The morning was cool and crisp as I awoke and saw dew on the window. The cool night air and warmth of the previous day had created the covering that was being burned off by the hot Florida sun this morning. I was ready to start a new day and begin to look at more homes with a client in sunny Central Florida. As we started on this real estate investing adventure, we dug into the local real estate market by searching for a few good Realtors in search of any potentially great deals.
One thing was especially clear, the tide had turned on this real estate market and the Central Florida was red HOT again. What were the signs? How did we discover this to be true? Was it merely opinions that we heard from our Realtors or other real estate investors in the area? People talking about it now being a seller’s market or available inventory of homes were at a low. Like any situation when you are attempting to discover the facts, you should always gather as much information to base your own decision on what is happening.
It had not seemed that long ago was the real estate market was at the bottom. The time were between the years 2009-2013. I saw the real estate market bottom out where there were such deals in Florida as:
– Homes built less than 5 years ago; larger than 2,000 square feet, typical four bedroom and three baths with 2 car garages for under $40,000. Yes, that is NOT A TYPO, Forty Thousand Dollars!
– Condos built less than 10 years ago around 1,500 square feet 3 bedroom and 2 bath were available for under $30,000. That is the cost of a timeshare! but rather than one measly week you get 52 weeks, the entire year! Is that unreal or what?
I could go on and on. I told many friends about investing here during that time but they consistently thought Florida was a risky overbuilt investment area. Well, in less than a year this risky area doubled and in some cases more than tripled in value. The homes selling for under $40,000 back in 2012 are now over $200,000.
You may ask, what would have been the play or investment strategy to use during that down time in the real estate market? You could have worked hard and purchase 10 homes rented them out for one year. When the market improved in value, you could have listed and sold off five houses. The profit would have probably paid off your other five houses as well as taxes.
You then could have owned five investment houses free and clear. At a rent of over $1,200 per month you would be taking in around $6,000 per month. Is that enough to set you free from your job or daily grind? That would have taken just one year to be FREE! What if you would have been lucky enough to get 20 homes and only held 10 free and clear? That would be $12,000 per month!
How is your local real estate market? What is happening there? There is money to be made in each and every market. You need to see the opportunity and take action before the opportunity passes you by. Now is the time to find the real estate deals in your own backyard or go where the opportunities might be.
Soon you may be calling into work and stating you are not coming in to work today or even ever! That would be a great feeling, wouldn’t it? It all depends on your real estate investing efforts today and that effort today can change your tomorrow! Now is the time to go make it happen. The question is are you ready to commit to real estate investing?
Real estate investing is like a roller coaster. You will have ups and downs with twists and turns. You can make money in any type of market whether it is screaming up or slamming down. If you have the tenacity, can you ride the real estate market and profit along the way. If you do, you will surely enjoy the ride! Is becoming a real estate investor better than having a job? YES! Did you see that answer? There was no hesitation! Live life in the moment with no regrets! Believe and Achieve! – Joe Jurek
