Real Estate Shopping Does Not Have To Be Hard

Shopping for real estate is one task that should never be taken lightly. If you are looking for investment opportunities and not sure what industry you would like to make profits in, then you can't go wrong with investment properties. There are many different ways you can invest in the real estate industry. You can purchase run down or foreclosed home, fix them up and rent them out for profit. You could also purchase property and open up a business. Some people like to make some money by purchasing tax deeds and turn them for profit when the delinquent owner pays their back taxes with the added interest. No matter how you decide to make you money, the key to doing so is to shop around for the best pieces of property for your needs.

Depending on how you intend on making money with real estate, you may need to be very selective about what properties you decide to purchase. You shouldn't rely on a picture when you are choosing property. You also shouldn't rely on what someone tells you about any property. When it is all said and done, once you have purchased property under the assumption that there is nothing wrong with it, only to find out later that there is something wrong with it, you are the one that is responsible for making the necessary repairs to bring that piece of real estate up to code. Go to your local county building and dig up the records for any property you want to buy. Find any and all disclosure agreements on the property and inspect them so you can learn about the true condition of any property you want to purchase. Protect yourself and make sure that any property you purchase meets or exceeds your expectations.

Another way to make investing in real estate much easier for you is to have a partner or a property agent help you with your search for investment property. They can help you find property that may not be available right away but will be placed on the market soon. They can put you in contact with other professionals that can help you with your property. If you need to find contractors for inspection, renovations and even relisting they can provide those extra resources for you. Keep in mind that depending on what your specific needs are, it may take you a bit of time to find everything you need. Don't let the searching process make you lose sight of your goals. Remember, in order to make money, sometimes you have to be willing to make smart investments with it. Relax and use your first experience as a learning one and each experience that follows as a foundation for the next. Brush up on the laws and regulations regarding property in your state, that way you know your rights. This will also protect your interest and your future investments.

Hard Money Mortgage Refinance & Equity Loans When Lenders Turn You Down Because Of Bad Credit

Hard money loans, also known as private money loans, are home equity driven mortgage loans funded by private investors and companies using their own money secured by a real estate trust deed, eliminating the common qualification and underwriting guidelines of prime (regular) and sub-prime (bad credit) lenders.

"There are private investors who, if the interest rate is high enough and the perceived risk is low enough, they will put the money up," says Pam Strickland, owner of Mortgage Consulting Services in Santa Barbara, Calif. These investors, typically called "hard money lenders", make loans to people who are being turned down due to these and other reasons:

Borrower's FICO scores are below 500 due to recent bankruptcy or bad credit;
Income is unverifiable or borrower lost his/her job;
Balloon payment on existing loan is due now;
Foreclosure is imminent;
Borrower is purchasing odd or non-conforming types of properties (land, mixed use, etc).

"These are temporary fix loans. That's all they are--to help people get out of a bad situation," says Kirk Johnson, a mortgage broker with Sierra Funding Corp. in Denver.

How much equity do you have? If you don't have at least 30% equity, you probably won't be able to get a loan because hard money lenders want to make sure they can make money off your property if they have to foreclose.

Hard-money lenders are harder to find than other lenders, so how can someone get a hard money mortgage? Brokers and other intermediaries who arrange hard money loans "go to people who have money to lend and they match them up with people who can't get money any other way," Strickland says.

If you have low credit scores and need a cash-out refinance for debt consolidation, a home equity loan (second mortgage) to pay off debt, or you need a last resort foreclosure prevention solution, you may be able to get a bad credit mortgage refinance or second mortgage from a hard money lender. You'll probably pay double-digit interest rates, but a hard money mortgage may be able to provide the breathing room you need to rebuild your credit and refinance again later on.