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How does a Rent-to-Own Work for You?

March 10th, 2010 FlatsForRent-London No comments

     What is a Rent-to-Own in real estate? This is typically known as Lease to buy, which means you will be renting or leasing a home for a specified duration with one addition—you can choose to buy it later on. Several investors and homeowners are starting to offer rent to purchase opportunities to prospective tenants and in the previous year, there has been a considerable increase in this kind of renting.

     As you see more signs in front of homes indicating that you could “rent to own” or “lease to buy”, you might be wondering if this offer will work out for your advantage.  

     Following are what you should know about a rent to own. It may have several structure options, but most contain these items:

1. This type of rental payment is just like any other kind of renting or leasing. All the main items are applicable, such as late fees, and failure to pay the rent could possibly lead to your eviction in the property.

2. There will be an option price, or the purchase price of the property.

3.  In a lease to buy, you will have a payment option or otherwise known as the down payment. This is a fee upfront to be given to the owner or the person in charged of the property. This payment will be credited to the purchase price and in most cases non-refundable in the event you do not exercise your option to purchase the property.

4. A rent credit is usually applied to the purchase price if you exercise your option to buy the home. The Rent Credits are not considered as actual money sitting in a bank account, but this fund is necessary in lowering the purchase price of the home, or later on for the closing costs.

What benefits can a rent to own give you?

1. A rent to own home is much easier than other kinds of owner financing. Since a rent to own is easier to understand and structure, it tends to be more available nowadays. Rent to own terms is at least 12 to 24 months and some even as long as 48 months, giving you enough time to resolve whatever credit issues you may have.

2. You are not obligated to purchase the property, remember that this is an option offered by the homeowner to you. In most cases, this will benefit you. Instead of throwing rent out, it’s much better to consider getting rental credits and a locked in purchase price. Aside from ensuring that you and your family will have a home to call your own, this is also a wise investment, since acquiring a property is a very good real estate investment.

3. On average, the monthly payment and the down payment is lower compared to other types of owner financing. You do not quite shoulder the responsibilities of ownership until you bring your own financing.

     Rent-to-own has become very common in today’s real estate market. If you are in search of a new home, this deal could be beneficial for you. You might want to consider it this way; a rent to own surely works for you because as soon as you decide to buy the home, you need not spend more money on moving costs since you are already settled in comfortably.  Consider the money on rent as your monthly investment towards owning a home for you and your family.

Should you Buy or Rent your Home?

Everyone wants to own their own home. Although it is a big expense, we focus on the fact that when the mortgage is finally paid off we will be the proud owners of a property that will hopefully be worth far more than what we bought it for many years previously.

But is buying your home really all it’s cracked up to be? Many people think that renting a property is a waste of money, because you aren’t investing in ownership of the property itself, but there are advantages of renting which should be considered before you make the decision to buy.

Renting can be a good option if you plan to travel in the near future. Many young people rent a flat because it gives them the freedom to be able to move easily at short notice. If you own a house and you go travelling, you have to decide how you will continue to pay the mortgage while you are gone. The best option is to rent it out to someone else, but there is always the risk that the person you choose won’t have the same respect for your property as you do.

The question of affordability also needs to be considered. Mortgages vary widely in what they will cost you each month, and depending on the area you are looking at, your needs and your income, you will need to compare your estimated monthly payments for both a mortgage and the rental of a property, to see which option is the most affordable for you at present.

Some people simply like the flexibility that renting offers. Their work may take them to many different places for weeks at a time, in which case being able to move from place to place makes them feel more at home than staying in hotels would. If their work is freelance in nature and they work from home, renting gives them the chance to move to a completely new area to see what it’s like, before making the bigger decision to buy a home there.

If you are considering whether buying or renting is the better choice for you, think about your current circumstances and whether or not they are likely to change in the near future. Are you at a stage in your life where you want to settle down and have a home where you can do whatever you want?

