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Real Estate Investment is now treated as a major case of capital budgeting by using state-of-the-art investment analysis which incorporates the future stream of income it may generate and the associated risk adjustments. It has been the highlight of the investment literature since the 1970's when investment theorists extended techniques such as probability, time value of money and utility into its analysis. The real estate market is versatile. There are single family homes, duplexes, apartment buildings, and so many other properties. Choosing an investment can be hard if you do not know what you are looking for. The first thing you must decide is what kind of investor do you want to be. There are some people who are very good at being a landlord. They do not mind taking care of the problems which can crop up at any time of the day or night. These people like the extra income every month. They have a budget worked out so they know what expenditures to expect and how to cover them.

Other people just want to buy and sell. They find a property, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. They know how much money they can put into the house and still make a profit. They know what repairs to make that will increase the value. They researched and found out about the market for that area. There is one more kind of investor. This is the one who sells the homes, but on land contract. They are gaining an extra income every month. They are not responsible for any repairs. They do not pay the taxes or insurance. They are offering a way for people to become home owners who may not have any other way to go. This type of investor knows the market and knows the law. They will know how to cover themselves should a buyer not be able to make the payments. These people know contracts.

Once you decide what type of investor you want to be then you need to start choosing an investment. There are some things to look at when examining the market. If you are going to be a landlord, you will want to screen the neighborhood. You do not want to buy in a noisy area when you want quiet tenants. On the other hand, you can not have loud tenants in a quiet area. If you are interested in renting to seniors, then do not buy in the middle of family central.

You will want to check out the schools and shopping areas. This can be a good indication of what the area is doing growth wise. This is good practice whether you are going to rent, flip, or land contract. Choosing an investment means getting to know the market and the area. You do not want to be taken by surprise when the city comes in and re-zones your property. This can happen when there is a large volume of growth in an area. You may find your investment no longer qualifies for what it was intended. And easy way to check this is talk with the planning and zoning departments for the area you are researching.

There are times you may run across a deal which is too good to be true. This is usually because it is. A warehouse might be offered at thousands of dollars less than market value. You need to find out why before running down to the finance company to take out a loan. If you find the company selling it is in financial trouble then it may be fine. It may also be there are twenty five more just like it that are empty because everyone moved to another location. You could find yourself with an empty building which is going to stay that way for a long, long time. Carefully research every market before choosing an investment. Know the area and what is selling. Find out the selling price and how long it took to sell. Check zoning regulations and the planning department for the area. Always buy below market value. Buy only what you need, not what looks good. Choosing an investment is not hard with a little leg work and research.