Sell House

Question: How do you prepare a house to sell? español Put My Century 21 to work for you, simply register your email address and create a password. Once you're registered, you'll be able to • save property descriptions • store your search criteria • file agent information • build a custom library Find out more or register now! Already registered? Sign in . Learn about Real Estate Selling Pricing the House to Sell Question: How do you prepare a house to sell? Question: How do you prepare a house to sell? Answer: Doing whatever you can to put your house's best face forward is very important if you want to get close to your asking price or sell as quickly as possible. Short of spending a lot of money, here are several ideas for making your home show better: * Sweep the sidewalk, mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and clean debris from the yard. * Clean the windows (both inside and out) and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking. And speaking of paint, if your home was built before 1978, new federal law gives a buyer the right to request a lead inspection. If you think you might have some problems, do the inspection yourself beforehand and make any fixes you can. * Be sure that the doorbell works. * Clean and spruce up all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. It's especially important that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. * Organize closets. * Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work. Get rid of leaky faucets and frayed cords. * Make sure the house smells good: from an apple pie, cookies baking or spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. Hide the kitty litter. * Put vases of fresh flowers throughout the house. * Having pleasant background music playing in the background also will help set your stage. c 2000 Inman News Features All Rights Reserved -- ©2005 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each CENTURY 21 Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. All rights reserved. Information appearing on this site has been produced by or obtained primarily from Century 21 Real Estate LLC and its representatives and from CENTURY 21 franchisees. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the broker information, sales associate information, listing information or other information provided by our franchisees appearing on or through this site. Such information has been provided by independent third parties who are solely responsible for such content. Certain conditions and restrictions apply to System promotions. Terms and Conditions of Use.

Denver Real Estate

Denver Real Estate - Find Homes in Denver at REALTOR.com Denver Real Estate Find Homes For Sale In Greater Denver, Colorado 4487 Listings in this area Select an area of Denver Select from the list below to search for homes and real estate in Greater Denver DCW-Douglas County West JFS-Jefferson County South JFW-Jefferson County West (Golden) JSC-Jefferson County South Central MCC-Clear Creek County MCP-Mountain Conifer Pine MEN-Mountain Evergreen North MES-Mountain Evergreen South MJC-Central Jefferson County Mtn MJS-South Jefferson County Mtn MPC-Mountain Park County MPE-Mountain Evergreen East Other Areas To select two or more, hold down control key (command key on a Macintosh) while clicking mouse. or... Enter the MLS # Search in popular metros: Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Las Vegas | Long Island | Los Angeles | Memphis | Miami | New York City | Orange County | Palm Beach | Phoenix | Sacramento | San Diego | Seattle Site Map | Corporate News & Info | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Join our staff Terms of Use and PrivacyPolicy . 1995- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS and Homestore, Inc. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity REALTOR.com is the official site of the National Association of REALTORS and is operated by Homestore, Inc. REALTOR -- A Registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Inquiries regarding the Code of Ethics should be directed to the board in which a REALTOR holds membership.