In short, there are many factors which could affect your decision. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make, so it’s advisable to spend some time thinking about what you want before you make the leap.

Preparing Your Property For Rent

So you’ve decided you want to be a property developer and have got your hands on a house to renovate.
Congratulations! You’re just a bit of hard work away from having a property for rent and a good long-term investment.
Your goal is to make the house as attractive as possible to tenants, and ensure it maintains its value. As with any major project, you now need to do some research and planning to prioritize the work.
First off, what major existing problems are there in the house that need to be tackled? If you had a comprehensive survey done when you bought it, you should know the answer to this question already.
Are there problems with the structure of the property, including the roof and walls? These have to be your immediate priority. You won’t have a property for rent if it’s falling down!
Pay attention to important basics such as plumbing, central heating and the electrics.
Be aware that you may create major problems while doing renovations. It’s not unheard of for half a wall to come off with old wallpaper being stripped, or for major holes to be discovered behind old panelling.
It’s worth doing whatever needs to be done to secure your investment at this stage. You might find it harder and more expensive to perform structural repairs when you have tenants in, so think long-term with any work you do.
The good news is that most experts like roofers, timber and damp specialists will happily visit your property to check if their services are needed, and give you a written quote. Most will do this for no charge. This could give you huge peace of mind in preparing your property for rent.
Once the big jobs have been done, next you should look at the major areas that turn a house into a home. Even though people are only renting this private property from you, they will be delighted to see a clean and modern kitchen and bathroom. These are key rooms that will help to dictate how easily you will find tenants in the years to come.
If your budget is limited, look at the small details. Would it make a difference to your property for rent if you replaced the kitchen cupboard doors, or the bathroom taps?
It will certainly make a difference if you decorate. This is the most basic renovation you can do. And it’s important to get it right. You are looking to create a clean and warm but plain environment, that your tenants can personalise with their own belongings.
That means keeping your personal tastes out of it, and decorating in light, plain colours. Try to avoid wallpaper where you can and consider modern touches such as wooden floors or hard wearing carpet. The investment now should pay off for you in the long-term.
Once you have made the renovation plan for your property for rent, you next need to look at who will do the work and how. If there’s more than you can handle on your own, you’ll need to co-ordinate workmen.
Your goal with outside help is to get everyone in and out of the house at around the same time, to get the job done quickly. This will help you get rental income out of the property faster. Be aware that you will need to be a project manager and think through the logistics of the project. There’s no point getting the decorators in until the carpenters have finished.
And you need to consider what kind of budget you have to spend. Watch any property renovation TV show, and you’ll know how likely it is that the work on your property for rent is going to cost a lot more than you thought.
Have a contingency fund and be tight when you need to be. It’s the best way to ensure your house starts generating a profit more quickly.

Finding the Ideal US Office Space For Rent

Office space rental is about good decision making and balancing. Obviously you want office space that many people visit or go by on a daily basis, but there are downturns to that as well. With a commercial property that is used as space to rent quite often the building itself may not be in peak condition. So when looking at commercial property for lease you have to look at how busy a street is and how much commerce you get next to how dependable the building is. You certainly don’t want to end up spending a majority of your capital and profits on office repair.
Office space should be roomy. If you have to move in a copier, scanner and larger printer for example to do your work you may not have enough room depending upon how many other people you are working with. If you are a person that has trouble working in tight quarters make sure the office space you are being leased has plenty of room to move and walk around in.
Ball State University ranked the state of Missouri as the best state to own a commercial property in. This is due to the fact that the property tax rate in Missouri is comparatively low in the Show Me State. Missouri does level quite a luxury tax on the items that would be sold out of your office space for rent, but the buildings having caring owners. The owners care about their commercial properties in Missouri because the low tax rate reassures them that their investment very well could be successful. The city of St. Louis where you have passionate Cardinals baseball fans looking for things to do and companies like Scottrade who deal with a lot of wealthy investors would be an ideal place for a commercial property for rent given all that commerce.
It really does depend upon where your commercial property for lease is located and what the purpose of the office space for rent is as to whether it will be a successful venture or not. You’ve got a lot of building being rented out for office space during the political campaign season. The state of Minnesota has always had a high voter turnaround and a devout population of political junkies in the larger portions of the state in particular. So if you were to launch a statewide political campaign in Minnesota I would purpose finding several commercial properties for rent in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul for example.
If you are looking to involved in government and want to set up a lobbying for example, finding office space to rent in Washington D.C. is fairly easy for this purpose. Office space to rent in the District of Columbia is very expensive, but if you have enough clients to lobby for, you will welcome such an idea. Using your commercial property for office space purposes to a charity or other non-profit organization brings a lot of goodwill to whatever your cause is. Such moves would help with networking in large cities like Washington D.C. Also just because you are using your office space rental for a brief time now to set up a lobbying firm for example doesn’t mean the business won’t become more lucrative later and you might be able to buy the commercial property yourself.

