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Purchasing an Investment Property in a Down Economy

With the housing market still in the process of recovering and housing prices still at a low it is very easy to understand why buying a house in today’s market could be beneficial to a potential home buyer. 

Those considering purchasing a home as an investment property are in a great position at this point in the economy.   If you are purchasing an investment property to flip in a few years, even though you may not be able to take part in the housing credit (see why by clicking here) you are still at an advantage when compared to a few years ago when the housing market was doing well and home prices were much higher.

A recent survey by Move.com showed that the percentage of people who purchase houses because they are interested in investing in real estate have doubled since March 2009.  Among the main reasons people are being drawn to invest in a property by buying a house are affordable houses and foreclosures.

• Affordable Prices – Low housing prices are one of the main attracting factors when people consider buying a house as an investment property at this point and time.  Right now the economy and the housing market have began to recover but have not recovered nearly enough for sellers to raise the sale price on their homes.  Those looking to purchase a home at a low price now have the opportunity to hold onto it for the next few months or years – basically until the housing market improves enough to sell the house at a higher amount – and then sell it.  Low housing prices may not only be attributed to just being low to be sold but may also be because of many family’s choosing to sell their property as a short sale. 
• Foreclosures – In recent months foreclosures have been at an all time high.  While this is bad for the people whose houses are being foreclosed on it is beneficially to people looking to invest in a house.  Buying a home at as low as a price that one may be able to find a home that is being foreclosed can be very beneficial to the purchaser.  At times foreclosures need to be fixed up and may have underlying problems that you may not be aware of but if you are will to invest money into a house and fix it up if necessary this may be a great move for an investment house.
  

Regardless of if you are purchasing a home for the first time or if you are looking to purchase a home to invest in the value of an experienced real estate attorney cannot be replaced.  Hiring a real estate lawyer is key when you are purchasing a property and should not be overlooked.  Make sure that the real estate lawyer you choose is knowledgeable and experienced in the type of sale or purchase that you are considering.  Always ask the attorney you are considering questions so you will know if they are the right attorney for your real estate transaction.

Extension for First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit in Process and Extension of Increased Loan Amounts: Why it May be the Right Time to Buy a House, Especially in New York and New Jersey

More Home Buyers Purchasing Newly Constructed Homes as New Housing Permits Continue to Rise

A recent report released by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that housing starts and building permits rose to the highest they have been since last November.  This news comes a month after the housing report for July was released which announced that home sales rose 9.6%, which was the largest monthly increase in sales in the past four years. 

While the report showed that construction starts of single family homes dropped 3%, it showed that multi-family homes rose 25.3% after coming off of an all time low a month before in July.  Total housing starts rose 1.5% and building permits rose 2.6%, although the majority of the rise in building permit applications were for two-family, three-family and four-family homes and larger buildings such as condominiums. 

All of this information listed in the report released by the U.S. Department of Commerce was released one day after and corresponds along with the report released by the National Association of Home Builders who released a statement saying that its home builder confidence level rose for the third consecutive month in September to the highest it has been in 18 months. 

So what does all of this mean for you as a home buyer? The large increase in building permit applications and large number of building permits that have already been issued to home builders will create a larger number of homes for those looking to purchase a house.  Because numbers rose so high in the area of multi-family homes it also mean that there are more condominiums being constructed.  With the rising numbers of people looking to buy new homes home builders are trying to create new affordable homes for the buyers.  Home builders are also hoping that the bill to extend the home buyer tax credit will pass.  In the case that the bill does pass it will more than likely mean that that there will be an even larger number of people in the market to purchase a home.  A larger number of people looking for homes also means a larger number of people who will be interested in purchasing a home that is newly constructed. 

If you are interested in purchasing a home in the Staten Island area and need a lawyer to represent you contact Steven T. Decker.  Steven T. Decker is a real estate attorney in Staten Island and represent clients purchasing, selling and refinancing their homes in New York and New Jersey.  If you would like to speak with Steven T. Decker to discuss your purchase, sale or refinance of your home you can contact him at 718.979.4300.