Colorado Real Estate Please

COLORADO SPRINGS REAL ESTATE, REMAX CONNECTIONS, ANN HEIRING - MILITARY REBATE, FREE ACCESS TO ALL AREA MLS HOME LISTINGS - RELOCATION SERVICE, FORT CARSON, PETERSON AFB, SCHRIEVER AFB, CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, MONUMENT, WOODLAND PARK, BLACK FOREST! Select Page About Me Airlines Listings Search Calculators Auto Rental Census Info Churches Colleges & Schools Colorado Info Community Info Consumer Links Cost of Living Custom Homes El Paso County Free Reports Home Finder Hotels/Motels Gazette News Golf Jobs Links Link To Me Loan & Lender Info Military - Local Moving - REMAX Map/Neighborhoods Newsletter Outdoors Property Inquiry RE Links Report Cards Resource Center Restaurants Seller Tips Sports State Parks Tourist Info Useful Tools Visitors Bureau Europe Trip Ski Colorado Realtor Network Colorado Springs Real Estate & Relocation All Pikes Peak Area Neighborhoods & Subdivisions, incl. Black Forest, Monument, Woodland Park, Manitou Springs, Fort Carson, Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, Cheyenne Mountain AS & the Air Force Academy Be sure to check drop-down menu above for extensive, local information (Register for free and easy access to ALL Colorado Springs regional MLS property listings) * Free Buyer Agency - Military Appreciation Rebate & On-Call Service * The Colorado Springs area is in strong growth with over 4000 new construction and resale homes on the market in all neighborhoods and price ranges. Specializing in Internet relocation (incl. corp & mil) assisting customers from around the world settle in our beautiful Rocky Mountain foothills. * * * * * Let me know what you're looking for, and I will start by emailing you MLS links to properties that match your requirements! * * * * * Presold homes or new construction - working with me guarantees you professional service provided with integrity and genuine care! * * * * * No matter what your current location may be - I will oversee every detail of your Colorado Springs property transaction from this end ! * * * * * * * * * * Send me an email if you are moving/retiring to Colorado Springs - or PCS'ing to Carson, Peterson, Schriever, Cheyenne Mountain or the Academy ! * * * * * *Dream Vacation Info* Re / Max Ann Heiring, Realtor "Heiring & Associates" GRI, ABR, Notary Public Member, Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Re / Max 100% Club Re / Max President's Club Re / Max Executive Club Multi-Million Dollar Producer Toll Free Cell: 800-246-8978 Local Cell: 719-440-1010 (Same day response - usually within hours !) Re / Max Connections, Inc. 6825 Silver Ponds Heights, Colorado Springs, CO 80908 * * LOAN INFO * * Hoping to Help You Find Your Dream Home ! Visit My Newsletter Real Estate Agents Directory Real Estate Agents Directory. Find Real Estate Agents, Reall-Estate-Agents.com offices and real estate related services. Colorado Real Estate Please email me at: info@annheiring.com All Copy Rights Reserved ! Relocation Network & Partners Click here to link with this site! Web Site Design and Hosting Provided By: Advanced Access © 1998-2005

buy property in Spain.

