been investing in below market value property since 2001. After I lost 50% of my net worth in the stock market after 9/11, I left Boston (where I went to college) and came home to TX. I soon discovered something amazing: I could buy houses under market value in San Antonio by 30% or more. With some rehab, I could rent them out or owner finance them and make a steady 10% per year, or even 15% in some cases.

Investing in Real Estate Provides Cashflow!

When you buy your under market value properties, look at how much passive income they produces. I see at least $600 per month of cash flow on my deals. I buy my houses in cash and owner finance them at 10% so I have no repair costs. I prefer investing with owner financing than renting so I have more cash flow and no maintenance.

The cash flow from my under market value properties continues year after year. I only hold the note on the property, so I never have to be a landlord. Once you have enough of these houses, you can retire. I actually did ‘financially retire’ at 28 once I had $20,000 per month in cash flow.

Now, some stock market investments will generate cash flow, but rarely are dividends going to give you a steady 10-15% annual return. You might see a 15% return on your stocks, but that is just on paper and you will see no cash gain until you sell. Meanwhile, I am getting steady cash flow every year from my below market value houses.

If you rent out your properties, you also enjoy appreciation of the asset (all of my houses are now owner financed, though).

How I Get Great Returns in Real Estate Investing

Everything comes down to buying a house under market value. As a Texas real estate agent with 15 years of experience, I am very skilled at finding these houses and negotiating a price that provides me or my investor with at least a 10% annual return. Many of these below market value houses are REOs, short sales or estate sales. The seller may want to get rid of it and just recover some cash.

I buy my houses at least 20% under market value. So if I buy a $50,000 house, I have to see at least $10,000 in equity when I close.

Note that it does cost more to buy and sell houses than it does to sell your stock. But if you are smart and buy under market value, you will more than make up for that.

Rental Properties Have Major Tax Advantages

I no longer rent out my properties, but no doubt, many of my investors do rent them out and enjoy great tax benefits. Under market value properties may be depreciated, so the cost of the house, repairs and any improvements can over time be depreciated. According to the IRS, you can deduct your depreciated value of the house from your yearly taxes over 26.5 yrs. If the house is $100k, you could deduct about $3700 from your income each year, which would save you about $1000 per year in taxes.

One Downside of Rental Properties

They require management and repairs. You cannot just buy a rental property and forget about it, like a stock share. But with my system of owner financing, I can pretty much buy the house and get a buyer in there, and it pays me monthly cash flow, even better than a stock.

My Rate of Return Over 15 Years Beats the Stock Market

I own more than 50 owner financed properties in San Antonio TX, and over 15 years, I have made over 13% on average from all of my properties, ranging from $500 to $900 per month in pure cash flow without any repairs.

From 1950 until 2009, the stock market returned an average of 7%, and that mostly is on paper, so you have to sell to realize the gain. Meanwhile, I make 10 to 15% per year on my under market value, owner financed properties in San Antonio.

Also, the stock market has very bad years, such as 2001 and 2002, when the stock market dropped 10% to 20% per year. If you were on the cusp of retiring those years and lost 50% of your net worth, you were out of luck. I know people in that situation. And I was making 13% per year or so at that time on my houses. Demand for my under market value properties only goes up in a downturn, too.

If I would have to invest more than $500,000 per year at 7% interest in a tax deferred account to generate the cash flow that I have in under market value real estate. I would have to continue to invest that every year. I have more than $40,000 in cash flow coming in every month right now from my properties without investing a dime more.

So, when you think to invest in real estate or the stock market, I think the conclusion is pretty clear – investing in under market value real estate makes a lot of sense long term, due to the rate of return and the passive cash flow – especially if you owner finance the properties.

January 23, 2016May 29, 2021

Five Big Mistakes To Avoid When Investing in Under Market Value Property

Investing in under market value properties wisely can bring you passive income year after year. It’s such an attractive notion that many real estate investors end up getting overeager and jump into real estate investing too quickly without enough thought, and they make big mistakes.

I see a lot of new real estate investors make major mistakes especially when the market gets hot, such as it is now in San Antonio TX where I invest in below market value properties. New investors jump in when things are ‘hot’ and they make a lot of errors, and many get out quickly.

