The Low Down on Distressed Properties for Sale

By: Joseph B. Smith

Distressed properties for sale can be purchased for up to fifty percent of their market price, and therefore could be monetarily beneficial to real estate investors who buy, modernize and then lease out or resell. These properties can be especially attractive to home buyers with background in building or construction or even those who have ties to the construction industry.

What to Consider

Distressed properties for sale are occasionally known as fixer upper homes, and usually demand purchasers to make comparatively cheap repairs. Consequently, the houses can be bought at significantly reduced rates. One major consideration when it comes to distressed properties are their locations. If the master plan is to purchase these cheap houses and resell them to turn a profit then you have to play on the other strengths the property may have. Location is definitely a big come on for buyers so before committing to buy a distressed property, make sure you have scouted the neighborhood and the general area of the property. Make sure that there are business and employment opportunities as well as schools, hospitals and other social services. The level of livability is a way to strengthen the value of your distressed property and increases its chances to attract buyers.

Distressed properties for sale can either be an apartment complex, a family house or a condo. A buyer needs to be clear on what type of property they wish to purchase and renovate for resale. One can gain a lot of insights on distressed properties from an online foreclosure listings service. This service will have a comprehensive and up to date list of distressed properties across the country. If you subscribe to this service, you can design your search according to what is important to you. These sites will also compute your mortgage and provide the main contact persons you can get in touch with for your purchase. These sites will also provide education on the requirements for purchasing distressed properties for sale.

About the Author

Joseph B. Smith has been educating buyers on the finer points of distressed properties for sale at ForeclosureDeals.com for over ten years. Contact Joseph B. Smith through ForeclosureDeals.com if you need help finding information about distressed properties for sale.

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There are two legal ways to increase your wealth.

1. Keep more of what you have (e.g., tax strategies, rehab efficiencies, cost savings)

2. Add value to something (e.g., a real estate investment, stocks, bonds)

Let’s focus on adding value to your rehab investments.

The most obvious is certainly bring it back up to standards. We HAVE to do the obvious things such as:

– Ensure there are no plumbing leaks and the entire plumbing system is in good working order, including potable water and sewage/septic and water heater.

– Ensure the electrical system is safe and working. This may require an upgrade. This includes all outlets, breakers, heat and AC.

– There can be no leaks in the roof! Obvious, but sometimes this is hard to determine if it isn’t a rainy season. You might have to take a garden hose to the roof to be sure. Station someone in the attic with a flashlight.

– Get rid of any rotted wood or termite damage, repair walls, etc.

Those items I’ve listed and others like it are no-brainers. But how do we really add value to the eye? We make it pretty!

– We paint all walls and ceilings (usually bright white)

– We replace flooring, or if there is acceptable carpet or tile, we professionally clean and restore it.

– We hang mini blinds on the windows.

- We trim trees and bushes, paint the outside make the exterior look fresh.

Now, to get the sale, or to get it rented immediately we do some of these things that really make a difference (notice the emphasis on kitchen and bathrooms!):

– Replace or refinish the kitchen cabinets, sink and countertop.

– Replace the toilet, vanity, and resurface or replace the tub.

What if we want to really make OUR property stand out on the market? What if we want there to be NO question as to what a great house this is in the buyer’s mind? What if want TOP DOLLAR? Try these inexpensive upgrades!

EXTERIOR

– Put a decorative fence in front. Plant some shrubs along the front of the house with attractive landscaping bark around it for color

– Replace the front windows with something more attractive.

– Install lighting along the walkway

– Plant a tree

– Install a new mailbox

– Build a deck in the back

– Increase the exterior lighting. Motion sensor lights are a nice touch.

INTERIOR

– Install a security system. Sometimes the system is installed free with a year’s monitoring. Make the first year of free monitoring (prepaid by you) a selling point.

– Install a garage door opener

– Install a used hot tub. You might be surprised the amount of folks who no longer want their hot tub!

– Include a microwave.

– Buy new appliances. Kind of expensive, but a deal maker. Try making this an incentive for a full price offer.

– Lay ceramic tile instead of vinyl.

– Go with snap-and-lock hardwood flooring instead of carpet especially in a great or living room.

– Upgrade the faucet to something sleek and modern. There are hundreds to choose from. Go with an extra large sink.

– Replace the cabinet and drawer hardware to something extra fancy. This can make an average kitchen POP for little extra cost!

– Add ceiling fans instead of just new overhead lighting fixtures.

– Add chair rail molding in the dining and living rooms.

– Buy the attractive switch and outlet covers instead of the basic contractor grade covers.

We, as investors, need to make the rehab fit our strategies. If we want to rent the property, you probably won’t add as many upgrades. If you are looking to sell, and you need to get that property noticed, you should add as many of the upgrades as possible within your budget, especially the visual upgrades.

I hope this list has got you thinking creatively about how to pump of the value of your next project!

If you are flipping a property, you need to find buyers fast in order to make money. You can find buyers quickly by meeting investors and other potential customers at local business events and auctions and by building online mailing lists that you can send to potential buyers.

House flipping is attractive because it allows you to start making money right away. You don’t have to rent out the property, take care of taxes and management costs for months or years, and you don’t have to wait around waiting for buyers. The idea behind flipping is that you buy distressed property, turn it around, and sell it quickly to someone as soon as the renovations are done. The trick, of course, is to find buyers who are willing to buy quickly. If you’re planning on flipping a house but cannot find a buyer quickly, the delay in selling will mean lost profits.

To sell your investment home quickly:

1) Visit auctions to meet other investors. Local foreclosure auctions are not only a great way to find your next investment property for refurbishing and reselling, but they’re also a great place to pass out your business cards to other investors. Collect the business cards of other investors at the auction in order to build an investor list that you can contact whenever you have a property to sell. This is especially important if you plan on house flipping fairly regularly.

2) Build an e-mail list. Once you have a number of business cards and e-mails of other investors, develop a mailing list and an e-mail list. This way, you can contact investors quickly whenever you are about to sell property. However, keep in mind that you cannot simply send unsolicited information to other people. Have investors sign up for your mail newsletter or your e-mail newsletter, and this way you can send information about your latest home in the latest issue of your newsletter. Use a double opt-in list for e-mail newsletters and e-mail discussion groups, especially, because anti-spam laws can be fairly strict. Also, be careful not to abuse your e-mail list or mailing list. If you send investors a lot of information that they are not interested in, they’ll not only opt out of the mailing lists and e-mail lists, but they will become annoyed and less likely to look carefully over your property opportunities. You may wish to divide your mailing lists into a few groups. For example, send your higher-end properties to those investors interested in higher-end homes, and send rental units to those investors interested in commercial properties. This way, each investor will get the information that they’re actually interested in using.

3) Join business groups in your area. Any meetings, events, or luncheons held by business groups in your area are a great networking opportunity that lets you meet potential investors and investors in your area. Plus, you will be meeting people who are not investors but are still interested in business. These people may still be interested in contacting you when they have a property that they need to sell quickly or hear of a property that is going up for sale. Just about anyone can refer business to you and can refer customers to you, so make friends with lots of business owners in your area.

4) Go online. The Internet has lots of discussion groups, message boards, and forums where you can meet other investors who might be interested in buying your properties. These are great resources if you are house flipping, since you can receive and send information fast.