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Investing in real estate can be a lucrative way to diversify your investment portfolio, but like all types of investments, it comes with risks. Regardless of the type of property, real estate requires a substantial amount of cash. Take a look at some important factors to consider when investing in real estate.

The Property Location

Location is the most important factor for profitability in real estate investing. Residential property valuations are affected by proximity to amenities, green space, scenic views, and the neighborhood’s status. Commercial property valuations are affected by proximity to markets, transportation hubs, highways, and tax-exempt areas. It’s important to consider the mid- to long-term view of how a location is projected to evolve over the investment period. Take the time to review the ownership and intended usage of the immediate areas where you are considering an investment. Investors can do this by contacting the town hall or public agencies responsible for zoning and urban planning. Looking at long-term area planning can help you determine the favorability or unfavorability of your plan for your investment property.

Something to consider when choosing an investment location is the local climate and weather conditions. The more extreme the weather conditions, such as hurricanes, heavy rains, hail, and strong winds, the harder the wear and tear on a property’s roof. The best way to keep your roof in good condition is to have a professional roofer inspect it for any warning signs of damage. Batterbee Roofing provides high-value home improvements for a fair, competitive price. The award-winning roof services of the roofers in The Villages include new roof installation, tile and shingle replacement, gutters, skylights, solar tubes, roof storm restoration, and attic ventilation. Expert roofing contractors have the skills and knowledge for any roofing job, no matter the roofing material, condition, or slant.

The Property Valuation

The property valuation is key for financing during purchase, listing price, investment analysis, insurance, and taxation. There are several commonly used real estate valuation methods. The sales comparison approach looks at recent comparable sales of similar properties both new and old. The cost approach, which is best for new construction, considers the cost of the land and construction minus depreciation. The income approach, which is best for rental properties, is based on the expected cash inflows.

Coming up with a down payment for an investment property isn’t easy, especially when you are between a property sale and a new purchase. Many real estate investors forgo traditional financing in favor of equity-based lending solutions that provide access to fast funds. When you search for “hard money lenders near me,” you’ll find that Northwest Private Lending offers a variety of lending solutions for residential and commercial real estate investors.

Hard money loans are a great option for purchasing cash-only listings or properties that don’t qualify for conventional loans, such as foreclosures, short sales, and flip properties. The private lender specializes in bridge loans that allow investors to purchase their next home before completing the sale of their current home. A hard money loan features a higher interest rate and shorter loan term than a conventional loan, and it’s secured by some form of collateral, usually the property being financed.

The Investment Purpose

It’s important to determine why you’re making a real estate investment, given the low liquidity and high-value investment in real estate. Consider your reason for the investment project and plan accordingly. Buy-and-self-use helps you save money on rent and enjoy the benefit of self-utilization while gaining value appreciation. Buy-and-lease provides regular income and long-term value appreciation, but being a landlord means being responsible for disputes and legal issues, managing tenants, and being responsible for repair work. Short-term buy-and-sell is a good option for a quick, small to mid-size profit on a property that’s undergoing construction and will be sold at a profit. Long-term buy-and-sell focuses on large intrinsic value appreciation over time, which can complement long-term financial goals like retirement.

When investing in real estate, it’s important to consider the property location, the property valuation, and the investment purpose.

Life doesn’t always go as planned; things can change overnight. Having money in the bank to cover your monthly expenses is good, but living paycheck to paycheck is never a safe thing to do. You never know what the future may hold. Going through life with no savings is a risk you shouldn’t take. 

Setting aside an amount of money each month and keeping it in a savings account is a wise step to take. You will always be prepared for any emergencies. The amount you have in your emergency fund must only go for urgent unplanned situations. If you have other savings goals, consider opening another account. 

Here are 4 good reasons you should have an emergency fund: 

Unemployment

Looking at the uncertainty the world is going through, turning from an employed person to a jobless person has a high possibility. Many lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who didn’t have any savings suffered financially, especially with the lack of opportunities and the setback the labor market has witnessed.

Not to be pessimistic, but always prepare for worst-case scenarios. Make sure your emergency fund will cover at least 6 months of your expenses to be able to maintain a decent lifestyle if it happens to lose your main source of income. 

Unexpected Medical Costs

No need to tell you that buying medical insurance is essential, but not all medical costs can be covered in the insurance. Medical emergencies can happen anytime, no matter how healthy you are, and they are not the type of things you can postpone. Always set aside a considerable amount of money to deal with unexpected medical bills. 

