Now Is a Great Time for Cash Flow AND Appreciation in San Antonio

When some of our investors started putting money into under market value properties in San Antonio, we saw appreciation in the range of 2-3% or maybe 5% per year maximum.

But that was more than 15 years ago since we started to invest here. Today, we see more possibilities to both enjoy appreciation AND cash flow on under market value fixer uppers in San Antonio.

Today, there is a general affordable housing shortage in San Antonio. It is harder for lower income renters and home buyers to find places to live. This is creating real opportunities for real estate investors in Texas. Also, we are seeing major investment into San Antonio in the downtown area. This is coming from the state and city government, and also out of state and even out of country investors.

For example, the Pearl Brewery off of 281 near downtown was a real hellhole in 2008. It was abandoned, run down and not somewhere you would either want to live or invest. However, an outside investor poured nearly a billion dollars into the Pearl Brewery complex. Today, it is the second hottest tourist attraction in San Antonio, after the downtown Riverwalk. It is full of nice hotels, chic restaurants, and bars, and is a general great hangout spot for San Antonians and tourists alike. Very expensive townhomes of $500,000 and up also are being built around the Pearl complex.

There is plenty of other development occurring in San Antonio that is leading to good appreciation and cash flow potential for affordable home investors. For example, the area north of downtown, not far from the Riverwalk, is also near the new San Pedro creek extension. The city is pouring billions of dollars into this area. Properties located in this region are believed to be poised for appreciation of 50% or more in the next three years.

We have a property at 1614 Alametos 78201 that will return the investor at least $900 per month in rent, and with a potential ARV of $199,000. That is some serious appreciation for a home that is worth $69,000 today.

We also had a property on 1622 Alametos that we sold in 2015 for $65,000. The investor put $15,000 into it, and sold it with owner financing for $99,000. Today, that home is easily worth $115,000.

So, we recommend buying certain homes in San Antonio today in areas where the city is investing money. You should see substantial appreciation and good cash flow.

Homes in Southern California See Near All-Time Price Highs

Southern California home sales dropped 5% in May 2017, yet home prices have still hit a record high in that areas.

According to recent real estate research in California, approximately 8.5% fewer homes were sold in Los Angeles County since March 2017, but home prices are still at a near-record high average of $485,000. This is almost as high as the all-time high of $500,000 in 2007.

Southern California is hardly the only part of the state where real estate prices are testing the ability of workers, families and real estate investors to afford homes. Prices in May 2017 in California hit a record high in Orange County, California, and San Diego County, California.

Also, Forbes reports that the San Francisco, California area is seeing soaring median home prices. Around San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, the median home price topped $1 million in the first quarter of 2017. It was just $535,000 a year ago.

Why the Rise in Home Prices in California? 

The biggest reason this is happening is not enough homes are being built in much of California’s major metro areas to meet booming demand. This is because it is harder to get building permits in much of California.

On the other hand, Texas has a very liberal policy on building new homes. Both states feature cities with high job growth; San Francisco and Oakland added 356,000 new jobs in 2016, and in Dallas, there wee 413,000 new jobs added in the same period. But in San Francisco, only 20,400 new homes were built, and there were 120,000 new ones built in Dallas.

This difference in building permit policy has had various effects. Homeowners in Calfornia are enjoying huge increased in property values, which is great for them to pull out cash and invest in real estate. But for people who want to buy, it is extremely difficult to buy in current circumstances. Many home buyers and real estate investors are priced out of the market.

In areas such as San Antonio, Texas, prices only have doubled in the last 20 years or so, but many more people can afford to buy a home for themselves or for real estate investments.

As home prices in California have soared, we have seen increasing demand for under market value real estate investments in San Antonio. Investors want to see high-ROI investment opportunities in Texas. Many affordable homes are available in San Antonio for under $60,000 wholesale. With $20,000 in rehab, the home can be rented for $800 per month. That is the type of positive cash flow that many California real estate investors want to see.

 

SOLD – 2943 Pitluk Ave, San Antonio, TX 78211

Address: 2943 Pitluk Ave, San Antonio, TX 78211

Description: Affordable homes are at an all time high demand, excellent location south of downtown, needs to be converted into a 3 bedroom 2 bath, 2 beds, 1 bath, 1014 sqft., estimated repairs: 50K, clean/lawn maintenance/interior paint/exterior paint, plumbing/electrical up to code, flooring, sheetrock/texture, roof, foundation, 1 room addition. Max After Repair Value: 149K,

Price: $59,000 cash

Exit Strategy: we recommend buy/remodel/rent then resale in 5 years

Comps: Rental Comps 2943 Pitluk Sold Comps 2943 Pitlik Ave

Contact us for more information

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Strong Demand for Affordable Rental Properties Should Attract New San Antonio Investors

As the economic recovery gathers steam, many real estate investors in Texas are finding that there is even stronger demand today for affordable rental properties than a few years ago.

