Sunday 22 April 2012

Vacant Land Investing – What You Need to Know to Turn Dirt Into Pay Dirt

Vacant Land Investing – What You Need to Know to Turn Dirt Into Pay Dirt

Investing in vacant land isn’t rocket science. It’s not hard and you don’t need to be a millionaire to get started. However, investing in vacant land is not for everyone. Some people simply aren’t interested in dirt. They’d rather invest in gold or other businesses. But, with the right tools, information and know how, raw land can take you from dirt to pay dirt.

Raw land is considered undeveloped land, acreage, lots and properties. Despite the “doom and gloom” regarding the real estate market, raw land is a great investment right now because most properties are undervalued. And, what better way to reallocate those underperforming assets in your portfolio than in real estate?

So where do you start if you want to invest in raw land? First off, you need to do some research. The vast majority of the people out there never even take the time to learn how the land business works. They just take advice from a friend or relative (someone who’s probably never even invested in land) that land investing is “risky” or it “doesn’t work”, and they keep hunting for some other way to get rich quick.
The best thing about investing in raw land is the benefit of control. You have control of what happens to your money.

To fully understand that benefit of control, let’s first look at a situation where you don’t have control, such as the world of mutual funds. You invest your money by handing it over to someone else who invests it for you. Where do they put it? They put it into companies over which they have no control. You are taking an educated guess that the company knows what they’re doing. But then Enron happens or Bear Stearns, and you lose. Sometimes, you lose it all.

The land business is different. In the corporate world, you get in trouble when you make an investment decision based on certain knowledge about what’s happening with the company. They call it insider trading. It’s what sent Martha Steward to the slammer.

But, in the land business, you must make your investment decisions based on knowledge about what’s happening with the land. Or what’s going to happen with the land.

Buying undeveloped land is an entirely different experience than buying a lot with a house already on it. If you are considering investing in raw land, you must have access to the knowledge that will help you quickly and efficiently separate the winning investments from the losing ones.

There are three key items to know before buying raw land. You make your decisions based on:
1. Access: How accessible is the property? How easy is it to get to the land?
Where are the roads?

2. Utilities: The most basic thing you need to know is whether there is a proven source of water on the property. Also, is there electric? What about wastewater?

3. Growth: What is the area projection where the land resides? What are the population and economic development forecasts? Is the area growing, will it continue and for how long?

Another important item you need to be successful is found in your connections. The more people you know in this business, the more opportunities you’ll have. (Opportunities that most other investors will never know exist.) How do you find out about all of this?

The beauty is that this is not inside information, although you do have to know where to look. Much of it is public record. Information is also available through the media, on government websites, in regulatory publications, or other places that may be a bit tricky to find. But, with a little effort and know how, you can find them.

Many fortunes have been made in the purchasing of undeveloped land by investors who understood the concept of buying land and holding it until it appreciates. So, an investment that is under your control, appreciates over time and diversifies your portfolio is a wining combination. It may be dirt, but raw land can definitely lead you to pay dirt.

Land Investment – The Basics

Land Investment – The Basics

There are currently several factors that are creating a prime environment for land investment.
Increasing population, Scotland’s vibrant economy and the thriving house building industry has led to a climate where an investment in land just now will lead to an increase in land prices in the coming years.

The chronic affordable housing shortfall in Scotland and the need to significantly increase house building will require significant land releases and increased home building rates demonstrating that Scotland is a prime location to invest in land. Local Development Plans aiming to develop new communities and have urban expansion over the next 20 years means that there will be a search for residential sites suitable for residential development. There has not been a better time for land investment as long as it is professionally assessed and sites have legitimacy in planning terms.

Land can be a cheap method of investment; there are no complicated concepts that purchasers need to understand, just that there is an ever-increasing demand for land in the UK due to housing shortages.
If interested in investing land closer to existing housing developments can carry a higher price, up to tens or hundreds or thousands of pounds per acre, but can be a wise investment as they also have a higher probability of substantial rewards; being built near to existing developments increases the likelihood of gaining planning permission for the site, which if successful will cause the value of the land to skyrocket.

Finding investable land depends on what you are looking for, and that depends on the level of risk you can afford. It is advised to seek advise from a land investment company and a solicitor.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

How Land Investment is the Key to your Financial Freedom

How Land Investment is the Key to your Financial Freedom

So you’ve heard about the housing slump. And you’ve read about the mortgage crisis. However, in today’s buyers market, Land Investment is the key to your financial freedom. No mortgage is needed; No huge sums of money need be spent. Investing in land in growing areas may just be the key to your financial success.

