St. Cloud, MN - Real Estate Blog

I would like to thank the St Cloud Real Estate Investors Association (REIA) for allowing me to come and speak to them about the state of the real estate market in St Cloud MN last week.  I had a wonderful time and there were a lot of good questions being asked about what to expect with real estate, when will the bottom hit, and what to expect with property taxes in upcoming years.  For those of you who don't know me, I always enjoy the opportunity to stand on my "soap box" and preach about real estate.

If you would like to learn more about the new chapter of the REIA, you can take in one of their meetings on the 4th Thursday of every month at the Great River Regional Library.  If you have other questions, give me an e-mail at jason@stcloudedina.com and I will get you in touch with one of the group's members.

Jason Tangen - GRI, e-PRO - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty in St Cloud MN.

http://StCloudEdina.com - Try the e-Market Analysis (free home value estimator).

http://JasonTangen.EdinaRealty.com - Search homes for sale in Sartell, MN.

Best on the Internet for Real Estate St Cloud MN

Posted by Jason Tangen at 01:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Sometimes a property doesn't look good on paper (or in person for that matter) and it works perfectly as an investment vehicle.  Other times, you run the numbers and it looks safe, but you just can't seem to cash flow.

I wish I could package a perfect product that would work for every scenario, but they are all different.  What works for me in my rental properties, may not work within your scheme of investing.  If I could do that, I probably wouldn't be blogging here today.

Instead I recommend a simpler approach to investment real estate.

1) Clearly define your goals.  - Are you looking to achieve long term wealth or quick money?  Do you want to have an active hand in your investment?  Are tax savings as important to you as cash at the end of each month?

2) Run the numbers and compare the results to your goals.  - What my numbers look like and what yours will look like will be similar, but what we base our decisions on will probably be different.  I am investing for the long term and cash on cash isn't as important as many investors.  Don't get me wrong, I need to not go back wards every month.  But, if I can clear $2 a month and have some great depreciation schedules, I might be interested.

3) Go for it.  - If this is your first investment property purchase, just jump.  You will never know until you try.  As long as the numbers work for you, the rest will come together.

There are problems with renting properties that will definitely come into play.  Believe me, I know.  From trashed properties to no-paying tenants, there are tons of potential headaches.  But, on the flip side, how much will that property be worth in 30 years?  $500,000?  That's better than any 401k I've ever heard of.

Jason Tangen, GRI - Real Estate Broker Associate with Edina Realty St Cloud

www.jasontangen.point2agent.com - A new website for you to see for St Cloud real estate

www.jasontangen.com - Tried and true.  Search homes for sale, get foreclosures, and find out what your property is worth.

Posted by Jason Tangen at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Attached is a link to my Investment Property Analysis Spreadsheet for evaluating real estate investment purchases.

Download file

If you are thinking about using real estate to create a basis of wealth, this Investment Property Analysis Spreadsheet is definitely for you.  Please post any questions, comments, or concerns that you have in using this spreadsheet. 

Jason Tangen

www.stcloudedina.com

Posted by Jason Tangen at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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