Charlotte Investment Property Guide

Owning a home is everyone’s dream. It also means freedom and a strong financial asset. But all the freedom, dreams and financial benefit come with a cost. For most people the major part of that cost is in home mortgage loans.

A mortgage is a loan you obtain to buy a home. The home is used as collateral until the repayment of the loan. And failure of payments can make the lender take the home away.

Types of mortgage loans:

1. Fixed-rate mortgage loan: Here the rate of interest remains fixed and does not vary with the market rate. It is less risky and more stable. The length of mortgage can be 15- 30 years.

2. Adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loan: This offers a fixed rate of interest initially and later moves on to adjustable rates depending upon the interest rates of the markets. It involves risk,
so it is best for short-term deals only.

3. Balloon loans: It is a short-term fixed-rate loan that allows making small monthly installments for an initial period of time. After that period you must pay off the remaining balance with one lump-sum (”balloon”) payment.

4. Home equity mortgage loans: It allows the borrower to draw cash from the equity in the home or a property. It can be either a fixed or an adjustable loan.

5. Government Home Mortgage Loans

a) FHA home mortgage: All qualified buyers looking for moderately priced homes can take advantage of these home mortgage loans. You can apply for this loan even though you’re making a small down payment (usually 3-5 %) towards your home price.

b) VA home mortgage loans: Such loan programs are offered specifically to government employees, service men and women by the US department of Veteran Affairs. VA loans are long-term home mortgage loans with added benefit of zero down payment.

c) Rural housing services (RHS) loan program: It is for rural residents who can apply for it without any down payment.

Your eligibility is based on your gross income, though your monthly payments are made from your net income. So take a careful look at your finances, decide on the type of loan that you will be comfortable with and go ahead in purchasing your dream home.

If you were to talk to an investment manager or financial specialist, you would be sure to encounter the term ROI (Return on Investment). Return on Investment is part of the common parlance in finance circles which refers to the amount of money made on any investment. Return on investment refers not only to financial but also property investments that would need a suitable rate of return to justify the investment. When there are competing avenues of investment, it makes sense to go ahead with the one which promises the highest rate of return with moderate risk. As far as Charlotte investment property goes, one can look at various kinds of properties to invest in and maximize the potential ROI.

When you invest in a property and get money as rent, it constitutes the net profit that you get from the property. This is not the same as profit.

Investors would like to get the best rate possible so as to increase the possibility of generating a positive ROI. When conditions are right and a lucrative property is on the market, there are so many people and investors who bid for it competitively. This means that getting the right kind of property that you need is not a walk in the park. The reason is that the number of suitable properties for investment is generally far lower than the demand.

The global property investment market is in the throes of a crisis due to the real estate crisis that took place recently. Although the number of available properties has gone up, this also increases the uncertainty and the level of difficulty in getting suitable property for investing.

One of the simple and more common dynamics of property investing involves the fact that investors always quote lower in the hope of bargaining for a lower price, while sellers like to quote higher than what they expect to realistically get. Given the fact that capital gains tax kick in, one should be well armed with access to legal advisors, accountants and also financial planners to help out with drafting the deal.

Calculating ROI is quite simple. If you have invested $100 on a deal and want to get 15% ROI, it means that you would be pleased to get at least $115 by the next year. Property investment means commitment of large amount of funds and finances, which also implies that you should be clear not only about the broad contours of the deals but also the specifics in terms of the smallest and most minute aspects.

If you want to calculate the payback period of the deal, you will have to look at the costs which when divided by the monthly benefits which returns the payback period. ROI calculation also means that you take into account the ROI percentage, payback period and the cost benefit ratio.

When people make capital gains on property, they would need to pay tax on it. This tax is a function of how long you hold the Charlotte investment property. If the investment is held for more than a year, the applicable tax bracket is 15%, but if you hold it for less than 1 year, the capital gains tax rate is at the same rate as the tax bracket that you are in, for instance 35%. When you look at a property investment deal, also look at the recovery period, which a lot of people forget.

REO properties are repossessed properties that were not sold through a foreclosure auction. They are much cheaper Charlotte investment property options compared to a brand new home. REO properties are sold through each lender’s loss mitigation department. Many lenders present bank owned real estate via their company website. REO properties are great homes for investors to buy because they are generally paying below market for the home, and there is a lot of inventory and selection.

REO properties are by their very definition lacking in equity. Otherwise, they would have been sold at the auction. These properties are definitely not for everyone. There are risks associated with purchasing a property “as-is”. REO properties are homes which have been legally repossessed by lenders after a homeowner has failed to pay a mortgage. Since lenders simply wish to recoup the money lost on the loan and do not want to pay the management costs on a Charlotte investment property, they are often willing to price these REO homes below market value.

REO properties are also foreclosed properties, but the different part about them is that they could not be sold at an auction. These properties were sent to the bank and they are not carrying a mortgage anymore. REO properties are sticky for lack of disclosure purposes and liability releases more than anything else. You will be informed that the lender is basically released from all liability because they have no clue about the home. REO properties are usually listed for sale with local real estate agents. Given the current state of the economy, lenders are selling their REO properties for a greatly reduced price.

REO properties are a financial burden to banks. All of the upkeep is their responsibility. They are usually sold as is, so a thorough inspection is necessary to estimate the rehabilitation costs. Software programs exist that allow you to print inspection forms and work from a set of standard rehab specifications to help you accurately estimate rehab costs. REO properties are a drain. Each day that a property is vacant, it costs money to maintain.

Lenders are willing to set up special agreements for a buyer’s interest to purchase a ‘package’ of REO’s rather than a single property. Lenders have no interest in owning property, and thus usually opt to list their REO properties with a local real estate broker in hopes of a retail sale. Yet with increasing frequency, REO properties are being sold for pennies or dimes on the dollar.

Buyers attempting to buy foreclosed properties will need to understand a few basic principals, because the competition on a well-priced REO can be intense. A well-priced REO will draw multiple offers and your competition may well include professional investors. Buyers can either opt for direct loans or guaranteed loans here. Direct loans are funded directly by the government under its rural housing plan. Buyers are required to pay in cash at the auction and they have little chance to inspect the Charlotte investment property before purchase, so REO becomes a better option. However the public auction presents the opportunity of some of the best bargains and saves you the trouble of dealing directly with the lender, jumping through their hoops.