The San Antonio economy is doing well with low unemployment rates, rising wages and a growing population.  But there are signs that the prices of new and existing homes in San Antonio are taxing the budgets of middle-class families. Many of them have good incomes, but may not be able to afford rising home prices and down payments.

Last month, the National Association of Realtors stated that the sales of existing homes in San Antonio dropped 2.3% in April 2017. Prices have continued to surge, and sometimes multiple offers are coming in on some affordable homes.

The increase in prices in the last few years of existing homes has somewhat exceeded the rise in wages. So, how is this good news for investors?

Well, investors interested in buy and hold properties and high ROI investment properties in Texas should strongly focus on rehabbing under market value properties and renting them out.

There are plenty of San Antonio families who have enough cash to pay for a rental deposit and $1000 per month in rent, but lack the down payment or income to qualify for a mortgage. In our owner finance market, we are seeing many people who have the income to afford the mortgage payment, but simply lack the cash for the down payment.

This means there is a serious opportunity for the rental property buy and hold investor. Also, with San Antonio properties increasing substantially in value, the buy and hold rental property investor will have a serious chance to increase their equity.

Here is a really nice buy and hold rental property deal I am featuring:

Address: 106 and 110 Dewitt, San Antonio Texas, 78210

Description: Location Location, just south of downtown, short distance to the river walk and the new San Pedro creek river walk extension project (multi-billion dollar inner city revitalization): properties are going to double in value in the next 5 years. Both homes need to be converted into 3 beds 1 bath: estimated repairs for both projects: 80K-40K each, purchase price for both investments: 80K, Max After Repair Value: 119K each or 230K for both, Package deal.

Price: $80,000 cash

Exit Strategy: I recommend buy/remodel/rent then resale in 5 years

The under market value San Antonio investor can buy both for $80k and rehab each one for $40k each. You should be able to rent each property for more than $1000 each. And the increase in equity due to their location will make this a very high ROI investment opportunity.

 

 

Building Real Estate Wealth – Watch Out for This Expensive TAX TRAP!

If you plan on using financing to help your IRA to acquire real estate you have walked smack dab into one ugly tax trap under the name of “Debt Financed Income”. Financing or as the tax law refers to it as “leverage” refers to obtaining a Mortgage, seller carry-back note, a private or hard money loan.

Normally income earned by an IRA is not subject to taxes, however, if real estate is purchased with borrowed funds, the income will be considered “Debt Financed Income” and the profits generated will be subject to “Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT).

Huh?

The simplest explanation is, that the IRA is using non-IRA money to make tax deferred profits. Since the purpose of the IRA is to invest personal pre-tax contributions the use of non-IRA funds falls outside this design and results in a percentage of profits being taxed at trust tax rates in the calendar year when the profits are realized.

Here is an example, if your IRA purchased a property for $100,000, and financed $60,000 of the purchase price, the debt/basis percentage would be 60%, and so the IRA would have to include 60% of the profits as taxable income.

Lets say your profit on the sale of this single family house was $50,000 x 60% (debt basis) then $30,000 is considered “Debt Financed Income” and is subject to  “Unrelated Business Income Tax” which is assessed at trust tax rates – in this case up to 39.6% which amounts to a kick in the gut tax hit totaling $10,238.00

Oh by the way, if you think you can dodge the bullet because you are going to rent the house, think again. The net profits from your rent roll are also subject UBIT each and every year– Yikes!

Wouldn’t is be great if “Unrelated Business Income Tax” could simply disappear?

This is where choosing the right type of plan makes all the difference in the world.

A One-Participant 401k plan is NOT subject to UBIT as long as the financing is non-recourse to you personally. Congress actually created a special tax code exemption for Qualified Pension Plans (401k’s) that removes them from the profit sucking UBIT vacuum an IRA cannot escape.

Choose a One-Participant 401k plan and you can gorge yourself on all the financing you want to and invest in high ROI real estate properties for wealth building. Under market value real estate investments are a great way to build wealth, and the solo 401k is the way to do it.

  DAVID COLE
ph:  928-350-8368
fax:  928-318-6695
website:  www.freedomfirst401k.com

Building Wealth In Real Estate Investing with a Solo 401k

One of the major purposes of investing in real estate in San Antonio and other places is to build wealth slowly over time. One of the most important ways to do so is to invest in high ROI real estate investments that are protected from US taxes.

