Clean

This can?t be stressed strongly enough. If you?re not into cleaning your own house before the sale then hire a professional, in fact it might be worth the money to hire one anyway as they will notice areas you routinely overlook. But no matter who does it, a top to bottom thorough cleaning is a necessity.

Remove your Personality

Most people can?t imagine themselves in someone else?s home, the key is to make your home look like their new home, not your old one. Take your personal items and photographs down, remove your collections, and let go of the home emotionally. As a side note, be sure to remove anything of value before your home is open to the public for other reasons.?

Strip the Room

Take as much as you can out of each room. This means take out all unnecessary furniture pieces and accessories. Less furniture will make the room look larger and more appealing to prospective buyers. Really skilled stagers will be able to bring in just the right amount of accessories to make the home look like an interior decorating magazine, attractive but depersonalized.

photo credit:?army.arch

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How to Prepare your Home for Sale

Offering on an investment property is not always easy. You need to consider many details starting with the asking price.

Above all else, keep in mind that paying the asking price is not something you have to do. This is only a starting point for negotiations. It is your goal to buy the property for as much off list as possible. Of course, the seller is trying to make as much money on his end as well. This is where the negotiation process comes into play.

Why are you offering less than the asking price? If you can come up with a good reason you will be ahead of the game. For instance, maybe the home is in bad shape. Or maybe it has been sitting on the market for over a year. No matter what, give yourself a leg to stand on so you can explain your position if need be.

Making an offer on an investment property is always easier if you get your real estate agent involved. He/she can take care of all the paperwork, while also giving you advice on what to offer, etc.

There is no right or wrong way to make an offer on an investment property. As long as you do what is best for you, everything else will fall into place.

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How to Offer on an Investment Property

Are you interested in buying investment properties that need fixed up? If your answer is no you can move onto homes that are more suited to your standards. But if you are not afraid of a little elbow grease and some money out of your pocket, there are plenty of investment properties that need some TLC.

Before you buy a cheap investment property in need of repair you need to ask yourself these questions: what types of repairs are needed? Can I complete them on my own? How much money will I have to spend? Once you answer these three questions you will be well on your way to deciding if a particular investment property is right for you.

Even the most run-down investment properties can be fixed up if you put in enough time, effort, and money. So, what do you think? Are you willing to look into properties that need some work? If so, you may be surprised at your eventual return on investment.

photo credit:?Tracy O

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Cheap Investment Properties can be fixed up

In most cases, an agent will not charge you a dime to help you find a home. Instead, he or she splits the commission with the selling agent. In other words, you are getting free help from an experienced real estate agent. Why wouldn?t you want to take advantage of this sort of knowledge base?

Once you find an agent you trust you can rely on him for your first deal, as well as any others in the future. The team that you put around you is important to your success.

Buying an investment property can be stressful. By hiring a real estate agent you can cut back some of this stress, and hopefully find the property you have been looking for.

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Buying an Investment Property with an Agent

Find a Tenant

Because your name remains on the lease (typically) and you are ultimately responsible, you are basically the landlord so you need to do your due diligence in finding a responsible tenant who will pay the bills on time and stay through the length of the sublease.

Get it in Writing

Like a landlord you should get a lease agreement in writing with the subleaser. Make sure they have a copy of all of the rules your landlord stipulated when you signed your lease and that they agree to abide by these rules as well as any you may impose. And don?t forget the signatures.

Inform the Landlord

Your landlord should know everything that happens with your sublease so send them copies of your signed agreement and contact information for you and the new tenant just in case someone needs to be contacted. You should also make sure the new tenant has all pertinent contact information as well.

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How to Sublease your Apartment

1. If the price is too good to be true. There may be a few details that you don?t care for, but with the right price you can make up for them. Of course, you need to make sure that the price really is too good to be true. You never know when an underlying detail, such as a major defect, will make the low price not so attractive.

2. When you see potential that everybody else is overlooking. Some people may look at an investment property and see nothing. But those with experience and vision have the ability to look past these details and realize that settling can be a good thing.

Settling is not always a good thing when buying real estate, but this does not mean that you should totally discount it. If one of the two situations above come up, you may be in perfect position to get a great deal.

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When to ?Settle? on an Investment Property

Spending your time wisely means making educated decisions in order. Even if you are in a rush, you have to take your time to ensure that every decision you make is the right one. To go along with this, you also need to move from one step to the next in a logical order.

There are some details that you have to make time for. They include a professional inspection of the property, and dealings with professionals such as your real estate agent and mortgage broker.

No two investment property deals are the same. Make sure you spend your time wisely, and answer all questions before making a final decision. If you feel rushed you are better off passing on the home for the time being.

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Spend your Time Wisely when Buying an Investment Property

Grab their Attention

Much like writing a newspaper headline, rental listings should reach out and grab the reader?s attention. Be creative and come up with a headline that would even catch the eye of someone who?s not looking to move.

Create a Visual Impression

Use descriptive words really bring the highlights of your property to life. Pump up the good points and use effective wording to seal the deal.

Provide a Visual Impression

Don?t rely on your words alone, add photos to your rental listing to get the biggest impact and to really show off the property.

Note the Neighborhood

Find something about the neighborhood to brag about. If your rentals are in a great neighborhood then let the reader know you?re located in the coveted or prestigious neighborhood X. Or advertise the close bus route which may be helpful for students, whatever appeals to your typical renter.

Remember the Basics

Don?t forget to list the basics, how many bedrooms, the rent, parking, your rules on pets, hours for the showings, lease length, your website and contact information. Include those things that most people want to know right off the bat, this will help draw the right people to you and will avoid some wasted time on phone queries.

?If you create a good rental listing that really does your property justice you?ll attract the right type of renter and you?ll be much happier in the long run.

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Create Good Rental Listings

Decreasing your Expenses?

Decreasing your expenses might not seem possible at first, but with a little work and a diligent review of your regular costs you can probably find some places to cut back. One thing you should do is look at regular service providers and see if you can find someone who?s willing to do the work for less or see if there is a way to optimize your current providers to get more out of them or a discounted rate.

Increase your Income

Raising rent is usually the first thing that comes to mind when landlords and property managers are thinking about increasing their rental income. But there are other charges you can implement to increase your income. Consider charging for parking spaces and renting out unused parking. Perhaps you want to loosen your pet restrictions and charge tenants a security deposit and a small monthly fee for keeping a pet. Make your money work for you, by making sure any deposits you collect are being held in an interest accruing account.

Just be careful that you?re not decreasing your expenses and increasing your income too much or your tenants will feel ripped off and you?ll earn a bad reputation in the local market.

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Increase Rental Property Cash Flow

But I don?t want to spend the money on an inspection? Generally speaking, a home inspection costs anywhere from $300 to $500. Yes, this is a lot of money for many people. But remember, any flaws that are found can save you a lot of money in the long run. Take for instance something like an air conditioner that is on its last legs. If you don?t have the home inspected you may never find out about this and end up spending several thousand dollars on a new unit in the near future. On the other hand, if you learn of this through an inspection you can ask the seller to fix or replace it before you move in. In this situation you will save yourself way more than the cost of the inspection.

As the home is being inspected, you should follow the inspector to ask questions. He can explain what looks good, what looks bad, and what you need to keep an eye on in the future. And remember, asking questions is a good thing. Anything that is on your mind should be addressed.

Before buying an investment property you definitely want to have it inspected. This can save you a lot of heartache and money in the long run.

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Before Buying an Investment Property have it Inspected