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Rental Property Investment Advice
How to Buy Rental Property in 7 Steps PART 2

Do you want to buy a rental property investment but you are turned off by the lengthy and confusing buying process? Our rental property investment advice will show you do it quick and easy in this Part 2 of our step by step Guide on How to Buy Rental Property.

Have You Read Step 1 to 4? If No, Click for Part 1 of How to Buy Rental Property Guide


Step 5: Shop for a Rental Property Mortgage and Get Yourself Pre-Approved

Getting your hands on a mortgage loan is one crucial step when you are buying rental property investments. Unless you can afford the entire cost of the property, no mortgage loan simply means no rental property for you.

A rental property loan is different from your usual home loan because your lender will usually require a large down payment and charge you slightly higher interest rates. That's another reason for you to take your time and look for the cheapest loans from the local banks or financial institutions.

Before meeting any mortgage lender, you will also have to prepare all your important paperwork and documents. This includes your 
identification card, driver's license, social security card, bank accounts, investment accounts, pay check and income statement. Click here for the full list of documents that you will need for your landlord mortgages.

Step 6: Hire a Home Inspector or Licensed Contractor to Inspect the Property

While it's not a must to have your rental property inspected, it's recommended that you have it done to avoid any nasty surprises. If you are learning how to buy rental property, you must know that certain type of damages such as termite infestation or water damage are almost invisible to the untrained eye but can rake up massive repair bills.

A home inspector or licensed contractor will also be able to give you a more accurate estimate of the repair bills to get your rental property up to shape. This is especially important if you are dealing with run-down properties that require extensive repairs (commonly labelled as fixer uppers).

Studies have shown that most rental property investors under-estimate their repair costs so there is a real danger that you can go broke just trying to improve your rental property investments to a habitable condition according to the local housing standards.

Step 7: Make an Offer to the Seller and Negotiate the Price & Terms with Him

Knowing how to buy rental property often means knowing how to bargain your way to a great deal. Firstly you have to know the difference between your seller's asking price and reserve price.

Asking price is the price tag that your seller puts up while reserve price is lowest amount that he is willing to accept for his rental property.

In almost all cases, his reserve price will be lower than the asking price so do not be afraid to make an offer if you spot rental property invesments with great potential but the price tag is too high. In fact we do know of this seller who had asked for $265,000 but ended up letting go of his rental property at less than $100,000.

Once you are happy with the price of your rental property investment, it's time to seal the deal. During closing time, remember to negotiate the terms of the sale and try to have the seller share the closing fees and sales expenses with you.

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What Our Visitors Have to Say When it Comes to Buying Rental Property

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My First Rental Property Investment  Not rated yet
Making your first rental property investment can be both exciting and nerve wrecking. I can vividly remember my first rental property purchase - I was ...




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