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ERA - Destin Florida Real Estate - Pensacola Real Estate - Pensacola Beach Condos for sale Your ERA Florida Real Estate Expert for Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key Real Estate. Gulf Breeze Florida real estate MLS Pensacola real estate Destin condos for sale Destin Florida Waterfront luxury homes Gulf Breeze, FL emerald coast realty Navarre Florida Gulf coast Beach Condos Pensacola Florida Real Estate Perdido Key Condos Licensed Florida & Alabama Broker Pensacola Florida, Destin, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach and all NW FL Gulf Coast Beach Communities. Direct (850) 439-1811 Toll Free (866) 906-1811 kim.gibbons@era.com Member Gulf Breeze & Perdido Key FL Chambers Owner Broker LOCAL REALTORS ® I'm a local ERA Real Estate Broker, ready to find you the Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach Waterfront Navarre, Destin Florida real estate or Perdido Key property that meets your specific needs. My Realtors are highly focused on these real estate markets for maximum results. I specialize in: residential homes, commercial and investment property. Types of properties include; luxury Gulf beach front condos, townhouses, waterfront land, luxury homes, Destin beach condos and new oceanfront homes construction. Click luxury homes or Navarre realty information from the Navarre FL realestate eSource. BUYERS I search the Destin and Pensacola Florida MLS Real Estate databases daily for real estate that matches your specific criteria. I then notify you immediately with the latest Destin or Pensacola MLS listing that meet your desired need. Choose Find Homes for Sale and fill in the requested information. I will contact you to confirm the specifics of the property you desire and then follow up with properties you can evaluate, its a breeze! You can also contact me to get automatic updates on homes or condos in the Pensacola and Destin FL areas that meet your specific criterion. MORE EMERALD COAST REAL ESTATE • Destin Condos • Fort Walton Beach Real Estate ˜ ˜ ˜ SELLERS Plan To List Your Property? Go with the Broker with the best internet presence! More internet exposure equates to more potential BUYERS! Our Commitment to You... If you plan to sell your real estate in the next few months, use my CMA evaluation. This free service is designed to help establish the current market value for your property. Simply choose Listing Property and provide the requested information. I will use comparable homes or condos that have sold in your area from the MLS to help you determine the fair market value of your home. When you list your home I make sure the public knows that your home is available for sale by using state of the art advertising and marketing approaches to attract potential buyers. Such as, immediate MLS listing, extensive internet and national directory exposure. Buyer from came to this Web Site in 2004! Marketing Strategy Presentation WHY KIM GIBBONS? 1) Huge Internet presence 2) Florida Licensed Broker, Associate 3) Experience, Multi Million Dollar Producer 4) Extensive Relocation Experience 5) A well defined Listing Sales Strategy , to sell your property! As a respected Emerald Coast professional, I am dedicated to providing the best service possible. Because our industry is becoming more sophisticated and challenging every day, I work hard to staying ahead of the competition to best represent YOU and your priorities! I am a Licensed Florida Broker , with that comes a better understanding and knowledge to better serve you. Most agents are not Brokers because the knowledge and testing requirements are very rigorous. I strive to determine your specific needs and work hard to get the results you deserve! Click here to find out more about listing your home ˜ ˜ ˜ Please use my web site to explore our Gulf Coast schools and NW FL communities to find the special neighborhood that best fits your likes and personal priorities. CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU WANT? I can show, sell and get you any additional listing information on realty and condos located in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Destin, Walton and all Counties of North and Northwest Florida. Contact Us MORE RESOURCES Click here to view our Realty Articles . Ivan has left it's mark on the Gulf Coast see Ivan Damaged Houses TIP OF THE WEEK Before you list your property, look at this weeks tip: FEATURED LISTINGS Please take a moment of your time to look at this weeks Featured Listings. 