Too often, real estate investors put their money into a property based on what someone has told them, such as the value will rise or a discount is offered. All too often, investors make a purchase without first establishing a clear strategy, or they purchase the wrong type of investment property to meet their specific goals.
In addition, there are times when an investor will have a strategy they are working with that is reasonable, but then they are distracted by a fresh deal that does not suit their overall goal, or purchasing a property in need of restoration without the means to complete the work.
It is critical that you plan your investment strategy before you purchase your first investment property. When drawing up your plan, you must take into consideration the amount of time, money and expertise that you are willing to put into each property.
Create A Strategy That Works For You
Too often investors try to create a strategy for investment that is too broad. For example, there are investors who will buy individual pieces of real estate in a number of different countries. Although they may be getting good deals, managing finance, legal and tax issues can be difficult.
Instead, it may be better for you to aim for two or three investments at a time, making it easier to watch the overall market. It is best to be an expert in a couple of markets, than to be spread too thinly over a large number of investments.
Be sure to include an efficient exit in your investment strategy. It is extremely important to know how long you plan to hold each property, as well as what it will take for you to sell. Your strategy plan should detail how soon you plan to sell in order to effectively estimate your overall profits.
To sum it up, your investment strategy is very important right from the start – you
must consider:
• How will you invest your money, such as commercial, multi-unit, etc.?
• What are your goals, such as profit and timescale?
• How much time do you want to put into your investment for renovations, etc?
• What is your exit strategy?
Property Options Australia
Property Options Blog © 2006 – 2009
Hi Sean,
I can see that’s it’s crucial to have an investment strategy. As with anything else, you need to have a plan and follow it. You have to know where to put your focus because it’s easy to get distracted from your plan by something that looks like a better deal.
I find that I have the most success when I have a plan with a very narrow focus. If I try to do too many things I end up doing most of them half-heartedly. Whereas, if I focus on only a few things; I get much better results.
Real estate strategies are similar to stackmarket strategies in the fact that you have a plan, determine entry and exit and go for it. It is an unemotional process, except for the smile at the end.