I have made millions of dollars in under market value property in San Antonio TX, but there are lots of mistakes rookies can make.

Here are some of the biggest mistakes I see real estate investors making when investing in under market value properties:

#1 Listening to Someone Who Has Never Invested in Under Market Value Property

There are plenty of people out there who have never invested outside of their 401k and will tell you how awful it is to invest in real estate. Or, if they have invested in under market value real estate, they probably made some of the errors you will see here. You should ignore people who just generally bad mouth investing in real estate. I financially retired with distressed properties in San Antonio TX at age 28, so I know investing in real estate can work!

There also are people who are actively investing in real estate who just trash the business. They must have made a lot of mistakes and are losing money. You should ignore them too.

#2 Listening to a Person Who Wants to Sell You a $30,000 Real Estate Investing Program

On the other end of the spectrum, you have people who are overly enthusiastic about investing in below market value properties. If you will only buy their expensive training program, they will show you how to make a million dollars in real estate this year. Most of those programs are taught by ‘gurus’ who do not actively invest in real estate.

In most cases, there is nothing in that $30,000 program that you cannot find out mostly for free online or from free mentors. If you must spend some money to learn the business, consider paying a local expert investor a few thousand dollars to teach you how to invest in under market value property.

I have personally spent thousands of hours learning my local market in 78207, 78210, 78201 and a few other zip codes in San Antonio. No one knows my under market value neighborhoods better than I do. It is that knowledge that allows me to find really good distressed property deals.

The key to being successful in real estate investing is learning your local market so you get good deals under market value in areas that people want to live in. You also need to be able to build an expert team of contractors, agents, investors, real estate attorney, title company, etc. That’s the key to success in real estate investing, not an expensive program.

The other option is to partner with an expert wholesale property team in your city who finds you the best under market value properties. There are plenty of good ones out there. In my case, I buy the distressed properties for cash after doing careful research on the house and the area.

Then I resell the house to an investor, do the $30,000 in repairs for them, and resell it with owner financing. This is a good strategy for the out of state property investor who does not have the time to be a landlord or to become an expert in the market.

Here’s a great example of the kind of under market value investing I do.

#3 Buying Under Market Value Property for Appreciation

When you buy real estate and wait for it to appreciate, you aren’t really a real estate investor. You are a speculator. Now there is nothing wrong with speculating in real estate; I have bought some land outside San Antonio before and waited for it to appreciate and I did ok.

I also bought a car dealership at 1/2 price and waited a year and then resold it for a 100% profit. But buying for appreciation is not my main business. And here’s the key – I have passive income coming in from my investment properties, so I can afford to speculate.

Many under market value real estate investors will get into the business without a lot of cash and will buy a property waiting for it to appreciate in value. This is big trouble waiting to happen. That property may be producing negative cash flow, that is, costing you money every month, while you wait for it to appreciate.

I do not care if my under market value properties appreciate or not. If they do, fine, if not, fine. I still am making 12% per year on my properties without maintenance (I owner finance everything I own).

The bottom line on appreciation is you never know exactly when house values are going to go up or down. Betting the farm on that is a risk I am not interested in.

It also is not a good idea to buy a fix/flip house and hope for appreciation. The market has to keep going up in value for you to turn a profit. A ton of flippers went bankrupt in the last crash doing this.

I mostly buy and hold my investment properties in San Antonio, truly one of the best cities to invest in real estate (strong economy, cheap under market value properties, growing population). But when I do buy a flip property, I buy it 20% under market value or more so I am well protected from a downturn in the market.

#4 Underestimating Repairs on Under Market Value Property

This is one of the killers of new real estate investors – they spend too much on repairing the house. It is easy for even experts to underestimate the repairs needed on a property. I own a construction company and I usually do about $20,000 of rehab on an under market value property.

But sometimes when I get in there, I see that the foundation needs more work than I thought. Fortunately, I can afford it and I always add about $5000 or $7000 to the cost of the rehab to be safe.

New investors will very often vastly under estimate repair costs, and overpay a retail priced contracting crew for the work. There goes your profit. I’ve done nearly 1000 deals in my career with thousands of properties, so I know what a rehab is going to cost.

I also owner finance my houses to blue collar workers, so I repair the house enough to get it sold, and leave the rest of the work to the end buyer.