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A checklist for selling a house Geta Free Home Valuation Now Checklist for Selling a House Selling a house can be a very involved process.By keeping track of your progress with this checklist, you can eliminate many of the pitfalls, time delays andaggravations that can erupt at any time during the house selling period. Bookmark this page so that you can returnto it frequently and maintain control over the experience. House Selling Checklist Be an informed seller. There is a lot of information on this Web Site thatwill assist you and links to much more information. Numerous guides are available on specific subjects. (See "RecommendedReading" at the bottom of many pages). The Bookstore also has a number of recommended resources. Gather as much information as youcan to increase your effectiveness. Decide whether it is to your advantage to sell your house with an Agent or on your own . If you decide togo with an Agency, find an Agent in whom you can have confidence. Click here to choose an Agent in your area .You can compare backgrounds, experience, commissions and more. More information . Familiarize yourself on how to price your house . Pulling a price "outof the air" is almost never successful. If you would like comparable sales prices in your neighborhood, HomePrice.net can give you a report with up to 30 comparable sales, plus a neighborhood demographicprofile, nearby home owners and more. Or, HomeGain.com has a FREE servicewhich is designed to help you get an estimate of your home's value. Knowing how much your home can be worth isone of the first steps in beginning to market the property. Click here for more information. Know what you canand cannot change about your house . This allows you to concentrateon those items that bring the highest rewards. Spend time on the housepreparation phase --it will probably be the most productive timeyou can spend! For tax purposes, develop a record of all home improvements madeto your house. Decide whether or not to do a pre-listing house inspection . Have a yardsale before you list. Sell, donate, or trash everything you don't need. Decide whether you want to offer a Home Warranty with your house. Get familiar with financing options. Be at least as knowledgeable as your buyers. Develop an effective advertisingand marketing plan on your own or with your Agent. If you areselling on your own, ForSale by Owner has a complete menu of services that are available. More information . Know how to best showyour home . When it is time to negotiate, learn how to deal with offers and familiarize yourselfwith contracts . If you need to review an example of purchase offers, you can find forms for all statesat a reasonable price at FindLegalForms.com . Looking to buy another home? Check out our Home Buyer's Information Center before youbuy another home. You'll find hundreds of helpful hints and tips from the Buyer's perspective. Make moving plans early. Don't wait until the last minute! Know what is involved at closingand settlement . Smile and breathe a sigh of relief: It's over! HOME | Checklist | To-Do Lists | Set a Value | By Owner | With anAgent Preparation | Showtime | Research | More Links FreeHome Value Estimate Sell on Your Own CompareAgents. No Cost, No Obligation

INVESTMENT PROPERTY HISTORY OF

IAS Plus International Accounting Standards IAS 40, Investment Property Home Site Map Standards Interpretations Agenda Structure Newsletter Resources Countries/Regions Links Search STANDARDS: IAS 40 INVESTMENT PROPERTY HISTORY OF IAS 40 October 1984 Exposure Draft E26 Accounting for Investments March 1986 IAS 25 Accounting for Investments 1 January 1987 Effective Date of IAS 25 December 1999 Exposure Draft E64 Investment Property April 2000 IAS 40 Investment Property superseded those portions of IAS 25 that addressed investment property and withdrew IAS 25 1 January 2001 Effective Date of IAS 40 (2000) 18 December 2003 Revised version of IAS 40 issued by the IASB The summary below reflects the revisions. 1 January 2005 Effective date of IAS 40 (Revised 2003) RELATED INTERPRETATIONS Issues Relating to This Standard that IFRIC Did Not Add to Its Agenda SUMMARY OF IAS 40 Definition of Investment Property Investment property is property (land or a building or part of a building or both) held (by the owner or by the lessee under a finance lease) to earn rentals or for capital appreciation or both. [IAS 40.5] Examples of investment property: [IAS 40.8] Land held for long-term capital appreciation Land held for undecided future use Building leased out under an operating lease Vacant building held to be leased out under an operating lease The following are not investment property and, therefore, are outside the scope of IAS 40: [IAS 40.5 and 40.9] property held for use in the production or supply of goods or services or for administrative purposes; property held for sale in the ordinary course of business or in the process of construction of development for such sale (IAS 2 Inventories); property being constructed or developed on behalf of third parties (IAS 11 Construction Contracts); owner-occupied property (IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment), including property held for future use as owner-occupied property, property held for future development and subsequent use as owner-occupied property, property occupied by employees and owner-occupied property awaiting disposal; property that is being constructed of developed for use as an investment property (IAS 16 applies to such property until construction or development is complete). However, IAS 40 does apply to existing investment property that is being redeveloped for continuing use as investment property; and property leased to another entity under an finance lease. Other Classification Issues Property held under an operating lease. A property interest