How to Rent your Summer Home

It is great having a summer home, where you can retreat from the world as and when you please, isn’t it? But unfortunately all this comes at a price. If you too are finding the upkeep of your vacation home difficult, you should think of renting your summer home. Here are some things that you should know about renting your vacation home brought to you by PropertyQuestionsAnswered.com

1) Where to begin: In order to rent your summer home, it is necessary that you list it with various agencies. Some of these are:

• Your state tourism bureau

• Local travel agencies

• Area newspaper

• Area and accommodation guides

In addition to the above, you can also list your rental summer home on the Internet. There are various websites for rental summer homes where you can list your vacation home. These websites typically offer you two options for listing your summer home for rent. You can either go in for a text based listing where you are allowed to put up a two line description about your summer home, or you can go in for a photo page where you can describe your summer home fully and also upload few pictures of your vacation home. The websites generally charge you some fee for listing with them; find more on such resources at PropertyQuestionsAnswered.com

2) Prepare a contract: If you want to rent your vacation home, you should prepare a contract specifying the terms of rental. This contract should include:

• The duration of the rental

• The rent for the specified period

• The amount of deposit, if any

• Maximum occupancy in the vacation home

Any other individual terms that you may have should be included in the contract.

3) Accepting an offer: If you have received some offers for renting your summer home, you should not pick the first one. Here are some things to watch out for:

• Do the renter’s look trustworthy?

• Are they willing to care for your plants, if any?

• Have they agreed to pay the deposit?

• Are they willing to give you advance rent?

Once you get satisfactory answers to these questions, only then should you agree to rent your vacation home.

4) Offering tips and suggestions: In order to get your summer home on the most wanted list for rentals, you should provide some helpful tips and suggestions to prospective renters. You can make a small book that lists the various places to see around the area. You should list all the activities that are available to people. You can also tell them what temperatures and climactic conditions to expect at different times of the year, and how best to enjoy renting your summer home. You even need to list down all emergency numbers such as the plumber, electrician, etc.

5) End of rental period: Once the period for rental of your summer home has ended, you should ensure that the renters have not caused any damage to your home and leave it exactly as they found it. Any damages can be deducted from their deposit.

10 Reasons to Rent Before you Buy a Home in France

Rent before you buy 1.

If you want somewhere out ‘in the sticks’? away from everyone, just think what it will be like with a foot of snow and your car won’t start.

Rent before you buy 2.

How far is it to the nearest shops? Unless you make your own bread, you’ll need to shop every day. Power cuts aren’t un-heard of so what about that electric oven or bread machine you bake your bread in?

Rent before you buy 3.

If you want Internet access, is there ADSL available? Although this is becoming more widespread, it is by no means everywhere. Just try and remember what dial-up is like!

Rent before you buy 4.

You can check out the area in all weather conditions. What looks beautiful in the summer can be a nightmare in the winter.

Rent before you buy 5.

Although it’s rare, I have heard of some French neighbours being awkward and unhelpful. If you’re renting, you won’t be there long.

