If you're in your mid-twenties or early thirties, chances are you're getting ready to buy your first house.
If you're a parent - you might be advising your kids on how to do this.
But this might just be a bad idea right now.
Don't get me wrong… I am an avid property investor.
And that's why I want to share with you this bit of advice…
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If there's no cash in a business, it's dead. The most recent spectacular crash in Steinhoff shares is proof of that.
It is no different for property.
If your property doesn't generate a positive cash flow - the investment is dead in the water.
Choosing to lose money isn't a valid investment strategy
It's all too often that I hear investors say “I'm not making money on the property ... ››› more
I'm sure you've heard it before - but you make money on a property the day you buy it.
That's because a good price means the rental income yield will be attractive, and it means your selling price can be competitive - whilst still raking in a profit.
That's why your homework before buying a property - and the negotiation process to buy the property are the single most important things you ... ››› more
I bought my first rental property at the age of 22. Luckily it turned out a great investment.
But since then I've learnt a lot.
Truth be told, there's a heap of things I wish someone had told me about when I first got started in property back then.
The time, the money it could've saved me... I sure as heck would have gone a lot further a lot faster if I'd had a clue about some things.
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Buying a house, renovating and then selling it (called "buy to flip") can be one of the most rewarding investments for property investors…
You buy an old home for say R1 million, spend R250,000 on renovations and then sell it for R1.6 million or more.
Most investors believe the biggest secret behind a buy to flip is getting the best deal on materials for your renovation.
That's the b... ››› more
I don't like having to look for new tenants, setting up rental contracts, or making sure payments have been made each month.
That's why I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to make my life easier.
And I've found just that.
Without dealing with an estate agent, or meeting up with a single person you can get:
Higher rental income than you currently get (7% on average)
Guaranteed ... ››› more
The JSE managed to etch up a 1.3% gain last week as there was very little driving markets. Volatility is at record lows yet uncertainty is high, the market is taking a wait and see approach.
Inflation came out a little higher in May at 5.4% versus 5.3% in April. This remains within the MPC's target range.
The Public Protector's report is being challenged and the Mining Charter kickback is... ››› more
Question by Limo Krafe:
Timon, you have no idea how depressed I am this past month.
I thought I'd try and invest in Bitcoin.
And I had everything ready for the trade of the century.
I had the strategy, the money, the account opened. But then I panicked and froze. I just didn't push that buy button to take the investment.
And today, I look at my account and I look at the Bitcoin chart,... ››› more
August is Women's Month. As South Africa celebrates the role women played in the liberation of the country against apartheid, the women of South Africa are now facing a new struggle. That's the fight for financial equality.
Not only is the investment world still largely dominated by men, a large number of households still rely on men for financial security.
The good news is that the stereo... ››› more
Right now there's a shift happening in the South African property investment space that's perfect if you're a property investor that wants to get your money into the rental property game.
Demand for buying property is falling quickly and more people are looking to rent property right now. This is because the weakening rand, banks tightening their lending criteria and the general increase in co... ››› more
Property buyers have more negotiating power - Now is the perfect time to invest in property
In the last few years, investors buying residential property for investment purposes were struggling to negotiate the price of the properties down.
That's because higher property prices were giving sellers all the negotiating power.
But there's a shift of power happening in the markets right now.... ››› more
“Investing in property doesn't make money any more. I should rather sell everything and put my money in the bank.”
That's the words of a friend of mine, Jaco, whilst we spoke about property investing the other day.
Jaco owns a number of properties but feels that he's not making enough money from them to keep on bothering investing in property.
The thing is, after investigating the ... ››› more
Whenever I look for a way to generate income, I ask myself three questions:
• How much is this going to cost me to start?
• How much effort will I have to put into this?
• How quickly can I make my money back?
These three questions are important. I know that most of us don't have money to waste investing in ideas that may, or may not work.
The good news is that I've done this... ››› more
Many homeowners can't afford to keep up with their bond payments thanks to the latest interest rate hike... And economists expect even more hikes over the next two years. That means there'll be an oversupply of properties on the market which means one thing - Bargain properties on the market!
You see, properties sold on auctions are about 30% cheaper than ones sold on the open market!
To fin... ››› more
Many investors are afraid of investing in property because they simply don't know how to get started and what to expect from their property investments.
The truth is investing in rental property is a great way to increase your monthly income and grow your long-term investment portfolio.
Today, let's look at three benefits of investing in property and why you should consider property rental... ››› more
I'm sure that you've heard so called experts around the braai tell you exactly what to invest in next, “My Uncle's boss's sister bought this share and today she's a millionaire.” Well, if that's where you get your investment information from then I'm seriously concerned.
You see its important to know what you're talking about when it comes to investing your hard earned money. That's why to... ››› more
Igor Marinkovic is a self-made millionaire property investor who captivated the audience at the FSP Invest Symposium 2014.
But it's not his exotic name or thick Serbian accent that caught the attention of the delegates.
In fact, unlike the other speakers, he didn't even have a fancy PowerPoint presentation. He merely used two pages of a flip-chart paper to explain his simple, yet highly effe... ››› more
I made a grave mistake when selling my first property.
I had an apartment which was on the market for about six months. I wanted to sell it because it was underperforming the rest of my portfolio in terms of rental escalations. And due to certain changes in the neighbourhood it was in I didn't expect a recovery anytime soon.
So, when the tenant I had in the apartment made an offer to purc... ››› more
Before you even think about financing your home, you need to know exactly what you want from it. There are certain steps you must take to find your perfect home. So start your buying process by considering the following important elements. What type of home will best meet your needs?
Buying a house is a long-term commitment. You don’t want to make the mistake of buying a property that you... ››› more
I can see the merits of investing in property. You buy property, you rent it out, you sit back and over the years watch the value of your property rise whilst receiving a monthly income from your tenants.
It's something I really wanted to do, but my lack of knowledge surrounding investing in property left me in limbo.
What I needed was a thoroughly comprehensive guide that would take me thro... ››› more