that is held by a lessee under an operating lease may be classified and accounted for as investment property provided that: [IAS 40.6] the rest of the definition of investment property is met; the operating lease is accounted for as if it were a finance lease in accordance with IAS 17 Leases; and the lessee uses the fair value model set out in this Standard for the asset recognised. An entity may make the foregoing classification on a property-by-property basis. Partial own use. If the owner uses part of the property for its own use, and part to earn rentals or for capital appreciation, and the portions can be sold or leased out separately, they are accounted for separately. Therefore the part that is rented out is investment property. If the portions cannot be sold or leased out separately, the property is investment property only if the owner-occupied portion is insignificant. [IAS 40.10] Ancillary services. If the enterprise provides ancillary services to the occupants of a property held by the enterprise, the appropriateness of classification as investment property is determined by the significance of the services provided. If those services are a relatively insignificant component of the arrangement as a whole (for instance, the building owner supplies security and maintenance services to the lessees), then the enterprise may treat the property as investment property. Where the services provided are more significant (such as in the case of an owner-managed hotel), the property should be classified as owner-occupied. [IAS 40.11] Intracompany rentals. Property rented to a parent, subsidiary, or fellow subsidiary is not investment property in consolidated financial statements that include both the lessor and the lessee, because the property is owner-occupied from the perspective of the group. However, such property could qualify as investment property in the separate financial statements of the lessor, if the definition of investment property is otherwise met. [IAS 40.15] Recognition Investment property should be recognised as an asset when it is probable that the future economic benefits that are associated with the property will flow to the enterprise, and the cost of the property can be reliably measured. [IAS 40.16] Initial measurement Investment property is initially measured at cost, including transaction costs. Such cost should not include start-up costs, abnormal waste, or initial operating losses incurred before the investment property achieves the planned level of occupancy. [IAS 40.20 and 40.23] Measurement subsequent to initial recognition IAS 40 permits enterprises to choose between: [IAS 40.30] a fair value model; and a cost model. One method must be adopted for all of an entity's investment property. Change is permitted only if this results in a more appropriate presentation. IAS 40 notes that this is highly unlikely for a change from a fair value model to a cost model. Fair value model Investment property is remeasured at fair value, which is the amount for which the property could be exchanged between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm's length transaction. Gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of investment property must be included in net profit or loss for the period in which it arises. [IAS 40.35] Fair value should reflect the actual market state and circumstances as of the balance sheet date. [IAS 40.38] The best evidence of fair value is normally given by current prices on an active market for similar property in the same location and condition and subject to similar lease and other contracts. [IAS 40.45] In the absence of such information, the entitymay consider current prices for properties of a different nature or subject to different conditions, recent prices on less active markets with adjustments to reflect changes in economic conditions, and discounted cash flow projections based on reliable estimates of future cash flows. [IAS 40.46] There is a rebuttable presumption that the enterprise will be able to determine the fair value of an investment property reliably on a continuing basis. However, if, in exceptional circumstances, an entity follows the fair value model but at acquisition concludes that a property's fair value is not expected to be reliably measurable on a continuing basis, the property is accounted for in accordance with the benchmark treatment under IAS 16 , Property, Plant and Equipment (cost less accumulated depreciation less accumulated impairment losses). [IAS 40.53] Where a property has previously been measured at fair value, it should continue to be measured at fair value until disposal, even if comparable market transactions become less frequent or market prices become less readily available. [IAS 40.55] Cost Model After initial recognition, investment property is accounted for in accordance with the cost model as set out in IAS 16 , Property, Plant and Equipment – cost less accumulated depreciation and less accumulated impairment losses. [IAS 40.56] Transfers to or from Investment Property Classification Transfers to, or from, investment property should only be made when there is a change in use, evidenced by: [IAS 40.57] commencement of owner-occupation (transfer from investment property to owner-occupied property); commencement of development with a view to sale (transfer from investment property to inventories); end of owner-occupation (transfer from owner-occupied property to investment property); commencement of an operating lease to another party (transfer from inventories to investment property); or end of construction or development (transfer from property in the course of construction/development to investment property. When an enterprise decides to sell an investment property without development, the property is not reclassified as investment property but is dealt with as investment property until it is disposed of. The following rules apply for accounting for transfers between categories: for a transfer from investment property carried at fair value to owner-occupied property or inventories, the fair value at the change of use is the 'cost' of the property under its new classification; [IAS 40.60] for a transfer from owner-occupied property to investment property carried at fair value, IAS 16 should be applied up to the date of reclassification. Any difference arising between the carrying amount under IAS 16 at that date and the fair value is dealt with as a revaluation under IAS 16; [IAS 40.61] for a transfer from inventories to investment property at fair value, any difference between the fair value at the date of transfer and it previous carrying amount should be recognised in net profit or loss for the period; [IAS 40.63] and when an entity completes construction/development of an investment property that will be carried at fair value, any difference between the fair value at the date of transfer and the previous carrying amount should be recognised in net profit or loss for the period. [IAS 40.65] When an entity uses the cost model for investment property, transfers between categories do not change the carrying amount of the property transferred, and they do not change the cost of the property for measurement or disclosure purposes. Disposal An investment property should be derecognised on disposal or when the investment property is permanently withdrawn from use and no future economic benefits are expected from its disposal. The gain or loss on disposal should be calculated as the difference between the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset and should be recognised as income or expense in the income statement. [IAS 40.66 and 40.69] Compensation from third parties is recognised when it becomes receivable. [IAS 40.72] Disclosure Both Fair Value Model and Cost Model [IAS 40.75] whether the fair value or the cost model is used; if the fair value model is used, whether property interests held under operating leases are classified and accounted for as investment property; if classification is difficult, the criteria to distinguish investment property from owner-occupied property and from property held for sale. the methods and significant assumptions applied in determining the fair value of investment property. the extent to which the fair value of investment property is based on a valuation by a qualified independent valuer; if there has been no such valuation, that fact must be disclosed. the amounts recognised in profit or loss for: rental income from investment property; direct operating expenses (including repairs and maintenance) arising from investment property that generated rental income during the period; and direct operating expenses (including repairs and maintenance) arising from investment property that did not generate rental income during the period. restrictions on the realisability of investment property or the remittance of income and proceeds of disposal. contractual obligations to purchase, construct, or develop investment property or for repairs, maintenance or enhancements. Additional Disclosures for the Fair Value Model [IAS 40.76] a reconciliation between the carrying amounts of investment property at the beginning and end of the period, showing additions, disposals, fair value adjustments, net foreign exchange differences, transfers to and from inventories and owner-occupied property, and other changes. significant adjustments to an outside valuation (if any) if an entity that otherwise uses the fair value model measures an item of investment property using the cost model, certain additional disclosures are required. Additional Disclosures for the Cost Model [IAS 40.79] the depreciation methods used; the useful lives or the depreciation rates used; the gross carrying amount and the accumulated depreciation (aggregated with accumulated impairment losses) at the beginning and end of the period; a reconciliation of the carrying amount of investment property at the beginning and end of the period, showing additions, disposals, depreciation, impairment recognised or reversed, foreign exchange differences, transfers to and from inventories and owner-occupied property, and other changes; the fair value of investment property. If the fair value of an item of investment property cannot be measured reliably, additional disclosures are required, including, if possible, the range of estimates within which fair value is highly likely to lie.

