When you’re considering getting involved in real estate investing when to invest is just as important as knowing how you want to invest. There are several factors to consider in choosing the best time to invest, and some of those factors will have more to do with your personal situation. The following guide can help you determine if this is the ideal time for you to invest in real estate.
Make Sure You’re Financially Prepared
Even though you may be planning on getting financing from a lender to buy your first property, you should still be prepared for the expenses associated with owning rental property. As you research real estate investing for beginners, you’ll see that you’ll have to be able to pay the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and other expenses from the moment you buy the property. This typically means you won’t have rental income to cover those expenses for the first month or more. You should have enough income coming in from other sources, such as your full-time job or a savings account, to cover these expenses until you can get tenants to fill the vacancies in the property.
You Have Good Credit
You don’t always have to seek out a lender to offer you the financing to buy your first property, but you should be prepared for that eventuality. This involves ensuring you have a good credit score and a good credit to debt ratio. You can raise your credit score gradually by making sure you keep up with making all of your monthly payments on time. Additionally, you should devote a little extra to paying off your credit card debt each month. This will help you reduce your debt and improve your credit to debt ratio. You’ll have a better chance of getting the financing you need with an improved credit score.
You Have Home Equity
You can also wait to invest in real estate until you have equity in your own home. For example, if you own a $500,000 home and you have built up $350,000 worth of equity, you can use a HELOC (home equity line of credit) or home equity loan to finance your first real estate investment. This type of financing provides you with lower interest and better repayment terms than you would get through a traditional home loan. It will also be easier and faster to qualify for financing by using your home’s equity than by seeking traditional financing.
A Buyer’s Market Has Taken Over
In a seller’s market, there’s more buyer interest than there are homes on the market. As a result, home prices and interest rates rise. The opposite is true in a buyer’s market, which is indicated by a higher number of homes for sale in the market with a decreased interest from buyers. In this situation, the prices of homes will drop to appeal to those who are interested in buying at that time. As a real estate investor, your goal should be to always buy during a buyer’s market and to sell during a seller’s market. When you buy during a seller’s market, you’ll be paying the highest price for the property, which will raise your investment expenses and reduce the profit you can potentially make on the sale of the property.
Choose the Off-Season For Buying
Another external factor that should influence your decision to buy is the time of year. People prefer to buy in the spring or summer since these are the best seasons for inspecting properties and using moving services. This means an investor who buys in the fall or winter will have the best advantages for getting a good deal. Around the winter holidays, sellers will be more willing to negotiate on the sale price. They may also be more willing to offer concessions to motivate buyers. This means you can get more favorable terms in the winter than you could get later in the year.
Choosing the best time to invest is one of many factors to consider in limiting your risks for loss. Investing at the right time can help you spend less, and that will increase your potential profit margin. Like any type of investing, there are risks of loss that can be minimized through research. One of the best ways of doing this is by picking the best time to buy your first property.