Urgent Repairs

It happens to many; they are driving their cars as usual, and suddenly the engine starts making weird noises, or the car just stops working for no apparent reason. A quick visit to the mechanic tells them that a huge bill is awaiting them. 

The same goes for home repairs; sudden plumbing problems, the heater stopped working, and so on. 

You can’t always count on your paycheck to pay for these repairs, but if you have an emergency fund, you’ll pay for them on the spot without needing to wait for the problems to get worse.

Unplanned Trips

We are not talking here about traveling for leisure, this is not considered a situation that requires withdrawing money from your emergency fund. What we are talking about is unfortunate events that compel you to travel without previous planning. For instance, if one of your close friends or family members had an accident that put them in the hospital or one of your loved ones has passed away, and they live in another country, you’ll need to travel there as soon as possible.

Plane tickets, accommodations, and other traveling expenses are not cheap. An emergency fund will serve you well in such situations and allow you to cover all the costs and be there to support your family and friends.

How to Build an Emergency Fund and How Much to Save?

Start by opening a savings account, then set your monthly savings goals. Budgeting is important. List your monthly expenses, and allocate a budget to pay them. Transfer whatever is left from your paycheck after paying these expenses to your savings account. 

If you find it difficult to save on a monthly basis, save a small amount daily and transfer it to your savings account. By the end of the month, you’ll find out you saved a considerable amount of money without even knowing. 

Risk has always been a necessary evil of investing. Still, in today’s post-COVID world, our investment options are more unpredictable than ever.

Without warning, your investment may be affected by supply chain disruptions and new COVID regulations. As such, many people are too scared to invest in anything. However, you do still want passive income to give you a good monthly cash flow for your future retirement, so how do you start?

Today, though, we’re going to help you overcome your investment worries. Below, we list several types of investments that are (mostly) low-risk and highly profitable.

Plus, you don’t have to be a stock market wizard to get started. In fact, most of these options have nothing to do with stocks. Read on to discover the best investment options in 2022.

  1. CDs

If you have time to take the slow track, fewer investments are safer than CDs (Certificates of Deposit). Put simply, CDs are basically high-yield savings accounts that you can’t access until they mature. Even more simply, it’s like burying a lump sum of money and then digging it up with interest several months/years later.

Many CDs mature in as little as 6 months. If you desire, though, you can choose a maturity date up to 5 years away.

CDs are virtually risk-free. You can even ladder your CDs to create a recurring payout.

For instance, you can start new CDs, with the same term, every month. Then, as they mature, you get a recurring monthly payout.

  1. High-Yield Savings Accounts

Having a high-yield savings account is like getting free money. What we mean is, you should already have a savings account for emergencies, no matter what. So, while this money is just sitting around, it could be earning interest at a high rate.

Generally, though, you need a sizeable opening balance and good credit to open a high-yield savings account. But anyone who’s qualified should definitely get one.

  1. Series I Bonds

Inflation is a huge concern with standard saving bonds. Namely, by the time you collect, the interest earned may actually be less than the cost of inflation. I-bonds, on the other hand, actively offset the cost of inflation by adjusting their rates biannually.

  1. Index Funds

Index funds are a low-cost, minimal-risk method of stock market investing. If you’re considering investing in stocks for the first time, start with index funds. Furthermore, you can use an investment platform like Monex Securities for additional help with your index fund investment.

  1. Dividend Stock Funds

Most types of stocks only make you money if you wait for them to appreciate and then sell them. But dividend stocks can make you money while you hold onto them. Specifically, the company that issues the stock pays a percentage of its profits to its shareholders as dividends.

  1. Rental Housing

Real estate investment is extremely lucrative in general. But it’s also expensive and risky. Renting out your investment properties earns you extra income, which protects you against potential risk.

  1. Crypto Investment

Cryptocurrency offers a more intense investment experience than the other options on our list. If you’re looking for big risks, big rewards, and dramatic ups and downs, invest in cryptocurrency.

Consider These Types of Investments

Don’t let fear stop you from building your investment portfolio. Instead, minimize your risk with the types of investments listed above. 

Next, get the latest tips and news about trading platforms, real estate investment, cryptocurrency, and more. Find this and other investment advice in our Investing Archives.

 

Risk-averse investors might choose guaranteed income insurance policies. Guaranteed savings plans, in addition to the benefits of typical insurance policies, also provide maturity benefits and the opportunity to build a stream of income for when you need it in the future.

