The process of analyzing real estate deals did not come easily, even to the top real estate investors in the market. As a beginner, you will have to attend a few open houses, look up a few investment properties for sale online, and perform a real estate investment analysis before you get to the perfect property deal for you. In this post, we will also discuss some techniques of analyzing real estate investment so that you can analyze it quickly. So let’s start;
- Conduct Location Analysis
- Cash flow
- Analyze the Capitalization Rate
- Analyze the Cash on Cash Return
Conduct Location Analysis
First things first. I can’t possibly start teaching you how to analyze real estate deals without talking about location. This is where your first step to success starts. In terms of location, there are two main steps:1) you need to determine the overall location of the property, and 2) you need to pinpoint the ideal neighborhood for you. Both are simple enough but easy to overlook.
1: You pick a location
Deciding the location of your investment properties comes down to your goals. Are you looking for a short-term return, or are you okay with investing in a home that you might not appreciate as quickly? How much work are you willing to put into the property? Will you be able to manage the maintenance? With a wide range of real estate options available, it’s important to evaluate all of your options before choosing a path.
2: Start Analyzing
To make the best investment, we must look into the housing market of the area we want to invest in. It doesn’t mean that you have to live in the area for a long time before deciding. All you need to do is consider the housing market trends and the real estate factors. Investments differ from one another, and it is advised that you talk with an experienced real estate agent who will advise what kind of properties you are expected to appreciate.
Cash Flow
Cash flow – or the movement of money into and out of your real estate investments – is the most important aspect of your investment decisions. When searching for a property, you can use cash flow reports to find potential properties.
We can define cash flow as the amount of income minus any expenses in the simplest terms. For example, suppose a property outside of San Francisco earns $1400 in rent each month and has monthly expenses of $1500. In that case, the cash flow is -$100 since there is a negative difference between the income and expenses of the property. Energy represents the largest line item associated with rental properties, usually accounting for over 50% of all operating costs, so you must factor this into your cash flow calculation.
Analyze the Capitalization Rate
The capitalization rate is used to help investors assess their investment property. To calculate this metric, you need the cash flow generated by the property and the purchase price of the property in question. Take the annual amount of cash flow and multiply it by 12 to get a stream value. You then divide that number by the property’s purchase price to come up with a percentage. It is important to compare this figure to other investments when determining whether or not a given investment property is worth purchasing.
Analyze the Cash on Cash Return
Cash on cash return is one of the major metrics in real estate investing. This coefficient quantifies the percentage return on an investment property based on its operating income. If you are looking to assess a real estate deal, the cash on cash return is a simple formula you can use to understand its potential. The main thing to remember about using this coefficient is that it must be applied only when you have a single net operating income number.