Remember to not over improve the house. People tend to want to make the house as nice as where they live. You do not want to make the house any nicer than houses on that street.

I do not advise new under market value property investors buy an old house on their own. The older the home, the more fixes it will need. And that old house may eat up all your profits in repair costs. You really should partner with an expert real estate investor in your city to make sure you make money on your first deals.

#5 Overpricing Your Below Market Value Property When You Sell It

A new investor often will pay too much for the house, under estimate the repairs, spend too much on the rehab, and then overprice the house when they sell it on a flip. That house could sit for months and be difficult to sell.

I am not a regular flipper as it gets harder and harder to make a profit when the market is appreciating, such as it is now in Texas. I find that I can make more money in more real estate market situations with buy and hold, owner finance.

January 23, 2016January 23, 2016

What Are Some Pitfalls of Investing in Out of State, Under Market Value Properties?

Everyone enjoys getting a higher rate of return on their under market value property, which is why many investors look for out of state investment properties – meaning investing in lower cost markets than say, northern California.

But there is no question that there is some risk involved in investing outside of your home territory. This can get particularly dicey if you are investing in out of state investment property for appreciation. As a financially retired real estate investor in Texas, I never bought under market value properties for appreciation. Never! It is just too risky.

I always buy my below market value properties in San Antonio TX for regular, steady cash flow.

When buying out of state property, it is easy to be lured into a questionable market by low prices and promises of high rates of return. Here are some of the pitfalls you may run into when investing out of state:

Your under market value wholesaler may tell you that the property can rent or owner finance for a higher monthly amount than the market supports. You should make sure that the rental and sold comps for the property support the proposed monthly payment. Note that you can eliminate most repairs on a property if you owner finance the house rather than rent it out.
Under market value buyers in some out of state real estate markets are shocked to find out that they cannot sell the house as quickly as they like. Some developers in some states may restrict selling a property in the first year. I always buy under market value properties in C neighborhoods in San Antonio, so I do not have this issue.
You buy an under market value property out of state and you discover that you are not allowed to lease it. Sometimes a homeowner’s association will pass a new restriction that limits leasing a property. Most of the neighborhoods I buy my below market value properties have no HOA.
Extra costs for investing out of state. Other states and localities may have higher taxes and transfer fees. In Texas, we do have higher property taxes as we have no state income tax.
Under market value houses in out of state markets may not appreciate as quickly as what you were promised. I never buy below market value properties for appreciation, so any appreciation is just icing on the cake for me.
Property management companies may not manage your out of state investment property effectively. I always recommend that out of state investors owner finance properties when they buy them from me to eliminate property maintenance issues.
Generally make certain that you do your due diligence when buying out of state investment property under market value. Do careful research on property values and price to rent ratios for the specific neighborhoods you are considering.

January 22, 2016

How Do You Buy Under Market Value Properties in Another Market?

Buying under market value properties can be a wonderful investment, whether you decide to rent them out or owner finance them (as I do in my 100+ property portfolio).

Of course, the major advantage of buying under market value properties is the cash flow that they generate each month. On my below market value properties in San Antonio TX, I earn approximately $700 per month on my owner financed properties owned in cash. Here is an example:

The investor bought cash on this below market value property, and we completed $10,000 in repairs in 3 weeks:

$65,000 cash price
$1500 carpet removal and adding wood vinyl in 3 bedrooms
$3500 HVAC
$750 for third bedroom conversion.
$750 for dumpster – clean out
$1500 two tone interior paint
$500 update five light fixtures
$1500 level front bedroom
$1500 closing costs

Total Investment: $76,500

Repairs were complete on July 31, 2015 and property was put on MLS. By Aug. 3, we had two full owner finance, price offers as follows:

$1041 per month
30 year note
10% interest rate
$5000 down payment
$99,900 final price
$216/mo. taxes/insurance

Investor’s total monthly income after taxes/insurance is $825.

Final ROI: 12.9%

Now that is some nice passive cash flow, isn’t it?

Many under market value investors are not able to find good properties with cash flow in their home markets. So, they may be looking outside of their home market at out of state investment properties.

But where should you buy your under market value properties in another state? Hopefully I can shed some light on that key question here.