Buying property in Spain - A full guide to buying property in Spain Buying Property in Spain A full guide Sponsor this Page for 720.00 a year Over 250,000 Unique Visitors every month! Click here Home | Spanish Shop | Photo Library | Message Board | Classified Ads | Property | Currency Converter | Site Map | Stats | Search | Advertise | About Us | Contact Us Property in Spain - A full guide Introducing the new service from idealspain.com www.idealspain-properties.com - Properties for sale & to rent throughout the whole of Spain CrawfPro Spain SL - CrawfPro is a private company based in Granada, selling select homes in the area. We can also find your property, survey it, lead the buying process, inspect construction, manage your project, look after your property and deal with bureaucracy. Don't be alone. HIFX - Save money on currency, regular payments & overseas property insurance. Lump sums: excellent exchange rates & totally free transfer of funds to Spain. Regular payments: fix an exchange rate for your mortgage or pension transfer for up to 2 years ahead with no monthly transfer changes (this alone could save you 300 per year!). Buying a property in Spain Foreigners buying property in Spain has become very popular. The country has a pleasant, healthy climate and in recent years the local authorities have made great efforts to increase the number foreign tourists and residents. Spain now derives more of its foreign income from tourists than any other country in Europe. Due to low European interest rates, now is a good time to buy property in Spain. There is a very wide selection of standards, from farmhouses (fincas) and plots through to villas, townhouses and new apartment developments. There is no shortage of real estate agents in Spain and it pays to search out a good company who will care for your requirements. Before you buy a property in Spain you should use our website to look at the different areas then consider visiting your favourites before deciding where to buy. Many people also rent a property in that area first. Here's a simple guide to get the most out of buying a property in Spain: Set your budget limit and stick to it. Visit the property at least twice before you make a decision. Check what amenities the property has such as electricity, water, gas. Have a builder or architect examine the structure of the building. Talk to your prospective neighbours about the area. If you are unsure about a property, take photos and draw sketches to take home with you. Have your legal advisor check ownership of the property before you sign anything. Have your legal advisor check outstanding debts on the property before you sign anything Initial Costs As well as the cost of the property, the buyer will be liable for transfer tax (IVA), which at present is 6% on a second-hand property and 7% on a new one, plus 1/2% stamp duty. The property registration office will charge you a fee to change the new deeds into your name. This is usually around 300€. There will also be notary charges for copies of the 'escritura publica'. The charge is on a scale depending on the contract price. In total you should allow 10% of the purchase price for costs. It is often the case that the buyer also pays the sellers fees. Check this at the point of enquiry and it is often possible to negotiate. Banks may also charge an opening commission for mortgage loans. Annual Costs The local town hall charge IBI which is an annual real estate tax. The previous owner is obliged to give you copies of previous bills. Community charges apply when you buy a property on a community development. These cover things like maintenance, swimming pools, gardens etc. You will also be liable for a wealth tax, payable annually and based on the value of the property and a property owners income tax based on your income from the property. You should clarify these in detail with your estate agent at point of enquiry . Finance See our mortgages section here Many developers of new properties are now offering up to 80% over 20 years for non-residents. Local banks will offer anything up to 60% for European residents. Most loans are long-term and secured on the property. When seeking a loan, make sure you are aware of the interest rates and if they are fixed or floating. Banks will ask for passports, residence permits, payslips, sale contracts and copies of the title deeds. There are many advantages to taking out a loan to purchase your property, in the form of tax allowances. We have not listed them here as they are subject to fluctuation. You may need to transfer money into Spain and you need to protect yourself: When you buy a property in Spain, you will know the price of the property in Euros but you will not know the actual cost until you buy all of the currency to pay for it. This means that the property could either cost you more than you had planned (if the Euro strengthens) or the property could become cheaper (if Sterling strengthens). Recently Sterling has fluctuated more than 10% against the Euro within a matter of months, so this does deserve careful consideration. On the basis that you are buying a property and not speculating on the currency markets, it is worth fixing the exchange rate for all of your future stage payments to the agent / developer. How to fix the exchange rate: 1/ Buy all of the currency now on a "spot contract". Hold the currency on deposit and send payments when they are due from your Euro account. To do this you need to have full funds available. 