It’s harder to find commercial properties. Although there are plenty of commercial investments in the market, these buildings don’t get preferential listings in classified ads or real estate catalogs as do residential listings. Use what you learn from this article in order to understand what you should be doing as you need to learn about the market and how to properly navigate it.
Bigger is better in commercial realty investments. Instead of purchasing a property with five units, purchase one with 50 units, which you’ll find isn’t going to be any more difficult to manage. Both require commercial financing, and a larger building will cost less to finance per unit.
Before you start out on your search for the perfect commercial property, you should be fully attuned to the specifics of your business needs. You should have a good idea of the kind of space you will need. If you intend to expand your business quickly, buy a bigger place during this dip in the market to save money over the long term.
Initially, your investment will take up a great deal of your time. First, you will need to search for an opportunity and purchase the property, as well as perform any repairs that are required. Do not let the lengthy nature of the process discourage you. You will reap the rewards of all your hard work.
You should be certain that your asking price is a fair offer for your piece of real estate. There are many things that can impact your value greatly.
This is important because you want to ensure that the terms line up with the pro forma and the rent roll. If you choose not to review these key terms, there may be a term that got overlooked by the rent roll, that can lead to a modification in the standard documentation.
Usable Square Footage
Be sure about the correct square footage available. A commercial property’s square footage can be measured two different ways. The first way is usable square footage which is the amount of square footage that can be used for business purposes. The other is total square feet which includes all square footage including square footage that cannot be currently used. The best strategy is to ask for both figures, to ask for the square footage and the usable square footage.
Keep your goals in mind when viewing potential commercial real estate purchases. Will you lease the property out or conduct business there yourself? It will help you more easily find an appropriate piece of property to purchase if you know exactly what you plan to do with the property after you acquire it.
If you want to know if a real estate broker is honest, ask him where he makes the majority of his money. This should be a topic that can be openly discussed and should allow you to learn if there are shared interests between you and them. Make sure you understand how they are going to benefit from the transaction that they will take care of for you.
If you have to clean up a property, there’s always a way to save a buck or two. If you possess an ownership interest, you may not be fully responsible for cleanup costs. It can cost your a lot of money to clean up and get rid of garbage. Consult an environmental assessment company to get a clear idea of what problems must be addressed. The expense may be offset by what is discovered.
It is prudent to consult a tax specialist before purchasing real estate. You adviser can help you calculate the overall cost you will incur in making the purchase, and what portion of the income deriving from the property will be taxable. An adviser could even help you find an area with lower taxes.
Pest Control
If you are renting or leasing, be sure to know about pest control arrangements. If you are renting in an area that is known to have a lot of rodents, pests, or bugs, then ask your agent what the policies on pest control are.
Consider the good tax benefits if you are thinking about purchasing commercial properties for investment purposes. You will get good tax breaks for interest and also benefits for depreciation. However, investors sometimes get “phantom income”, this is a type of income which is taxed but it isn’t received as cash. It is important that you become familiar with this particular kind of income before you make any investments.
When you are pursuing an investment in commercial real estate, finding the right type is only the start of the process. Just a little information can go a long way.