Now, even through the Real Estate market went down, historically it has been show to have its ups and downs, just like any other market. A few years ago it was a sellers market, now it’s a buyers market. This means if you have money to invest, you can get a great piece of land for a low cost. If you just wait a few years, the investment will have more than paid for itself and you will have nicely profited. It’s very simple; the market will switch from buyer dominated to seller dominated, and you want to be the seller when it switches.

How many times have you talked to somebody who wishes they bought land 10 or 20 years ago because they knew somebody who profited hugely on it? You know how the conversation goes, “I wish I bought 10 acres up north 20 years ago for only $10,000, now it sells for over $100,000. Well, now you can be the person who profits.

Historically, owning land has always been an extremely important priority for groups of people. Ever since people started farming, thousands and thousands of years ago, land ownership was a key issues; People fought over it, negotiated over it, worked on it, and lived on it. Now you can own a piece of the American dream; no fighting involved. You have the right to buy land, at an agreed upon price between you, the buyer, and the seller. This right was won by previous generations of people; It was simply not given to us. And now you can take advantage of the real estate slump, get land at a discounted price, and profit when the market goes up again!

Land Investments UK

Land Investments UK

Investors world over have taken Land Investments, UK in a big way because investing in plots of land for sale is simple and hassle free as compared to buying a property. Now people know that investments in property incur high maintenance costs before they see any actual returns, whereas, land investments require a much smaller outlay, involves too little or no maintenance costs at all and may remain untouched yet still experience considerable rises in value, and once planning permission is permitted, the returns are as much as 300%.

The concept of Land Investments in UK is proving to be a popular investment choice because of the scarcity of land and rising population & increased need for more housing that is pushing demand for land investments in UK ever higher.

Although land in the UK is being protected from development for many years, but now the local and state governments are accepting that the requirements for new housing and development is so great that it is unrealistic to keep many of these restrictions in place.

Tony Blair once pointed out that the demand for new homes is so great that it would be irresponsible to rule out specific tracts of land for development and that there is a requirement for additional housing, and if decisions weren’t faced on that, the people who will suffer will be generations to come, particularly first-time buyers. Thus, keeping the land & housing scenario of UK in view, investors are inclined for investing more in land than any other alternative option like stocks and equity investments.

Secure Your Retirement With Raw Land Investments

Secure Your Retirement With Raw Land Investments

Whether your retirement is many years away or just around the corner, you might be wondering how you can invest now to help secure financial freedom for retirement. Stocks can be risky, and many savings accounts and bonds render very little interest unless you can save a bulk of money over a period of 15 years or more. But one type of retirement investing you might want to consider is raw land investments.

Investing in raw land is the act of buying land for the purposes of development and then re-selling it later for profit. Some investors buy raw land for long-term investments while others desire to make a quick turn-around profit with the land they purchase. Either way, buying it can possibly help you retire rich if you invest wisely.

Most people aren’t familiar with raw land development investments, in part because their fund managers and financial advisors don’t offer them to their clients (because they don’t earn a commission on them). The fact is, however, that these investments have been favorites of the very rich for generations! Why?

Because raw land developments are among the most highly profitable and secure investments an investor can make. In fact, a professional development project, on average, will increase the value of raw land by 300-500% and it can be even greater.

What is Raw Land?

Raw land is basically undeveloped land with no prior landscaping, water/sewer, power, phone, or other developments. Raw land typically must be cleared and/or leveled for purposes of building or other uses. This type of land can be purchased and developed for various purposes, including building homes, apartments, hotels, or businesses, recreational parks, or even for farming. When buying, considerations must be made about its location and access to the basic needful services, roads, water availability, clean air, electricity, sewage disposal and trash removal.

Diversify Your Retirement Investments

Buying raw land enables you to diversify your retirement investing efforts. You might own stocks and bonds, have a reliable savings account at a local bank or credit union, and maybe even have a substantial dollar amount in an IRA or 401K plan; however, owning raw land that can be developed and resold for profit gives you a bit of portfolio diversification in your investing.

The land itself is a commodity that provides asset security, meaning it can be turned into cash at any time to meet other financial needs. And though land value can go up or down with the real estate market, it always has some value. Portfolio diversification gives you several sources of investment for retirement instead of just one so you can minimize your risks.

Prefer a Passive Investment?

Even if you prefer to invest passively without worry of developing and re-selling land, you can still take this route with raw land investments. There are methods today that allow you to join with other land investors and share in the profits of raw land, even while earning interest on your vested dollars while the land project is being completed. You’ll partner with a professional land developer with a partial ownership stake in the land development, but you will not be directly involved with the management of the project. This enables you to invest without having to learn and implement all the phases of land development.

