Rental Property As An Investment - Loan Love's New Article Provides Tips For Investing And More

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- LoanLove.com is a borrower advice website that provides detailed insights into the mortgage industry in a fun and entertaining way. The team at LoanLove.com is devoted to help empower both first time and experienced homeowners with valuable resources, first-class knowledge and connections to top-rated industry professionals and has the mission of helping consumers and borrowers to obtain the latest information on mortgage lending trends, the real estate market and the U.S. financial landscape in order to help them obtain a home loan that they will love. The loan advice website excels at providing readers and loan borrowers with essential advice when working with mortgage loans and refinancing through their many articles and guide videos. In one of their newer articles takes an in-depth look at rental property as an investment. Titled "Is Rental Property a Good Investment? (In TODAY'S Market)," Loan Love's article answers the question in the title while helping future investors unlock their investment potential with some helpful advice.

The article begins by saying: "The goal of investing in rental property is to earn a profit from the rent you charge to tenants. However, depending on the characteristics of the property, the market conditions at the time and the specifics of your situation, investing in rental property may or may not be a lucrative choice. That being said, is rental property a good investment in TODAY's market ? Here are some factors to consider…"

As the article points out, if there was ever a good time to invest in rental property or housing, now would be the time. Market conditions are shown to be more favorable to those looking to invest which Loan Love further explains: "According to housing market experts, now is one of the best times to invest in a rental property if you have the cash. Housing prices have dropped, making home and apartment purchases much more affordable for investors. In addition, mortgage interest rates are at an all-time low, so it's possible to make a handsome profit on a rental even if you need to finance it with a mortgage. The rental market is also ripe for investors. Rental rates continue to increase in virtually every major metropolitan area. Coupled with the affordable housing prices and the low cost of borrowing, investors who purchase rental units now are likely to have a healthy earning potential."

However, it also important to note that making an investment in rental property may not be for everyone, as the article points out. For example, properties in a low-income area may not draw in as much rent money as a similar property located in a higher income area. Loan Love adds that before investing, there are a few characteristics future investors should look for, such as the following:

• Price
• Renovation required
• Maintenance
• Location
• Vacancy issues

The article explains further on each individual characteristic and why they are important enough to consider before making an investment. In conclusion, the article advises: "Before you make a final decision, do plenty of research. Sit down and look over your options carefully. Estimate how much the investment will cost you and how much you are likely to earn. If you believe the investment will bring in enough money to make it worthwhile, go for it! On the other hand, if you think the purchase is too expensive or the profit isn't high enough, look for some other ways to invest your money."

To learn more on investing in rental property, please visit LoanLove.com.

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SOURCE LoanLove.com

RentalRoost rolls out ‘lifestyle-based’ real estate search engine nationwide (exclusive)

Finding a home isn’t just about what is in between its four walls — location also makes a huge difference.
Real estate startup Rental Roost launched nationwide today, with a new focus on helping renters figure out which neighborhoods suit their needs.
“Think of us as an eHarmony for rentals,” cofounder and CEO Nitin Shingate told VentureBeat. “Imagine how much more efficient your searches will be when you look beyond the usual criteria of bedrooms, bathrooms, and price. When you’re trying to find a place to live, isn’t that what actually matters?”
RentalRoost offers lifestyle-based search criteria. The engine combines your expressed preferences with social media data and “geo-location scoring algorithms” to figure out which lifestyle factors are most important to you and recommend homes and neighborhoods that suit those needs.
Today it unveiled its school-based search, where renters can select a school and see which properties fall within that district. Parents can also pick a property and see which district it falls in. RentalRoost partnered with GreatSchools to provide school ratings along with the listings.
RentalRoost also added an off campus housing search tool. College students can research properties by their proximity to over 9,000 public and private campuses, so they know how far that walk with a heavy backpack will be.
The site’s other lifestyle filters include kid-friendliness, transit options, dining, shopping, arts, and pet friendliness, as well as traditional criteria like price and number of bedrooms.
I tried searching for properties in San Francisco’s Mission. Some of the filters weren’t working, but the scores for walkability, schools, shopping, etc. were useful.
RentalRoost also provides detailed demographic information about neighborhoods, so people can look at charts with data about martial status, household income, occupations, gender breakdown, and even academic achievement.
Searching for an apartment sucks and there are a number of tech companies aiming to make it easier. In addition to RentalRoost, there are the big guys like Rent.com Zillow, Trulia, and Craigslist, as well as a slew of younger companies like ApartmentList, Urban Compass, RoomHunt, Padmapper, Zumper, and Cozy.
It is a crowded and competitive market, and the newcomers try to distinguish themselves with special features and specific focuses.
ApartmentList and RoomHunt have options for roommate hunting, and Cozy and Zumper help realtors and landlords streamline their listing process by enabling online applications and appointments. Urban Compass assigns an actual human to meet you at apartment viewings and offer helpful advice about neighborhoods.
RentalRoost aims to carve out a niche by helping with neighborhood search, as well as housing search.
The company launched its pilot in the Bay Area in September and is now available throughout the U.S., although it has the highest volume of listings in Las Vegas, Houston, Jacksonville, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Chicago, Tucson, Orlando, Columbus, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.
RentalRoost’s “sister site” Houserie provides a tenant screening service for landlords.

Invel to Buy Pangaea in Largest Greek Real Estate Deal

Invel Real Estate Partners agreed to buy most of National Bank of Greece SA’s real estate unit for 653 million euros ($882 million), betting on a recovery in the country’s economy.
The sale of the 66 percent stake in Pangaea Real Estate Investment Co. is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to a statement from London-based Invel today. Pangaea will probably have more than 1 billion euros of real estate assets at that time and it would be the largest ever Greek property transaction, Invel said.
The investment “demonstrates our confidence in the potential of this market and the recovery of the Greek economy,” Christophoros Papachristophorou, Invel’s founder and managing partner, said in the statement.
Greece is striving to attract foreign investment as the economy faces a sixth straight year of contraction. Pangaea, Greece’s largest real estate investment company, owns and manages nearly all of National Bank of Greece’s branches as well as the main offices used by the bank, the country’s oldest.
To contact the reporter on this story: Neil Callanan in London at ncallanan@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Blackman at ablackman@bloomberg.net