Beginner’s Guide to Investing in Real Estate: The Three Important Step

17 mins read

Are you at a point in your life where you’re looking for ways to supplement your income beyond the average salary you’d get from working 8 hours at a company? Most likely, you are, and you are tired of all the books and talks about how to save money and become wealthy.

What if I told you that there is another way to triple your money in addition to saving and traditional business ventures?

Yes, you read that correctly, and it is achieved through investment.

There are many ways that the internet can show you, and one of them is investing in real estate. And the best time to begin is right now!

There are numerous advantages to investing in real estate. Investors can experience consistent cash flow, outstanding returns, tax benefits, and diversification with excellent assets, and real estate can be leveraged to build wealth.

Millionaire Andrew Carnegie famously stated that real estate is where 90% of millionaires make their money. And I can assure you that this is still the case.

Real estate is a unique financial asset that is easy to comprehend and can improve an investor’s risk-to-reward profile. Real estate provides income, tax breaks, equity building, profitable expense returns, and inflation protection on its own.

Whether you invest in physical properties or Real Estate Investment Trust, real estate can help you diversify your portfolio and reduce fluctuation.

If you’re interested in learning more about real estate investing, I’ll take you to a step-by-step real estate investment guide where I’ll go over the fundamentals and layout the templates for how to prepare for and invest in real estate.

Believe it or not, everything I’m about to say is something you can start working on right now. You must use these techniques and put them to use as soon as possible if you want to make a lot of money.

First Step: Conduct your Real Estate Research

“Why do I need to?” you might think. “As a starting point, I’m reading your article.”

Let me tell you something, what you’re reading right now is only a small part of what real estate has to offer. Real estate is a complex and large industry, and there is a lot more to learn about it, especially if you plan to get into it.

The first major thing to consider when buying real estate is doing a property title search, where you will need the help of your team on step #3. You must remember this and always put this on your research list.

Either you’re fresh to real estate or a seasoned pro, knowing how to research real estate markets is essential.

When studying how to analyze real estate markets, you must consider both the macro and micro levels, with the macro representing the overall market and the micro representing particular neighborhoods with investment properties.

Real estate investors are frequently advised to start with the macro before moving on to the micro.

To find a profitable real estate market, you’ll need to research the city’s demographics, overall economy, and the job market. Recognizing these statistics will aid you in determining whether or not a city is a good place to invest.

Economic factors are essential to consider because they can help an investor analyze the rental market. Young people and young adults alike are drawn to a city with a growing economy and an increased job market. This could lead to a rise in the demand for rental property.

How to Pick a Target Market

With price levels so high in many areas, you might wonder whether you should invest locally or in a new market?  It’s an excellent question because the market you select could have a significant impact on your end product.

For most people, it is preferable to find a location close to home. Do you want to have a head start on your market? Do you want a location that is more convenient and effective? Because you are a local, you have all of these.

When costs in your community appear to be far too high, you can still try a few local options before taking a look elsewhere.

First, take a one-hour drive. Suburban areas of large cities are frequently far more cheap and affordable for investment.

Second, within your entire market, search for lesser niche areas. Condos, small houses, tax liens, and note investing are some of the niches that can still be lucrative in high-priced markets.

However, whether you invest locally or elsewhere, you must often conduct a market analysis first.

How to Get Prequalified

Real estate investment is a good deal, but it is not simple. Have you ever gotten something without having to work hard for it? No right?

The mortgage company will evaluate your financial circumstances and grant you an assessment of how much you can afford when you get prequalified for real estate investment. Bear in mind that the portion you can purchase might be less than the bank is likely to offer you.

Prequalification implies whether you reach the lowest possible requisites for a loan and how large that loan may be, instead of the maximum lending amount which could also help you hang on to your budget range.

So, for those who aren’t sure if they’re financially ready for homeownership, let me tell you that pre-qualification is essential.

You may need to get pre approved instead if you’re optimistic in your financial situation or have already been pre-qualified. You can then purchase that pre-approval over to a few other banking institutions to see if they can meet or outplay those conditions.

Second Step: Identify your Financial Stage

Real estate investing is merely a means of enhancing your financial situation. So, before we get into the nitty-gritty of real estate, consider your overall financial situation.

The majority of new investors hope to achieve financial stability in the future. Consider this the high point of the hill, in which your living costs are entirely covered by investment income.

Whether you invest in real estate or something else, the basic principles of ascending are the same. Simply improve your income price to get to the top of the hill way quicker. You can then put your savings into your preferred assets, such as real estate.

I strongly advise you to take the following steps to help you enhance your financial resources and build a strong investing profile:

Build Your Credit

This is one of the steps you can take right now. If you don’t yet have a credit card, you should get one as soon as possible.

