Real estate investing advice is as plentiful today as Kardashians on reality TV.  But much like the Kardashian phenomenon, most of that advice is pretty fake and superficial, and largely there because they want your money.  So how do you do your homework and learn to separate the real advice from the fake and misleading?  Three words: experienced, licensed Realtors.

The media won’t stop telling us the extent to which the real estate market is a mess, but when they report these things, they’re reporting for the standard viewer, the real estate consumer.  That’s a good sign for the investor, but it’s just not that simple.  Every market is different and it’s impossible to be familiar with every area in every city that’s prime for buying property.  For these (and a million other) reasons, licensed Realtors with experience in your target market is an invaluable asset that IS FREE TO THE INVESTOR/BUYER!

For example, an experienced agent or broker can tell you where the hot areas are for buy-and-hold investment or fix-and-flip properties.  A seasoned Realtor can tell you that REIT investing is off the charts right now, growing steadily toward its high point in 2007.  An experienced broker can show you what properties and what locations will command the highest rent and attract the best tenants.  A highly embedded agent knows which school districts and employment centers are pushing resale values up.

So how do you find a Realtor that is the best fit for you?  Do your homework!  Search the internet for broker sites that speak intelligently about your areas of interest.  The novice investor jumps from agent to agent, looking for the person they can beat up the most over fees or other nickel-and-dime issues.  The astute investor wants an equally astute real estate professional to partner with in the long term.

A strong broker will do most of your homework for you.  All Realtors are legally accountable to give you the best information possible to benefit you, but the experienced, knowledgeable agent already knows all the important information and will be happy to share with you all those things that will help you grow your wealth and build your portfolio.

Real estate investing must be undertaken with diligence and fiduciary wisdom, but the real estate investor doesn’t have to know everything himself.  The wise and successful real estate investor is the one that knows how to find (and keep) the best partners.

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NOTE:  We pride ourselves on bringing you the most informative, up-to-date, and accurate information possible about the often-confusing world of real estate investing.  Nothing we post however is intended to be taken as investment, real estate, or legal advice.  You should always contact a licensed investment, real estate, or legal professional for information and advice about your own unique investment scenarios.

Artisan Real Estate Group is one of the top boutique real estate firms in Arizona.  We provide an end-to-end suite of services to our investor clients, including a full range of residential and commercial real estate services, income property location service, investor services, property remodeling, restoration, and rehabilitation, real estate finance consultation, REO and bank-owned property services, trustee sale consultation and bidding representation, and new home builder services.  Our international team specializes in helping investors from all over the world with their Arizona real estate transactions.  Our goal is to find the best properties with the highest cap rate and ROI for our investor clients.  Contact us today to find out how we can help you grow your personal wealth and investment portfolio.  Artisan Real Estate Group, http://www.artisanrealestategroup.com/  or call us at (602)644-1280.  Email: info@artisanrealestategroup.com

In today’s topsy-turvy real estate market, many so-called experts will tell you that single family real estate investment properties are the only ones the investor should consider at present.  The traditional way of thinking was that condos and their cousins, the townhome and patio home, are the first type of property to drop in value when the real estate market tanks, and the last type to gain a foothold when things turn around. But for the buy-and-hold investor, especially in Phoenix and surrounding Arizona areas, condos need not be avoided.

When investing in Arizona, particularly with the intention to hold on to the property for several years, condos can be a wise investment choice for a number of reasons.  The first priority for the investor is to find good tenants and hold on to them.  There are several tenant profiles that distinctly prefer condos and townhomes over single family properties.

Young professionals, especially single people and couples without children, often seek the simplicity of townhome life.  This demographic often spends a large portion of their lives dedicated to their careers.  The rest of the time, they prefer to pursue the vast array of recreational and leisure activities that are so plentiful in Arizona.  The last thing they want to do is house or yard work.  They typically seek a smaller square footage with modern finishes and amenities.  These lucrative tenants want locations that are close to hip and popular restaurants and nightclubs.  The investor will find many excellent investment opportunities in these areas, where developers built lofts and modern condos by the hundreds just before the market crashed around 2006.

The next tenant demographic that prefer condos and patio homes is the older set.  Again, these are single people or couples whose children are grown and gone.  They also want to pursue a more leisurely life, away from the home and yard work that dominated their child-rearing years.  They seek to downsize and often enjoy the social opportunities that are present in many of the “snowbird” locations around the Phoenix Valley.  To attract these tenants, who might be the best tenants of all in terms of responsibility and reliability, the investor should look for those properties that attract winter visitors and that have golf and other leisure opportunities nearby.  Excellent buys can be found in Scottsdale, parts of the far East Valley such as Gold Canyon and Apache Junction, and in both the Northwest and Southwest areas of the Valley.

Whereas the price of single family homes has skyrocketed over the past few months, excellent buys can still be found on condos, townhomes, and patio homes.  The investor must be sure to consult with a licensed Realtor to determine which areas command the highest rent, attract the best tenants that fit the desired profile, and will provide the highest return on investment (ROI).  It should also be noted that condos will likely appreciate later than single family homes, so these properties are excellent for the investor that seeks real estate to add to their portfolio and hold for the next few years.

Next up, what exactly IS the difference between a condo, a townhouse, and a patio home?

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NOTE:  We pride ourselves on bringing you the most informative, up-to-date, and accurate information possible about the often-confusing world of real estate investing.  Nothing we post however is intended to be taken as investment, real estate, or legal advice.  You should always contact a licensed investment, real estate, or legal professional for information and advice about your own unique investment scenarios. Artisan Real Estate Group is one of the top boutique real estate firms in Arizona.  We provide an end-to-end suite of services to our investor clients, including a full range of residential and commercial real estate services, income property location service, investor services, property remodeling, restoration, and rehabilitation, real estate finance consultation, REO and bank-owned property services, trustee sale consultation and bidding representation, and new home builder services.  Our international team specializes in helping investors from all over the world with their Arizona
real estate transactions.  Our goal is to find the best properties with the highest cap rate and ROI for our investor clients.  Contact us today to find out how we can help you grow your personal wealth and investment portfolio.  Artisan Real Estate Group, http://www.artisanrealestategroup.com/  or call us at (602)644-1280.  Email: info@artisanrealestategroup.com