Archive for the 'Real Estate' Category

Published by JohnAsh on 07 May 2008

Finding The Right Real Estate Space

If you are looking to invest in real estate offices, you should know the types of offices available. Offices can be graded according to their quality. Knowing what class of office you need is helpful because it makes clear to your real estate broker how much you want to spend and makes it easier for him to find property according to your needs.

First is the Class A office space. This is the best, in terms of quality, office space that you will get in your area. Class A offices are designed in accordance with style and d?cor, and not cost. Built in multi-storied complexes, Class A office space employs steel and concrete for construction. The cost can exceed $150 per square foot for the structure alone, excluding purchase and improvement costs.

In comparison to Class A structures, one can categorize buildings as Class B and Class C office spaces. They, however, are relative terms without strict criteria for classification.

The Urban Land Institute, an authority on land use defines space with respect to criteria such as location, management of the property, status of the tenants and the rents and the material of construction.

According to the Urban Land Institute, the term Class A space can be used for all buildings which are easily accessible and are located in an excellent area, are acquired by wealthy tenants with rents that can compare to the rents of other new buildings, built with very high quality material and are managed very professionally.

Class B buildings will be located in good locations, and will have a competent management system. Their construction material will be of a very good quality, and tenants occupying the space lead a good quality lifestyle.

Buildings aged 15 to 25 years are categorized as Class C space, provided that occupancy is constant and they are managed.

You can also look for a serviced office. These offices are found in business locations of all major cities, and are fully managed by a facility management company which then rents them to individuals or companies. These companies are more flexible in terms of rents offered than leased offices which require furnishing and improvement on your part. There is no long term commitment for such offices, and you can get additional real estate office space on the same floor or building at a short notice. You can share facilities like security, reception and conference and meeting rooms, thereby reducing the cost of such facilities. Other services include insurance, HVAC systems, telecom connections, furniture and internet connectivity and other IT infrastructure.

Offices are also categorized on the basis of size. S or small offices are usually about 20 meter square in area; M or medium office space is about 30 meter square in area, and L (Large) office space covers 80 meter square, while XL (Extra Large) are about 120 meter square in area. It is obvious that the price will depend on various factors like location. You can simply tell your real estate broker or real estate agency the class of real estate office space, the size and number of tenant occupancy you require, and you can find many real estate offices within your budget.

John is a writer and contributor to Connecticut Real Estate Home Loan and Suffield CT Real Estate.

Published by JohnAsh on 07 May 2008

Investing In Real Estate Smart Move Or Not?

A real estate buyer typically borrows money from lending institutions that finance real estate investments to pay for the purchase. If the buyer chooses to pay in cash, he usually makes a down payment and mortgages to secure the remainder of the funds. It is obvious that the smaller the down payment, the greater the interest payment over the mortgage. The thing with real estate investments is that you will need a sum of money for the purchases that is very big for you to invest by yourself. This means that you will have to look for financing services to provide you with funds.

If you have made a modest down payment and have a good credit, you can ask banks to fund you after showing them your business plans. Banks will be glad to finance a part of the property costs; however, a bad credit, a poor business plan and not enough personal funds for the investment will put you at a low chance of acquiring funds from a bank. With a good credit, you can get low interest rates. A residential mortgage automatically has interest rates lower than other types of loans. Most banks will not loan out more money than the house’s value, so you can talk to them for an additional loan if the property you are purchasing requires repairs. The best way to go about securing finances from banks is to do it through a mortgage broker. This ensures that you get the best rate of interest for your loan.

Getting finances from private investors is another good option if you are purchasing for profits. These private investors have a lot of liquid money. They will give you the funds for investing in the property or even do all the financing themselves. You should make sure you have a well prepared expense worksheet to show to the investors stating where money will be spent and the profits that you expect from the deal. Needless to say, the better the profits, the more likely it is that you will find a private investor who is interested.

You can also think about hard money lenders who specialize in real estate investments for financing your deal. The catch is that the interest rates are as high as 14%. The advantage is that you get your finances very quickly. Hard money lenders often lend up to 70% of the cost of the property after repairs. If you are looking for short term financing, this is your savior. Lenders often fund you in installments, and are a boon if you need a lot of cash, quick.

The seller can also finance you if he or she is not in need of cash immediately. This is done by making a mortgage contract that makes you pay the seller monthly payment in addition to a percentage rate. You can pay off the mortgage whenever you sell the property yourself.

You just need good cash flow numbers, and financing will be very easy to secure subsequently.

John is a writer and contributor to CT Real Estate Listings and Advice and ArticlesAboutIt.com - a Free Article Reprint Site

Published by JohnAsh on 07 May 2008

What You Need To Know About Real Estate Rentals

Real estate rentals involve the renting of property to people who would like to use it for either commercial or residential purposes. Land and property owners often have excess property, which they would like to exploit for commercial gains, and therefore they allow others to use this property in exchange for money. Real estate rentals therefore involve the loan of property to people for a price, which is calculated or quoted.

What is a lease?

A lease is defined as a legal document (or in some cases an oral arrangement), which confers rights on one person to possess property belonging to another person with the exclusion of the owner. In other words it simply is the written or oral agreement under which a property owner allows a person (known as the tenant) to utilize the property for specified period of time in exchange for rent.

What is rent?

Rent is defined as the payment made by the tenant to the landlord for the use of space or property. This payment is generally made in the form of money; however, there are other modes of payments also which can be decided between the landlord and the tenant. In some countries, laws make it compulsory for rent to be paid. In such cases, the rent is generally fixed at a nominal amount.

Real estate rentals are therefore the amount paid for the lease of property to oneself. It is a value which is determined either by the market value of the property, or by negotiations between the tenant and the landlord. Generally, it is the former route of determination of rent is taken for real estate rentals.

Market valuation of real estate rentals

Real estate rentals can be determined on the market valuation of the property. Factors such as location, facilities and many more are considered in determining the price for the real estate rental. Generally, however, the market automatically determines the price (due to the economics of supply and demand) and all the landlord has to do is check with the area for the market valuation. However, depending on the property, the landlord can charge higher or lower than the market valuation of the realty, which is owned.

Term of lease

The term of the lease for the real estate rental is also an important factor to take into account for the real estate rentals. It can be either fixed, for an indefinite period or periodically changing. When determining whether the real estate rental is good for you, it is important to see that the term of the lease meets your requirements.

These basics of real estate rentals only provide you with the gist of what the entire realty market is all about. When taking a lease you can check the local papers as well for any available spaces. Generally, no agents are required; however utilizing the services of certain agencies will help you determine the fair value for the real estate rentals.

John is a writer and contributor to Connecticut Homes For Sale and Articles About It

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