Rent before you buy 6.

How far from ‘civilisation?’ are you? Although it seems wonderful having a lot of space to yourself, it’s occasionally nice to pop into the local Tabac for an aperitif and catch up on the local news.

Rent before you buy 7.

Think of the rest of the family. If your spouse or children decide they don’t like living in France after all or have problems at school, it is a lot easier to cancel a rental agreement than sell a property. It happens.

Rent before you buy 8.French Long term lets are usually very reasonable compared to paying a mortgage.

Rent before you buy 9.

If you thought having somewhere with lots of land and your own forest would be fun, it will help you realise that you will have to maintain it all and hectares of pine trees are useless. You can’t even burn them…. Did you know pine is terrible for log fires?

Rent before you buy 10.

It will also help you decide what type of heating you prefer. With the price of oil and electricity rising continually, you will realise that a wood-burner is almost compulsory.

If you find you have made a mistake with your property purchase, it is an expensive business re-selling and buying again.

Ok so that was 11

Rent Before You Buy… In the words of Del-Boy, You know it makes sense!

The Business of Collecting the Rent

If you own rental income property, rent should pay the mortgage and the expenses of that property, even if you lease a single-family house. If you are an investor, a monthly positive cash flow is critical to owing investment property. Therefore, collecting the rent is a major part of your property’s success.

Collecting rent is a business, because it is what pays for your mortgage and the long-term maintenance of your building. It should be your priority. You may believe that you have your current collection efforts under control. Still, as long as you rent apartments, at some point in time, you will have a rent collection problem.

Today, there are strong state laws that govern, restrict, and outline how, why, and when you can collect your rent. For example, many rent control laws dictate how much rent you can charge, and the methods by which you can collect your rent. Evictions for non-payment of rent can be avoided if an owner develops and follows a few basic policies and procedures. The more consistent you are in maintaining your policies, the better your rent collections will be paid monthly and on time.

My advice is to review your expectations about how and when the rent is paid before you give your tenant the keys. Even if you use a lease, there is no substitute for an eye-to-eye discussion about how you want your property to be treated, and when the rent should be paid. It is important to have a meeting of the minds before you commit your apartment to a person or family that may intend to violate your rules.

The first policy is the date when the rent is due. Rent is usually due on the first day of each month, and is considered late on the second. There are landlords who allow a “grace period”. This is a period of time after the first of the month, which allows the tenant to cash his or her pay check and get a check or money order to you within the time frame you determine.

Landlords are not obligated to give a tenant a grace period. It is a courtesy extended to the tenant, not a right. My advice is to allow a grace period of no longer than three days from the first of the month. If the rent has not been paid by then, late charges or a lease termination notice should be processed.

The second tenant policy should state that you want your rent paid by personal check, certified check, or money order. Cash has a way of getting lost, or not recorded as a rent payment. Never take food stamps as rent payments, as this is a federal offense.

Third, make it clear that if your tenant gets behind in the rent, and you must start eviction proceedings, you will continue the case until the rent is paid in full. The tenant will do a better job of getting caught up with the rent if he or she knows that facing a judge could be the penalty.

Last, encourage your tenant to contact you when and if the rent will be late. Establish a good communication practice from the beginning. A landlord sometimes intimidates a tenant. Let the tenant know that you welcome their information; it could become a key element in ensuring prompt rent payments.

Rent collection should be considered the most critical part of being an investor or a homeowner with tenants. This is especially true even if you no longer have a mortgage. If you are not serious about collecting your rent, you give the impression that money is not really that important to you. When you do not insist that the rent be paid on time each month, or even in full, you are in effect, saying that you can get along without the rent.

If you do not articulate your expectations, or accept excuses as to why the rent is not paid every month with no ramifications, you will soon lose control of your rent collection efforts. Collect the rent as if your property is a for-profit business, and you can’t go wrong.

How will the Increase in Renting affect the Property Market?

