HomeVestors and Local Market Monitor have issued a list of top 10 cities for real estate investment for the fourth quarter of 2015. See the press release on this below…

HomeVestors, the We Buy Ugly Houses^® people, and Local Market Monitor, the premier real estate forecasting solution, have published the Best Markets Top Ten List for Real Estate Investing in the last quarter of 2015. The data is ranked based on cities with increased job opportunities in the past year. The overall national average increase was 1.9 percent.

Grand Rapids, Michigan topped the Best Markets Top Ten List, with Orlando, Florida coming in second. Texas cities remain strong, with San Antonio third, Dallas fourth and Austin fifth.

“Due to a shortage of home construction since the recession, local housing markets with a strong economy will experience more demand than supply in the next few years,” said Ingo Winzer, president and founder of Local Market Monitor. “This will create higher priced homes and rising rents.”

“In 2015, prices in all of the top ten housing markets have increased by at least six percent,” said David Hicks, HomeVestors co-president. “Prices will continue to rise, which is one of the reasons HomeVestors, the We Buy Ugly Houses^® people, continues to become an excellent option for independent investors.”

The remainder of the list includes Portland, Oregon sixth; Seattle, Washington seventh; Charlotte, North Carolina eighth; Salt Lake City, Utah ninth; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida tenth. While housing prices continue to increase, cities such as Portland and Seattle present an opportunity for investors because of their increase in income due to the expansion of high-value industries.

The fourth-quarter 2015 Best Markets Top 10 List for Real Estate Investing includes:

1. Grand Rapids, Michigan
2. Orlando, Florida
3. San Antonio, Texas
4. Dallas, Texas
5. Austin, Texas
6. Portland, Oregon
7. Seattle, Washington
8. Charlotte, North Carolina
9. Salt Lake City, Utah
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

About the Quarterly Data:

The data identifies markets that will be good rental markets and where home prices are likely to rise at an increased rate over the next few years. Criteria include markets where:

• the population has been growing at above-average rates (four percent or better) with growth coming from people moving there in search of jobs;
• the current rate of job growth of two percent or better; and
• there is low unemployment, so that new jobs will be filled by people who move there, not by unemployed people who are already there.

Markets are excluded that:

• Have a small population because they do not have stable economies.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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A survey by The Joint Center of Housing Studies at Harvard University reveals that when a family is buying a home they consider the financial benefits of homeownership along with the social benefits. The survey mentions things like:

• Paying rent does not make sense
• Homeownership provides a good financial opportunity
• Owning a home helps you building family wealth
• Buying a home is investing in your retirement
• Home equity gives you something to borrow against

So how did homeownership match up against other investments in 2015? Here is a chart that compares its return on investment against precious metals and the stock market last year:

Bottom Line

Not only did homeownership offer all its social benefits. It also was a great investment financially.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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If you watch home-and-garden cable channels, it looks like everyone is flipping houses. i.e. buying a piece of real estate, making minor repairs, and quickly selling it at a substantially higher price.  Basic investing 101: Buy low, sell high.

Certainly sounds appealing–and you may be tempted to join the ranks of those who have been successful in this field.  Be forewarned, however, that like most money-making endeavors, real estate flipping requires time, money, patience and skill.

For tips on how to begin, steps to follow, and advice on how to avoid pitfalls, read on…

Do your research and be knowledgeable well in advance:

• Talk to (and learn from) successful flippers, read up on the subject, follow real estate deals in the newspaper, use the Internet as a teaching resource, attend open houses and auctions.

• Identify possible house locations, size, and style.  Educate yourself on how to recognize promising properties and how to spot a lemon.

• Familiarize yourself with current prices, taxes, utility rates, HOA fees, municipal and restrictions in each area you are considering.   Study your market. Get to know it as well as you possibly can. Understand the trends, the kinds of houses, the neighborhoods, the streets

• Visit the potential homes and neighborhoods in person.  Talk to residents, Realtors, and repair companies who are familiar with the area.

Set up a budget, a time line, and financing:

• Figure out how much money you have (or can put your hands on using investors) without borrowing

• Calculate the cost of repairs, taxes, utilities, materials, contractor/labor expenses, and the like.  Professional contractors advise flippers to add an extra 10% to their repair estimate.  Also, to be on the safe side, make sure that you’ll be able to hold on to the home as a rental property for a while, if need be.

• Experts suggest factoring in the flip time into your budget and your potential profit before you purchase the home. According to investors, a successful flip is one that makes you around a 15% profit.

Be prepared:

• When you find the right house, you must act quickly to buy it.

• Have appraisers, agents, contractors, skilled laborers lined up so they can start work immediately upon your purchase.  Remember, in flipping houses, time is money!

• Be ready to make quick decisions, devote a great deal of time (and possibly sweat equity) to this project, and face unexpected expenses.

Two major caveats:  Be patient and don’t get greedy!

Information courtesy of Orlando Realtor Teri Isner, Orlando Avenue Top Team.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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