Know this before purchasing your first real estate property in Canberra

Are you considering buying an investment property in the property management Canberra? Given that real estate has generated a large number of the world’s richest individuals, there are many reasons to believe that it is a good investment. However, experts believe that, like with any investment, it’s best to educate yourself before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The following are some points to examine and explore.

Are You a Good Candidate to Be a Landlord?

Know this before purchasing your first real estate property in Canberra

Are you familiar with the contents of a toolbox? How adept are you at drywall repair and toilet unclogging? While you could pay someone to do it for you or employ a property manager, both of these options would cut into your earnings. Property owners with one or two houses often do repairs on their own to save money.

Naturally, this alters when your portfolio becomes larger. Lawrence Pereira, head of Redondo Beach, Calif.-based King Harbor Wealth Management, resides on the West Coast but has homes on the East Coast. As someone who claims to be completely unhandy, he manages to make everything work. How? “I assembled a strong team of cleaners, handymen, and contractors,” Pereira explains. 1 While this is not recommended for novice investors after you get a handle on real estate investment, you are not required to stay local.

Eliminate Personal Debt

While skilled investors may use debt as a component of their portfolio investing plan, the typical investor should avoid it. If you owe student debts, have outstanding medical expenses, or have children about to enter college, buying rental property in the best property management Canberra business may not be the best course of action.

Pereira concurs that caution is essential, stating, “Paying off debt is unnecessary if the return on your real estate is higher than the cost of debt. This is the computation you must do.” Pereira recommends maintaining a financial buffer. “Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you are unable to make debt payments. Always maintain a safety buffer.” 1

Arrange for a Down payment

Investment homes often need a higher down payment than owner-occupied residences; they also require more rigorous clearance. The 3% down payment you may have made on your primary residence will not work for an investment property in the property management Canberra business. You’ll need a down payment of at least 20%, since mortgage insurance is not available on rental homes. You may be able to finance the downpayment through bank financing, such as a personal loan.

Select the Appropriate Location

The last thing you want is to be left with a rental property in a failing neighborhood rather than one that is steady or growing. A city or location with a rising population and a redevelopment plan in place offers an investment opportunity for property management Canberra business.

When selecting a successful rental property, seek an area that has cheap property taxes, a good school district, and a variety of facilities like parks, shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. Additionally, an area with low crime rates, easy access to public transit, and a rising employment sector may attract a bigger pool of tenants.

Should You Finance or Purchase?

Is it preferable to pay cash for your investment property or to finance it? That is dependent on your investment objectives in the property management Canberra business. Paying in cash may assist in generating a positive cash flow on a monthly basis. Consider a $100,000 rental home. After deducting rental revenue, taxes, depreciation, and income tax, the cash buyer may make $9,500 per year or a 9.5 percent annual return on the $100,000 investment.

Financing, on the other hand, may provide a higher rate of return. After deducting running costs and extra income, an investor who makes a 20% down payment on a home earns about $5,580 per year. While the investor’s cash flow is reduced, the investor’s yearly return on the $20,000 investment is much more than the cash buyer’s 9.5 percent.

Be cautious of skyrocketing interest rates

While borrowing money may be very inexpensive in 2020, the interest rate on an investment property is often greater than the interest rate on a conventional mortgage. If you want to finance your purchase, you’ll need a modest monthly mortgage payment that won’t significantly reduce your monthly earnings.

Determine Your Margin

Property management Canberra companies that acquire distressed buildings strive for returns of 5% to 7% since, among other costs, they must pay employees. Individuals should aim for a 10% return. Annual maintenance expenses should be estimated at 1% of the property’s worth. Additionally, homeowners’ insurance, potential homeowners’ association fees, property taxes, monthly expenditures such as pest management and gardening, as well as routine maintenance costs for repairs, are included.

Make a Landlord Insurance Purchase

Prolong the life of your new investment: Consider getting landlord insurance in addition to homeowners insurance. This kind of insurance often covers property damage, loss rental revenue, and liability protection2—in the event that a tenant or visitor is injured as a consequence of poor property upkeep. Visit https://www.rentecdirect.com/blog/tenant-turnover-revenue-recovery/ to read about OVERCOMING LOST REVENUE DURING TENANT TURNOVER.

Take Unexpected Costs into Account

Not only will maintenance and upkeep expenses cut into your rental revenue. There is always the possibility of an emergency—roof damage caused by a storm, for example, or burst pipes destroying a kitchen floor. Set aside 20% to 30% of your rental revenue for these kinds of expenses to ensure that you have a reserve to cover unexpected repairs.

Know this before purchasing your first real estate property in Canberra

Steer clear of fixer-uppers

It’s alluring to search for a home that you can purchase cheaply and convert into a rental property. That is generally not a good idea if this is your first property. Unless you have a contractor that does excellent work on a budget—or unless you are competent at large-scale home improvements in the property management Canberra business—renovating is likely to be prohibitively expensive. Rather than that, seek for a house that is priced below market value and requires just modest repairs.

Calculate Operational Expenses 

Operating costs on your new property will range from 35% to 80% of total operating revenue. If you charge $1,500 for rent and your monthly costs total $600, you have a 40% operating expense ratio. Utilize the 50% rule for an even simpler computation. If you charge $2,000 per month in rent, you should anticipate paying $1,000 in total costs.

Calculate Your Return

What is the rate of return on each dollar you invest? Stocks may provide a cash-on-cash return of 7.5 percent, while bonds may give a cash-on-cash return of 4.5 percent. A return of 6% in your first year as a landlord is regarded good, all the more so since that percentage should increase over time.