"The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal - that you can gather votes like box tops - is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process."Adlai E. Stevenson
|
| |
A Stock Investing Gadfly on a Dinosaur's Butt
Have you ever noticed how some words in the English language are so perfectly named for what they describe? And how some words seem to be, I guess you could say, backwards? For instance, the word sunflower! How wonderfully aptly named is the sunflower, ...
Dividend Reinvestment Plans: Investing on Automatic Pilot
If you're like many investors who squander those small dividend checks from your stock portfolio, a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) might be just what you need. Just as its name implies, a Dividend Reinvestment Plan allows you to reinvest some or all of ...
Getting Started With Online Investing
As with everything else these days, the stock market has gone online. If you can shop, pay bills, and do your banking online, why not invest too? Investing online is not as big of an ordeal as some people make it out to be. The key is to know what you ...
|
|
|
| |
Where should you invest in real estate? If you know an area well, and have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere. However, there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments - places that have a better demand/supply ratio. Use the questions below to find them.
Demand Questions
1. Is the population growing fast? Check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth.
2. Is job growth decent? Again, ask local authorities or use the census information. You want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. The people have to have money to pay for housing.
3. Decent quality of life? This is subjective, but important. Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It's also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs just to live there.
4. Wealth in the area? It is always a good sign when there is some degree of wealth in a town. Count rich homes. Wealth means everything doesn't die when the economy slows.
Supply Questions
1. How much new construction? The census figures can tell you what's happened over the last ten years. Then check with the local authorities to see if the the number of housing units they've issued permits for is more or less than the expected population growth.
2. How many homes for sale? A lower supply of homes for sale means upward pressure on prices. This indirectly drives up rents as well, which makes for better investing.
3. Rent and vacancy levels? Are rents high enough to justify investing? Are vacancies low? When we first came to Tucson, every building had vacancies, and we saw a man holding a sign that read, "Apartment - $250 Per Month." Great place for renters, but not a great place to invest in real estate.
4. Available land that is buildable? Less is better for future appreciation. When the land runs out, the prices start accelerating upwards.
Use these questions to compare various towns and cities, and you'll see the differences more clearly. You'll see how housing demand compares to supply in each. Finally, you'll see where it is better to invest in real estate.
About the Author
Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
