Investing | Real Estate Investing Basics

Learn all you can about the real estate industry. Seek to become an expert in real estate investing. Understand the terminologies used: different lease options, wrap mortgages, short sales and other terminologies used. Don't just seek to know the financial benefits of investing in real estate; seek to understand all the risks involved as well, so that you can know how to minimize the risk.

Know where to find the right kind of sellers. The first place to search is on top real estate investor networking communities. Browse through their sites to find the houses available for sale and the terms. From here, you can talk to a realtor. Your realtor should be experienced and good at making deals. Ask him or her to refer you to two or three brokers. Decide on which among them you will use based on their experience, the options they lay down for you and their ability to get you good financing solutions.

Understand what it takes to get a good deal on property. For instance, an opportunity may arise where you buy a house at a price below the market value. Granted, there has to be a reason behind this, and often, it is because the house is rundown. Calculate how much you would spend on renovations and see what it amounts to when added to the initial cost. Consider other factors such as market value and location to determine whether it is a real deal or not.

Invest in property that is in demand. Buy property that ensures immediate cash flow, whether through leasing or reselling. This is where the money is in real estate investing. Although flipping, or buying a house to renovate with hopes of reselling, can be profitable, you can never be sure. You may end up selling it for much less than the cost of purchase and renovation.

Get a mentor who has been in the business for much longer and has a trail of successful deals behind him or her. They will be able to give you guidance, share their experiences and offer advice on the dos and don'ts of successful business operation.

Work with a team of experienced professionals in the real estate world. Have a good mortgage broker, a real estate attorney, insurance broker, accountant and a marketing representative to take care of advertising.