Many real estate investors automatically decide to invest in real estate with a self directed IRA, which is a perfectly good way to invest. But there are other options that are worth considering; in fact, a solo 401k can often be superior to an IRA for investing in real estate. But most people are not aware that a solo 401k can be created by a private individual to invest in almost anything, including real estate.

Here are some things to know about the solo 401k:

  • It is a one participant 401k plan, and is just like a traditional 401k plan but it just covers one ‘worker’ – you.
  • Unlike an IRA, you can contribute up to $60,000 each year
  • A solo 401k plan has an employee and profit sharing option but a traditional IRA has a low annual contribution limit. For those over 50, you can make a maximum contribution of $24,000 in a 401k and that can be pre tax or after tax.
  • A solo 401k may be contributed to in either Roth or pre tax format, but a self directed IRA may only be made in pre-tax.
  • Tax free loans: A solo 401k allows you to borrow $50,000 or 50% of the account value. You can use the loan for whatever you want. A self directed IRA cannot be used to borrow funds without it being a prohibited transaction.
  • You can open your 401k at many banks yourself. But with a self directed IRA, you have to use a custodian to hold the funds.
  • You do not need to make an LLC with a 401k. The plan itself may invest in real estate investments without an LLC. A 401k plan by definition is a trust, and the trustee may take title to real estate property without an LLC being formed (another expense).
  • Much better protection from creditors: A solo 401k is a fortress against lawsuits and creditors. It offers far better protections than an IRA. The 2005 Bankruptcy Act will normally protect all 401k assets in a bankruptyc. Most states also have more creditor protection in a solo 401k than a self directed IRA – outside of Chapter 7, 11, or 13 bankruptcy.

Once you have established a solo 401k, you only need to decide which under market value real estate investments that you are going to invest in.

How an Owner Financed Deal Works In San Antonio

Most of our investors’ real estate investment portfolios in San Antonio are in owner financed properties. Rather than rent the properties out, they do an owner financed note to a qualified buyer.

Many real estate investors are not familiar with how an owner financed deal works, so we thought we would lay out the process:

First, we find an under market value investment property in San Antonio in a revitalizing and growing area near downtown. A good example is this dual property in an area that is seeing major reinvestment by the city:

Address: 106 and 110 Dewitt, San Antonio Texas, 78210

Description: Location Location, just south of downtown, short distance to the river walk and the new San Pedro creek river walk extension project (multi-billion dollar inner city revitalization): properties are going to double in value in the next 5 years. Both homes need to be converted into 3 beds 1 bath: estimated repairs for both projects: 80K-40K each, purchase price for both investments: 80K, Max After Repair Value: 119K each or 230K for both, Package deal.

Price: $80,000 cash

After we do a $3k-10k clean up and repair of the property, we find a good, qualified buyer with steady work, income and at least $5000 down payment. We execute a promissary note with the buyer of the San Antonio property. We typically charge 9% or 10% interest, a 30 year repayment schedule (fully amoratizing), no prepayment penalty, and consequences for default.

The buyer then sends us his monthly mortgage payments either by check or electronic deposit (I have a special Chase account set up for this purpose). We earn a very good ROI in the range of 10-15% per year, and the property is maintained by the end buyer.

We tend to hold notes for the long term, and do not usually sell them.

Seller financed deals sometimes are for the short term while the buyer gets their credit cleaned up and refinances. In San Antonio, few of our blue collar end buyers end up refinancing. We get long term cash flow with no repair headaches. I also can save thousands in rehab costs because we generally only do a light clean up of the property. The same property if rented would need far more in repairs.

Why don’t more investors consider owner financing their properties? We think many investors simply are not familiar with the process. Many new investors think investment properties must always be rented. Not so.

Another reason we think is that real estate investors may want to pull  cash out of their investment properties to do more deals later. You can’t do that with an owner financed property. But you can sell the note on the property if you choose to do so and get cash for more deals.

Last, we think that people don’t realize that you can buy properties with a mortgage and then do an owner financed deal to the end buyer. This is known as a wrap around mortgage, and can be a really great way to make good cash flow, conserve cash for more deals, and eliminate investor worry about repairing properties.

Major Redevelopment of Downtown San Antonio Raising Investment Property Values

If you are looking for high ROI real estate investment opportunities, you would be wise to consider buying rental properties in and around downtown San Antonio soon.

Major redevelopment projects are occurring in downtown San Antonio worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including new hotels, a new Frost skyscraper, a revamping of the Lone Star Brewery, and an overhaul of Alamo Plaza.