Las Vegas Real Estate

Las Vegas Homes | Real Estate Las Vegas Real Estate and Homes Las Vegas Homes Search Homes New Homes Resale Homes Highrise Condos Rentals Homes by City Las Vegas Henderson Boulder City Mesquite Pahrump North Las Vegas Mount Charleston Las Vegas Communities Aliante Anthem Camino Del Norte and Elk Horn Canyon Gate Centennial Hills Desert Shores Green Valley Green Valley Ranch Lake Las Vegas MacDonald Ranch Painted Desert Peccole Ranch Queensridge Red Rock Country Club Rhodes Ranch Seven Hills Siena Solera at Anthem South Valley Ranch Southern Highlands Summerlin Sun City Aliante Sun City Anthem Sun City Summerlin Sunset Village The Lakes Foreclosures HUD and VA Bank Repos Knowledge Center MLS map Home appreciation Real Estate Glossary Airport Noise Map Las Vegas Blog Las Vegas Photos Search New Homes Search Resale Homes FLASH REPORT: Daily Email Updates. Sign up here! Search about 5,000 RESALE homes in Las Vegas and Henderson. Online database with all resale homes available. We will send you detailed information about any house you will like (including address, directions, picture and detailed description). You can also search all NEW homes for sale. The Top Builders in Las Vegas - See Photos and Floor plans - Visit the Communities - Request a List of Homes that match your Criteria. Everything about buying home in Las Vegas High-rise condominiums - Description of the Las Vegas Communities - A few easy steps to buy your new home - MLS Las Vegas (Multiple Listing Service) - 2003 Home & Condos Sales Report! - International Real Estate Buyers Las Vegas House Values What is CMA (Competitive Market Analysis)? How to get CMA by email for free? If you're planning to sell your home in the next 12 months, this FREE service is designed to help establish your home's current market value or suggested listing price. This service is available for sellers only. For your current Home Value click here! One time flat fee to sell your home . New program offer. Only $2,995 Sell your home for low 1.9% commission including advertising and full service. Your house will be advertised on REALTOR.com, BuyVegasHome.com, Yahoo.com Real Estate Classifieds, Homeseekers.com, LasVegasRealtor.com and other websites. Read more about our marketing plan . We will pay for the best quality and the most expensive virtual tour available on the market (iPIX with true 360x360 view). We will also put your house in to the MLS and will take care about paperwork with transaction. Read complete information about our winning marketing plan... How to set Listing price? In setting the list price for your home, there are several things to consider. Try to think like a home buyer. Based on a list of houses for sale in your neighborhood, buyers will determine which houses they want to view. Read here about how to set listing price . Financing & Loans Read about 100% financing loans We've got you covered: - 100% Interest only from 600 credit score, 1 day out of bankruptcy okay - Interest Only from 560 credit score, 1 day out of bankruptcy - 100% Stated Income Loans - No Doc Loans from 720 - First time homebuyer from 580 credit score - 95% loan with a 540 credit score Frequently Asked Questions about Financing Commercial real estate , office space lease, retail space and land - Commercial Lease and Tenant Representation - Investment Real Estate - Land Acquisition and Sales Contact us for buying or selling home Shawn Phillips Call: 702-279-3512 Richard Teausaw Call: 702-215-1549 Diane Moon Call: 702-245-8950 Las Vegas Homes - Las Vegas New Homes - Las Vegas Resale Homes - Las Vegas Homes for rent - Sell your house Please stop by at our office 5348 Vegas Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89108 Call toll-free: (800) 380-2215 John Vanhara President & Broker Office: (702) 212-3513 Email: info@millionsaver.com Considering a career in real estate? You've just found the company that's continuing to set new standards in Las Vegas' evolving real estate market! There are incredible opportunities waiting for you! © 2002-2005 MillionSaverHomes.com. All rights Reserved

