Articles, Investing, Real Estate

A Beginner’s Guide To Real Estate Finance

Written By: Eric Williams
Reviewed by: Mike Reyes
Last Updated May 24, 2023
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an architect explaining how much does it cost to build a house

Searching for the right property is the toughest part about buying a home for 53% of buyers!

Planned finances offer security in a world driven by instability. Although many real estate investment methods can serve this purpose for a layman, it has been a reliable finance method for ages. 

So before we start diving into its technicalities, let us polish our understanding of real estate.

The key is to set a concrete goal and have a plan. So lets us discuss all the aspects of real estate so that you can make the right decisions.

What Is Real Estate & Its Types?

Real estate is a widely used term for any permanent, man-made structure and is used synonymously with real property. 

Essentially, it involves dealing with properties. They can be in the form of land, prebuilt properties, airspace, or underground areas. The options in real estate are diverse; let’s talk about the four common types of properties you can invest in. 

Vacant Land

This is an empty piece of land available as per the preferences of the buyer or the property owner. People invest in vacant land for many reasons – it offers many options like – buy and resell, buy and sell or buy and build.

Though vacant land are hard to come by in populated cities, they are more common in the countryside or villages. They are often expensive and come with a lot of responsibilities. 

You also have to check the connection and availability of basic amenities like water connections and the land laws in the jurisdiction.

Residential Properties

These are the most popular property types for both first-time and experienced buyers. They give you the freedom to choose the model that suits you. You can either buy an existing structure or buy land and construct it. 

Further, you can choose from single-story houses to duplexes and multistory structures of flats in societies. These serve the dual purpose of adding housing security to your long-term goals, saving rental costs, making them a real estate investment opportunity.

Commercial Properties

Investing in commercial real estate is a complex process but offers greater returns. This could be land or pre-built structures for business purposes like offices, supermarkets, shopping malls, and gas stations. 

Their accounting involves a lot of factors like business evaluation, focussing on factors like historical revenue and discounted cash flow analysis.

Special Property

Special properties are shared community spaces like libraries and parks. They include public properties like religious places of worship, schools, and gas stations. These are multipurpose facilities that add value to the life of people.

Introduction To Real Estate Financing

Real estate financing is a broad term for the financing options available to buyers. 

We understand that investing in real estate is not easy. It can involve a lot of intricacies like bank loans, trust, and fractions. You may also have to deal with paperwork, agents, and government offices.

So, if you are also planning to step into financing real estate investments, read below to know the details of real estate financing.

How Does Real Estate Financing Work?

lots of banks

Real estate financing is a comprehensive process that includes different processes. It includes working comprehensively at different levels. 

If you are also planning to invest in real estate and want to develop an understanding of how real estate financing works, it consists of the below steps:

Acquiring Land

Acquiring land or investment property is the first step in the real estate financing process when you buy a home. You can either start yourself or involve a real estate agent. This also includes considering your financing options and choosing the right one to complete the deal.

Development

Real estate development essentially requires a piece of land to start. This can be personal, residential, or commercial land. You can construct structures over the land or renovate the existing one for your comfort when you move in or to add more value to it.

Monetizing

If you purchase a residential property, your work will finish with development. However, if you want to monetize your purchase, you need to do your research. This often includes a detailed capital market analysis to set the right process and start reaping the profits.

Factors Affecting Real Estate Financing

When done right, real estate can contribute to your financial growth. But since it is a hefty investment, it is essential to plan it and carefully scrutinize the factors that can affect its cost. Some factors you need to be careful of are discussed below.

Location

The properties in the market areas and areas of interest will make your life easy and are more costly. Similarly, properties offering free ownership are better than plots on combined ownership.

Infrastructure

Along with the facilities in the property itself, the facilities in the vicinity, like well-developed roads, flyovers, markets, and bus terminals, are also important. 

Structure

Generally speaking, a particular property that looks better is likely to sell at a higher price. But it also saves time and additional investments. So also think about factors like the design, structure, and durability.

Real Estate Market Analysis

man in white dress shirt sitting beside woman in black long sleeve shirt

Real estate market analysis helps to compare your investment properties and is also frequently known as comparative market analysis. It is essential when you are investing in property to make money from it. Analyzing also helps you understand the market value of the property of your potential purchase and makes it easier to set the right price.

Here are the steps involved in real market financial analysis. A financial feasibility analysis will help you make the most of your purchase and also make the best deal when buying a property. 

  • Analyze the property to check the neighborhood, size, state, construction age, and basic amenities
  • Asses the listing price to get an idea of the condition of the property and understand its value estimate
  • Search your competitors near your location that are recently sold and are comparable to yours in size to understand the market trends
  • Looking at all these aspects will help you come up with the perfect price for your property

Investment Models in Real Estate Finance

Real estate finance is a good investment. But only when planned wisely, as it requires a lot of investment. However, the good news is that there are several financing options you can choose from. So, in this section, we will talk about some of the choices you can make.

Bank Loans

These are the most common options for real estate purchases. Although loans usually take longer to be paid off, they also come with special benefits. Moreover, when you keep paying the EMI, the loan amount will reduce while the value of the property will increase. 

It needs less cash in hand as the down payment is low. However, always be careful when opting for a loan, and don’t forget to carefully look at the factors like your long-term investment options and the interest they are charging. 

You can also choose from different types of loans like conventional bank loans, hard money loans, and home equity loans.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Thanks to the growth in the real estate sector, the funding options are no more limited, adding more flexibility and making it feasible for everyone.

Introduced in 2014, they are comparatively new investment models. REIT is a lucrative option on the stock exchange list and also comes with the added benefit of investing in Grade A properties. They are an alternative funding option, offering more stability and transparency.