If you’d like to learn more about raw land investments and how you can benefit, there are online gurus that have studied this type of investment and can show you how to create a lucrative retirement investment from start to finish. Go online now to start realizing your retirement dreams with raw land investments.

Why Land Investment Is Still Lucrative During This Recession

Why Land Investment Is Still Lucrative During This Recession

Ever since the start of the current financial crisis many so called experts and news stations have been making it seem that the real estate market, including land, has all but been destroyed. The truth, however, is that land investment is not responsible for the current recession. It is because of the recession that land remains one of, if not the best, option for investment. The following are some of the reasons why land investment is ideal in a time of recession.

Low Risk

Because there is not much land available, the risk involved in its purchase as an investment is low. People will always want land for a multitude of reasons and thus ensures that there is always a demand.

Prices Fall During A Recession

When a recession occurs, the prices for goods and services tend to head downwards. This is due to the fact that people are not earning as much as they used to. Also, many people have either lost their jobs or have there working hours reduced. The price of land will also tend downwards making ideal for investment. Thus you will be able to acquire land at a basement price. In some places across the country land prices have fallen by as much as 95% due mainly to the current recession.

After The Recession Prices Will Go Up

If you purchase land during a recession, then chances are you would have gotten it at an almost rock bottom price or close to it. When the recession has ended the price of land will begin to tend upwards. At this point, your returns on your investment will be great.

Good For Inflation

This recession has brought about an increase in the rate of inflation that has also become prolonged. Land as an investment operates somewhat outside of the rate of inflation, in that it will always be a valuable asset to have simply because its value to us tends to remain stable or even appreciate over time. At no time will it be viewed as worthless, psychologically.

Cheaper to Develop

During a recession it will become cheaper to develop your land if you desire to do so. This is to due to reduced construction costs, especially if you chose to put up commercial or residential buildings that you intend to rent out on it. If the land is farmland, then you may want to grow a certain crop on it and with the prices of most products and service falling during the recession your cost of production will be far less. Thus the benefits will increase once the development is done and the recession is over.

The key to land investment during a recession is to ensure that what you invest in is not a worthless piece of land that no one would want and that will not benefit you in any way. Not all land is created equal when doing investment. Land in prime real estate areas, agricultural lands, timber land, and pre-development land are some of the better opportunities you should be aiming for.

UK Land Investment versus Overseas Property Investing

UK Land Investment versus Overseas Property Investing

Buying UK Land has been the choice for many top investors until the UK government has stated it will not allow any greenbelt or greenfield land to be developed for future housing. Many investors are now holding land that can never be built on due to the restrictions imposed by the UK government.

There are thousands of investors that have bought land in the UK, hoping that they will gain planning permission in the near future. Thus, hoping for a huge return on their investment. One must thread carefully when approached by any UK land investment companies or land banking companies as they refer to themselves.

Buying land can generate substantial returns in the long run, if you are willing to wait it out for 20 to 30 years or perhaps longer. The returns can generate 1000% on your investment.

If you are buying land, remember it is a speculative investment. It is a long term investment which is not generating any income for your investment dollars.

This is why many UK and European investors are now rushing to buy overseas properties while the UK Pound and Euro is at it’s strongest level.

While buying an overseas property can be time consuming, it can be rewarding if you know what you are doing. Many investors are novices when it comes to buying property overseas.

Investors are are stuck with several questions when investing in the overseas real estate market.
Where to Buy?, Legal Procedures?, Government restrictions?, etc.

Whether you are buying a vacation home or an investment property, you should consider spending the extra money in hiring the right professionals to handle your purchases.

With the UK Pound at it’s strongest level, UK investors are now rushing to areas in the US, Croatia, Cyprus and Bulgaria to take advantage of their strong currency.

UK and European investors are now taking advantage of the dropping US dollar. Thus, buying up several US based real estate properties to add to their portfolios. Their main objective is buying distressed properties at a low discount and flipping it for a huge mark up. The US foreclosure market is at it’s highest level. Finding properties that will make short term profits has never been easier.

There are investors that have seen 15%-30% returns in a matter of weeks. The 2007 US real estate market will be an exciting one if you play your cards right.

There are many companies that help in the acquisition, rehabilitation and liquidation of distressed properties. They are experts in all phases of real estate transactions, including locating profitable investments, fair market analysis, property development and renovations.

If you are a novice or an experienced real estate investor, these companies are recommended to make sure you are not alone when investing in the US market and adding another investment property to your portfolio.
Buying US foreclosures can generate quick returns versus land investing. Finding the right property is easy if you know where to look.

Wherever you plan to buy, do your own research and always hire a professional to handle your investment.
For More Information About Overseas Property Investing and Opportunities, visit [http://www.qbinvest.co.uk]