Now to have a build good credit, you must do the following:

  • Always Pay On Time
  • Pay Off Credit Card on Full
  • Don’t Open Multiple Accounts at the Same Time
  • Reuse Your Old Credit Cards 
  • Check Your Credit Report Regularly

Save Your Money

The truth is that you simply cannot invest in real estate without any money down, no earnings, and no credit card.

So, to make ends meet, you’ll need to not only spend wisely so that you don’t splurge your earnings, but you’ll also need to figure out ways on how to make extra income.

I know it sounds obvious, and yet people ask me at least once a day, “How can I buy real estate with little or no money?” and the answer is always a resounding “no, you can’t.”

Include Revenue on Tax Return

The Internal Revenue Service keeps a closer eye on tax returns that include Schedule E than those that don’t. As a result, it’s critical to keep detailed records. This implies that you’ll need years of good credit before you commit to real estate, so you should start working on it now.

For instance, suppose you have a good month on Shopify and want to use it as a down payment. Let me assure you that it will not be permitted.

Before a lender grants you a loan, lenders want to see that you can afford to consistently pay the agreed-upon sum each month through proof of a stable income.

Third Step: Evaluate Property Investment

Your property investment criteria define how much it signifies to have a wise buy for you and others. I suggest writing an investment profile that you can discuss with prospective mates, shareholders, and lead sources such as real estate agents.

Two major classifications must be described in your written investment profile:

  • Target property– any real property and enhancements rented, utilized, managed, or occupied by Target or its Subsidiaries, whether owned directly, indirectly, or beneficially.
  • Target terms– Also known as the figures or amount

Once you select a specialty within your entire market, your target property becomes more clear. A niche is defined as a section of the market that you concentrate on.

Your criteria may change over time. Mine, for one, has. However, for the time being, prefer a few other simple investment property criteria that you can enjoy living with. 

After that, proceed to the next step. You can always return if you discover that your standards need to be adjusted afterward.

Develop Your Team

Real estate is similar to a sport, and what makes a sports game successful? A team, to be sure. You don’t want to go into real estate alone, just like you wouldn’t go into a battle on your own.

You may not need staff members but you will require independent contractors and consultants who can assist you in their fields of expertise.

If the prospect of managing such a team makes you uncomfortable, you might prefer a different type of investment.

According to the book Millionaire Real Estate Investor, the following is a list of the key team members you’ll need:

The Inner Circle

Your intimate, closest team members, such as your spouse, friends, family, business partners, or personal mentors, fall into this category.

The Support Circle 

These are the people who assist you with crucial, current projects from your contractual or critical relationships. Your property manager, attorney, lender, or public accountant could all be on this list.

The Service Circle

This group is made up of the functional partnerships you’ve established for the tasks you’ll need to complete for your investments. These are also necessary for property renovation and management. Your electrician, home inspector, plumber, painter, yard service, and other professionals may be included in this circle.

You’ll have the opportunity to find the best key team members if you collaborate with other real estate investors who also share your interests. 

Create a Plan to Find Deals

Finally, I’ll take you to the last section.

Do you recall how I said that good deals don’t just fall into your hands? So, allow me to repeat myself.

Looking for a good bargain is similar to going on a scavenger hunt. Before you locate a real treasure, you must turn over dozens upon dozens of stones.

To find great real estate deals, I recommend the following two sub-steps.

Marketing Budget

If you only have 0 amount to invest in the business, you’ll get resourceful and strategize how to spend more personal time. It’s more difficult this way, but not impossible. 

You should be able to generate feasible marketing campaigns with around $500 per month. And for $1,000 more than per month, you can stand out in your market.

As an entrepreneur, perhaps one of my finest investment returns has always been in branding. However, you must carefully select those dollars by implementing the appropriate marketing campaigns.

Marketing Campaigns

There are numerous advertising campaigns from which to choose. And, since marketing is imprecise biology the most efficient advertising shift with the airflow. 

As a result, I suggest thoroughly testing various campaigns and then sticking with what works.

Decide on a rough marketing expenditure and one or two marketing strategies, to begin with, after which you can begin your actual actions.

Take Away

As much as you might be aware, as a beginner, having too much knowledge can work toward you. As such, I expect the specific actions outlined in this article provide you with a framework for getting started right away. 

You can eliminate overload and look past other annoying beginner difficulties like analysis paralysis if you do begin and keep ongoing.

And therefore, as you may be aware, these are only the first steps. Real-life is dynamic, and even your best plans will be tested and questioned in the crucible of reality. So, remain adaptable, continue to learn and unlearn, and most importantly, start investing

Louie Missap

I'm a real estate blogger and writer. I love helping people learn about the home buying and selling process. I've been through the process myself, and I know how confusing it can be. I'm here to help make it easier for everyone!

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