Fractional Real Estate Investment

Although this option is more common in the US and Europe, it is also slowly gaining momentum in India. It includes the combined ownership by more than one investor. 

So now, real estate investors can sign in and choose to invest in your preferred options. It has opened more investment opportunities, increasing the potential of monthly rentals.

Pros And Cons Of Real Estate In The Financial Sector

Just like any other sector, real estate also has advantages and disadvantages. Though these are inevitable, understanding both can help you make the right decisions at the right time.

So go through the list of advantages and disadvantages of real estate financing to equip yourself with all the knowledge you need.

Security

Land and property are two of the oldest investment models since ages. The price of land always increases with time. So, you can start reaping its benefits immediately by renting or leasing it out, making it a win-win situation.

Easier To Understand

Real estate is one of the simplest payment models. It is easier to understand even by the layman. Unlike other investment models, it does not involve complex algorithms and technical jargon. This includes buying a property that most people are familiar with.

Generates Cash Flows

Irrespective of the investment model you choose, once you invest in real estate, it always has the potential to generate cash and offer you financial security. Renting the property offers security and a steady cash flow.

Disadvantages

Investment Money

If you want to make a real estate purchase, it needs a lot of investment. You also need to consider more costs like renovation, paperwork, and maintenance work to maximize your rental income. But that is not it; it also includes technicalities, taxes, insurance, and mortgage payments.

Long-term investment

Although you can start earning from real estate as you purchase by leasing or renting it out. But if you want to earn real profits from your initial purchase, it has to be in the longer run. Also, you can not count on it for emergency funds, as real estate deals take time.

Risks

Although seeking expert advice will mitigate the risks, of real estate investments, especially for first-time buyers. This also includes liability factors for the property and the residents, which can be tricky. Moreover, sometimes the fluctuations in the market also make the real estate financers vulnerable.

The Economic Impact Of Real Estate Financing

Real estate and the economy are linked to each other. When the real estate industry grows, the wealth of the individuals increases, which contributes to the growth of the economy. 

It is also the most valuable asset for property owners and farmers. Moreover, the state of real estate in an economy affects the behavior of individuals and directly impacts the market conditions of other goods as well.  

When individuals invest in real estate and their prices go up. The consumers feel more confident and are likely to even go for the riskier options.

Likewise, the increase in real estate also increases the debt as the banks also lend loans easily. The same also applies to jobs because even, in addition to the agents and the brokers, it also affects thousands of people by generating more jobs.

This also holds for the distribution of labor, as the reason for rising prices has lower-wage labor. So real estate financing and the growth of the economy of a country always go hand in hand.

Real Estate Financing Best Practices

Being a bit careful can go a long way in real estate financing. Whether you are a first-time investor or a season one, no one can deny the potential risks in the real estate business. 

However, being vigilant and carefully planning your moves can give you a competitive edge and save you from hazardous losses and errors. Here are some best practices recommended by our experts:

Set Your Goals

Having predetermined goals is the best to ensure that your plans and actions are aligned in the right direction. So always set concrete goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Assessing The Property

Perhaps the most important factor when it comes to real purchases. This includes many factors like – the current state of the property and its expected value in the near future. Therefore it is always a wise decision to buy land around markets that are likely to expand or ongoing projects that will likely complete in a few years and add more value to it.

Along with it, always be careful with the paperwork and carefully check the history of the property.

Location

Location is the prime factor that influences real estate deals and should be the first thing you asses while making your decision. 

Additionally, looking at the property’s current state and any potential renovation or maintenance costs is also essential. Its proximity to supermarkets, schools, and basic amenities are some factors that buyers should take into consideration. 

The properties in the city centers might be more expensive, and the ones in the outskirts tend to be lower in price. But they will make your life easier and also save transport costs in the case of residential properties.

Look at your finances

While you will definitely be tempted to invest in properties in prime locations, it is also essential to consider the finances. There are many investment options available. But if they add more to your debt, financing with little profit is not a wise decision.

Even if you can afford the EMIs – student loans, commercial loans, medical bills, future plans, and savings are some of the other things you should never miss. Therefore strategizing your financing is an eminent step.

How Does The Automation Of Real Estate Help Businesses?

Automation has become the new trend in all industries, and real estate has not remained untouched by the whirlwind of changes. Automating the work processes helps to reduce menial and repetitive tasks and adds more efficiency to your work. 

So, if you are also planning to make a real estate purchase, understanding how business automation experts function will help you to make better decisions.

Marketing Automation

Most businesses struggle with getting more leads as marketing is a challenging task for them. So they opt for real estate automation. From managing properties to working on generating leads and following up with potential clients, they are delegated to the software.

So if you see a lot of advertisements for a property and a lot of follow-up messages, it can be the automation at work!

Analytics

Tracking, observing, and improvising are essential to improvise your strategy and deriving maximum profits. However, constantly monitoring all the processes is not feasible and can take up a lot of time. 

Businesses often automate reporting and performance tracking of work processes.

Finance

Financing is the most important decision for a real estate purchase. Since the software is more reliable and has lesser chances of errors, using them for financing needs is a wise move for businesses. 

Processes like integrating KYC, payment gateways, and invoice generation are done in no time.

Property Management

Managing properties, especially when they are more than once, can be tiresome. It includes checking the progress of the development status, maintaining the existing ones, and checking them for defects is essential.

Property management and accounting software can save businesses time and money regarding property listing and maintenance.

Final Thoughts

Property is considered one of the best investments for ages. So real estate businesses have been relishing a high position in the market regarding profits for a long time, making real estate financing the right choice. 

However, it also includes a lot of processes and can become overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time buyer. Therefore carefully planning your financing, assessing the property, and setting goals are essential to make a good purchase.

Carefully studying the market trends and being aware of the pros and cons help you make informed decisions for more security from your hard-earned income.



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