January 22nd, 2010 FlatsForRent-London No comments

Of all the various markets that have been hit by the recession, few have been as totally and utterly decimated as the property and mortgage markets. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight and intense scrutiny by everyone from politicians to journalists to local shopkeepers as to the reasons for the economic collapse, it is far from a new theory to suggest that it was the unrealistic borrowing and lending in relation to, particularly, the property and mortgage markets that led to the recession. Broadly speaking, that can be taken as simple fact. However, whilst many are still debating the nuances of the economic collapse we experienced the rest of us have simply picked ourselves up and tried to cope with it as best we can. The good news is that, according to many in the property and mortgage industries, the first signs are recovery are now in sight. Although the recession is far from over – and the effects of it will certainly be felt for many years to come – there are some particular indications and trends in the housing market that show promising things, and some argue that one of these indications is the increase in renting. Whilst certain studies that have been recently published show that there is still plenty of interest in buying houses – viewing figures, for example, are increasing at a steady pace – it is no longer the buyer’s market it once was. This is generally because there is still a vast deficiency in mortgage credit, which in turn means far less sales. As a result of this many more properties are being put on the market for rent. London, which is often a reliable indicator of what is happening in other cities around the country, has seen an increase of one hundred and twenty eight percent (128%) in owners who are renting out their homes. For those unable to sell, letting out a house at least provides an income whilst the housing market takes its time to get back on its feet. One of the consequences of this increase in property available to rent means that rents have gone down almost across the board. The implications of this can be seen on a top property website, which has shown that the average amount in weekly rents in London can be seen to have steadily decreased over thirteen months, with each month showing a lower average than before. Whilst this is great news for renters wanting to negotiate a lower price with landlords, some economists say that this increase in rental property does not necessary mean that such activity levels will help to stabilise the house prices in the coming months. Unfortunately, a mixture of high unemployment levels and reluctance on behalf of buyers to purchase property seem to back up this notion. Other economists, however, are more positive and insist there are signs to show improvement. There have been, for example, steady rises in the number of house purchase loans approved since the end of winter, and, equally importantly, a number of banks are beginning to boost the mortgage market with new ranges of mortgages. The increase in renting, on the other hand, means little to most in the property market except for the fact that the journey back to the heights enjoyed just over a ago by the property and mortgage markets is going to be a very slow and arduous one. This article is free to republish provided the authors resource box below remains intact.

Invest In The Future

November 22nd, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

At 39 years of age I came into an unexpected inheritance. Not having experienced disposable income before I wanted to invest it wisely. I want to be able to enjoy this myself without jeopardising any inheritance that I could pass on to my own children. However, as soon as the news of my good fortune was out, advice came flooding in.
Put it in the bank, buy stocks and shares, set up a business as well as the sillier ones of putting it under the mattress! I took some time out to think about it and also to think about what i wanted to do with it.
I wanted an investment that I could see dividends from now rather than waiting for retirement. I decided, along with 50% of the UK’s homeowners, to invest in property instead of pensions. Property investment seemed like a good idea but with the security of banks looking rather precarious, mortgage rates rising again and the property market being unstable, I was unsure where to turn. Some research was in order.
I considered overseas investment properties. Rental rates were good. I could rent out a beach front apartment in the Caribbean and treat myself to regular diving holidays with the added benefit of income from renting out for the rest of the year. Or a property near the Black Sea. A beautiful up and coming holiday destination but people are still nervous because of the regions history.
I could keep back some of my inheritance and invest in a condo hotel in the US. This involved buying a room or a suite within a hotel and paying the hotel management to rent it out for me when I wasn’t using it.
If I wanted to stay nearer home I could buy land in the UK but with planning permission and councils being notoriously difficult was there the possiblity that I may just end up with a stretch of the next motorway running through my land, or worse still, losing it to compulsory purchase?
Not so keen on these last two ideas. I wanted to see, in bricks and mortar, what I was getting.
Being a rather distrusting person, I decided not to invest in an overseas property although I was reassured it was safe. Various locations in the UK come and go when it comes to investment trends. Except one. London – the financial capital of the world. It made sense.
City highfliers are in line for Christmas bonuses this year set to top 9 pounds billion. Thats a 15% increase on last year. Salaries of city workers are now, on average, 90,000 pounds with the rest of the country on 25,000. pounds Plenty of disposable income there!
Apparently, flats overlooking the Thames are now going for half a million and property values have risen at a rate of 20% this year in comparison with 8% for the rest of the country.
So, thats where I’m going for property investment. A nice little flat, overlooking the Thames, let to a City worker who’s main home is in the country. That leaves me with a steady income for as long as I need it and either a home in an affluent area at the end of it or a property to sell to leave my children with a comfortable inheritance.