2/ Buy as much currency as you can afford now (e.g. for the first 2 payments) and reserve an exchange rate for the remaining payments. To reserve an exchange rate you need to buy a 'forward currency contract'. In effect you are buying currency now but paying at a later date when you have the funds available. The exchange rate that you achieve on a "forward contract" is not quite as good as that for a "spot contract" but it does guarantee that you know the cost of the property. You will be required to pay 10% of the value immediately and the balance by the date that you have reserved the currency for. Use a specialist currency broker : As a result of extensive research idealspain are pleased to offer preferential currency transfer rates for all their clients and visitors, click here for more information . It is also advisable to speak to your new bank with regards to High Interest Sterling Accounts where your mortgage payments can be taken directly and converted on your behalf. Approx cost to buy a home at 128,000 euros or (80,000 pounds) IVA 7% Spanish VAT payable on declared property value 8,960.00 Legal fees Searches, preparing deeds and translation etc 900.00 Notary's fees Preparing escritura, registering and stamp duty 600.00 I.A.J.D Spanish tax of 0.5% of the declared value 640.00 Connection charges Water, gas, drainage, electricity etc 300.00 Plus Valia Capital Gains Tax on increased value of plot since last sold. Levied by the Town Hall 60.00 Total Approx 7,355 pounds €11.460.00 Currency Converter Legal Matters Most properties in Spain are in fact NOT registered. Most of the re-sale properties are sold by Spanish ....still.... since they earned about 100 a year from selling fruit and veg they would certainly not pay 300 to pay for their property to be registered. The only way someone may find out if how many square meters is legally theirs to sell is by investigating at the Catastral Department and Town Hall. If they have ever declared that there is a property at all. A great deal of families have never informed the Town Hall that a senior family member has deceased and therefore many sales take months to proceed to completion. There are many families with complicated backgrounds, most children believe they actually own what is and sometimes what once was their parents, sometimes resulting in an Expediente Dominio where there can be no proof of title at all. A great deal of the beautiful villas you see advertised are not registered by the builder and therefore the purchaser pays for the first registration, sometimes no licences have been issued and the seller is required to pay fines to the Town Hall. Many many properties are then registered with less than the actual square meters of built area, and a great many are not mortgageable. Most urbanisation properties now being built are of course registered first because there is a compulsory registration system in Spain for new developments but this is Urban land - not countryside. Most of the old village properties have no Title Deeds. The seller of a second-hand home should provide the following documents: The title deed of the property Receipt of payment of the real estate tax for the last year Receipt of payment of the tax on the increased value of Urban Land Certificate that any community charges (if applicable) have been paid up to date Latest copies of domestic bills so that you can take over the services such as electricity and water The seller or developer of a new property should provide you with: Deed of declaration of new construction Occupancy permit Certificate of rateable value of the property Normally, before the purchase of a property is made official, there is a prior agreement drawn up between the buyer and seller. This document will identify the two parties and set out the terms of purchase. You must seek legal advice before signing this and you must be sure that this is the property you want to buy. You can lose any deposit you have paid if you pull out of the purchase and there is a penalty clause in the contract. In the case of the seller defaulting then he has to pay twice the amount. When it comes to signing the contract, this has to be before a notary, in the form of a public deed. This ensures that the details are entered onto the public records. Insurances Fire insurance is compulsory by law when taking out a mortgage. Comprehensive household insurance is available to protect your home and contents. Life insurance can be taken out to guarantee payment of the loan in the case of death. The cost of property - trends Official figures for the Costa del Sol state that property prices will increase this year by 12-15%. It is claimed that an average new property with two bedrooms in a block now costs 241,000 euros (around 2,000 euros per square metre). An average villa costs 388,100 euros. On the Costa del Sol there are around 20,000 homes for sale, 40% of which is in the Marbella area. 75% of home buyers on the Costa del Sol are foreign. The increase in prices is leading to an increase in the number of smaller, cheaper municipalities springing up, away from the coast. Tax advantages for property owners If you spend more than six months a year in Spain, you are obliged by law to apply for a residents permit.* This law is currently being abolished. There are however, several tax advantages for residents of Spain that do not apply to non-residents. Inputted income tax is an annual tax on an imaginary income resulting by virtue of ownership of a property and is charged as 0.5% of the catastral value. If you are a resident you will not be charged this on your principal home. Wealth tax is a tax on all assets in Spain and is charged at 0.2% of the catastral value of any house owned. For residents the first 108,000€ is exempt and for a joint ownership this would apply to each partner. These two taxes are paid annually as long as you own the property. Non-residents do not receive any relief so therefore have to pay 0.7% of the catastral value every year. When you come to sell the property, capital gains tax will be charged on any profit you have made. This is 35% for non-residents but only 20% for residents. A further concession for residents is that if you are over the age of 65 and have lived in your property for at least three years, you are totally exempt from capital gains tax. Finally, if you are 60 years of age or more and have lived in your property for at least three years, you can bequeath your property to your spouse or children and avoid paying inheritance tax on 95% of the valuation. The inheritor must also be a resident of Spain and agree not to sell the property for at least ten years. WSI - Start Your Own Business and Profit from the Internet! Now in its 10th year of business, WSIs systems are used by over 1000 franchisees in 87 countries around the world. Currently rated the "#1 Fastest Growing Business Services Franchise" and the "4th Fastest Growing Franchise in the world" , WSI has established one of the most profitable Franchise Opportunities in the world today with a Proven Business System! Home or office based. Complete