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Xavier Thomas: Investment property vs residential property

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Wealth Building: Investment property versus residential


XavierThomasheadshot.jpgI can be concluded that as long as you live you are going to need a place to live. Homeownership is a great way to not only have a place to live; it allows you to create wealth through equity. Equity is calculated by subtracting the balance of the debt on the property from the value. The two professionals needed in this calculation is the current lender you have the mortgage with and an appraiser.

Many have called becoming a homeowner an investment. While this sounds good it is simply not true. Homeownership or becoming a homeowner may become the largest debt you will ever enter into, it may provide you with a nest egg of equity for the future and it may provide you with a building that will help you in your overall estate planning for your family's future, it is not an investment, it is simply paying for where you live. An investment should be a financial vehicle that you can track its history to determine growth and/or income and be reasonably sure that it will sustain this growth and/or income over a period of time.

Consider the savings account as an investment tool. The savings account allows liquidity or the ability to withdraw money, and offers a promise in writing that the value of your undisturbed deposits will earn interest over a specified period of time. Savings accounts are usually advertised by offering the consumer a annual percentage rate. Offering a two percent annual interest rate allows the consumer to understand that one hundred dollars deposited and left undisturbed will be worth one hundred and two dollars one year later.

During the entirety of the home buying process will you not find a document that offers you earned income. The present market has demonstrated this; house values do not have a guarantee of growth. You may love the home, great schools, great community association, near to place you chose to worship, convenient to shopping and that home value can go down. It's not and investment it's your home.

Investment home purchasing has a much different approach as far as the expectations and system of making a decision. Generally you can expect to obtain financing by paying twenty percent of the sales price as down payment, that figure does not cover closing cost. As long as the value of the property does not reduce, the good news is, you have equity in the property that in the event of an unforeseen problem you should be able to sell the property and pay off the debt and not ruin your credit in the process.

The greatest trap in investment purchase of real estate purchase is not having an exit strategy. Let's reconsider the savings account as a comparison model. At some point after saving money you may wish to take your money and spend it. The process is simple, fill out a withdrawal slip and leave with your money. At some point you may wish to liquidate or convert your real estate holdings into cash, the process of selling your home can be arduous one considering you have to put it on the market and recognize that traditionally the homes don't always immediately sell.

The investment purchase should be considered with income and/or growth in mind always understanding that there is risk involved.

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