From a child’s academic duties to buying a house and later getting the youngsters married, the responsibilities never cease. The list of responsibilities is never-ending, and while we strive to provide the best life experiences for our children, we frequently overlook our own needs and desires. Purchase a savings plan that can assist you in realizing your goals. You may easily save for that dream retirement home you’ve always wanted by purchasing a retirement plan.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GUARANTEED SAVINGS PLAN?

When you hear the phrase “guarantee,” you immediately think of trust. You know exactly what you’ll get when it’ll happen, and for how long. This assurance lets you plan your life without having to worry about your financial security and independence as you get older.

Is there anyone who would prefer not to have a steady source of money when they need it? A guaranteed income insurance plan is recommended for everyone who wants to develop a corpus, save efficiently, and get a continuous pay-out in their older years.

For your retirement, you’ll need a savings plan with assured maturity benefits. Here are some compelling reasons to purchase the greatest guaranteed savings plan:

  1. Maturity Benefit is Guaranteed

Choose the amount of premium you want to pay for your savings plan, and you’ll get the maturity benefit at the end of the term. The minimum maturity value protects funds from market fluctuations.

  1. Yearly Additions Guaranteed

These yearly contributions enable them to achieve better investment growth, resulting in more money saved.

  1. Suitability

It’s easier to set aside a small amount each month than it is to provide a huge sum at the end of the year, and as a result, other expenditures pile up and the attention moves away from the objective to take care of these new bills.

  1. Life Insurance

Savings plans assist protect the family’s finances, so you can rest confident that they will be taken care of in the event of an emergency.

  1. Adaptability

The savings plan can be changed depending on your short- and long-term objectives, as well as the premium amount.

  1. Tax Advantages

It allows you to save the amount you invest in a savings plan under Section 80C of the Internal Revenue Code.

  1. Long-term investors will benefit from improved growth.

In the long run, the longer period will result in a higher bonus. The better the returns and benefits, the longer you stay invested. Select a retirement strategy that meets your long-term financial objectives and meets each of the milestones.

Conclusion

A guaranteed savings plan enables you to achieve your long-term objectives while also protecting your family from life’s many risks. Selecting the best savings solution for your long-term needs is a wise decision for the years ahead.

Every business starts as a start-up and eventually develops into a full-fledged business if things go well. According to statistics, the maximum number of start-ups are found in the United States and China, and Latin America, India, and South Korea also have many start-ups. Around 61% of all start-ups in the world provide Business to Business services, while the rest of the 39% provides Business to Consumer services.

When a person or a team plans to open a start-up business, the most crucial step is to plan and arrange the required funds. Options such as fundraise modeling help chart out all the financial requirements and business development ratios beforehand, so there is a proper plan for everything. According to investors, investing in a start-up at an initial stage is much safer and more profitable than investing in an established business.

If you have a start-up and want to seek investors, then it is important to prepare solid data and approach them with it so that they have substantial and reliable information to act upon. The following points list all the advantages of preparing a financial model to raise funds:

Understanding of the business

Before starting any business, it is necessary to understand the field, domain, and the concerned market statistics to run your business with knowledge and wisdom. Preparing a financial model will help you do that because you will understand your business and its scope for future growth. Many business owners keep making financial models at certain intervals of a cycle because it helps them assess the growth and profit rate of the business at a glance.

Fund requirements

After proper brainstorming and ideation, it is important to chart out the fund requirements for the business. You will have to mention the expected cash inflows and outflows so that the investors can get an idea and plan the investment according to their will. It will help you measure the cash flow situation after loan repayment.

Risk mitigation

When you make a financial model to raise funds for your start-up, you must also add risk mitigation strategies. Every business comes across many risky situations in its tenure; its growth depends on how the team handles these risks. According to experts, it is better to strategize the risk mitigation strategies before starting the business by studying other businesses and their strategies. It will also help assure the investors that their money won’t get wasted when the first risk appears.

Quick results

If you approach investors without a financial model, they will take time to decide because there is no factual information about the business. But if proper fundraise modeling is done and offered to investors for analysis, they will make quick decisions. Hence, these models are beneficial for getting quick funds for your start-up.

Accurate financial budgets

When you make a financial model forecasting plan for your business, it prepares you for the future. You can use this model as a reference for future financial planning for the business, as it will give you a defined budget structure for future endeavors.

These points list all the benefits of creating a financial model to raise funds for your start-up. Many companies can make such models for you with accurate data and planning to get the best investment possible for your business. So, search online and get your model created.