Buying Investment Properties

Investment may be counted on the gross or the net basis. Net investment is gross investment minus depreciation. Investment may be ex-ante or planned or anticipated or intended investment; or it may be ex-post, i.e., actually realized investment, or when investment is not merely planned or intended, but which has actually been invested or implemented. This is so true when Buying Investment Properties. 

Another classification of investment may be private investment or public investment. Private investment is on private account, i.e., by private individuals, and public investment is by the government. Private investment is influenced by marginal efficiency of capital i.e., profit expectations and the rate of interest. It is profit-elastic. Public investment is by the state or local authorities, such as building of roads, public parks etc. In public investment, profit motive does not enter into consideration. It is undertaken for social good and not for private gain.

Investment which is independent of the level of income, is called autonomous investment. Such investment does not vary with the level of income. In other words, it is income-inelastic. Autonomous investment depends more on population growth and technical progress than on anything else. The influence of change in income is not altogether ruled out, because higher income would probably result in more investment. But the influence of income is negligible as compared with the influence of population growth and progress of technical knowledge.

Examples of autonomous investment are long-range investments in houses, roads, public buildings and other forms of public investment. Most of the investment is undertaken to promote planned economic development. It also includes long-range investment to bring about technical progress or innovations. Public investment means investment which occurs in direct response to invention, and much of the long-range investment, which is only expected to pay for itself over a long period, can be regarded as autonomous investments.

10 Ways To Find Investment Properties

If you really want the best deals in investment properties, you have to increase your odds by finding more deals. Who is more likely to get a cheap apartment building, an investor that looks through the MLS listings and calls it a day, or the one that uses ten resources? Here are the ten:

 1. Talk. Let people know you are looking and sometimes the properties will come to you. There are a lot of owners out there who want to sell, but haven't yet listed their property.

 2. Use the internet. Go to a search engine and enter the type of real estate you are looking for, along with the city you want to invest in. You never know what you might find.

 3. Drive around looking for "For Sale By Owner" signs. Owners often don't want to pay to keep the ad in the paper every week, so you won't see all properties there.

 4. Find abandoned properties. That's a pretty clear sign that the owner doesn't want to deal with the property. He might sell cheap.

 5. Find old "For Rent" ads. Call if they are a few weeks old. Landlords are often ready to sell, especially if the haven't yet rented the units out.

 6. Talk to bankers. You might get a foreclosed-on investment property cheaper if you buy it before they list it with a real estate agent.

 7. Offer someone a finder's fee. There are people that always seem to hear about the good deals. Have such people coming to you.

 8. Eviction notices. If your local papers publish eviction notices, or if you can get the information at the courthouse, it can be useful. A landlord who just went through the procees of evicting tenants is a likely seller.

 9. Old FSBO ads. If you call on two-month-old "For sale By Owner" ads, and they haven't sold, they may be ready to deal. Owners often give up the effort, but still would love to sell. Help them out!

 10. Put an ad in the paper. "Looking for investment properties to buy," might be sufficient to generate a few calls.

Buy to Let Rental Properties

Condotel Investments in the Philippines, Buy to Let rental properties are now being preferred to failing Pension Plans as more and more Filipinos and Overseas Property Investors look to the future and retirement.

20 Dollars a day for 6 years will buy you a Studio Condotel unit in the Philippines with a projected ROI through rentals of some 500 dollars per month after 3 years. With preconstruction property appreciating at some 20-30% per annum not only does the Real Estate Appreciation look good but the rental income is in excess of what many Pension Plans offer for the same or similar investment.

With many Overseas Filipinos and Offshore Property Investors looking to start saving for retirement, the Philippines with its comparative low cost of real estate yet high rates of Hotel Accommodations, make the Condotel investment an extremely attractive investment proposition.

Beth Collingz, International Marketing Director for PLC Global, a company specializing in Condo Hotel Sales and Investments in the Philippines for the Lancaster Brand of Condotels, said that many new investors are looking to replace failed pension plans and other future saving schemes with a solid investment in Real Estate.