Property Classifieds

November 14th, 2009 FlatsForRent-London No comments

Traditionally, property classifieds have appeared in local newspapers or in flyers that are meant to advertise estate agents. However, this is the old fashioned way to sell property and these days, you´ll find that you have far more success with online property classifieds.

You can even try to sell your property on your own, without the use of an estate agent. Advertising your house or flat online could be all you need to do to secure the sale at a fraction of the cost. This method would be a great idea if you are planning to move later in the year, you can post a classified ad and test the water. After getting a feel for the interest in your property you can make an educated decision on whether to bring in a estate agent or not.

The internet has made the entire world available to everyone. You can now list your property for sale in London and have someone in Columbia buy it! This opens up a world of possibilities for anyone looking to list property classifieds. Online is a better way to go because you expand your audience.

With property, it´s quite likely that you´ll have People interested from other countries. There are always those who dream of living in a foreign country, or perhaps a national who lives abroad and is thinking of coming home again. In either case, the internet allows you to reach these potential buyers through online property classifieds, drastically expanding your market and making it possible for you to get a higher price for your properties.

One of the big advantages of having your property advertised online is that you can often list for free, or a very low fee. Taking out an advertisement in the local paper will cost a pretty penny and if you want to take out a bigger ad with photos, etc. it will cost even more. Running a print property ad can be somewhat cost prohibitive, but going with online property classifieds allows you to have quite a few options, without having to pay a small fortune.

You will be able to list your property classifieds on more than one website, as well, ensuring complete exposure. Most people look online when they are interested in buying property these days, so you can easily make it work for you.

Tips and Tricks for Effective Property Classifieds

When you place a classified advert online, there are many advantages over print ads. For example, you have the search engines on your side. If someone is going to search on Google for property, they will probably have a specific area in mind. Using the words that they would search for in your ad will boost your chances of having people see the ad.

Not all services will allow the search engines to pick up the ad directly, but those that do will bring you some great traffic. Let´s say you have a property for sale in Cardiff, in this case you would want to include “Cardiff property” or something similar in your ad. This will help the search engines find your particular listing when someone searches for Cardiff properties and they will be taken to your property classified.

Using photos is a great way to boost your views. Most people interested in buying property are looking to see what it is like. Whether you have some land or a home for sale, your potential buyers will probably skip your property classifieds unless you include at least one photo. This gives people an idea of what the property looks like and will let them know almost instantly if they are interested in it.

Let people know in your advert if you are open to negotiation. This will open doors for you and make it possible to bring in more possible buyers who might be interested in negotiating. If they aren´t happy with your stated price, they´ll feel more comfortable giving a counteroffer if you mention it in the classified.

Using a good title will also draw people in. Don´t just say “Beautiful Property”. That doesn´t give them any reason to check it out. But using something more informative, like “4 Bdrm, 2 bath home in Cardiff” will catch their attention faster and bring in more viewers. One of whom might be your future buyer.

For anyone interested in selling their property, online property classifieds are an excellent way to go. You expand your market and make it possible to bring in clients from anywhere in the world. This makes it easier to get the price that you want, as well, since you´ll be able to pick and choose from potential buyers.