I have been fortunate that I do not need to consider buying out of state investment property because my returns in San Antonio TX are still over 11% per year, even with housing prices up a lot in the last year. Two years ago, a typical below market value property I bought was $40,000, now it is more around $55,000.

I continue to invest here in San Antonio, one of the best cities to invest in real estate, because the return is good and I have many advantages:

I have a real estate license in TX, which saves me big when I buy under market value properties.
I have a large network of contractors, fellow investors, lenders, agents, title companies etc.
I know my neighborhoods very well, which means I know how much to pay for a house and how much to resell it for. I also know how much to rehab a house without overspending.

But if you are an out of state investor looking for best cities to invest in real estate, what should you consider?

Before you start to look for out of state investment properties, I suggest that you increase the area that you are looking for under market value properties in your home state. If you only need to drive 90 minutes to find a good area to buy under market value properties, then that might have more appeal than looking 1000 miles away. If you are a California investor, this may not work for you though.
If you cannot invest in under market value property near you, think about areas that you know. Did you grow up in another state? Do you have any family or friends in a good state you can buy out of state investment property? The better you know that area, the easier it is to find below market value properties in decent areas.
If you cannot find a good out of state investment property where you know people, do you have time to research a new market? It is usually a good idea to visit a new investment property area and you can have a bit of a vacation while yo do so.
Look at lists online for the best places to buy under market value properties this year. You can find excellent resources online that tell you the cities with the best rent to value ratios. I personally prefer to owner finance my properties and not rent them, however.

How to Know If An Area Will Be a Good Under Market Value Investment

Once you have located a good potential below market value investment market, you want to know if you will be able to produce good cash flow. You want to make sure that the economy is strong and stable above all else. Getting the cheapest real estate is NOT the only consideration!

Is the population growing or shrinking? A growing population is a very good sign of a strong job market. Here in Texas, we are seeing major population and job growth as of 2016, even with lower oil prices.
Are housing prices going up or down? If housing prices are dropping, this is not always bad. During the 2008 crash, the values of under market value properties in San Antonio dropped, and it was awesome! I could buy houses for $30,000 again, and I did – more than 25 of them. However, if housing prices are crashing and the population is leaving, this could be trouble.
What kind of risk is in the area? Is it a part of the country that has a lot of tornadoes or floods? Are there crazy swings in housing prices? In San Antonio, we are pretty steady here. The market didn’t go too high in the boom, so didn’t fall that far in the crash.
What about property taxes? We have no state income tax here in TX but we have higher property taxes. Still, I’ve managed to financially retire at 28 years old with my owner finance portfolio of under market value houses.

If you are thinking about buying out of state investment property after you investigate the local market, you will need to have a good team to rely on in that area.

One way to minimize problems with property management in an out of state market is to owner finance your properties rather than rent them out. You can have a buyer live in your house and pay you mortgage payments each month. The buyer maintains the house, and if they don’t pay, you foreclose just as a bank would. This can work very well in Texas, which is an easy foreclosure state.

In summary, there are many excellent below market value property markets to invest in. Just because you don’t live in one does not mean you can’t invest. If you are thinking about investing in another area for under market value property and have questions, contact me and I’ll try to help.

January 20, 2016

A Recent 12% ROI Under Market Value Project With No Landlording

This distressed property sale was completed in August 2015. The market in San Antonio TX has changed greatly in the last year. The market is booming and prices are up across the board, even in fixer upper homes.

Still, we have CA investors coming into our fine city and buying property investment homes and making 12-13% ROI annually, with no property maintenance.

The investor bought cash on this below market value property, and we completed $10,000 in repairs in 3 weeks:

$65,000 cash price
$1500 carpet removal and adding wood vinyl in 3 bedrooms
$3500 HVAC
$750 for third bedroom conversion.
$750 for dumpster – clean out
$1500 two tone interior paint
$500 update five light fixtures
$1500 level front bedroom
$1500 closing costs

Total Investment: $76,500

Repairs were complete on July 31, 2015 and property was put on MLS. By Aug. 3, we had two full owner finance, price offers as follows:

$1041 per month
30 year note
10% interest rate
$5000 down payment
$99,900 final price
$216/mo. taxes/insurance

Investor’s total monthly income after taxes/insurance is $825.

Final ROI: 12.9%