“Many of my clients are looking for investments that will give them an income for retirement as an alternative to traditional private pension plans that have failed. Personally, I have always regarded Pension Plans as a glorified ‘Pyramid Scheme’. Most company pension plans are insufficient as are Government Pensions. Bank rates for Savings accounts are at record lows. Savvy investors are now looking for a more solid investment with potential for monthly income. Condotels in the Philippines fit the bill”

This potential, high rates of rental returns from Condotel Investments, currently from 8% up to 16% per annum, opens up a huge market not traditionally looked at by Real Estate Agents and Brokers whom all so often run around like headless chickens looking for normal residential profile “buyers” without looking at the by far bigger picture of investments, investing and retirement.

“We look at Condotels as pure investments. Not primarily as Real Estate. If you look at the Condo Hotel market as investing for future income, and think outside of the box, it is plain to see that Condotels are not only real estate investments but more importantly income generating property. Think of Condotels as a Managed Pension Plan. After all, Condotel units are fully managed property. The owner of the property does not have the hassle of renting out the unit and contend with all the normal pit falls of being an amateur land lord. This is taken care of by the Condo Hotel Management” said Collingz.

“One of my clients from Chicago, just purchased 4 Studio Condotel Suites at Lancaster – The Atrium Manila which is currently in preconstruction sales. His plan is to retire in the Philippines in 2012, live in one of the Suites and receive the Condotel rental income on the other three. His outlay for the purchase is only around 85 Dollars a day for 6 years by opting to purchase on a 6 year no prequalification, no down payment, no interest payment plan. Even before completing payment for the units, he will be receiving some $1,500 a month in rental income in additional to any Government or Private Company Pension Plan. Better yet, the rental income is in tune with inflation and buying on preconstruction terms gives real estate appreciation of some 60-80% over 3 years. As Hotel Rates increase yearly, so does the rental income”

Foreign Nationals are legally allowed to purchase as much as 40% of the total number of condominium units on the market at any given time. Overseas Filipinos and more and more foreigners are now emerging as a market for condotel units. Many or our clients are coming from different countries like South Korea, Australia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East,” Collingz said.

Lancaster - The Atrium Tower II [which is the second Tower adjacent to the existing “Sold Out” Tower I] is now accepting Reservations for Studio, One, Two & Three Bedroom Suites adopting International Standard Escrow Trust Account “Buyer Safe” Easy Secure Payment Plans… with 6 year interest free payment terms or up to 12 year “In-House” financing available, full condo ownership, no management costs for Condotel Suites and minimum monthly maintenance fees – “You really should take a moment to look at this Philippine Condotel Investment Opportunity” enthused Collingz.

All units at the Lancaster Suites have kitchen facilities. The standard unit price provides for the suite to be finished but not fully furnished. Included in the current price are the interior finishing’s such as tiled & fitted bathrooms, bedrooms with simulated wood plank flooring, living and dining area tiled floorings and lower kitchen cabinets/work tops installed. A complete optional extra interior fit-out package including appliances will be available towards the time the units are closer to being completed towards the latter part of 2009. Monthly condo dues are currently around 80 pesos/square meter of the unit floor area/month..

The Lancaster Atrium Suites are now available on the very affordable and competitive New Payment Plan that provides for Suites to be purchased on a No Interest No Down Payment basis with 67% of the payment payable over 60 equal consecutive monthly installments without interest and the 33% balance payable upon turnover of the unit or to be paid over an additional 5 years from turnover through our hassle free no prequalification “In-House” Finance Plans…

The current selling price [effective March 1, 2007] for the Lancaster Manila Atrium Tower A Tax Exempt Studio Units is Pesos 75,888 or $1,615.00 per sqm. The One Bedroom, Two and Three Bedroom Suites are priced at Pesos 84,994.56 or $1,808.80 per sqm including Government Taxes [R-Vat 12%]. Units may be purchased on a Six Year No Interest Charge Term of payment or longer term “In-House” financing plans. Turnover of units for Tower A will be from December 2009/2010

All payments will be made to the Lancaster Suites Manila Atrium Tower A Equitable PCI Bank Escrow Trust Account. It is anticipated, given the track record on sales of Tower I Units that property appreciation for initial buyers of Tower A Atrium Units will be at least 60-70% on turnover of units.

Beth Collingz

PLC International Marketing Networks