Buying a rental property that you may be able to start earning money from immediately can seem appealing. However, seasoned investors warn these types of investments aren’t always what they seem.
Instead of properties being in good condition for tenants, sellers of move-in ready or turnkey rentals may skip repairs they don’t deem essential. The result may be more frequent tenant turnover and a host of other potential problems.
If you own another property, you might be able to secure a line of credit with the equity in that home. Loans secured with the equity in your primary residence are known as HELOCs or home equity lines of credit.
The added security of pledging an asset to the lender as collateral may help you secure a lower interest rate. Yet although they can be a cheaper way to borrow, lines of credit (especially HELOCs) come with added risk. If something goes wrong and you can’t keep up with your monthly mortgage payment, the fast cash payday loans Dyersburg bank or credit union might foreclose on the property you pledged as collateral when you took out the loan.
Seller Financing: When you make payments directly to the property owner instead of financing your purchase through a lender, standard mortgage rules don’t apply. This type of arrangement is known as seller financing , and it’s rare.
Sellers don’t have minimum down payment requirements they’re required to follow. Rather, sellers ount they’re comfortable accepting. Interest rates on seller financing agreements tend to be on the high side, but you might be able to negotiate a lower down payment in exchange. It all depends on what that seller feels is fair.
Refinance: Whether you want to refinance an investment property or your primary mortgage, you may be able to tap into the equity you’ve built up in another property. This is known as a cash-out refinance.
If you qualify for a cash-out refinance, you may be able to access a significant portion of your property’s value. For non-owner occupied homes, your loan-to-value ratio could be as high as 75%, depending upon the lender and various factors.
However, a cash-out refinance can be risky. If something goes wrong and you can’t afford to maintain your monthly payments, you’re risking the property you borrowed against when you took out the loan.
Credit Cards: Technically, you may be able to use a cash advance from a credit card (or multiple credit cards) to purchase an investment property.
Your credit scores could also suffer if your credit reports show a high balance-to-limit ratio on your personal credit card account(s).
An option to using your personal credit cards, business credit cards can help you build business credit-as well as an easily accessible source of borrowed capital. You can keep an eye on yours for free with Nav .
With a self-directed IRA, you have the option to make investments beyond typical stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. These alternative investments might include precious metals, businesses, and real estate.
To use this method, start by opening an IRA with a custodian that services self-directed accounts. Alternatively, you can open a checkbook IRA account and manage the investment, record-keeping, and IRS reporting requirements yourself. Either way, you need to learn the rules and understand the risks if you plan to use this approach to invest in real estate.