Training and Support. No Business experience required. For your free information package & CD please visit: www.wsicorporate.com . Learn Spanish Today for FREE! Learn Spanish the interactive and fun way! Our web site will help you learn Spanish free of charge. Not just a few Spanish verbs, but over 500 words of the Spanish language, including complete Spanish phrases and sentences. Watch our free online demo that plays the first 15 minutes of a lesson. In this demo, the in program manual is displayed on the screen. spanish-online.co.uk Spanish book, cd and cd-rom publishers. User-friendly material for complete beginners to intermediate level. To make the most of our great offers, use the promotional code IDEALSPAIN on our online shop. Intasure - Insurance for your holiday home in Spain - Property insurance for expatriates in Spain - Comprehensive golf cover 365 days of the year which covers theft of equipment, medical expenses, travel, public liability and even hole in one cover - Low, low cost travel insurance. Avro is the UK's leading charter flight-only company, selling over one million seats every year. We have recently expanded and now offer scheduled flights to destinations worldwide, with flights available from over 70 of the world's leading airlines. Bookings.org - The best selection of Hotels, at great prices, throughtout Spain... View Special offers here & 5,166 Golf courses in Europe - Find golf courses in Spain, view pictures of all courses with maps. Book nearby hotels online . Car Hire Booking Centre Online together with IdealSpain.com - Created with one main objective; to offer clients the best vehicles with the best service at unbeatable prices. Why pay more when BOOKING CENTRE ONLINE offers MORE THAN THE REST, CHEAPER THAN REST? Car hire throughout Spain, the Canary & Balearic Islands . Hotel Club - The fast and secure service offering savings of up to 60% on your accommodation. To view Specials click here . PHA Travel has been offering independent advice on Health and Travel Insurance since 1995. Now in our 8th year this site provides our best selling value for money Travel Insurance from a range of reputable travel insurance companies. All policies are underwritten at Lloyds of London or through international travel insurance providers. You can obtain an instant quotation for your travel insurance, and you can buy online with a generous discount. RatesToGo.com - Last minute hotel reservation service. The fast and secure service offering great savings on your last minute hotel reservations - up to 20 days in advance. To book more than 20 days ahead click here . Related Links View agents and information for specific areas of Spain: Choose an option Property for sale in Spain Costa Almeria Costa Blanca Costa Brava Costa Calida Costa de la Luz Costa del Azahar Costa del Sol Costa Tropical - Granada Canary Islands Golf Properties Mallorca New developments Rural properties UK Based Agents Private Property Sales Commercial Property Home Improvements Mortgages Main guide to buying Guide to renting Holiday rentals Private Property Rentals a Property for sale in... a Spain a Costa Almeria a Costa Blanca a Costa Brava a Costa Calida a Costa de la Luz a Costa del Azahar a Costa del Sol a Costa Tropical - Granada a Cordoba, Andalucia a Huelva, Andalucia a Jaen, Andalucia a Seville, Andalucia a Canary Islands a Mallorca a Tenerife a New Developments a UK Based Agents a Rural Properties a Golf Properties a Private Property Sales a Businesses for Sale a Home Improvements a Property to Let in Spain a Private property rentals Related Links a Buying Property - Guide a Buying a finca - Guide a Buy a business-Guide a Buy a bar in Spain-Guide a Renting Property - Guide a Mortgages a Mortgage Calculator a Money Matters a Foreign Currency Services a Legal Matters a Hotels in Spain - A-Z a A-Z of Places a Holidays in Spain a Moving to Spain a Sport Home Page Relevant features Teach Yourself Spanish Relocate to Spain Working in Spain Costa Jobs Driving in Spain Tourist Offices The Culture Healthcare in Spain Legal Matters Banks in Spain Making a will Teach Yourself Spanish Schools in Spain Tenants rights If you have a property you wish to sell privately, you can advertise it on idealspain.com for 150 euros until sold. Click here for details Need to transfer money to Spain? Save money and stop making the banks rich. click here for details NEED A MORTGAGE? Advertise with us Step by step guide Site Stats About us | Terms of use | Contact us | Site Map | Advertise with us | Latest updates Buying Property in Spain | Schools in Spain | Healthcare in Spain | Finance | Move to Spain | Work in Spain | Culture of Spain Airports of Spain | Hotels in Spain | Weather in Spain | Nautical Spain | Geography of Spain IdealSpain.com - Tel: (+34) 952 198 832 - Email: info@idealspain.com All content and images 2000-200 5 idealspain.com Visit our other websites : www.perfectbulgaria.com - www.idealcroatia.com www.iberianimage.com - www.fiestaproperty.com - www.fiestapropertymallorca.com

investment property advertisement If

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. Editors' choice Don't get scammed by your mover Safeguard your Social Security number 5 ways to tap into the onshore drilling boom Your checkbook just became obsolete Turn $1 a day into $67,815 Readers' choice Ratings Top 5 Articles 9.29 Zombie debt collectors dig up your old mistakes 9.24 Keep thieves out of your bank account 9.22 Credit reports now free for entire U.S. 9.20 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.17 The tricks and traps of debt consolidation View all top rated articles More Resources · E-mail us your comments on this article · Post on the Your Money message board · Get a daily dose of market news S earch MSN Money tips advertisement Sponsored Links Fund data provided by Morningstar, Inc. © 2005. All rights reserved. Quotes supplied by ComStock , an Interactive Data company. MSN Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. Our articles, columns, message board posts and other features should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft of any specific security or trading strategy. An investor's best course of action must be based on individual circumstances. © 2005 Microsoft MSN Privacy Legal Advertise Feedback Help