Owning raw land has real potential along with its share of pitfalls. Whether you decide to hold it and sell when real property values climb or -- alternatively -- develop the lot to convey at a higher price, you are subject to forces of market, timing and competition.
Having bought and assumed ownership of a raw land lot (or lots), the new owner faces the challenge posed by local rules and regulations. Ideally, this comes as no surprise and the owner is prepared to do what is necessary to bring the property into legal compliance.
Having identified a parcel of vacant land -- and negotiated a purchase contract with the seller -- the investor in raw land is now at the point where financing becomes the issue.
In the first installment of this series, we looked at the advantages of raw land as an investment as well as the ways an investor might go about locating such parcels. Once a suitable piece of vacant land becomes available, a prospective buyer must then determine what price is worth the acquisition.
Acquiring raw land for income purposes may not be the most glamorous area of real estate investment but -- for the discerning and dedicated -- it can be a lucrative one, nevertheless.
If you are a real estate investment property owner, you should have a professional analysis performed each year.
Buying and selling property is a big event for those gaining the asset and for those making money on the deal. Yet it is another day at the office for realtors, lenders, attorneys and title agencies. Still, the way these transactions go down goes well beyond the immediate participants.
In parts one and two of this series on affordable housing, we discovered that landlords could create a lucrative business when opening units up to low-income tenants. We further explored what sort of accountability those property owners assumed with the local housing authority.
In the previous installment, readers discovered that there are profits to be realized when investing in properties with affordable housing units. In addition, landlords who do so are providing a service to the community.