Real Estate Information

How to Calculate Real Estate Rehab Profits


If you are investing in real estate you will face a variety of challenges. First you have to find the right property. Finding the right property is a combination of personal preferences and opportunities involved in a real estate deal. My most important real estate investment principle is; "You make money with real estate when you buy the property not when you sell it". This means that I wouldn't touch a rehab property where the purchase price is not below 65%-70% of the market value.

Why do you need such a low price to make it work? This is quite simple. A common guideline among investors is that you must make at least $10,000 to make it worthwhile. Remember you're an investor and not a handyman. Rehab projects last typically 4-6 months, sometimes even longer. You don't want to end up making minimum wage as a handyman after the project is done. Quite frankly this is not uncommon for first time investors.

Real estate investment is all about numbers. If the numbers are right you must make every mistake in the book to turn your project into a financial disaster. That's why you must buy the property as cheap as possible. Selling the property is your least problem. First you have to put together a budget. Here's a little example.

Property A is located in a decent neighborhood with average home resale values of $150,000. That's what our property will appraise after the repairs are done. We also take out a hard money loan with 4 points and 12% (interest only) for 100% of the purchase price. We calculate that the property will sell for $150,000 in 6 months. There are about $10,000 in repairs you have to take care of.

Property A

Purchase Price $100,000

Purchase Closing Cost $8,000 (fees + 4 points)

Holding Cost $6,000 (6 months of interest)

Repair Cost $10,000

Insurance, Utilities $2,000 (you need a vacant property insurance which is more expensive)

Selling Closing Cost $13,000 (6% realtor fee of $150,000 + closing cost)

Total $139,000

Selling Price $150,000

Expenses -$139,000

Total Profit $11,000

This is just a very simple example, but I hope you get the picture. Keeping track of the numbers is essential in real estate investment. In the example above just imagine what happens if you spend more money for the repairs or you have to sell the property for less money. Even worst if you can't sell the property within 6 months and after 9 months you sell it for less money. Not only did you loose on the selling price you had 3 months of interest piling up as well.

When you're investing in rehab properties you have to have an exit strategy. My exit strategy is, to rent the house and refinance the hard money loan if I can't sell the property after 6 months for the price I'm asking for. This will cover my monthly expenses and I have more time to sell the property when the market is better. Actually converting a rehab property into a rental can be a very profitable choice of real estate investment. Friends of mine are doing quite well with this strategy.

Bottom-line; crunch the numbers, make a budget, keep track of your expenses and have an exit strategy. Having this in place you're good to go.

Peter Dobler is a 20+ year veteran in the IT business. He is an active Real Estate Investor and a successful Internet business owner. Learn more about real estate investments at http://www.suncoastrenttoown.com or send a blank email to mailto:suncoastrenttoown@getresponse.com


MORE RESOURCES:

CORRECTING and REPLACING The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies ...
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
ANNOUNCES ACQUISITIONS DURING FIRST HALF 2008 TOTALING NEARLY $1.7 BILLION The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc. today announced that the ...
Sunrise Real Estate Group, Inc. Will Restate the Previous ... MSN Money
all 12 news articles


Fitch Ratings Affirms Gramercy Real Estate CDO 2005-1
MarketWatch - 3 hours ago
Gramercy 2005-1 is a revolving commercial real estate (CRE) cash flow collateralized debt obligation (CDO) that closed on July 14, 2005. ...


Van Meter Real Estate pays $1.8M for Cool Springs office condo
Bizjournals.com, NC - 6 hours ago
Van Meter Real Estate has purchased an 8095-square-foot office condo for $1.8 million in the newly developed Carothers Park in Cool Springs. ...


Tampa Bay Crown Jewel "Bella Sol" Condominiums to Sell at Real ...
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
JP King Auction Company, the nation's leading real estate auction marketing firm specializing in high-value properties, is managing the sale. ...


MLive.com

NRC Realty Advisors Inc. to hold largest new residential real ...
MLive.com, MI - 11 hours ago
by Carol Marshall | Michigan Business Review Chicago-based NRC Realty Advisors Inc. will hold the largest new residential real estate auction in Michigan's ...


The Risks of Real Estate
Motley Fool - 8 hours ago
But every now and then, I'll run into someone who's just as excited about real estate. It can be hard to argue with someone who's realized significant gains ...


Leading Real Estate Company Withdraws From UK Trade Body Over ...
MarketWatch - 10 hours ago
MARBELLA, Spain, August 21, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A leading real estate company has withdrawn its membership of the UK's National Association of ...


Real estate slide continues in July
Aspen Times, CO - 1 hour ago
GARFIELD COUNTY — The real estate market continued to slide last month in Garfield County compared to the year before. Sales in July tumbled 57 percent ...


Boston Globe

AM Best Special Report: More Bank Failures Expected As Real Estate ...
MarketWatch - Aug 20, 2008
Regulators expect bank failures in the near term to increase, partly due to some banks' concentration in real estate loans and construction and development ...
Dear FDIC: I Want a Better Mortgage, Too Motley Fool
all 348 news articles


Alabama Power picks Leigh Davis to head real estate department
The Birmingham News - al.com, AL - 2 hours ago
Alabama Power Co. said its chief information officer, Leigh Davis, has been picked to lead its department that manages the utility's real estate needs. ...
Alabama Power names new department head Montgomery Advertiser
all 2 news articles

Real-Estate - Google News

home | site map
© 2006