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MSN Money - How to find good investment property MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Investing Home Portfolio Markets Stocks Funds ETFs Commentary Brokers CNBC TV MSN Money Insight Jubak's Journal SuperModels Start Investing Strategy Lab Company Focus Mutual Funds Street Patrol Other Views Contrarian Chronicles TheStreet.com Resources Commentary Index Decision Centers Start Investing Mutual Funds Find Hot Stocks Simple Strategies Power Tools Investing For Income Real Estate Related Links Expert Picks Market Dispatches CNBC Stock Picks Message Boards Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Research any REIT Find top-performing mutual funds Sortable database of SEC filings Find stock winners with our screener Personal finance bookshelf Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by Liz Pulliam Weston: • Streamline your finances in 8 steps , 1/12/2003 • Ditch all fees for online banking services , 1/12/2003 • In clash of debit-card titans, consumers lose , 1/12/2003 More... Related Sites American Association of Small Property Owners Rental Property Reporter National Real Estate Investors Association The Basics How to find good investment property advertisement If you're cut out for it, life as a landlord can be quite profitable. But success isn't assured. Here's what you need to know before diving in. By Liz Pulliam Weston The idea of owning rental real estate seems to be gaining popularity as investors tire of the swoops and swoons of the stock market. As I pointed out in a separate column , not everyone has what it takes to be a landlord. But those who do may find rentals to be a good way to build wealth. Once youve made the decision to buy rental property, your real work begins. Finding a profitable rental property usually takes time, connections and plenty of research. Heres what you need to know to get started: Start investing with $100. Explore our new ETF center. Know your time horizon As with any other investment, you should have a good idea how long you plan to own a rental property before you buy it, says Robert Cain, publisher of the Rental Property Reporter newsletter. The longer you plan to own the property, the more youll probably need to invest in maintenance, repairs and improvements, Cain said. If youre keeping it for 20 years, at some point youre going to be putting a new roof on that property. Youre going to be putting in new appliances and doing some major repairs, Cain said. If youre only planning to own a property for five years, by contrast, youll probably want to avoid making any major improvements unless youre sure you can recoup the cost with a higher sale price. You also may face more investment risk with a shorter time horizon. Although your rental will almost certainly appreciate over 20 years, it could easily lose value in the next five, particularly if youre buying in an overheated market. Youll need a bigger potential annual return to make up for that risk. For many small investors, long-term ownership makes the most sense, said Pat Callahan, an attorney, landlord and founder of the American Association of Small Property Owners. Youll have plenty of time to ride out any swings in the market, and rental income can make a nice supplement to your day job. Find enough rental properties, and being a landlord may become your day job. Develop a network Experienced landlords find their properties in a variety of ways. Some hunt for foreclosures, making friends with city hall clerks or bank employees who know which properties are about to be sold. Some run ads in local newspapers. Others work with real estate agents who keep their eyes peeled for possible buys. Several landlords recommended joining a local landlord or property owner's association to make contacts. Callahans Web site offers links to local groups, as does the National Real Estate Investors Association. (See the links at left under "Related Sites.") When you begin to own rentals, all the other investors start coming out of the woodwork, said Sean Hoppe, a landlord in Pottsville, Pa., who owns 11 properties. Through investor meetings, networking, etc., I can find out what is for sale. (Hoppe, by the way, is 25 and hopes to retire from his job as a computer consultant in three years.) You also can try approaching landlords directly to see if theyre willing to sell, by calling the numbers listed on rental ads in the classifieds, by cruising neighborhoods looking for for rent signs or by talking to any landlords you know personally. Thats how Bob, who asked that his last name not be used, bought his rental property near Albany, N.Y. The landlord of the three-unit building where Bob had rented for 15 years was tired of the hassles and ready to sell. We love (the area) and jumped at the chance to buy it, Bob said. So far, Bob and his wife have been pleased with their purchase. They raised rents and required security deposits, which caused the propertys less desirable tenants to leave. He also has a backup plan for the building in case he starts to feel like the prior owner. If being a landlord got to be too big a hassle, Bob said, we would just get rid of the tenants and make it our own place. Get your finances in shape The better your credit, and the less credit card and other consumer debt you have, the better your prospects for getting a decent loan, Callahan