Before buying a new investment property, you should always consider the difference between residential and commercial real estate investing. Depending on your financial capabilities, expectations and investment plans, you will have to decide which is more profitable for you. Most people will invest in residential property, as this appears to be a safer endeavor that requires less money, however, if you have the means, commercial property can be very profitable. You should also consider that while traditional residential property investments may not have very high returns on your investment, repossessed or repossessed properties, can give you a net return of up to 12-15%.

Property Types for Residential and Commercial Investment

Houses with four units or less, for rent to private tenants are usually considered residential property. You can invest in buy-to-let residential properties, which means you’ll earn a rent each month, or you can buy the property solely for resale in the future. Residential property investments vary from more traditional buy-to-let investments somewhere near your own home to investments in offshore real estate, below market value properties or foreclosed homes. Commercial properties are for businesses, and include a wide range of properties, from apartment blocks and office buildings to hotels, restaurants, warehouses, and industrial buildings, just to name a few. Managing a relatively small residential property is definitely simpler than managing a commercial property, where you will often need a professional real estate management company to help you.

Researching the Real Estate Market

While you will always need knowledge of the property market and current conditions to make a successful investment, residential properties are easier to research and assess. It is relatively easy to compare different residential properties, their prices and investment potential in a given area. However, commercial properties are often unique and require specialized knowledge to accurately appraise and to establish an investment plan.

Risk & Results

Residential property is generally considered a low-risk investment. They also tend to be much cheaper than commercial properties and will therefore be more affordable, especially if you are just starting to build your investment portfolio. However, the relatively low risk and low purchase price also mean that your returns are lower, and your return on investment will primarily come from an increase in the value of your capital.

Commercial property, on the other hand, carries a higher risk, but also a higher potential return. The much higher prices also mean that for private investors, only collective investment schemes are affordable for larger commercial property investments. The relative uncertainty of the commercial property market will also carry more risks. While residential property prices generally double every 10 years, this is not the case for commercial properties. You can expect net returns of up to 7-10% for commercial properties, which is higher than the net returns from traditional residential property investments, and most of your return on investment will be in the form of rental income.

Rent Property

A successful investment plan for commercial and residential properties is to rent them out. Residential rents tend to be much shorter, usually around a year, and private renters are often perceived as less reliable than businesses. Landlords will be responsible for paying for repairs, which may incur unexpected additional costs. Commercial properties, on the other hand, are leased for a longer period of time, 5-10 years is not uncommon, and the annual increase in rental yields will be more significant. Businesses are also often seen as more reliable tenants and commercial tenants are generally required to pay for repairs. You should also consider that while commercial properties can provide you with a safe and high rental income, it is also much more difficult to find commercial tenants.

Exit Strategy for Residential and Commercial Properties

One investment plan is to rent out your property as described above. However, property flipping, or future resale can also be a profitable strategy with both types of investments. Residential properties can be sold fairly simply to another investor or someone who intends to occupy the home, and as long as the property is in good condition and in a well-chosen location, you can usually sell it for a much higher price. the price of the original purchase value. Commercial property can get earn big profits, but the resale process is more complicated. The property must be sold to another investor or group of investors, and must have a successful and profitable record, in order to be attractive to buyers for investment purposes.

1. What’s Your Type?

There are many types of commercial property that you can purchase including:

o Office
o Retail Space
o Warehouse Facilities
o Restaurant
o Commercial Condo
o Strip Mall

The first step is to clearly define what type of property you want to buy and how you want to use it. The following information will help you maximize your investment dollars to get the best deal when buying your property.

2. Build Equity With Your Investment

Equity is Money

Building equity is the main reason if not the main reason to buy instead of renting commercial property. Let’s face it. It’s money in the bank. In fact, it’s better than money in the bank because you can’t get the same returns when you put your money in the bank than when you build equity. Additionally, if you choose the right financing for your commercial real estate purchase, you can not only build equity through ownership, but you can also leverage your capital savings to grow your business, hire additional employees, or even purchase additional locations when the time comes. .

Owning beats renting because you can sell your investment once you’ve outgrown the space or sold the business. Even if commercial property in your area isn’t valued (which is unlikely), you can recoup your investment by renting out the space after you’ve moved and by selling it at the right time.

If you are planning to expand your building, buy something larger than your current needs, and rent out the extra space until you need it for expansion. This will provide you with a steady income that you can use to help pay your mortgage or invest in your business.

3. Calculate Your Savings And Your Profit Potential

Lower Monthly Payment

Consider buying commercial real estate as savings for your business. Real estate costs are the third largest business expense, behind salaries and taxes. Long loan amortization means that your monthly payments could be less than what you would pay for the rent, because landlords usually charge more than their monthly loan payments. In other words, owning your own commercial property can actually be more affordable, depending on current market conditions.

Ask your lender to provide you with an analysis of the current market in your area so you can see which scenario is best for you (rent or buy). The lender should be able to explain your options in detail with examples of monthly rent vs monthly loan payments and the benefits of each.

Rent Value Analysis

Once you’ve found the property that interests you the most, find out the current status of the tenant (if it’s a multi-tenant property) in terms of how much rent they’re paying. Check the current market to see if the rent is undervalued, meaning below what you can get in the market today. Your realtor or lender should be able to help you figure out how much you can charge for rent and determine how much profit you can make each month.

Tax Advantage

There are many tax advantages to being a commercial property owner. In most cases, you can deduct some of the value of the building at tax time, as well as the increase you make as depreciation, which can save you more money on your taxes. Buying property in the name of your business or company is also a better tax strategy than in your personal name.

4. Do Your Research

The more you can learn about property types and options, mortgages, financing, zoning, and renovations; the better positioned you are to make wise decisions regarding commercial property acquisitions.

However, you don’t have to know everything. That’s where putting together a strong team of professionals who are proficient in their area of ​​expertise may be your most important step. Building a team of advisors – people you can trust to point you in the right direction is critical to your success.

Understand Current Market Conditions

Keep your eyes open for news articles relating to the commercial real estate market. Is it “hot” now? Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market? What types of interest rates are available?

The internet is a great place to start. Doing a Google search for “the commercial real estate market,” for example, will give you results that include news and resources for national trends, analytics, and market research.

In addition, many realtors, lenders, and attorneys across the country offer free and timely articles on their websites explaining current commercial real estate trends nationwide.