The south side of San Antonio also is going to have major redevelopment in the works in the coming years, with a facility there to rival the Pearl on the north side.

Some of the other parts of San Antonio that are seeing revitalization are the Alamodome, San Pedro Creek and the Hemisfair area. All of this is going to be adding substantially to real estate values in the San Antonio area.

All of this growth and redevelopment is leading me to pick up more properties around town. This two for one deal is one I just got last week:

Address: 106 and 110 Dewitt, San Antonio Texas, 78210

Description: Location Location, just south of downtown, short distance to the river walk and the new San Pedro creek river walk extension project (multi-billion dollar inner city revitalization): properties are going to double in value in the next 5 years. Both homes need to be converted into 3 beds 1 bath: estimated repairs for both projects: 80K-40K each, purchase price for both investments: 80K, Max After Repair Value: 119K each or 230K for both, Package deal.

Price: $80,000 cash

Exit Strategy: I recommend buy/remodel/rent then resale in 5 years

Comps: 110 & 106 Dewitt rental comps 110 & 106 Dewitt sold comps

These San Antonio investment properties are only $40,000 each. I recommend putting $40,000 into each one and then renting them out for a few years. I expect these properties will nearly double in value by the time most of the slated renovations downtown are completed. I have bought and sold hundreds of under market value homes in this area, and I am usually very close on what houses will be worth after my rehabs and after 3-5 years.

I have not seen San Antonio put this much money into the downtown and surrounding areas in a long time. I expect the development is going to make San Antonio investment opportunities even more profitable.

 

Forbes High on Texas for Real Estate Investing and Lifestyle

If you are looking for a good place to move with affordable, growing real estate prices, good job opportunities and high ROI real estate investment opportunities, you should strongly consider Texas, and San Antonio.

Don’t take our word for it: Forbes magazine has been touting the many economic benefits of living and investing in real estate in Texas in 2017.

According to a Forbes analysis of realtor.com data in 2017, San Antonio is the #4 city in America for where people are moving to. The median home price, while it has gone up since 2012, is still a reasonable $275,000. Unemployment is very low in San Antonio at just 3.7%.

Austin is ranked #5 for where people are moving, and the unemployment rate is just 3.1%. The median home price is up to $399,000, however.

When it comes to investing in high ROI real estate investments, you will have a hard time finding a better place than Texas, Forbes also reports. Many Texas cities, including San Antonio, receive high marks both for affordability and growth. Those are two of the most important factors when you are thinking about investing in real estate.

Forbes notes that Texas has several spots on its top 20 cities to invest in. It explains that the recession and housing crisis did not hit this state as hard as the rest of the US. This means that the state has bounced back faster and has been adding more jobs for longer and faster than most of the US. Job opportunities and affordable real estate have led more people to move to Texas, as of 2015, than any state other than Florida.

The magazine states that San Antonio is one of the top 20 places to invest for 2017 because the population of the city grew by an impressive 6.5% from 2012-2015. In 2016, home prices gained 7% in value and jobs growth was 1.7%. Homes are still under valued by 7%.

If you are looking for a good under market value investment opportunity in San Antonio, consider this one:

  • Address: 1319 S Hamilton St., San Antonio, TX 78207
  • Year Built: 1956
  • Description: San Antonio buy and hold investors and real estate investors  – Another Major cash flow opportunity, 30% instant equity under market value, almost cute cottage, needs minor help, booming San Antonio Market West of Downtown,  2 beds, 1 bath, 616 sqft, lot size: .05 acres, estimated repairs: 5K, clean/lawn maintenance/interior paint/front paint. Max After Repair Value: 75K
  • Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper:  $45,000 CASH ONLY
  • Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 5k in repairs: 5Kdown payment, $750.00 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Sales Price: 75K, see attached sold/rental comparables.

SOLD – 1614 Alametos, San Antonio, TX 78201

Investors, flip this house! $55,000 cash price, $50,000 rehab, $30,000 to $40,000 profit!

  • Address: 1614 Alametos, San Antonio, TX 78201
  • Description: San Antonio flip investors and real estate investors  – Flip this house, river walk extension being built in LA Heights neighborhood, exceptional back yard, perfect location north of downtown, 3 beds, 1 bath, 1,400 sqft, lot size: .14 acres,
  • Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper:  $55,000 CASH under market value 30%
  • Exit Strategy: Flip – estimated repairs: 50K, clean/lawn maintenance/interior paint/exterior paint, plumbing/electrical up to code, flooring, sheetrock/texture, roof, foundation. Max After Repair Value: 149K
  • Sold and Rental Comps: Sold Comps 1614 Alametos
  • For more information, please contact us.