said. Lenders usually require bigger down payments, higher interest rates and generally stronger finances when youre buying rental property. Thats because they know people are more likely to default on investment property than they are on their own homes. Landlords say it also pays to have a substantial cash reserve left over after buying a property. This can help pay for unexpected repairs and vacancies. Although there are few rules of thumb, setting aside at least one months rent for each unit is a good start. CPA Paul Berning suggests having a line of credit, secured either by the property or your own home, to cover larger costs. You also should make sure you can save enough for retirement and other goals before investing in rental real estate. While rental income can supplement your retirement kitty, most people shouldnt count on it to replace other investments or allow themselves to be entirely exposed to the whims of the local real estate market. Rents and property values can fall as well as rise, and those who are adequately diversified with investments in stocks, bonds and cash will be better able to endure the bad times as well as the good. Avoid overpaying As one experienced landlord put it: You make your profit when you buy a property, not when you sell it. Pay too much, and youll never recoup as much as you could have had you driven a better bargain. The rental real estate market is generally tougher on investors who overpay than on homeowners who do the same thing, several landlords said. While a home is often an emotional purchase, which can lead to I must have it! offers and bidding wars, most landlords look strictly at the numbers to see if their investments will pay off. If you pay too much for a rental, you cant count on a greater fool coming along later to bail you out. Not overpaying can be tough in a hot market, however. Apartments in New York, for example, currently sell at a 60% premium over their inherent value. In other words, theyre selling for much more than the income streams the apartments generate, according to Reis, a national real estate research firm. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, the premium is 10%. Some landlords use formulas, such as not paying more than six to eight times the rents they expect to make the first year. Others try to estimate what the property could be worth after needed repairs and upgrades are made, and they dont pay more than 70% of that price, less the cost of those repairs, CPA Berning said. Every real estate market is different, however, and these formulas may not work in your area. Whats key is to make sure your rental income will cover your out-of-pocket costs, Berning said. That includes the mortgage payment on the property, as well as taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs and a vacancy rate of around 5%. (If you have five units, for example, you should expect at least one unit to be empty three months each year. Heres the math: 5 units times 12 months equals 60; 60 times .05 is 3.) If you can at least break even, youll be able to profit from any price appreciation as well as from tax breaks available to rental property. Cains Web site sells $55 software to help you make these calculations (see link at left). When crunching the numbers, you should know that theres a big difference in how repairs and improvements are treated for tax purposes. You can typically deduct the cost of a repair, such as patching a roof or fixing a leaking pipe, on your tax return for the year in which the repair is made, Berning said. Replace that roof or those pipes, however, and its typically considered an improvement, which means the cost cant be deducted. Instead, its added to the amount you paid for the property to determine your tax basis when you sell. The higher the basis, the lower your taxable profit. But if you have to wait 20 years after making a major improvement to recoup any of the cost for tax purposes, you may think twice about buying a property that needs a lot of upfront work, Berning said. To better estimate your costs, get a thorough inspection before you buy a property. Some landlords have favorite electricians, plumbers and contractors that they send to any prospective property, promising them that they can do any repair work they find. Others use professional inspectors they trust. Longtime landlords say all this work pays off in profitable properties that build their net worth while providing a steady income stream. Callahan, whose family started investing in rental real estate in the 1940s, says its a way of life she recommends. It doesnt matter if youre a professional or a laborer, Callahan said. Its the equal-opportunity wealth builder. 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