Commercial real estate can be a tempting potential revenue source for property investors. Smart investors stay aware of the fact that commercial real estate is a different game from ordinary residential real estate, though. This article presents some of the specialized concerns real estate investors should keep in mind when they decide to enter the commercial market.
In commercial real estate, go ahead and go big. If you are already going to have to go through commercial financing to work a deal, then why not look at bigger properties? The cost per unit decreases the larger the property and management of a bigger property does not require an exponential effort to the number of units. The management of a a few units is virtually the same as managing a complex.
An important tip to remember with rental real estate is that you want to make sure you have a good feel for your tenants before renting out to them. This is important because you not only need to plan as best you can for how long they plan on renting, but also if they will make payments on time and treat your property well. Treat the meeting like a job interview and treat your property like a prize.
Most apartment complexes make you, the tenant, pay for the water you use every month. However, some places go as far as to taking the amount of water your whole building used in a given month and splitting it up among the number of units using it. If you use less water than everyone else, you can end up paying for someone else’s water usage. Make sure that you know of these water usage regulations before signing a lease.
Investing in commercial real estate is more complex than residential home trading, for a very good reason: The potential profits are much greater. The traders who realize these profits are the ones who do their homework. A well-prepared, well-educated commercial real estate investor is less likely to fall prey to the common pitfalls and more likely to get the most out of his or her money.
