Hard Money Blog: Invest, Revitalize, Create, Prosper

How to Estimate Your Renovations Costs Accurately

June 13, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

A real estate investor estimating renovation costs

When we evaluate a transaction, we look at several numbers. Each is equally important, and together, they determine how much profit our borrower will make. The first two numbers are the property prices: the price you are paying to purchase it in its current as-is condition and the price you are hoping to sell it for after your renovations are completed. These numbers are like the bookends supporting your entire project. The sturdier they are, the less likely the project will collapse. But what’s in between them is also important: your renovation costs. Estimating renovation costs accurately is crucial to achieving your desired return on investment. Unless you have vast construction experience, it’s not easy. However, if you have discipline and attention to detail, you can learn to make pretty good estimates by following the footprint below.

Solar System Guide for Real Estate Investors

May 29, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

Recently, more and more of our borrowers have been encountering headaches and delays because a property they are trying to buy has a solar system. If you are a real estate investor purchasing a home with a solar system, you need to be on high alert for potential issues from the get-go. Some of these issues can be quickly resolved. In fact, you might not even notice them – your title company will quietly handle them. Others might be a literal death knell for your transaction. The challenge of those solar systems is that you will never know which one is which – until you dig deeper.

How to Thrive in a Challenging Real Estate Market

May 6, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

As I write this article, the Washington, DC, real estate market continues its solid footing. Prices are either stable or increasing—always a good sign for existing homeowners and real estate investors alike. But solid footing does not mean devoid of challenges, nor should it. In fact, challenges abound. If you are a first-time buyer trying to purchase a new home, you probably need to depend on your family’s financial help to afford it. If you are a seasoned homeowner trying to downgrade to a smaller place, higher rates on new mortgages make potential savings marginal at best. And if you are a real estate investor, the competition is tough, and you get outbid regularly. Do we need to order cheese with this whine, or can we rise to these challenges to learn and make money? Let’s have a reality check.

How to Make Money with Subdividable Lots

April 24, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

Tree trunk coming alive on the lot of land. Making money by subdividing lots.

The holy grail of real estate investing is turning a single piece of real estate into multiple pieces. This is where the big bucks are and what larger real estate development firms typically do. However, it does not mean smaller mom-and-pop investors are entirely left on the sidelines.
One major strategy is lot subdivision. While the opportunities to subdivide an existing lot of land into separate buildable lots do not come too often, they are out there. Because of their high profit potential, savvy real estate investors should be familiar with the benefits associated with lot subdivisions and be able to evaluate each opportunity effectively.

Six Red Flags When Buying an Investment Property

March 26, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

To be a real estate investor is to be an optimist. It’s to believe that your next deal is just around the corner. It’s not to give up when going gets tough. It’s to persevere and to have faith. But it’s also about embracing a set of entirely different traits, such as being analytical, cool-minded, and, yes, skeptical. Sometimes, it is challenging to harmonize them all, but finding the right balance is essential. Without that balance, we risk being either a naïve novice ready to fall into a trap or a perpetual nay-sayer with no ability to recognize an opportunity. This is why I want to start this article about the red flags in real estate investing by encouraging you to find that balance.

Women in Real Estate Investing: Opportunities and Challenges

March 14, 2024 by Kyle Sennott Leave a Comment

Last week, we celebrated March 8th—International Women Worker’s Day, a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. While I am grateful to all women in my life, today, I want to express my appreciation for hardworking, resourceful, insightful, persistent, and super intelligent women in real estate. Your dedication, perseverance, and leadership have transformed communities, shaped skylines, and inspired future generations.

Hard Money Blog: Invest, Revitalize, Create, Prosper

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